Bella19

OH, and Bella, any chance of there being any of those PB & J squares left next week?

Somehow, I doubt it - the ravenous hordes (i.e., the guys at work) are waiting for them, so a few random chopped peanuts might be the only thing left.

I do, however, have some lovely carrot cakes that will be waiting to be sampled...I'm pretty sure you'll like them! Hmmm, I have a nice bottle of Riesling that they're probably go well with for dessert...hee!

Can't wait to see my buddy very soon - our "soon" not Clay's "soon" - and I know the WonderDachsie will be happy too!

cindilu2 - Love, love, love the new banner! This is my first break today and it was such a yummy surprise! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Gibby - Thanks! I love seeing the JBT pictures again!

What a week! We had a meeting agenda deadline this morning and finally got rid of 37 reports, 28 of which yours truly had to proofread and make sure they had their respective maps included. Tomorrow we're having our UW bake sale at 10 am, so last night I made 48 mini carrot cakes. Tonight I'm making The Barefoot Contessa's PB&J bars - my office gang is crazy about them.

I can't wait for the weekend....

Hey Canadians, have you seen the weather forecast? Eeep! Must remember to get the snow shovel out of the back shed when I get home from work!

I was supposed to work tomorrow morning, with Thursday off, but I traded my shift and will now work Thursday instead. I live in the country and if we get the white-out conditions they're forecasting, they'll close the roads around here, so I didn't want to take any chances. I'm soooo not ready for this!!!!

Not for me...we're only getting flurries tonight - maybe ONE centimetre (that's less than 1/2 an inch for you southerners ) and maybe wet flurries/showers tomorrow.

Hey, we have terrible traffic, but no lake effect snow! Temps are predicted to be 14C by Hallowee'en which is great for the little kids.

annabear - Sending you very gentle hugs from a former migraine sufferer.

Hee aikim! I'm so sorry about your cookies...hopefully, they've baked by now? I've done silly things like that before; I remember doing it one time with the crock pot. Put everything in the pot, plugged it in and left for work...totally forgetting that I also needed to flip the "on" switch! I think I saved it by putting the whole meal in the over for an hour or so.

aikim - I'll be thinking of you every night this week, because I'm baking stuff for a United Way fundraiser on Friday morning (waves to Scarlett!). I'm in a big panic right now thinking we won't have enough for the locusts in this office!

Is the moon full tonight? Because it's just really weird all around me today. Strange situations left and right -- portions of a student's document went missing; a faculty member came in and said "I mistakenly returned my friend's book, and it wasn't this library's book either." Things like that.

It's a new moon on Wed., Oct. 29th - full moon was on the 15th. Hey, I keep track of the moon cycles - when you work with the public you want to be prepared!

:7254: cindilu2!

I'm absolutely certain you're a lot more than ten years younger than me - you look great sweetie! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Thaks to all of you Gala attendees for the wonderful recaps and photos - there can never be too many! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Here's my only offering today - another People.com article!

Clay Aiken Announces Winning Writer of His Official Bio

Even though we've read this before, I enjoyed seeing it again.

suereu and boo7

Here it is:

As Sir Robin, you may not be the meanest,

But as a star on Broadway, you're the keenest

Your voice is just great

And your dancing's top rate!

Though you might not get hired as a pianist!

Thanks for bringing it over - I haven't been to CV in weeks. It's terrific and I'm sure Clay will get a kick out of it.

Kandre - Hope your day got better.

Safe travels to those of you leaving for Raleigh tomorrow!

Hey, there's a Princess Bride book?

Yes, there is!

The Princess Bride at Amazon.ca

ETA: jamar1700 - great minds think alike.

I knew about the CD release party in Toronto, but I didn't know anyone going, so I didn't attend. I bought the CD at the mall after work, and probably didn't stop listening to it until ATDW came out. Well, ok, MCWL was in there somewhere too. My car player has a permanent Clay CD in it at all times.

Heck, I didn't even know there *were* any Clay fans in Ontario!

I spent September and October arranging two moves five years ago - my mum's in September, followed by mine in October after 11 years in a townhouse. It was a very, very stressful time of life and I completely missed the cd release. Yes, I know, it's blasphemy, but it's true! Early in November, my daughters and I were in a cd store and they pointed out MOAM to me, which I bought immediately. It kept me company when I came down with pneumonia later that month...

I have to get a PSA in for my fellow Canadians...as a former elections official, please cast your vote today! I've always told my kids that they can't complain about their government if they don't participate and they've taken that to heart.

[FromClaygary, are there any side trips that we (you, Bella and I) can make next year?

Oh definitely! The show I went to this last weekend is annual; and there 's the two (Fall is better) Creativ Festivals....and lots and lots of quilt shows! Right now I have Celebration of Quilts X on the agenda for Nov 7-9, which is the same weekend as the Toronto Bead Society Fair (they seem to schedule everything on the same weekend grrr). The quilt show in Kitchener/Waterloo (which is a big one) always runs around May long weekend (ie, around May 18th next year)...and there's Chicago Quilt Fest in April and.... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Sniff...I'll be thinking of both of you on Friday, when I head to the Creativ Festival after work. It's just one block from my office so I can spend a few hours there before I head home. I need fabric to finish the wardrobe I was working on (the doors will be upholstered) and the sellers there have some great deals.

I'd LOVE to do an artists' tour with both of you next year! FromClaygary, are you going to be in TO for the November weekend and maybe join us for the fan lunch?

Happy Thanksgiving Monday all!

Yeah, I know I'm late, but I've been doing as much as I can in the garden, along with refinishing an old wardrobe (primer is my friend!) while my girls are out of town. Just got a call that their 5:30 flight out of LaGuardia is cancelled, so they'll be home an hour later. Can't wait to hear what they did in NYC since Friday night...

FromClaygary - I love the artist studio tours in your area - your pictures are wonderful. I don't dare call it "up north". You just might find yourself with a drop-in visitor next year around this time. Then again, if there's a gala around this time next year, I might just tag along for a change. Here's hoping!

Since I only had to cook dinner for my mum and I last night, this week I'll be picking up a turkey for our holiday dinner next weekend. My girls refused to call this weekend "Thanksgiving" since it's not official for them until their grandmother makes gravy.

Oh, I love sites like this! Mine is golden ochre and I'm lively, verbal and tenacious...well, in real life I am!

My dear daughters flew to NYC this afternoon with their dad, stepmum and stepsister. Dad works for a very large hotel chain so the flights were covered by his points, the room and food are free (he's very senior at this chain) and the booze is 50% off. They know I wanted to go back to see Spam again, but it just wasn't to be this time around. They did ask for the address of the Shubert though and my younger kid said, "what size t-shirt would you wear?" Good kid!

I'm happy for them, even though I told them I hated them with the intensity of a thousand burning suns...

aikim - It sounds like you're doing quite well after your procedure today. Keep using the ice pack and don't be surprised if you get some swelling tomorrow. When I had all four wisdom teeth out two years ago, I didn't puff up right away. I had periodontal surgery two weeks ago and have the same problem as you with a small jaw and the aching you feel afterward. My part two dental work is a big ole crown in November - yuck!

Sendspaces don't expire, CM - try again! (It works for me - left click first to go to the page)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/oeox04

:Kolobok_Laie_haha: Thank you - that was hysterical!!!

People.com has now picked up the blog story:

Clay Aiken Says, 'Nothing Has Changed'

Yumm!!! I personally love that picture (I love the JBT revisited hair too - but Blond! Clay! just does it for me - and I like the brushed back style too).

Ehhh - it's like everything else - attention gets focused more on the negative few than the positive many - not just about Clay stuff either. Squeaky wheels and all that. On the whole I think People has served him well in this.

Bummer- the clayonline link in the article doesn't take you to the blog in question. At least when I click on it, it takes you to the 08/08/08 blog announcing Parker's birth. Not sure how anybody who didn't know would find the blog they are writing about.

Yeah, I think he looks pretty good too! I don't think I'm the only one who sees the fingerprints of a very good PR person behind the scenes either.

People.com has now picked up the blog story:

Clay Aiken Says, 'Nothing Has Changed'

Rosie O'Donnell's got a new gig - bet she invites Clay!

Rosie O'Donnell to Host Variety Show

People is continuing it's good coverage - the dad is gorgeous, but man, that's a fugly shirt!

Stage Dad

Love the quote about the fans!

Thanks Claymatron! - I'm back at home and already took my next dose of painkillers. The periodontist was very calming and patient, but what really helped was listening to Clay on my shuffle.

Heads up, Canadians. My daughter called to tell me she found People in a Toronto subway station already. That's early!

I'll keep an eye out for it tomorrow when I do errands. I looked for it at a Great Cdn News Stand, but no luck in the suburbs!

FromClaygary - I understand what you mean about the fans having dreams for Clay that aren't his. The upset that fans feel needs to be acknowledged as mourning that dream, like what you go through with a divorce. It was explained to me that way 18 years ago when I went through mine. You mourn the loss of hopes and plans you had and hopefully move on with your life with new dreams and goals. Hope that makes sense!

ETA - Thanks Heinz! - I'll check there tomorrow!

That was a beautiful interview! Clay just radiates joy and he beams with he looks at Parker.

I hope everyone with an OFC membership gets to the People Mag thread and reads Jaymes' really long post, No. 3781 - I think it should be required reading!

She addresses a lot of the questions that have been asked ad nauseum this week.

Yeah, I've gain a whole new world of respect for Jaymes. I can totally see why she and Clay have become such close friends.

The drama at the OFC is kind of getting addicting... How am I going to get any work done?

Work? Oh, that stuff my boss expects me to do...I actually had to get off the OFC to do a boring letter.

I also couldn't agree with you more about Jaymes and Clay. I just loved seeing her Mama Bear reaction to crap directed at their sweet baby!

And we have an update:

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedBay

Jaymes/Clay: Please accept my sincerest apologies for my earlier remarks. Those remarks were totally out of line. Again, I do most sincerely apologize for any distress I may have caused you.

Thank you. Accepted. Done.

I wanna marry Jaymes. It's legal here. Think Clay would mind?

I think you better get in line - sounds like she's got lots of fangurls now!

Since Jaymes approved posting her comments to questions on other boards, you all need to see this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedBay

"Everyone should feel free to speak from their hearts."

I don't post here much but I would also like to say that I was appalled at Clay's flippant attitude this morning. I am praying that perhaps that was not intended and that we will hear more from him DIRECTLY in the coming days. I have felt for a long time that Clay has put up barriers between the fans and himself. It's kind of sad really.

I also am very disappointed that TeamClay has chosen to use an innocent child in the way that they have to date."

"Everyone should be free to speak from their hearts." was Clay's rule, not mine.

This made me sick to my stomach. Where do you get off

I think she's just terrific!