keepingfaith

Regarding AI, Ernie said: What I think is funny and that people may not remember, in the beginning, to win it was the prize. There was no second place -- you didn't win. You changed all that. Clay: Back then, we all felt that if we could just make it to the TV show our lives would be set. Then if we could make it to the Top 12. But you can't stop working. There's no free ride. There are people who have won Idol in years beyond mine who haven't been able to parlay it into the same sorts of success that say Jennifer Hudson or Chris Daughtry or other people have been able to do. And I think it has to do with the amount of work people are willing to put in. Ernie: When you didn't win ... Clay: You keep saying that as much as possible ... Ernie: Please, we know the story. ETA: Woo-hoo, I just realized I became a Chairman a few posts ago.

Ah! Now I know what I want for my birthday! AN ESPRESSO MACHINE! Can you die from caffeine overdose? I thought I might die from something else last night. What a panic. I'm sitting at my computer typing a post about drinking coffee, and I get an itch around the crook of my left arm, and see what looks like an itchy mosquito bite. I continued to scratch it a time or two, looked down and half my arm was red, my veins all clearly visible and big hard swelling at the original "site" -- freaked me out. I look a benadryl and put benadryl gel all over my arm but the swelling was hard and getting bigger. I put a bag of frozen vegetables over my arm and force drank water -- at least 4 or 5 full glasses. Of course I have an epi-pen, and when I realized I was having some difficulty swallowing I went for it, only to see that it had expired and I was afraid to use it. Everyone was gone in the house. My son in Dallas, everyone else at Grandma's for the night. I wondered if I were going to have to call EMS. I ran cold water over my arm, continued to drink water and took another benadryl. Then slowly but surely it started improving. By this morning all I have left is a knot at the bite-site. Anyway, through it all, I could only think, "Why is this happening now? I CAN'T miss this interview." And I didn't. I'm such a Clay-focused human that I think it may be life-saving in some respects -- because I willed myself to overcome whatever that was just because Clay was coming on. Otherwise, I would have called the paramedics! I wish I knew WTF bit me. If mosquitos are doing that to me now, I'm in trouble.

Okay so I'm slow. You KNEW that!!!

He said he hasn't sung that song since he recorded it and doesn't intend to. I no longer think it has anything to do with the song being suggestive. When he commented about the production of it, made me wonder if he didn't like the producer. Isn't this one he went to London to record? Anyway, it almost felt personal, like it was about more than the song. As if he didn't want people associated with it, whether songwriters, producer, arranger, whoever, to get anything more from it. That was my instinctive take -- that cutting this song out was a big FU to somebody.

His mother always said that he was singing at 18 months. She swears by it. It didn't seem like a big deal until he had Parker who is "almost two" and is barely talking. He thinks he got his musical talent "biologically." There aren't a lot of 4 year olds who are great talents, but also aren't a lot of 4 year olds who are willing to stand up and sing for people anytime. He always loved it. Having a child changes everything. He can't just think about himself. He has to think about how his actions affect his son. It changes most of his decisions in everything he does. Most people who are picky in their regular jobs are called "Type A" -- in his business they are called "divas." He considers himself Type A because he is a micro-manager and likes to have control. And he's picky. He never pretends to know things he doesn't. He's quick to defer to others when it's not his expertise. He wasn't passionate about Idol until the wild card spot and that's when he decided he really wanted it. Ernie: Is there a time when you worry that Clay Aiken is no longer yours. Clay: I worry about that. .... It's something that I'm aware of, and I'm aware that when I go out I still am me. So I don't know if Clay Aiken has been lost but I don't get to be off. Choosing songs is easy for him. He chuckles when people ask him "how do you get yourself in that place to ..." and he says, "I don't know, I went and listened to my iPod and picked some songs I liked. Either that cheapens me or makes me brilliant." Clay: There's a song on my first album I've never been comfortable with and never performed. I didn't like it and didn't like the way it was produced. Ernie: Your fans are going to want to know which ... Clay: Oh they are well aware of which one.

Those were from some of the few moments when he wasn't talking. I've got a job to transcribe this one! He talked about the Idol process and said that he had been cut three times, once in Charlotte, once in Hollywood, and on the final show -- and that at the end he said, "That's it, I'm not losing anymore." Did he think "that's it" as in "it's all over" when Idol ended? No. He couldn't predict what would happen. I understood him to say he gave it 16 weeks to see if he could have a career before going back to a job. He's not good at predicting, and has never been right about forecasting things in his career. He thinks since he had a quick rise it took him a while to know what he wanted. At the beginning he was content to let people dictate what to record. He likes to think that after doing what he's been doing for 7 years that he's gained the respect of the people who work around him enough that, in the areas where he has a grasp on things, he's good at saying, "I want to do it this way." He's not a diva, but he's picky. Believes he is more involved in the nuts and bolts of his career than any of his peers. His goal for every song from here on out is that it's something he loves to do live. There was a line somewhere in the past 7 years that when he crossed it, things stopped being so GASP (he actually gasped), and became just his life. Talked about being at the Apple store with a friend waiting in line, and he told his friend, "Look at this" and went on Twitter on his iPhone and sure enough there was a Tweet that said, "I'm standing in line next to Clay Aiken at the Apple store." He thinks he's now the "original me." Everything is shed, he's more comfortable being himself, and saying what he wants. He has no pretense. He walked to that interview in his pajamas -- he walked right down the street in his Cinnamon Toast Crunch t-shirt. He had little pretense before, now he has none. People say aren't you going to comb your hair when he goes out. Last words, "I am me." That's what I remember most, but I'll get the details later. Man, he talked a lot and fast!

Pictures from my TV screen with a cellphone camera ---

Because they do sell a nice variety of Tazo Teas And Chai tea too. Unless you're looking at it from the allergy angle. But their baked goods and breakfast sandwiches are really good as well! I love my Starbucks..lol aikim Oh, I'm an admitted addict and Starbucks is the pusher for my drug of choice -- caffeine. I guess Clay could accompany someone to a Starbucks and get the tea. I don't see past coffee -- or a triple venti sugar-free vanilla breve latte (maybe extra-hot, depending on how anxious I am to drink it down) with a low-fat turkey bacon breakfast sandwich (in the good old days before I walked out on bread, and because the low fat with the breve is silly but I prefer the cheese on that sandwich). I wish I were drinking a latte now. I could go to the Starbucks in the grocery store ... but on second thought I'm keyed up enough waiting for Clay to come on my TV tonight. But which TV. I'm stressing over which room to watch it in. Jeeeeez, no coffee for me.

As a carb watcher, deep dish doesn't do it for me, either. A thin veggie is more to my liking. Also, why would anyone have thought Clay was in a Starbucks when he doesn't drink coffee?

For the record, I'm going to do my best to transcribe Clay's interview with Ernie tonight on HoustonPBS. It doesn't play until 10CDT, so tonight will be limited to a general summary. I have my DVR set up for hi-def recording tonight, for whenever it is cleared to be vaulted.

Well, I've been playing back and forth about going to Chicago and I've finally decided that I can't justify spending $750-800 for one concert during one of my busy periods at the school. I tried to justify it as a self-birthday present, and as a damn-it-all I need to indulge myself after the work I did to walk and write and stuff this summer, and that didn't work in my rational mind and the life I lead where I actually have a limited bank account. I'm going to be spending $250 to see him in Houston in February in a great seat with a meet & greet, so that will be my expensive Clay concert for a bit. On the bright side .... only four & a half months until Clay comes HERE. And ... the PBS interview tonight. So ... sniff, sniff ... someone smile at him for me.

A new Modern Family tonight! YAY! Irish President Mary McAleese has turned down an offer to be the grand marshal of NYC's 250th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade next year over the event's long-running ban on LGBT participation. Let's hear it for the Irish!

Woo-Hoo Kim! Happy Birthday!

I'm putting myself back in Biloxi tonight.

Yeah, it will be for sale for $19.95, but I'm not sure how long it takes to get the interviews in the store. InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse is syndicated to 80 PBS stations across the country, but I guess you have to check with your local station to see if they carry it. Otherwise it will be mailed out as a special gift for anyone pledging for a Clay Aiken: Tried and True item. If you want to see Ernie in action, he had a recent Facebook campaign to replace Larry King and you can see the HQ Demo he sent to CNN here (below the photos including the one with Walter Cronkite): http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=135096096528017&ref=ts

I started parsing for key words, and then realized I like it all. Thursday night. Sounds like a wide-ranging conversation.

Well ours are center section in the pit, 5th row. I can't say it enough Row EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Cool, 5th row center for me. It was EXTREMELY easy. Best ticket-buying experience I've ever had. As to Clay walking with friend pictures -- Clay's the interesting piece of business in these shots. The other guy is just tagging along as far I'm interested. Some men may show off their bodies and strut their ripped muscles around for all to see, but I think Clay keeps his stuff under wraps because it's the First Prize, if you know what I mean. Just look at Clay's sexy back. The way his shirt pulls across that lean, taut body of his.

I'm going for Dallas tickets today. What's the deal, just wait until "BUY" goes active on the Appearances page? This is a new system for me.

I wouldn't be jumping to conclusions. We know nothing about the relationship between Clay and Devin. We don't know if he has a relationship with the guy in the pictures. I think that Clay is enjoying being single. Just my opinion, but I think he didn't like being tied down to one person, especially if it wasn't the right person, not when he's this HOT. Clay was with Reed well before he came out. I think he's living a new reality now, and he doesn't necessarily want to be committed to anyone just so he can hide with them. I do recall that Clay gave an interview to New York magazine in early 2008 and said he had never been in a romance. Has anyone ever considered that he may have been telling the truth? Reed may have been in a romantic relationship, but Clay was not -- has that ever been considered? I had a long relationship in my early days with a guy who was crazy about me and I couldn't stand to break his heart and so I stayed with him for a long time before I had to ... guess what ... break his heart. Clay is coming to terms with life as an open and free gay man. I hope he samples a lot of wares before he buys a whole pie. Even if it's a lima bean pie! *g*

OT: But do you see those shirtless pics of Derek Hough on page 1? Good LORD!

The last 9 photos on this page -- Clay Aiken and friend taking a walk along the Hudson River. He's still in the City. ETA: And first four pics on page 2 - and several more in the middle of page 2. http://photolink.net/

TOO MUCH?

Let's just do this thing this morning.

Did y'all hear about the gay and lesbian marches in London today protesting the Pope's visit? I try to steer clear of religious entanglements and discussions, but I have to say that I truly love Sir Ian Kellen. He's simply wonderful.