gbmifan

Don't know when that picture was taken, but he looks great. Love the smile. It is obvious that he is really happy. I love the brat for using the word "soon" in his blog. I have to believe that great things are coming regarding his career.

Akim at least you tried for some pictures. I was so far back, in the last row, at Clio I did not take any. Just got back from a 40 mile ride, hitting the jacuzzi, and then have to work the Buick Open. Should be a very big day since Tiger was in the lead starting today. If the rumors are true and this is our last golf open it will be really sad. They have run it here for 51 years. The whole community pitches in and volunteers. The High School alone, with parking cars, makes between $40,000 and $50,000 for their athletic and club teams. It takes an unbelievable amount of people to make it run smoothly.

I am puppy sitting for a week. The dog is about 8#'s. She did not like the thunderstorm we had the other night. I have been trying to wear her out so she will sleep at night. We came back from a three mile walk and she is still going strong. After this week I know why I have never had a pet, even when my kids were home. Spent the morning setting up roping, scrim, and misc stuff at Warwick Hills for the Buick Open next week. Tiger did commit to come so it should be busy. Who knows with the changes at GM this may be our last tourniment. All I know for the next week our little town will be booming.

Thank you for that great Tribute. I never met xxx4Clay but she sounded like a terrific person. I have downloaded some of her video and it was wonderful. It was a beutiful morning here but the afternoon has become cloudy and raining of and on. We were able to ride 50 miles yesterday in a one day organized ride that had about 500 people riding. Today I was lazy, we rode this am to our sons house to see me grandson who will be 4 months shortly, and now weighs 18#'s then just rode back home. So we only did 26 miles today. I needed to get some work done. Most of my house and laundry is finished and we about to sit down and watch a movie. Clay where are you? I need just a HI.

Beautiful morning here but we are suppose to have storms later. I hate coming home from vacation and catching up. Yesterday I worked and today it is laundry, grocery shopping, and other errands. Checking in once in a while in case a certain handsome man decides to make an appearance.

Hey, at least while I was gone Clay blogged. Was hoping for other news but I am still here and not going anywhere. I am one of those who can not go to the Gala, so will be hanging on for any news that night. We rode 245 miles on our bike. Some big hill, ate to much food, and had a great time with friends. Now back to work tomorrow. I don't want to go.

Rode this morning, many hills at the start then my hubby said he wanted to take a less hillier way back home. I did not argue, had a lot today to do so we can leave on Tues. I work 12 hours tomorrow so wanted to pack most things today. For the first time ever we will not be staying in a tent, some friends of ours are coming and they have a fifth wheel and invited us to stay with them. I am finding it hard to pack when I am use to taking tent, sleeping bags, matresses, pillows, and many other things related. I know I will get there and something will be missing. Clay better come out and play while I am gone. I want to come home to many pages of catchup. Idyj[/b, Hills can be a real challenge at times. Some days I look at them and think how am I going to climb.]

Yey, Guys thanks. Maybe some bigger news will happen this week. You never know! Three weeks ago when I went on my other bike tour the twitter about the book deal came. I remember I was on a 10 day bike tour two years ago in April. Logged on to the computer at one of the few hotels we stayed at and discovered that he was going to be in Sterling Heights. I could not wait to get home to make sure my friend was free that week. I would love some surprise like that for the fall. I can dream can't I.

Clay Blogged

Congrat Idyocelyn and Treenutson your bike riding. I remember when I first started riding those miles felt really hard and I was tired at the end. After many years I have my indurance up. My first bike tour was when I was 21. We did a four day tour at 325 miles, and I did it on a three speed bike over many hills. I finished but was surprised at myself that I wanted to do it again the following year. Now 36 years later I am still riding, and actually riding more than ever. We went out this morning and rode 40 miles with our new gearing and we can not decide if its the gears, the fact that we rode a couple of weeks ago for 5 days in a row, or that I lost 50#'s that make the bike ride easier. Whatever it is I like it. We are going this week on another 5 day tour. Most of the days are about 50 miles and the hills should be a little less steep then our last tour. Wish Clay would come out and play before I leave on Tues. Whenever I am gone something always occurs.

I know how you guys feel about paying for health insurance. My husband was forced to retire in December then the company informed everyone that starting the 1st of April we had to pay our own insurance. Ours comes to around $1000 a month for the two of us. I have picked up extra time at work so some weeks I am working full time. I had been what was called occassional for the last 30 years and worked up to April about 24 hours a week(we do twelve hour days). Now I am trying to get in three days a week, which is full time hours. Some weeks I am able because of our census, other times I get called off. If I can pick up some extra time it will at least help with the insurance. Now my husband company is talking about dropping their pensions and letting the government take over. That will drop our pension considerably. My husband worked for that company for 38 years. I can not pick up full time with benefits because there are no positons open. If one does become open I have the senority. I also have been there 37 years. I never thought that I would be working this much at this age, and I do not like it. Twelve hour shifts are hard on the legs!!!!

I agree that seeing Clay is concert is very memorable. His reactions with the audience is something that keeps every concert different. Before I saw Clay for the first time I had gone to a concert of a well known Country singer, who I had heard was very good. My hubby and I were looking forward to it. I was so disappointed. It was about 90 degrees that night. He came out in a turtle neck and blazer and from the very beginning to the end never moved from one spot. Did not interact hardly at all with the audience. We both felt we could of put a CD in and listened and got just as much out of it. Seeing him live did not entertain us at all. Shortly after that I saw Clay and what a difference. I have enjoyed every concert by Clay that I have attended, and hope to God to see him many times more. I need to hear him sing.

Happy belated Birthday FearOfH2O, I like the bike. My hubby saw that bike a few months ago and said he should get me it so I can do errands around town. My touring bike is not good for that kind of stuff. I really enjoyed Clay's answers yesterday, wish he would of stuck around more. Yes, I agree, equal opportunity spreader, is smutty. Got to love him.

It is a nice day today. Yesterday we went out for a bike ride to try out some new gearing. We only went about 40miles but the hills seem to be easier with the set up. Hopefully when we go on our next tour in July the big hills will at least not feel like I am going to vomit by the time we get to the top. You can only hyperventilate so long! Today this am it looked like it was going to rain so we did not ride. We needed some exercise so we just got back from a 4 mile walk. The wind would of been wicked to bike in. It is around 30 mile per hour gusts. I wish Clay would come out and play. Miss him.

My children were little when MJ music was really being played. His Thriller album came out when my youngest was born. I use to ride my bike on the trainer with the album playing everyday. It was about 45 minutes long and made for a good workout. I would take the kids down the basement, let the two oldest play with their toys, and place the baby in his car seat next to my bike and ride. My middle child loved watching the movie The Whiz with MJ. Everyday when I nursed his brother he would have me put it in. At one point I could not listen to it anymore and told him I taped over it by mistake. I never told him the truth. Maybe someday. I did not know about MJ on my way home from work today, but I had a concert mix from Clay on and TWYMMF came on, and thought at the time he sang that song so well. I also enjoyed it when he sang Beat It. He looked like he was having so much fun.

Beryl I am so sorry you feel the way you do. I learned a long time ago, when my BIL was diagnost with AIDS, and was afraid to even tell his mother, how hard life can be for a gay person. My BIL was the most wonderful human being there was and yet fear let him not be himself. When he past away his mother still could not accept the fact that he was gay, and I still believe till she died 20 years later, would not talk about it. To me that was so sad, because I would of given anything to have this wonderful man still here. I could care less about his sex life. I loved the person. Clay is another human being who is wonderful, smart, and caring. I have never heard him say a negative statement about another human being(except for the singing of ring of fire, and we will not go there). My feeling is if you can not love him for who he is then I guess it is better to leave. I will always love the man.

I know I need some upper body strenghtening but am limited yet because of the tendonitis in my right arm. I go to the Ortho surgeon next week. I think we are going to try one more injection before we consider any surgery. It still is very sore and limits some activity. I get like spasms in the tendon at times. Besides biking I walk 3 or more miles a night on my non work days. On the days I work it is a 14 hour day with travel time and I am not interested in exercise when I get home. One of our nurses put a pediameter on to see what we walk in a 12 hour period. She walked 4 miles that night. That was a night shift so I am sure during the day we cover more. I also think since I started full time hours that makes me work more days it has interferred with all my other activities. Right now with my hubby not working I can not join a gym but will have to just come up with my own upper body activitiy. I have enough equipment here, just need to sit down and think about it. I do not like the arm flab that I see since I lost the 50 #'s.

Hey, Luckiest that is great. I would love that surprise. I got on the scale after my bike trip last week and I was the exact weight I was before I left. I really tried to watch the useless calories that can be consumed when you are done riding. I went to dinner every night and tried not to eat over what I thought was necessary and I did not have any desserts the whole trip. They did look good every night! Sometimes when I weigh in after a trip it is higher probably due to muscle build more than anything. My legs should of gained some muscle, those hills were huge and long.

Loved those pictures from the airport. He looks no different than my boys when they are out and about. My youngest always has on his long shorts. The only difference is he wears a polo shirt instead of long sleeves. I am back from riding my bike over 200 miles in 4 days. The area we were in had the biggest hills I have ever been on. We have not walked one in years but at the end of a 70 mile day we had a 2.5 mile climb to the campground. We started up and with 1000 feet to go it turned into a 15% grade. the tandem was down to 3 miles per hour and ready to tip over. My hubby said either we continue and hope we do not fall or unclip our cleats and walk. I opted to walk. Our friends who made it had a much smaller gear on their bike. I think it is time we breakdown and change to a lower gear. I really want Clay to sing to me in concert and feel it will happen. Maybe a Christmas concert first, but that is ok. Yes, I will buy the book, I still want to continue supporting him in all his endeavers.

I went on the site and placed that I wanted to lose 2# a week, because that was my first goal when I started in Jan. I sent myself at 1000cal per day based on what a dieticain from work recomended. When I put my info in it said I should eat 1082 cal a day to lose. I guess I was pretty close. I think I will wait till I get back from my bike tour this week and try again. Maybe a week with watching but not calculating everything and biking everyday will stimulate my body. I hope so, I really wanted to hit my goal. It just may be slower.

Hey, Merrieeee I love your post!!!! and agree.

I do not have a problem with people being fans of other contestants. I have bought other idol CD's. I just believe that not everyone is going to agree on everything and I do not like it(and to clarify, it does not happen here)when on Clay's own boards you have to step carefully when they discuss anybody else. Negativity is not allowed but negativity regarding Clay is approved.

Treenuts, I agree with everything you say. I have found in reading that people on some other Clay boards get really upset if anyone says something negative about (that shalt not be named) but can sometimes say the most vile negative comments about Clay including how bad his singing is, that he doesn't care about his voice, that he does not know how to put on a real concert, that his hair and clothes are bad, and etc. I find a lot of pictures of (That shalt be named) repulsive. I know I am somewhat conservative but I did raise three boys so I know how crude at times they can be. That is my rant and I will not say more and to clarify that the later part of the rant is my opinion only.

I have been on 1000 calories since Jan. but I increased two weeks ago to 1200-1400 and I think for me that is probably maintainance. I have a chart that says for my height (That is only 5 ft.) to maintain I should be able to eat 1700 calories a day. I am afraid to go that high. If I would still be losing to get to my goal with what I am taking in I would be happy but I am at a standstill. I know when I ride next week I will have to up my carb intake. If I do not I will bonk half way through a ride. Carbs do fuel energy when you are exercising heavily. All I want is to be able to ride, eat reasonably, and not gain. I am happy in the size 6 that I am presently wearing but wanted a buffer zone for those occassions when we were going to something special. I hate it when I am always thinking what I am putting in my mouth. Sometimes I just want to enjoy the evening without looking at the calories that are there.

Congrats everyone trying to eat healthier. I lost now 52 pounds and now I am stuck. The last two weeks I have not gained buy the scale has not moved. I was hoping to drop the next 10# slowly and add a few more calories to my diet, but I do not think it will happen unless I go back to under 1000 calories a day. Today was bad since I went out for breakfast with a friend. We decided that our last chance to go out before her ten year old gets out of school tomorrow for the summer. I am going to have to get back on the bandwagon tomorrow. I am biking in a five day tour starting Wed. next week. I hope doing about 50 miles a day will help. They feed us well so I will have to behave somewhat. This ride is the first of three bike tour I am doing this summer. I know that last Saturday we rode 53 miles and I felt really good when we got home. Taking off those extra pounds did help. Before I started on Jan. 1 my blood pressure was up to 140/90 and when I took it at work two weeks ago it was 117/65. I decided I needed to lose the weight because I did not want to go on meds. I hoping it continues to stay down.