zena

After sighing over KarenEh's Knoxville pics, I just had to say hi, regardless of whether anyone still remembers zena/lena anymore. That was some concert in Knoxville; I remember KarenEh and I exchanging raised eyebrows and stifling guffaws/giggles at Clay's antics that night. Whatever feelings he had about the pre-concert wandering foot episode on the plane, he appeared to get them out of his system on stage. It's been so long since a concert, or fan experience that I've gone all sensible and am consistently acting my age. That's pretty frightening actually. I want a time warp back to 2003, and that giddy high of Ticketmaster, booking flights, hotels and rentals. I want to stand at the Customs counter and explain with the most enthusiastic of grins to a poker faced Customs officer that the "purpose of the multiple destinations of my trip" is to hear Clay Aiken sing again and meet with the friends I have met and made from all over the place. I really miss being what my family called "crazy". Being crazy can be very satisfying. Sending wistful waves and the warmest of hugs to all! eta: Just realized 'my avatar is, ummm, a little outdated; oh well, I'm still on memory lane...

Okay, I confess. When I couldn't fall asleep, I decided to check FCA to see if anyone waved back. I shoulda known you wouldn't let a girl down. :Boss: Nah, they threw me out of Minneapolis pretty fast after I threw up all over their airport. I think my name is on a list. Thanks jmh123 for mentioning that thread. I love to have choices when I'm trying to avoid doing homework. And Gibby, I see you got my oh so subtle hint about, ummm, pictures. ..... These are for you. G'Night FCA!

Hi Everyone! I know I've been underground for a long while, but I did want to give everyone a wave just to say hello. I can't ever did find the waving emoticon when I need it but I spent half an hour there just looking; there were so many new ones......sigh.....I love emoticons. I have been lurking more often lately and whenever I read the names at the bottom of the page of people online that also connect with the happy memories of familiar faces and good times, I wonder if I'll be lucky enough to see some of you again. I hope so! In the meantime, I think my new station in life will keep my path fairly simple and straightforward. I have recently joined the ranks of the bankrupt scholar and gone back to University. :PickMe-1: This is me: rich in knowledge (Ha), and very very poor in spam-like funds. Take care, :F_05BL17blowkiss: all of you! I'll be hanging around from time to time when I feel like not doing homework and need to be inspired by pictures, news, music, pictures, conversation, pictures, well, you understand, right?

HI FCA!!!!!! I've missed all of you. Did someone mention something a few posts back about taking a two months vacation away from the boards? I seem to be falling off the edge of civilization at regular intervals lately. I guess the important thing is that I keep coming back, although I have given up all hope of ever reaching a 500 post count. Ahem. I seem to have returned on a good Clack day. Maybe not so good for Clay himself; poor baby...I wonder who got the job of sitting on him and making it very clear that he was not allowed to drag his sick butt onto stage. Maybe Jerome???? Heh, I'm no good at speculating. That lovely snippet of Clay singing reminded me why I am still hanging around this fandom. I can't wait to have another professionally done recording in my hands, with new pictures, and liner notes and CD parties and my Christmas shopping all done. Sigh. But I digress, I wanted to drop in here tonight (at my usual late hour) to bring your attention to my new signature. So far 2008 hasn't been a banner year for me what with new beginnings, a new address and what feels like precious little else but my gut feeling that I'm on the right path to make me get up in the morning. And then there has been this particularly nasty winter.....grrrrrrr. Still, there's always room for a miracle somewhere in everyone's life. Sometimes miracles and bad times can happen at the same time. Last week a good friend invited me away from my life for a few weeks to spend time at her house. She is a saint. And it is almost, ( I said almost ) beside the point that she lives a relatively short train ride from the Broad Way. Sir Robin has nine days to get his adorable self all healthy and spammy for.......meeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Okay, I'm way behind in reading since RL has been smacking me around somewhat, and I don't even have any germs to blame it on. So, as usual I have a truckful of posts that I absolutely Needed to quote.... lilyshine, that sure sounds like someone i know. yikes. Sending a BIG hug your way,from Claygary....drat that ice and snow anyway! It's is blizzarding here again today, and it feels as if this winter is never going to end. Well wishes to playbiller and jamar too. Get lots of rest both of you and dream nice dreams. jamar, I've always found the cold mist/steam to be more effective. The droplets are smaller, and from what I heard and been taught warm or hot mist can actually carry germs. Cotton, I really think you're onto to something good here.....sounds like a way to "dream some very nice dreams" Turns out Lena and I both want a Holy Grail cup. But I'm going to be a stick in the mud and suggest why not just leave the printing on the other side of the cup. The picture is beeyootiful in itself, and the writing kinda stands alone too (if you know what I mean) and that solves the problem of the blank cup. Ta Da!! Disclaimer: I know nuthin about designing anything so this is pure opinion not constructive criticism. cha cha, I do love that banner....very very nice. cindilu2, just want to second what ialreadyam said above. There would be a very important color of the rainbow at fca missing if you weren't here with us. And for the record, (although for the most part random bloggers or uninformed critics don't jog my equilibrium too much) ANY guy who uses the term WIFE or "the wife" loses my audience and respect immediatly. Where I come from this "term" is used fairly regularly among the locals. DH has had to step in to stop me from doing some of them bodily harm :mallet:a few times. My time-honored method for getting rid of the blogger blues or messageboard teeth grinding is to turn on ClayRadio and just listen to the man sing. It may be oversimplifying in the most rose-colored glasses kind of way, but it works for me. That voice takes me all kinds of good places. Okay back to my blizzard!!!! waves to Kareneh whereever she is......

Whew! I just dragged myself and the spoils of the day through the door. Can I join in on whining about the snow and the cold and the icy wind and ...... so on. It's so frustrating when at the end of the day you just want to get inside and the *#&*!!X garage door only goes a third of the way up cause the track is frozen up. And then I have to get out of the car and yank on the chain while pushing the frosty door up manually, get back in my car, drive it into the garage, and then shut the door again. Life in the tundra sure ain't automatic in the winter. Waves sympathetically at FromClaygary!!! Awww, I wanted you to do it all for me, Couchie . Do you know if they ship to Canada? Man, I can relate. I swear I walked around those long aisle three times looking for something I'm positive was there just last week. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. playbiller, I am in constant awe of your emoticons. JMO on the "friends" thing at OFC, the setup brings back some not so pleasant memories of never quite making it into the "in" group in my growing up years. Maybe I'm ignorant or need more therapy but why do I need a "list" of friends; is there some advantage to this?

In spite of my usual nocturnal wanderings and ramblings, I love dropping in here in the mornings. It just makes me smile from ear to ear.... gets me warmed up...um...all over.. Couchie, after you've done all the legwork of researching and replacing your beloved mug, could you let me know how to get one. Lena told me she wants one .... errrr.... for Ole's valentines present. okay, have a great day everyone......mine is going to be a long one. oh brother, my mind is stuck in one track; i may need to go find a hanky and confess my sins sometimes very soon.

Hi, K'Andre, this is Lena posting; you know, zena's sister who you met in Hell's Kitchen in Minneapolis? I thought maybe the Santa hat would jog along your memory. zena is driving in a blizzard somewhere, (at least that's what she told me to tell you). I, Lena that is, am always interested in public health and Mastering things. Sorry, but all the Lutherans out here in Minnesota don't really dance; we just stomp around to keep warm. So I really don't even do the metaphorical dance thing zena was talking about. Yes well, back to public health. I think for shure that Clay was/is doing a lot of deep breathing during his dancing around so that's more oxygen for Clay and more carbon dioxide for the plants and green things. Do you need more reasons for mastering or is this a good start? I'm always happy to help one of zena's friends, and there's not too much to do out here in the tundra these days. CouchTomato, this is still Lena. I don't really understand why it is so important to you but I'm sure I have a clay cup and some long pink laces around somewhere. I got those laces in the bargain bin at Food-Rite for 50 cents. I would be happy to send them to you for free. Is clack a new kind of Corelle or china? I haven't seen anywhere out here; leastways not in Walmart or Target. Do you think zena would like a clay cup with laces too? She is so sad these days. She just sits around the house eating Spam sandwiches.... I wish I could make her smile like she did in Minneapolis before Christmas. I'm a little worried about this "not yet dead" thing she has written down here. Do you think she's coming down with something? oh oh....zena's back.....

Unfortunately, and shamefully with my bi-lingual Canadian heritage, I don't speek da french..... but I wanted to share my favorite parts of that hilarious "babble". You just made me smile out loud, playbiller. "Clay Ciken has buckled some.....voice which nails me on the spot.....then it opened the mouth... my ears with its pretty voice! ...... when he wants where he wants!....I fell under the ^^. charm... Good bin I will see whether I put the hand on his....(my pause here) ..... Cd in the next days..." Yeah, that.....In my fondest dreams... hmmmm....I think i understood what they were saying....purrfectly... Thanks for the responses to my trip onto the slippery dance floor. :F_05BL17blowkiss: I'm going to sit down now by the punch bowl and wait for the Dance Captain in the stilettoes to check in. :clay: Nope, I'm not skeered. :chair:

Soooo, I'm going to take a small step and bravely go where I have never been before. Yep, zena is going to make a comment on dancing. I do not have a dancing bone in my body. And this has nothing to do with my relatively strict Mennonite Preacher's kid upbringing. hee, sometimes I was downright thankful for the latter because I didn't have to prove how really awkward I was. I've always loved theatre, and in high school, won a scholarship to attend a national drama camp in the summer. Unfortunately for me, the production they chose to put on was a musical theatre piece with LOTS of dancing. They tried very hard to make me into a chorus girl, but finally gave up and gave me a speaking role. I think the good Lord just passed me over when he was handing out rhythm. :00000441: Now, I don't think Clay comes anywhere close to being similarly afflicted. He has plenty of natural rhythm and moves. I'm not sure that he's ever really willingly embraced those natural abilities in terms of "dancing". I think for him these natural gifts will always shine more through his singing. Having said all that, and having read all your very interesting comments about dance from my non-experiential perspective, I am looking at Clay's present dancing exploits in Spamalot in a more metaphorical way. I think it's great that he is having the experience of learning to move creatively and co-operatively as part of a team production. He is not the star; he cannot stand out in the group dances, he must blend in as part of the whole. From the recent recaps, it sounds as if he is absorbing and embracing this new "knowledge" less with his "head thinking" and more with his body. The fact that he is discovering he can actually do this with the support and encouragement of a very new set of peers must be a rewarding and stretching experience for him personally. I'm glad Clay had the guts to try something as different as Spamalot. I truly hope that what may seem like a silly sidestep in his singing career to some, will bless him with a broader confidence and flexibility in his future. I'd really love some feedback on this cause I really feel out of my league here. I may be totally posting into the wind, but if what i have written makes some sense, or no sense, I'd so appreciate hearing your opinions. thanks :F_05BL17blowkiss: eta: my sincerest prayers to those in the path of those devastating storms. Even my tundra sounds preferable to their destructiveness.

wandacleo, i'm looking for a new therapist. I'm perfectly willing to take the chance that you might just kill me with your scintillating wit in the process.

Been to OFC and back again. I stole this. Isn't it cute? Love thy post, Clay. What wig?

zena, are you sure? I thought it came from 'fan fiction'.... zena checks her Websters..... Let's see now, fan.... fan belt, fancy, fandango, fanfare, fang, fantasy,(that pretty darn close to fanfiction, muskifest, so I'll give you thumbs up) fantasstic belt, cy, dango, g, fant, asstic..... the phonetic verbalizations here are verrry interesting... but as someone wiser than me just said, "Well! *I* never swear or make crude jokes or rude gestures." hey cindulu2 hee.... I hafta get out of this damn darn snowbank soon. Help!!!!

I've been away testing some new waters, and I don't even know how to swim. Silly silly zena. Did you know? It's a real jungle out there? I'm glad I'm back home again. I just caught up on the last 15 pages or so....and it's just downright nice to sense the "space" between the different opinions and posts; the kind of space that allows me to form or share a view of my own. I love you guys! :F_05BL17blowkiss: You know, in 15 pages there were a whole lot of people I dearly wanted to quote....but I'm trying really hard to write shorter posts. But, wandacleo, you are my favorite 'cryptic' hero! Right on. Has the ClayNation forgotten the word "fan" comes from "fanatic".... but then again, there are many kinds of fanatics; fanatics to the left, fanatics to the right... aaaaaargh.... Only one thing I know for sure is that this first experience of my being fanatical about a real person is as unpredictable as anything has ever been in my life. I ain't sayin' nothin' about nobody. Except of course, that I love Clay Aiken!!!!! Don't shoot me.

Ultimately, that was what I decided too (because I did notice that the set pictures were "normal" looking). But I'm with jmh that these pictures do nothing for me (which is rare for me). In this case, I think the extreme high-res aspect doesn't help. These pictures seem to work better at a regular resolution. Still love that blue shirt though. It's a good color on him. Add me to this list of those of you shaking your heads over those last pictures. Small wonder that we sometimes hear Clay saying "ewwwwww, don't look at that picture" when some image of him flashes up on a screen during an interview etc. I wonder too if he doesn't feel like a clown sometimes with all the stage makeup, even just the stuff needed to be on camera. I tend to like pictures that actually allow the essence of Clay shine through. Somehow this last batch was all about "appearances" and "image" to me. Don't get me wrong, I know that it is all a part of the job that Clay is in, but sometime it is just OTT for me. Do not like the lipstick or the cardboard hair. And of course, with our multi-faceted BF, there's always room for a diversity of opinions and taste. Playbiller, I really hear you about the awkwardness of responding to crises and tragedy on the boards. On the rare occasions I actually do this, especially for a person I have not actually met personally, I struggle a lot with trying to say something meaningful. I know there is no way of knowing that my feeble attempt at reaching out will be of any help at all to the person grieving but somehow, here at fca, I would rather try than stay silent. Having been the recipient of this type of support several times on the boards, I have been amazed and somehow touched that strangers would care enough to make the effort. I guess it's all relative. Bookwhore, Cotton, I'm cold too. It's been so clear and frosty here that frostbite is a real problem if you don't have everything all covered up when you venture outside. I feel like I'm carrying an extra 20 pounds of layers whenever i have to go out, and trust me I'm carrying around enough already without that. I kinda have to walk like a stick person cause my joints can't even bend with all those clothes on. grrrrrr. Nasty winter.

Claygasm, just wanted to share my expression of sorrow on the death of your father. It always seems incredible to me that the rest of life goes on as usual when grief crashes the lives of the ones left behind to a numbing halt. I will be thinking of you, and hope you come and drop in here when you need support and company.

That smile makes me smile too. I was all set up for M and J with my breakfast in bed, remote in hand, and I fell asleep. These hotel beds with the forty seven pillows are way too comfortable. So instead of watching Clay on the 36+ inch screen, I watched the tiny videos from the websites about ten times, grinning like the silly smitten idiot I am. I agree, cha cha, he does look happy. I'm smiling in Manitoba Minnesota and feeling goood about this guy called Clay Aiken.

It's like defacing a National monument. Agh. BWAH! Well I have always said he is a national treasure. :clay: Dare I say he is an 'international' treasure? Hey Meesa..will you guys be opening up for new membership soon? I missed out!! Just wanted to say thanks for those scrumptious pictures! I used to be a member at ClayAikenPix too, and suddenly found my password didn't work anymore.

Oh, thank goodness the thread is still here. I thought I might have killed it with that monstrous post. Offstage zena whispers loudly to cindilu2, " No, no that's not the right line. It's I am not, yet, dead." Clayfans have to have multiple lives for all the time this guy stabs us in the .... heart. And he's not done yet! the very best Clay ever.... definitely movie star material...... Which do I like better? The one that looks most like Clay; the "surprisingly fearless delightful, irreverent" one.

Okay, everyone, finger on the scroll button and take a nice deep breath; zena's back....... zena drags herself, half frozen, through the door of fca and looks around her tentatively. So what day is it anyway; for that matter what year is it? Karma or some life force is playing some really wierd tricks on me. According to the messageboards, in Claytime that is, the ClayNation is presently orbiting around NY and Spamalot, and it is January 23rd, 2008. Some strange twist of fate has me sitting in a hotel room in frosty downtown Minneapolis with a hazy view of the Orchestra Hall out my window. I kind of feel like I'm in that Groundhog day movie, where the same thing happens over and over. Except for one thing though, I never get to the evening when Clay sings. He's not in Minnesota anymore; he's in New York! Maybe I'm being punished for not writing that recap like I said I would. zena waves cautiously at Couchie and K'Andre. At any rate, I'm trying reeeeeally hard to "reality orientate" myself to the present day. Yesterday, when the very same bellhop who helped me in December, loaded my luggage onto the cart to take it up to our room, he asked me if I had been to the Hilton before. I said yes, for the Clay Aiken concerts but then added that Clay was in NY now doing Spamalot on Broadway. His eyes nearly fell out of his head before he reverted to his "be polite to guests" mode, but he was immmmmmpressed. heee, I always enjoy that type of reaction. The real world version of why I am back in Minneapolis is that my husband has a conference here, and that I didn't get to the mall last time cuz I was too busy having food poisoning etcetera etecetera. No, I don't think I'll be going back to that restaurant. FCA will never let me help organize a get together again based on my screwup there. Special apologies to Scarlett and Perusing One.. But I may sneak off by myself to relive the memories of that lovely post Christmas concert chocolate fondue........ All the wonderful and eeeeeeful recaps of Spamalot have me in the throes of some serious envy.........and I'm doing some serious wishing behind my stoic "it's all right" attitude. It's about a six hour drive to Minneapolis from home, and DH and I spent most of that time discussing the "five year plan" for our business. There will be more budget discussions on the way home. Still, maybe, somehow, somewhere, someday....my knight will come ......Oh, yeah, I am so completely gullible and naive when it comes to Clay. Stamps foot!!! I want my crack at the Grail too! Feel free to enable me okay? "g" I missed The View because we were enroute having stimulating conversation about bottom lines, and then last night DH's stupid laptop wouldn't download anything. Grrrrr. I feasted on the screencaps. Hated the hair and the poufy tie, but by the time I got to the 5th or 6th screencap, the hair was growing on me. (Isn't that a stupid expression?) wandacleo' , you have such a way with so few words. Right On. A BIG shoutout to merrieeee who gives the best cellcerts ever. :F_05BL17blowkiss: I loved, loved, your fangirly self and your enthusiasm made especially Opening Night so real for all of us hanging onto every precious word. I sure was wondering how I would survive without clack but the play by play descriptions by fans are keeping me from starving for sure. Idyjocelyn, I'm so glad you are going after all. Do you have any tips for getting husbands to come around to understanding what the essential things for happy wives are? Here we have a prime example of "behind the ear". It make me think of what should happen next, and wouldn't you know it before I edited this line, I had typed, "behind the eats". He does look rather delicious...... Muskifest, your posts never fail to unscramble my perfectly respectful "g" vibes thoughts of Sir Robin, and cause my compass to spin. :happy-male-133: Even northeast would be good would me..... :29: Clarifying......closer to me.....more north....ummm.....geographically speaking, of course. Yeah, yeah, well yeah, that picture works very well for me. Thanks bottlecap! And while I'm sitting here alone in this particular frame of mind, it is my speculative opinion that Clay will never forget to draw his sword when the occasion arises. zena reads last line of post over and sighs. I think I need an intervention. Sorry for the marathon post.

Even way up here, surrounded by whirling snow, biting winds and subzero temperatures, I am suspended in this euphoric waiting state of excitement. This seems so completely illogical since Mr. Clay Aiken is so far removed from my real life. Still I keep gravitating toward my computer where Clay Radio is playing softly every few minutes. My work today is being uncontrollably arranged around these urges, and there have already been several comments made by DH inquiring whether I was going to spend all day in front of my computer. I have been shamelessly sharing each new picture, interview and video with him, which I usually never do. Must. do. work. Less than three hours to pre-concert cert. RIDE ON, SIR ROBIN!!!!

I'm on the way to the dentist myself, and draggin' my feet. I just needed a quick fix of Sir Robin, ummm, for courage, before I run out the door. (my bolding) I couldn't agree more, K'Andre! And I'm totally with that "lightning rod" stuff the reporter talked about too. hee. Is that smutting....? Try clicking your heels three times together while chanting "There's no place like Broadway, There's no place like Broadway..." zena starts clicking her heels madly..... {{{{playbiller}}}}} Travel safely, all you lucky Spam ladies in waiting.....

Back on December 28th I did prophesy that "I just betcha "Sir Robin" is going to fit his Clayness like a second skin." I think I was wrong. Let me venture to say, purely on the basis of the "sly look" (if that's what we're calling it these days) in his eyes, that neither the role of Sir Robin or that chicken are never going to be the same again after Mr. Aiken starts to Spam a lot. meeee too, merrieeee. Is it crazy to think I would probably spent as much for a bear like that than I would for a ticket to Spamalot cuz I could touch,squeeze,undress hug him over and over. Good grief, zena, pull yourself together. Who said that??????

I should be running out the door on my way to an appointment, but muskifest, I wanted to say that I agree with annabear about "Whatever this man sings, he offers something beautiful if you're willing to hear it." being a great thread title. I loved the rest of your post as well. As far as the rest of the politics I'm with merryclay. I'm laughing in Manitoba anyway...... Have a great day everyone!!!!!

Pouts..... they're not blond. I want a Blonde Sir Robin. Be patient with me please, I'm feeling a little testy about missing the piano..... jmh, my avatar is from my backyard. Is New York really sunny and warm? Maybe I could go for ...um....medical reasons.... And Claygasm, what's a little :hitsfanrs5: among friends? There are always the usual suspects...but I'm dancing in the happy moments of today. And (see below )