lilyshine

Technology has so changed disasters. Son just called from Houston to ask me to search the net to find any suggestions for what to do about a fish tank during a power outage! (Don't feed the fish!)

He also asked me to check CenterPoint Power's website to see if they had a map of outages or a timetable for power restoration.

Within 15min. I was able to call him back with the information.

Basement? What's a basement?

My son's wife is a native Houstonian and she has been fascinated by the basements in the different places I've lived. She'd never really seen on before and the concept is totally foreign to that area.

If you watch "Extreme Makeover:Home", you'll notice that they rarely put in basements and only in certain areas of the country.

I'd have a hard time living without one. Where would I put all my crap?

Just talked to DS. They are fine - no power, a few leaks, but he just sounded bored with it all!

I'm still glad I called!

Son and family (in Houston) are staying put. They are in an area that doesn't flood so I have my fingers crossed. In fact it's an area called "The Heights" although I fail to see what can be high about a city that's flat as a pancake. He's very blase about it all, but I'm keeping in touch via IM, whether he wants to or not!

Thanks for the real time updates and links.

:thbighug-1: :thbighug-1: to all down there.

Ack! I've been taking Idiian (as in India) cooking classes. and in a moment of insanity I invited friends over for an Indian dinner.

Oh. My. God. I've been chopping for frigging hours.

WHAT WAS I THINKING???????

The secret to Indian cooking is to do it the way they do in India ...

have a bunch of servants do the chopping.

ETA. I counting my pennies already! But first to NewYorkalot!

Well, I'm old but not THAT old! Never even heard of them (and I'm a voracious reader) until there was some kind of a series on TV I'm not sure how many years ago~maybe 20-30? And at that stage, as an adult, it wasn't something that appealed to me so I never watched it. I do know who she is, and the general storyline, but that's about it. As I said, the furor is lost on me.

I even worked in our local library as a volunteer from the time I was about 10 until I was 17; but the book(s?) weren't in it.

Yes. I think their popularity skipped a generation (ours). They were very sucessful with my mother's generation (she was born in 1914), but nobody else that was my age read them. Then the TV series came along and the rest is history. Actually there was another series that Montgomery wrote about Emily, that I preferred, but I don't think anyone reads that one at all now.

Oh, it sure is! Anne of Green Gables EVERY-thing! It's kind of lost on me, as the books were after my time...but I did visit the house briefly last year. I didn't go IN the house, just kind of looked around. It's in a quite lovely park area...and you'd love the island, I'm sure. You definitely should get there!

WOW! You must be ancient. Anne was published in 1908. :F_05BL17blowkiss: And I thought I was old. I first read it in an old beat-up copy that had been my Mother's.

Yep, I'll take baby talk over angsting about record labels and second singles anyday.

FromClaygary, now you've made me want to go back and watch/listen to every interview he gave in the past year or so.

I keep thinking about the timing of the Canandaigua show where he revealed that Jaymes could call him Clayton. Knowing how long the in vitro process can take, they must have been planning/trying/hoping by then.

No baby stories from me -- they would be way too long & boring! Unusual circumstances, unusual results and way too long ago.

Thanks, I'll check them out.

I've been looking around for a place to have buttons made for a local organization and stumbled on this site. Clay is everywhere Scroll down to the keychains also!

If anyone has suggestions for a good maker of pins like the FCA DCAT, please let me know. TIA.

I can see the headline now: "Spamalot closes to celebrate Clay Aiken's 30th Birthday."

The cast and crew of the hit production, Spamalot decided to forego their usual Friday night performance in honor of their cash cow's 30th birthday. Aiken, who turns thirty on Nov. 30th could not be reached for comment.

/

On the Merle Dandridge site under "stage", there's a small picture of her with the cast of Rent. It looks to me like it might be Frenchie in the first row. I think the dates of Merle's run are right for it.

I am still here and I still adore this man and have no idea why.

Thread title ???

I think I tend to look at all of this from Jaymes' point of view, not Clay's. That's why I see the last name of Aiken as being so significant. But that's only my perspective. There's no way in hell that I would ever let anyone (even the sperm donor), no matter how close, give MY child his last name without a ring or a definite commitment - not just to the child, but to me.

Of course, this is probably more of my past history than anything to do with Jaymes!

Call me skeptical, but I'm not buying the "not romantically involved" shtick.

Would you name your first, and probably only kid, after your non-romantic partner's mother's former husband?

If the kid had been named "David Aiken Foster", I'd buy it ... maybe.

Parker Foster Aiken says to me that Jaymes & Clay are planning to be together and a part of the same family for a long, long time.

Congratulations to everyone and kudos to Jaymes for having more courage than I would have had at 50!

As a side note on the lion story. You may remember Elsa, the lioness from "Born Free". The other side of the story is that one of her cubs became a man-killer. Had no fear of men, so would attack campsites for food. I was in Kenya about that time and many of game park rangers did not agree at all with freeing any wild cats that had become used to being around humans. A friend of mine raised a pair of lion cubs, but it was made clear that they were to be sent to a zoo and not released.

Leopards are especially difficult as once they mature, they are notorious for attacking their human "family".

I know what you mean, laj. I only half listen to the local news, but every time I hear "Clay", my ears perk up and then I realize that the "fire in Clay" is just a house fire!

It's a Pavlovian response!

Talking about stashes. I once owned a yarn/needlework store. There's enough yarn in my basement to make ten sweaters a year for the next millennium! I can't even make them for my son and his family because they live in Houston! Not exactly sweater country!

My TV has been running a promo for the touring company of Spamalot. They are performing locally.

Is it wrong that I keep looking for Clay and Hannah and all the "real" cast? I can't see that green & white tabard without doing a double-take.

... <snip>

Or on a more cheerful note - we can talk about our dream venue where clay has yet to appear - maybe a city we want to visit. Isn't some group here planning a trip to Asia? heh heh

My livingroom,

or maybe another, more intimate venue in the house.

Permaswooned, I love your pages. They are short, simple, targeted and have eye-catching graphics. Were you a graphic designer in another life?

A great thing is that they can be used individually or strung together depending on placement and yet they are all similar enough to be identifiable. I like the subtle use of Clay. He's there, but you aren't beating people over the head with him.

Great job.

Boy you are all fast! Just coming to post that Clay knows MY name!

Did anyone else get a postcard from UNICEF advertising the CNN Special? It doesn't mention Clay, just Sanjay Gupta. Haven't seen anything mentioned on the boards, but this must be a really big push by UNICEF if they are going to the expense of a direct mail advertising campaign.

There's no request for donations on the card, just a "watch the show."

ETA. There is a small donate at www. blah blah, but it is not the focus.

---

LOVE that Clay is in Africa bringing attention to some of the awful traditions there. There was a girl on this past season of America's Top Model who was from Ethiopia. She had been a victim of genital mutilation, and thought it was important to show others that life can go on by being a role model. She got pretty close to the top! She looked a lot like Iman, but didn't have the IT factor I guess. I think she came in 4th.

LONG LIVE THE CLAY!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

I think she was from Somalia, not Ethiopia. Genital Mutilation is also practiced in Ethiopia, but mainly in the north and the eastern area near the Somalia border - Harar and Dire Dawa.. The rate is not nearly as high as in Somalia, but even one is too many.

I think I must live in a "Clay-free" zone. I've had more people ask it it's my son on my screen-saver than recognize Clay. When I tell them that it's Clay, the most frequent response is a blank stare. Saying that he's a pop singer rapidly moves the conversation on to other things. If I mention American Idol, the usual response is that they don't watch it. Only about 10 - 20% of the time do people recognize the name and then the only comment is about his voice.

I use my laptop to give demonstrations, so a lot of people have seen it without any comment at all. I guess it all depends on where you live and who you interact with!