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Good Luck Anna! Nothing ventured, nothing gained! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Hello all you chattymcchattys! What a ride this catch up has been, the highs, the lows, the snark, the HYSTERIA!!!, the sweeping generalisations, the pretties, the smut, the begining of a polygamous cult???........ :F_05BL17blowkiss: I think I might need me a little drink....a sweet apple cider.....sweet and innocent looking but tends to creep up on you.........

ChaCha said . WORD! This I have learned through experience! And I would like to add that if you then bury a key in your yard to avoid just such a situation you must remember EXACTLY where!

Welcome Calurker and Justclay!

{{{ChaCha}}} Hope all is well! Couchie what is Sewel? And I have also seen posts mentioning "the Santa Monica thing" what is this? {{{ Annabear}}}

Yes, thread title! I saw a T shirt (or emoticon or something) recently that said: I march to the beat of my own accordion. I have adopted it as my own motto.

Hang on a minute! Can I tell all my friends that at least one person has called me mature?

First post .Seems to me youshould get all the facts before the name calling. Eric Robert is Julia Roberts brother. Maybe he is a B lister, but seems to be a good person, do you know anything about him? I think you are all in denial. You all act like Clay owes you something. Some of your emotional reactions are totally OTT. If you take such offense to criticism of Clay. you shouldn't be hypocritical and speak badly of someone you know nothing about. Hi dianbauer! Newbies are welcomed here. Perhaps you can introduce yourself more fully. I always enjoy reading "How I found Clay" stories. Not everyone is of the same opinion on any subject here, thank goodness! I feel like a board member (part of the "all" you mentioned) yet I haven't stated any opinion either way about Clay, the baby, Jaymes or Eric Roberts .( and yes I did know who he was). If you read a selection of posts made by the different people on this board I think you will find such a varied selection of opinions there is something for everyone. That keeps it interesting.

I have also typed "Y'all" and deleted it more than once!! And we sure don't say it here! (((Liney))) and others having people say nasty things. I used to have problems with some family members, not saying things about Clay, but just dragging me into their dramas and trying to make me the cause of whatever "problem" they invented to angst over to liven up their boring day. It wasn't until I refused to be sucked in that I got any piece of mind. I saw something on Oprah along the lines of "It's only your problem if you take it on board and make it your problem". It took a long while but it must have sunk in somehow. One Christmas I invited someone over for Christmas lunch and was told "Nooooo, we are just taking our sandwiches to the park, by ourselves...." Normally this would have upset me and resulted in tears all round (which I think was the desired result by the other person) but I must have been feeling strong this day ( or grown up) and I just said " Oh that sounds lovely! So nice and quiet! You know it will be the usual madhouse at my place!" Nothing else was said but a few weeks later that same person asked me what salad to bring to Christmas lunch. I actually surprised myself that day. I am not the sort of person that enjoys strife and Drama and I hate the roller coaster emotions of some people around me so I have decided not to get on the roller coaster but just to meet them in the middle when they are there. When people who are not that close make inflammatory statements or tell blatant lies or boast unrelentingly I now put on my most gullible/admiring/bland look and agree. "Oh you're climbing Mt Everest? How Fantastic!" " Oh your child who is the same age as mine was just voted the Best Boy Ever In The History Of The Universe ? How Wonderful! You must be so thrilled!" "Clay Aiken is Gay/the babbydaddy/insert latest rumour here? How do you find out all this stuff!! I'll sure have to come to you for my celebrity gossip in future!! If you can keep a straight face (and hide the sarcasm) and if they actually believe that you believe or admire them then they go on their way as happy idiots and you can think what you like. The trick is not caring what this type say/think. I know I have raved on a bit but I hope it helps someone having a hard day. KF I wanna be your people!!

Congratulations Rhody!

MATRIMONIAL ADVICE FROM A CONSIDERATE HUSBAND It is important for men to remember that, as women grow older, it becomes harder for them to maintain the same quality of housekeeping as when they were younger. When you notice this, try not to yell at them. Some are oversensitive, and there's nothing worse than an oversensitive woman. My name is Brian. Let me relate how I handled the situation with my wife, Corinne. Since I retired several years ago, it has became necessary for Corinne to get a full-time job along with her part-time job, both for extra income and for the health benefits that we needed. Shortly after she started working, I noticed she was beginning to show her age. I usually get home from the golf club about the same time she gets home from work. Although she knows how hungry I am, she almost always says she has to rest for half an hour or so before she starts dinner. I don't yell at her. Instead, I tell her to take her time and just wake me when she gets dinner on the table. I generally have lunch in the Men's Grill at the club so eating out is not reasonable. I'm ready for some home-cooked grub when I hit that door. She used to do the dishes as soon as we finished eating.. But now it's not unusual for them to sit on the table for several hours after dinner. I do what I can by diplomatically reminding her several times each evening that they won't clean themselves. I know she really appreciates this, as it does seem to motivate her to get them done before she goes to bed. Another symptom of aging is complaining, I think. For example she will say that it is difficult for her to find time to pay the monthly bills during her lunch hour. But, boys, we take 'em for better or worse, so I just smile and offer encouragement. I tell her to stretch it out over two or even three days. That way she won't have to rush so much. I also remind her that missing lunch completely now and then wouldn't hurt her any (if you know what I mean). I like to think tact is one of my strong points. When doing simple jobs, she seems to think she needs more rest periods. She had to take a break when she was only half finished mowing the yard.. I try not to make a scene. I'm a fair man. I tell her to fix herself a nice, big, cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade and just sit for a while. And, as long as she is making one for herself, she may as well make one for me too. I know that I probably look like a saint in the way I support Corinne. I'm not saying that showing this much consideration is easy. Many men will find it difficult. Some will find it impossible! Nobody knows better than I do how frustrating women get as they get older. However, guys, even if you just use a little more tact and less criticism of your aging wife because of this article, I will consider that writing it was well worthwhile. After all, we are put on this earth to help each other. Sincerely, Brian EDITOR'S NOTE: Brian died suddenly on March 1 of a perforated rectum. The police report says he was found with a Calloway extra long 50-inch Big Bertha Driver II golf club jammed up his ass, with barely 5 inches of grip showing and a sledge hammer laying nearby. His wife Corinne was arrested and charged with murder. The all-woman jury took only 17 seconds to find her Not Guilty, accepting her defense that Brian somehow, without looking, accidentally sat down on his golf club.

Guess what just this minute got delivered to my house? Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to be alone......

Wow! You've all been very ...umm....chatty! I rarely scroll through anyones posts but I am usually catching up after you all have gone to bed and many people have voiced my thoughts already. I think Gibby said it well, I know there were many other people I wanted to quote also but I am worn out now! And while I agree with all the housework sentiments I must now go and create the illusion that I haven't spent way too long reading this board and am indeed v. houseproud and particular! After all I live to cook and clean and take care o my man........(Hey I should write country songs....)

:F_05BL17blowkiss: laljeterfan I work with people like this, too.... Thankfully I no longer have to sit directly across from one the biggest offenders in our office. This woman lives on gossip, celebrity and otherwise. As much time as we spend on Clay mb's? She spends on CRAP sites & DVR'ing every "entertainment" show on TV. The money we spend on concerts and CDs? She spends on tabloids. Literally. She knows the people at Krogers/WalMart/Target who stock the magazines and every week she buys them all, then brings them in to the lunch room at work. The only thing we ever had slightly in common was our pets - I have 2 cats, she has 2 dogs. I sometimes volunteer for an animal rescue shelter and we had talked about that at one time. One day she told me she had this GREAT website that I just HAD to visit. I was thinking it would have something to do with pets. Silly, naive me! She writes it out on a post-it note and hands it to me. I looked at and almost had a very violent reaction - it was for PH's site..... :kotz0: I wadded up the post-it, dropped it in my recycle bin, picked up the bin and proceded to the big shredder bin in the copy room, explaining to her that I have absolutely no use for his ilk, would never intentionally give a hit to his site and felt better thinking about him being shredded to tiny bits. She's never brought up any celeb gossip to me again. Surprisingly, not even with the latest Clay "news" this week. Good for You! Go Anna! She was probably scared....

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

There is a saying I often quote to my kids along the lines of " If you're not embarassing your kids then you're not doing your job right"!

Ditto!

With a side order of whiplash. Ain't that the truth!!! I'm afraid if I go to bed that I'll miss something! I'm going to be really tired tomorrow! It's 2pm here, raining all day, its my day off, the house looks like a bomb site, but I have hardly been able to drag myself away from the computer!!

I haven't fully caught up with all you chatty types but I thought I'd better post this: Playbiller said: " Has anyone else ever been approached by someone who wanted to discuss why the Nazi's were a positive force in this world and then tell you that you looked like you would understand? I changed my daily schedule to avoid this person! " Hey PLay Do you have one of those natty little mustaches? Or do you tend to click your heels and raise your arm for a greeting? I would post more but I can't stop laughing and I am now a bit scared of you....

WOW, just WOW. I read on one of the videos that he wrote this for his brother who died of cancer in 2006. His Songbird video is good, too. Good Hey Sheila! There are other versions with just Bernard and his guitar and it's these that make me wish that Clay would do something similar.

Thanks Laughn

Funny you should mention this KF Since we saw Spamalot my DH and Kids and I have been quoting the lines. Any of our friends or family who hear us think we are nuts! My dh (not a theatre fan at all) put the littlest boy on his back the day after the show and started galloping down the street singing "brave sir Stephen he carried the load" and asking me where were my coconuts!! ( Of course I galloped along and clapped!) Ah the things you do when you are a hemisphere away from home........ When the boys do their "domestic deafness" routines in response to my housework requests I now ask them "Per'aps you do not understand my Outraaageous Fronch Accent? Anyway ...we amuse ourselves.... I have yet to hear all of OMWH (Amazon are sending it via carrier pigeon ) but I was just thinking the other day how nice it would be to hear just Clay and a guitar. There is an Australian artist I am a fan of called Bernard Fanning (He did release his solo album in the U.S I think). He has a song called "Watch Over Me" which I really love for its chill out factor and lyrics. Clay would kill on something like this. The lyrics are open for interpretation but Bernard said in an interview that it was his version of a hymn. I thought it was a love song for his wife but it could have been about his mother too. So this reminded me of Clay too. ETA I don't know how to do links but this song is on you tube.

Who gives a shit? WORD Jamar, I think if you responded with something like the above suggestion it would "take the fun out of it" for the person who is baiting you. Or you could make a joke along the lines of "Well I dont know for sure but I'd be willing to make the sacrifice to find out personally unless you've already been there!" with a suggestive eyebrow waggle. Sometimes a deliberate refusal to see the intent of someone to upset or insult you either defuses the situation or makes the nasty type angry, either way its a winwin situation for you. As for Clays occassional effeminate qualities, lots of women would prefer that to the super-macho type man. (OK so I conducted my own survey of two girlfriends over cocktails but I think the results are still valid) ETA Happy Birthday Lajeterfan Muskidaughter and Couchiemum!

Welcome Tijala! I love reading all your meeting-up stories. The first member I met was just last month when the lovely ChaCha and hubby picked up four strangers from a hotel and treated them like family for the day :F_05BL17blowkiss: (Hee, it was my son who couldnt believe we were getting into a strangers car but of course he is easily won over with yoohoos!!!) Then in NY after unsuccessfully waiting at the stage door I was trying to call Annabear and my phone wouldn't switch on when she and her mom found us. Claytonic ( the only other Clayfan that I know within a 20 hour plane ride) and I are still working on it!

Looks like I'm here posthoing all by my lonesome but I just had to add that Amazon has shipped my copy of OMWH!!!!! I am going to have that piece of listeny goodness in my hot little hands oh about the FIRST OF JUNE??!! (WTH?) They are sending it by extra careful special delivery that must be it! By seagull or sealion or whale maybe!! Orrr maaaybee it is being specially hand delivered by some (blond) person who needs a holiday about now.Who hasn't been to the landdownunda. Who needs to recuperate from oh,say..a demanding work schedule of choreography and singing and stuff........ It could happen.