Gibby

It's a supplemental part time job..work from home, create my own hours, basically internet research and data entry and it will pay my rent every month which leaves the rest of my money free to do..oh I don't know... stuff. heee. Unfortunately I can't really stalk support Clay full time as I still have somewhere to be 8 to 5 daily.

Congrats, Couchie!! That sounds perfect.

Zena, what a funny story! You're quite the Clay ambassador. Those beauty products are pretty funny - they guarantee to do things that aren't possible. Time will have its way eventually, ya know?

I figure that only some of what I do as a parent will determine how my kids turn out to be. Parents are simply not omnipotent, as much as we might like to be. So, the best parent in the world might have a rotten kid, and a rotten parent might have a fantastic kid. Kids will make their own choices.

That said, of course I'm going to be the damn best parent I can be. But, I'm not going to blame myself for all of my kids mistakes. Nor can I really take complete credit for their accomplishments. Kids have, and will exercise, free will, sometimes with good results, and sometimes with not-so-good results. The most important thing to me is that, whatever their choices, they know that I will always love them. Knowing that you're loved and valued helps so much with the lows, and highs, in life.

Okay, enough shmoopieness. Toots, I'm glad you used this emoticon earlier in a post about teeth. :15: I had been wondering how the heck someone would work it into a post, and by golly, you did it!

ETA: You want dancing, Muski? Here ya go!

Bad day? Pshaw!

Let's just say that it started with another standoff with my younger daughter (which resulted in another month added to her being grounded, by the way. It was until Thanksgiving; now she's without a social life to speak of through 2007. Basically, she's been stripped of any and all privileges and she has been charged with changing her behavior in order to earn them back---one by one. Let's hope we can start 2008 with a better attitude, shall we? )

Muski, I feel your pain. Our youngest is difficult too, and doesn't want to change a darn thing. I sympathize with you and wish you the best luck! At least you have a supportive hubby that can share the parenting frustrations.

Those pictures were HAWT!! My, our boyfriend is a fantastic male specimen.

The last several days have been a series of days. I have finally succeeded in running away from myself (temporarily at least) and the significant others that have been causing my brain to combust and my :laught31:

Today, during a quick stop at my doctor's office to have a prescription refilled.....(why yes I love, he went all thorough on me and well, :281: apparently I have high blood pressure.

Now, that couldn't be the stress.... could it????? (See siggy for clarification)

*HUGS* I hope the stress and the medical problems both get better soon!

I'm sending up prayers for the FCAers in S. California. What a scary time!

And now, for something completely random. Have you ever seen a bird that likes to dance in time to music? I think Snowball is hysterical. If you enjoy watching the first dance, click on 'Snowball and Huey' on the right.

Bird Lovers BlogSpot

Whew, I'm finally catching up after a REALLY busy day!

Scarlett, how dare anyone doubt your stellar capabilities! Hmmmmppppphhhh! Sometimes the world can be a hella place, especially when prejudice gets in the way. Please know that there are scads and scads of Claymates who admire and benefit greatly from your fantastic tech abilities.

**HUGS** to ldyj and Mr. ldyj. :thbighug-1:

And prayers for the So. Cal. peeps.

Well, I have an opportunity to make some money to pay for more Clay stuff! My day job is at a hospital, and the money I make from that goes into the family pot. But all of the money I make playing piano various places is my very own mad money, to do with as I choose. Today I was asked to play piano with an orchestra for the musical 'Titanic.' I played through some of the score tonight, and I might just do it! It could be a lot of fun. Other than work and usual Mom duties, I'm not that busy during January and February when the rehearsals and performances will take place, so I think it will work! I'll probably use the extra $$ to pay for my trip to NY to see Spamalot.

Muski, I so agree with this:

And once again we're all sent a reminder of just how precarious life is. Anyone's fortune can turn in an instant and I want to learn how to appreciate and make the most of all of the "instants" I have.

That's one thing that is good about working in a hospital - you learn to appreciate the health and opportunities in your life. There are so many people who have their lives interrupted by accidents or catastrophic medical problems, and when you see this every day, you learn to be grateful for what you have, and to enjoy each moment.

On Vegas... it's going to be pretty warm, cold at night. However, for the taping, remember it's Christmas and in a skating rink, so I'm packing a warm red sweater/black slacks to wear for the taping. Otherwise, layers work great. Jeans/slacks, short sleeve shirt/t, then lightweigt sweater/jacket. It'll be at least in the 80s during the day, 20-30 degrees cooler at night. Check weather.com tho, cause things change rapidly out in this neck of the woods.

Thanks! That's what I thought the temperature range would be, but wondered if anyone had more info. I'll check the extended forecast a couple days before my flight. Wheeeeee! I'm starting to get excited!! I'm really looking forward to meeting the FCA members who are going!

Wow, you're packing for Vegas already? I have soooo many things to get through before Vegas - working lots of shifts at the hospital, playing in a concert, playing for two days of choir contests, and helping a student make recordings for college auditions. And, of course, being a Mom and taxi driver, too! I think I'll probably throw some stuff in the suitcase a day before Vegas.

Ummm, hee, yeah. I just find that, for the kind of reasons you mention above (i.e. life with kids) it's helpful if I start throwing stuff in a suitcase now. Like printed tickets, confirmations, reservations, etc. And clean clothes. Then when the time comes around, I don't have to worry about forgetting my reservations, and all my clothes being dirty.

Not a bad idea! Speaking of clothes for Vegas - does anybody know what the usual temperature is there this time of year?

I have started packing for Vegas, starting planning for NYC in the spring, and let's not forget the two CiTH shows as well. OMG!

Wow, you're packing for Vegas already? I have soooo many things to get through before Vegas - working lots of shifts at the hospital, playing in a concert, playing for two days of choir contests, and helping a student make recordings for college auditions. And, of course, being a Mom and taxi driver, too! I think I'll probably throw some stuff in the suitcase a day before Vegas.

But I agree about all we have to look forward to. It's a good thing hubby got me an external hard drive - the new clack is going to start rolling in soon!

Someone posted this fantastic picture upthread:

WOW!!! It's gorgeous. Five Goldens took some other LOVELY pictures at Grand Rapids:

He looks so happy, and soooo hawt!

YUMMMMM!

Yup, he has nose hairs. But what I really love about this pic is the eyes, the stubble, and the teeth.

Wonderful rear view!

Five Goldens took this pic at Baltimore - wow, what gorgeous hair!

This is a link to a site that lists the lyrics for all of the songs in Spamalot:

Spamalot Lyrics

And here's a pic of Sir Clobin, photoshopped by Pax. Those at the CH are familiar with it, but others may not be!

I'm enjoying all of pictures and stories about pets! Dogs AND cats.

We don't have either in our house - we have two bearded dragons. They are very friendly little lizards, and love being held. They belong to our 13 year old daughter, who loves playing with them. Here are a few pictures:

Today turned out to be a really good day! Hubby decided that we needed to upgrade our Quicken to the most recent version. We keep our financial records on my laptop, because it has more memory, and I informed him that I don't have space on my laptop for a new program. No, I didn't tell him that it's because of all of the Clay pics, vids and mp3s! BWAH! Being the sweet man that he is, hubby said that maybe he should just buy me an external hard drive so that I could move some stuff over and make room for the program. Who was I to argue? So I've been having a good time setting up the hard drive, moving stuff over and making room for new clack. Oh, and for Quicken 2008, too!

Oh, and I got Clay's package. In the mail.

Heeee! Don't I wish it was the real thing. Somehow Clique, in all of its wisdom, decided that I didn't receive my Year Two membership package, and decided to send me a second one! Hmmmmm, I don't know how they decided that. Anyway, is there anyone here who paid for year two and didn't get a package? If it doesn't come in the next week or so, let me know, and I'll send you my second one. The t-shirt is a size small.

{{{{{{Scarlett}}}}}}}}} I hope RL gets better for you soon!

Couchie , your use of emoticons is hysterical!

Here are my plans for the day. I already drove my dtr around today (didn't see a taxicab emoticon). I'll be and and :09: (I'll be playing with a band, only I'll be on the piano) and and then definitely and most likely :image008: . And hubby and I will go to Starbucks at some point I'll need to take my dtrs. shopping for Halloween costumes and I'll spend some time playing computer games At some point either today or tomorrow we will go to to a movie as a family

Welcome to Ausdon, Karma and CarolinaBound! I hope you all will jump in and enjoy having such a great place to enjoy posting about Clay!

Not all British humor is the same. Some of it is somewhat intellectual, some of it is silly. They can show more on British television than they can in the US, so some of it goes much further than we may be comfortable with. (You should see what they do on shows like "Little Britain.") However, it doesn't surprise me at all the Clay would find it funny. British humor often has a snarkiness to it that seems perfectly aligned with Clay's own sensibilities.

Hubby and I have always enjoyed British humor! We loved 'Are You Being Served,' and didn't miss Monty Python if we could help it. That's why I knew I could easily sell my hubby on going to NY to seeing Spamalot. That, and the fact that I told him I'd be using some of my own money to pay for it!

Thanks so much for the link to the abc article, desertflower! Wow, Clay sounds so intelligent, knowledgeable, and well-spoken! He makes my heart go pitter-patter!

Play, I'm glad that Holly will be okay. It sounds like it was pretty scary situation for awhile!

I am thrilled that it's Friday night. Made it through another busy week! Between working at the hospital, playing for six choirs, and being the taxi driver for my two daughters, I'm ready for the weekend!

Here are the lyrics to Clay's major solo:

You Won't Succeed On Broadway Lyrics

ARTHUR:

Have you heard of this "Broadway?"

ROBIN:

Yes sire...and we don't stand a chance there.

ARTHUR:

Why not?

ROBIN:

Because...Broadway is a very special place,

filled with very special people,

people who can sing and dance, often at the same time!

They are a different people, a multi-talented people,

a people...who need people...and who are, in many ways, the

luckiest people in...the world. I'm sorry sire, but we don't stand a chance.

ARTHUR:

But why?

ROBIN:

Well...let me put it like this.

In any great adventure,

that you don't want to lose,

victory depends upon the poeple that you choose.

So, listen, Arthur darling, closely to this news:

We won't succeed on Broadway,

If you don't have any Jews.

You may have the finest sets,

Fill the stage with penthouse pets,

You may have the loveliest costumes and best shoes.

You my dance and you may sing,

But I'm sorry, Arthur king,

You'll hear no cheers,

Just lots and lots of boos.

ENSEMBLE:

Boo.

ROBIN:

You mahve have butch men by the score

Whom the audience adore,

You may even have some animals from zoos,

Though you've holes and krauts instead,

You may have unlevened bread,

But I tell you, you are dead,

If you don't have any Jews.

They won't care if it's witty,

or everything looks pretty,

They'll simply say it's shitty and profuse.

Nobody will go, sir,

If it's not kosher then no show, sir,

Even Goyem won't be dim enough to choose!

Put on shows that make men stare,

With lots of girls in underwear,

You may even have the finest of reviews.

CRITIC:

You're doing great!

ROBIN:

The audience won't care, sir,

As long as you don't dare, sir,

To open up on Broadway

If you don't have any Jews.

You may have dramatic lighting,

Or lots of horrid fighting,

You may even have some white men sing the blues!

Your knights might be nice boys,

But sadly we're all goys,

And that noise that you call singing you must lose.

So, despite your pretty lights,

and naughty girls in nasty tights,

and the most impressive scenery you use...

You may have dancing mana-mano,

You may bring on a piano,

But they will not give a damn-o

If you don't have any Jews!

You may fill your play with gays,

Have Nigerian girls in stays,

GIRLS:

You may even have some schizas making stews!

ROBIN:

You haven't got a clue,

If you don't have a Jew,

All of your investments you are going to lose!

There's a very small percentile,

Who enjoys a dancing gentile,

I'm sad to be the one with this bad news!

But never mind your swordplay,

You just won't succeed on Broadway,

You just won't succeed on Broadway,

If you don't have any Jews!

Arthur, can you hear me?

To get along on Broadway,

To sing a song on Broadway,

To hit the top on Broadway and not lose,

I tell you, Arthur king,

There is one essential thing...

There simply must be, simply must be Jews.

There simply must be,

Arthur trust me,

Simply must be Jews.

Gibby I feel your pain...and then some...I have 4 daughters...23, 22, 20 and 18. I feel like I have been on a permanent rollercoaster for the past 10 years or so. Of course, I should have know what to expect since I have three sisters myself and have vivid memories of those teen-ager years when we fought like cats and dogs.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel, I now have 4 grown daughters who are foraging their way through life and though I still don't like some of the decisions they are making; they are all pretty independent ladies with good heads on their shoulders and actually are starting to believe that mom knew what she was talking about after all!

Kim

Kim, I'm in awe. And you're obviously still very sane, so maybe there's hope for me!

I feel badly for those who won't be able to go to Spamalot. I well know the feeling, because there are many, many Clay events I haven't been able to go to due to distance and cost. After all, he's only been to Colorado to perform twice, and rarely comes to any of our surroundings states. Clay is doing so much now that I'm having to pick and choose what to go to. Thank goodness for clack! And I'm thrilled that he has so many opportunities, even if I can't partake in all of them directly.

"And we are having a fantastic time enjoying his manly talents."?

BWAH!!!

I think there are fans who are emotionally committed to the idea of Clay as a successful recording artist. Television, film, and theatre are only tolerable to the extent that they further Clay's music career.

Me? I find that view somewhat limiting. Sure, I'd love to see him sell CD's, but I don't think CD recordings alone capture what makes him special.

Honestly, I'm not sure that even a "kick-ass" CD would necessarily be enough to earn him the kind of status and music "cred" that many want for him. Like it or not, he is not one of the "cool kids," and I don't see him ever trying to become one of them. It's not that I think he can't sing songs that could get radio play. I just get the feeling that he doesn't necessarily connect to the kind of music that regularly gets spins on Top 40 formats. If he does make it there, I suspect it will be with a ballad, something that could cross over from AC.

But my instincts are that radio is not going to be the engine of his career. I believe it will be other media (television, film, theatre) that will ultimately fuel his success. Some may consider them merely promotional tools, but I think they will be a much bigger part of his life. Why?

1) Because these allow audiences to see the broader range of his talents--his voice, yes, but also his personality and sense of humor. I have always believed that his comedic skills will be his ticket to broader acceptance, especially among males.

2) Because these tend to be somewhat less fixated on what is trendy at the moment. You don't have to be "hip" to be popular on television, film, or theatre. You just have to be entertaining, and Clay can certainly do that.

3) Because these ultimately offer more long-term career stability and financial reward. There's a reason why so many artists from Beyonce to Billy Ray Cyrus pursue acting careers. Music is a fickle, uncertain industry that often does not pay as much as one imagines. With the CD sales sliding, that's becoming even more and more true.

This Spamalot role may not pay him a fortune (although I suspect he's still getting more than the typical Broadway performer). However, it does come with a lot of benefits. One, I think it will be a tremendous learning experience, giving him the opportunity to develop his acting skills with seasoned professionals. Two, it will expose him to new audiences, people interested in the play who may not have a clue as to how talented he really is, including possible industry folk. And three, it will focus attention on his comedic talent, something that could pay off in terms of television or film roles in the future.

And if he gains broad popularity as an actor/performer, we would probably see an increased interest in his CD's and concerts. Look at the success of Hannah Montana.

In the early days of my fandom, I used think Clay would be recording star. Now I'm beginning to believe he was meant for bigger things.

I agree completely!!

:word:

And now, for other news - I hereby officially resign from parenthood. Being the mother of two teenaged daughters is simply too much for me today. I'll let you know when I decide whether or not to take them back (heeee - don't I wish!).

:angry22:

I've said my share of "I'm gonna..." things in my lifetime that I've never done them.

For example:

......

Stop caring whether or not my 12 year old goes to school every day with shiny, recently shampooed hair.

......

Muski, I have this same issue with my 13 year old. For some reason, she thinks that it's a huge hassle to take a shower. My 15 year old gets really cranky if anything gets in the way of her daily shower, but the 13 year old doesn't really care if her hair hasn't been washed in a few days. Hubby and I keep hoping she'll care more about washing her hair - maybe by the time she gets to high school?

I just did something stupid. I was perusing the 'Clay Aiken Joins Spamalot' articles (there's over 170 now). I read the article at TMZ, and then made the mistake of reading the comments. A bunch of haters were posting comments. Ah, well. I guess all celebrities have haters. But Clay's laughing all of the way to the bank!! And we are having a fantastic time enjoying his many talents.

Ok, the ticketing is bizarre. On a particular weeknight... Row C, seat 109 is NOT a premium seat and therefore is 111.50. But Row B, seat 109 IS a premium seat and is 250. Dayum. I best be careful shopping!!

I've been up since 5:30am. Why am I not tired?!?

I guess I was lucky last night when I grabbed two center row B tickets for $111.50. I wonder if I'd get the same deal today, or if they're considered Premium now? I chose to go on a weekday, 'cuz I'll be flying in and it's cheaper to fly on the weekday. Anyway, I'm glad that some of us bought tickets right away. It looks like it created a bit of a buzz for Clay!

Alex and I lucked out getting those 'half price' tickets for a show one summer. If I remember correctly we bought the half price ticket for Rent on a Sunday for a Tuesday night show. Very decent seats. We also bought discounted (but not half priced) tix on the same day for a Beauty and the Beast Broadway show a couple days after the Long Island JNT '06...can't remember what day of hte week it was.

And I KNOW paying the full online price is not the best 'deal'...but in THIS case--in order to get a specific night so far in advance and a seat close to the stage and on the same night as a friend who'll also be flying mucho miles to be there, etc....I figured I'd better go for them. Used my AMEX rewards points so no actually $$$ left my poor pockets....I'll just have to find special deals on flights and hotels to make up for my extravagance.

Could we have PICKED a more wonderful boyfriend? :thsign27:

(well, except for the lack of conjugal visits, of course)

Muski, I'm so glad you bought those tickets! We'll have a great time.

Hubby and I went to NY before we had kids, and bought tickets to see 'Fiddler' the day of the show. We paid less than half price. It's a great way to buy tickets, but there's no guarantee at all that a ticket will be available, or that you'll get a decent seat. If I lived in or close to NY, I might try for Spamalot tickets this way, 'cuz I wouldn't be travelling to see the show. But when I'm flying in to see it? No way do I want the stress of wondering if I'll be able to see the show or not.

All I can say is that my boyfriend is clearly better than their boyfriend, cause I don't have to fix mine!

BWAH!! Yep, that boyfriend of ours is amazingly awesome.

Scarlett, you better keep posting, girl! I enjoy your posts so much. I doubt that the little bit of 'exclusive content' you posted will get you in trouble.

Woooohooooo, Muski, those are great tickets!! I think we're going to watch the planes fares for awhile, and see what happens with the rates. Hopefully we'll find a good deal at some point. We might book the hotel and plane at the same time, 'cuz you can sometimes get better rates for both that way.

chacha - you can get Spamalot tickets at telecharge.com .

Wheee, I'm on top!!!

March 26th, with hubby. And hopefully with Muski and her hubby, too!

OMG.

Mr. Muski just came home from a meeting. I told him about Gibby calling with the NYC proposition.

He said, "Let's do it!"

OMG.

We might end up in bankruptcy, but we'll have had a fun time getting there!

I love my hubby.

(off to use my Amex Rapid Rewards points to buy tickets!)

:nana: :nana: :nana:

Ooooooh, we'll have so much fun, Muski!! I'm all excited to find out which seats you get! Hopefully they'll be close to the ones I got today. Give Mr. Muski a big kiss from me, okay?

Aikim, I'm so happy that Clay quoted you. Your post was beautiful, and I can see why it made him misty. He really, really appreciates all of our support.

What a FANTASTIC day it's been! I didn't get much of anything done today, but I sure had fun! I missed the OFC chat because hubby and I went to the gym - darn it! But there's sooooo much to celebrate and be happy about today. Clay is so good to us!

Looks like our Sir Robin is in quite a few scenes!

EEEEEEEEEEEEE! I just bought tickets at the end of March - Row B, in the very center. I bought a ticket for hubby and for me.

Now we'll have to figure out our flight and lodging. And pray that Muski and hubby can come, too!!

Cool screencap, bottle!

I'm wondering about the piano part, too, cindilu. I think he's probably already started working on it.

I won't be surprised if someone gets at an audio recording of Clays' solo. It's not kosher on Broadway, but I'll be surprised if someone doesn't try it.

ETA: Ooooooh! I just became Clay's PERSONAL MANAGER. Oh, yeah!! I'll manage his person, alright! Heeee!