luckiest1

Hee, same thing happened to me tonight! I wrote a blog about it.

Went out at lunch to meet a friend, and almost got blown away! Crazy, high winds here, but so far, no snow, and no rain. But it's darn cold! The morning started well for me with great seats in the Syracuse ticket presale. So sorry to hear about all the problems others are having today, and of course, the horrific news about the VA Tech shootings. {{everyone who needs one}}}

I've been wondering about that......do you think they'll show the full 100%? That doesn't encourage people to donate, since it proves they've reached their goal.......I wonder if they'll come up with a new graphic? I don't necessarily think it's a good idea to set another goal, though......maybe just change the text to say something like "your donations are still very appreciated" or something......just ignore me, I slept 10 hours, it's probably turned my brain to mush. Or else it was that hawt picture of the Clangela....

Hee, you are cracking me up! I love rationalizations.....use 'em way too often. :F_05BL17blowkiss: BWAH to djs111....or is it 222? Since I'm scrolling over most of the "snark" elsewhere, it's cool to read some real snark. Love the new pic of the Clangela! I found it in my email this morning with no identification as to where it had come from, and went on a frantic search of the boards to figure it out.....he looks so freaking awesome in it, too. Ange is beautiful, as always. I wonder if this means she will be on the tour?

Hey, Play.......thanks for the link, listening now. So Clay, Ruben and Kim (as well as some other idols) will be involved in a Clothes Off Our Backs thing, auctioning off their clothes from AI2, in conjunction with a charity Kim is involved with, called Camp Heartland, for kids effected or affected by HIV/AIDs. That's so cool! ETA: Kim talks about her song, "Change", and says it is available on iTunes, but I can't find it. Does anyone know if it's available somewhere? Clayzorback, I totally understand your rant about the removal of the "Claymate" word. Personally, the word doesn't bother me at all, but I don't go around referring to myself that way. What does bother me is the hate that some fans seem to have for it. It's just a word, people! And one that Clay seems quite comfortable with. What's bothering me more the past few days is the way some are comparing Clay to Jesus, whether for his appearance, or his Afghani garb, or the petal-throwing, or whatever. It's just wrong, to me. I had more ticket success this morning for Canandaigua! So far, so good. :Tour3:

WHOA! He's upwards of $50,000, and pushing $75,000 already?????? That's amazing!

Wheeeeeeeee! Welcome Karen Eh!!! :F_05BL17blowkiss: I am to the point of hardly posting elsewhere except to WORD someone or to give a one sentence opinion. It has gone beyond the ridiculous, and no matter how reasonable or logical you are, there is some convoluted theory to shoot your opinion down, anyways. I love my Clay friends, I love this board, and I love Clay. That's enough for me. I'm just weary of trying to make sense of other boards. As for AI, Slimon and Ryan Seacrest, I can't stand any of them. I haven't watched a full season since AI2. If I want to donate to a cause, I'll donate to BAF or Unicef, or some other local charity. But that doesn't mean that I know that Slimon and Ryan are bad people. I agree that they play a part on the show, and I have no idea who they are in real life. They could be very charitable for all I know. I don't think that AI has nefarious motives by pimping this IGB thing. I think they will reach millions of people who may not be otherwise aware of the need. I think they'll raise tons of money for the cause, and I would bet that they'll be on the up and up with the way the money is distributed. How could they not be? They'll be under the microscope. So in my mind, . I also don't think, just because Clay mentioned that he is not watching AI this year, that he is trying to "distance" himself from the show. I just think he's not invested in watching this year. I don't have any idea whether AI invited him to participate in IGB and he said "no, thanks, I have other things on the go" or whether they asked him and he said "go suck eggs". In fact, I still wouldn't be surprised if he is involved in some capacity. I think some people are seriously over-reacting, because no one knows how this thing will play out yet. I don't think Clay has any animosity for the show in general. jmh123, I'm with you on being :Tour4: free. I've got two of my concerts locked up with group sales, and I like that, because it means I don't have to deal with TicketBastard. Yesterday, I was very patient while it threw me lawn seats for Rochester, and didn't bite until something decent came along. I have general admission for Chatauqua, and am thinking about sitting on the lawn with some friends in Cary. So all in all, it's been pretty painless. Only Michigan left to go! :Tour3: :TourExcite:

Thank God for y'all. Is this really the only sane board left? Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places...... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Wheee! Love those emoticons, Clayzorback. Thanks! muskifest, you catch on quick, girl.

It's all about the Haves and and the Have Nots, isn't it? "I'm privy to "Inside" information that I can hint at and wink wink at my friends about because I'm so special and connected, dontcha know." Can you see my eyes rolling? You didn't have to be House to add up all the clues and diagnose the answer as "Afghanistan in the springtime" in this case. Hee, but even though they're soooo speshul to actually have that inside *cough*stalkerish*cough* information, they want to made damned sure that everyone knows they knew it before the fact, by crowing about it on public message boards. Ooookay......famewhore much? Hee, me too. Especially the part about the newborn baby. And I wonder if he has any idea how many poddies are doing the happy dance right now, because he said the words "spring" and "grass" again? OMFG it cracks me up how they are highlighting it..........as though Clay is telling them about his CD and label through a Unicef press conference in Afghanistan. God, I've become such a cynical beyotch lately. I think I need to step away from the boards for a while.

Sorry, but this just cracks me up. Can you imagine? I wake up one day and decide I've had enough of Clay, so I pick someone out of the air to be a fan of. Except..........you can't make yourself like someone enough to be an avid fan, just like that. I remember, when I was kid in elementary school, I wanted to fit in. Lots of the popular kids liked hockey, so I decided I liked hockey too! Until the first time I tried to sit down and watch an entire game and cheer my team on. Um, guess what? I didn't like it enough to do that. But hey, more power to people who can turn on a dime! It's just so juvenile when people take things like tour scheduling or the genre of an album personally. Right, Clay isn't coming to Dallas because he hates you (nameless person we are talking about)! So what am I still doing here? He obviously hates Canada too. Oh, wait, I know.....because I am addicted to the VOX. And the man. I don't wake up each morning and say to myself "self, I think I will still be a Clay fan today". I wake up and say "I better get to the boards and see if he's blogged overnight!" Heh. I guess you could call that an addiction. I seriously can't go a day without the VOX. I found that out recently. Thank God for iPods. Negativity on the boards.........I have no problem with people who state any opinion in a polite and respectful manner, whether or not it is the same as my opinion. What I have a problem with is people who openly disrespect Clay or his friends, family or business acquaintances, on his own fan boards. To me, that's just the antithesis of what being a "fan" is all about.

Tired of gala pictures? NEVER!!!!!!! The only AI I watch now is the last 5 minutes, as I wait for House to start. Do you ever feel like you want to kick some fans in the shins? What, is that bad? Apparently it's all right to post (not here!) that you want to kick Clay........ Some days, this fandom makes me shake my head. When that happens, I usually put on ATDW, close my eyes, and let it all wash away. I can't wait for the first stop on the tour! What will he open with? Wouldn't it be fantastic to hear the guitar from RHW as the lights come up? Is it July yet? :TourExcite: :Tour3:

Heh, I wish. Us "cheap seats" patrons didn't get a meet 'n greet. I stole it from a pic I saw posted and cropped the chick out.

I don't really have much to add. Great posts, Claygasm and JennaZ! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Apparently Frisco, TX and Grand Prairie, TX are only 30 miles apart. So I can see why he wouldn't want to play two concerts so close together. I have no idea why the announced Grand Prairie and then cancelled it, though. {{{anyone who had travel plans for the Texas 2 fer already}}}

I can really identify with this part of your post! I read all the sadness or wistfulness or sometimes downright anger over the teeth, the hair, the songs, the blogs......and I just can't identify with it at all. Did I like the old teeth? Yes! They were so cute. Do I like the new teeth? Yes! They are so cute. Do I think the change signifies some great philosophical thing? Um, no. I think Clay didn't like his old teeth, and he got some work done to fix them. Same as lots of people. Do I think he grew a beard to hide his double chin or because he's going to play a bad guy on TV soon? No, I think he didn't feel like shaving for a while. Hee. I'm not belittling anyone who does feel that way......I'm just saying that while I sympathize, I just.don't.get.it. As for the blogs or the songs, I just feel that every little thing he gives us is a gift. I hope he always records what he wants to record, and not what the "fans" want to hear. My fandom hasn't waned (although my family probably wishes it would!) I think I have learned how to cope with the down times better, though. I don't expect Clay to keep bringing us new and exciting news every week. I expect that we'll have months at a time where we hear nothing. I've picked up old hobbies to keep myself busy. I've stopped trying to plan everything around his schedule, and occasionally branch out and book family vacations or buy tickets to other events, safe in the knowledge that even if they do conflict, there'll be others that don't. I have also distanced myself from some boards and fans who put a damper on my enthusiasm. All in all, I'm in a pretty happy place right now where Clay is concerned. I am thrilled to see him gradually become more confident with himself and with his fans. I am so glad he decided to treat his anxieties with medication. My son takes a similar medication, and his doctor explained to me that it does not "make" a person happy. It enables them to experience life, and be themselves, without that dark cloud hanging over their head. I see Clay slowly becoming Clayton again, and that makes me happy.

Happy Easter, FCA! I bring you some scans of the CFC gala program and extras: Cover Evening Program Insert for Live Auction Menu Ticket Jesse Vargas Bio Diane Bubel Bio Quiana Parlour Bio Clay Aiken Bio If there is something else anyone wants scanned in, please let me know. There are about 25 pages. ETA: Oops! I didn't realize that playbiller had plans to get the scans for us. I was just bored this morning, because the teenagers are watching Borat, and I can't bring myself to sink so low.....

I was wondering the same thing. Maybe Ruben gave Clay the idea about auctioning off the dinner with himself (or vica versa)! During AI2, I was torn between Clay and Ruben up until Solitaire. I haven't enjoyed much of Ruben's music since, but he seems like a nice guy. It was great to see that he is using his celebrity for a worthy cause. Wheeeeeeeee! It's only 3 months? I can't wait! And definitely inspiration for me to get back on my Healthy Eating Plan next week. I've, uh, kind of fallen off the wagon since my trip to Raleigh. Easter isn't helping, either. We had our dinner last night and I had seconds of the rhubarb pie. Received a chocolate bunny this morning. What to do, what to do........ HAPPY EASTER, FCA!!!!

RUN, don't walk, and get the latest gala clack by ClayIzzaQT. It's so up close it's like being there! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Clack Unlimited link

Looks like my NY-OH 3fer has turned into a 4fer with the addition of Syracuse. :Tour3:

I think Clay would love to get radio play, just based on how excited he seems to have been hearing himself on the radio originally, and his comments since then. But if the payola in any way, shape or form depends on him, I can see him getting his back up about it and saying "no way". I would wager he doesn't agree with payola, and he can be a stubborn guy, even if he ends up shooting himself in the foot because of it. Of course, I know nothing, and could be way off base! Who the heck knows. But I don't think that his music isn't radio friendly. I think HYCA would fit right in on AC. I think The Way would have sounded lovely on AC or even Hot AC. I am not sure I agree about the men-dominated theory, either. Heck, Josh freaking Groban (who has a lovely voice but whose music I would consider 100x less radio friendly than Clay's) is all over the air waves. Makes no sense to me. Elite boards........hmmmm. I would say the ones that do not allow people to register freely are considered "elite". Some have waiting lists, and some do not even post the rules for how a member is chosen, instead leaving it for people to wonder if they need to "know" someone to get in. Sometimes they insinuate that it is a first come, first served policy, but that can be easily disproven when there are people who have been waiting for 3 years to get in, but others have suddenly found themselves accepted after a few months. When I first discovered the boards in 2003, I registered at every one I visited. In hindsight, I guess that was a pretty good idea. I have read the theory that it is a DNS issue, and perhaps TC or whoever is responsible didn't think to renew the domain name, which apparently expired yesterday. Depending on your ISP and how often they update their DNS server, you may or may not still be seeing the site. I guess we'll know for sure by later today if it disappears altogether. Edited to WORD ldyjocelyn's post below.

Just WORD. To your whole post, but especially this. I really hope they sort out the Dallas/Tulsa problems soon. I can understand how nerve wracking it must be if you've already made travel plans. Right now my group is planning to drive to all our concerts. So I did a quick count this morning, and it looks like we now know about 18 of them. Only 2 more to be announced? Dare I still hope for Toronto? Hee, I remembered a couple of cool things that happened in NC outside of the gala. The first day we were there (Friday) we went to a Chik-Fil-A straight from arriving at the Raleigh-Durham airport. I was wearing my BAF/Krispy Kreme t-shirt. The girl who served me took one look at my shirt and gushed "I love your shirt. I love anything to do with Clay Aiken and his foundation!" So I ate my lunch, and then remember I had a homemade DVD out in the van, in my suitcase, so I ran out and got it and took it to her at the counter. She screamed, and ran around the counter to give me a big squishy hug. :F_05BL17blowkiss: Then, when we were waiting in the Raleigh-Durham airport to come home on Tuesday, they must have paged "Jimmy Kimmel" six times. We were wondering if maybe Clay was using it as an alias.......

Here are my grainy, not so great gala photos. But hey, what the heck, how often do I have the opportunity to do this stuff? Anyways, they go in reverse order, so the jacket did indeed come after the LAL lyrics. And here are the rest:

Hey all Sorry this took so long to write up, I've been doing it in parts each day and saving it until it was done! We are flying home this afternoon so I hope to catch up on the board and the conversation tonight. Enjoy! :F_05BL17blowkiss: I met so many people on Saturday. Our group consisted of me, my daughter crimsonice, her friend disneykid, NCDonna and kids, and mandmlady. We started out at the Gandolpho Deli where we ate and chatted with ebird and her friend Ann, as well as cindlilu2 and her friend Karen. Then we headed over to cindilu2's hotel to change.....and hopped a taxi to the Cardinal Club. We were about a half hour early, and found jmh123 and her friend Nancy right away. Faye was walking back and forth across the street, and finally she got picked up in a black SUV that had us all wondering for a minute.......but no sign of Clay, who I assume was already upstairs doing his meet & greet with the lucky gold members. Finally it was time to register, and we all crowded into the lobby to wait in a poorly assembled line to make sure we were "on the list". Talk about stressful. I was never so happy as when Brianna, the dancer from the JNT05 gave me my ticket, which said "table 23" and "seat #222". Up we went, in the elevator, to the 28th floor, where we stood packed like sardines again for another 15 minutes. We took a quick look at the silent auction items, but most of the big ticket stuff was missing (Wango Tango shirt & LAL lyrics). We found our dining room, which apparently was nowhere near the main room where Clay would be dining. At our table, to the best of my recollection, was geekette, careless whisper, invisible926, notrelated, CAP121, Huskerfalcon, ProqFreq, and us five. We were visited by Jaymes Foster selling raffle tickets, Diane Bubel who came by to introduce herself and say hi, and even Faye at one point, because she found a ticket on the ground and it belonged to someone at our table. The meal started with a salad and raspberry vinaigrette, then the main course was steak, salmon, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Dessert was a carmel chocolate cheesecake. There was red and white wine served, and also champagne. At one point we were visited by ficus who informed us that Clay was eating in her dining room and that many people were coming by to peek. CAP121 took off with her. crimsonice and disneykid decided they had to go visit our friend goldarngirl too, and when they came back they reported on his appearance (beard and hair) and also that CAP121 was crying tears of joy. Hee. We went upstairs eventually to wait for the performances, and we stood around drinking Claytinis until they called our numbers. Our group was in the 7th and 8th row, from the centre aisle and over about 6 seats. Amazing seats! Clay entered very quietly and he came right down the centre aisle but he was already in his front row seat on the aisle before I noticed. Everyone went nuts but he picked up his "fan" (for auction bidding) and waved it over his shoulder at us in a "oh stop that" motion. I spent most of the speech portion of the night alternating between paying attention to the speakers and videos and watching the back of his head. He occasionally turned in profile to talk to his seatmates (Jamie, Quiana, etc) so I go to see his pretty face. Oh, did I mention he looked freaking fantastic? And hawt? And I normally hatessssssssss beards? Alrighty then. So he sat and watched some speeches and he also watched the video of the kids that had the BYLM song playing through it. He got up and made his speech fairly early on. He was hilarious from the get go. He said he was just going to wing it. He talked a lot about how the foundation was started initially as a school project and it was a "fake" foundation. Then the panties started flying up to the stage, and "if that wasn't flattering enough" they also had cheques pinned to them. The first 3, or 5, or 7 pairs, he figured he'd find the addresses and send them back and explain that there wasn't really a foundation to donate to. But by the end of the tour, he said they had about $48,000 in "panty money" (the audience roared at this). So he called Diane and they decided to make it real. I thought it was a really cool speech - he definitely gave it a fan slant, because the room was mainly full of fans. He also made some comment about the video and how "that guy can really sing" that started everyone screaming and then he tried to get us all to stop. He is so cute. During the presentations, he stood over on one side and then took the stage each time to give the award and to shake hands or hug the recipients. During his speech he had instructed some fans who were sitting over on the side to come down to the front row and sit where he had been sitting. He really had to insist before they did it! The auctions were just amazing. I can't even begin to describe how "on" he was. I don't think it was planned at all for him to participate, because he said something like "my rear end was sore" when he started. I'm sure you've all seen the snippets of video already. Those are just a tiny indication of what he did. He was on a roll. He got crazier and crazier as the night went on. If it hadn't started so late, I think he would have started stripping and auctioning off his clothes! LOL He said something about his "britches" being next. His mom was teling him to take off his tie and auction it and my daughter said to me "do you think Grandma would pay it if I used my credit card?" People around me were bidding on things. cindilu2 bid on something fairly inexpensive, and the auctioneer tried to trick her by jumping up to $21,000. It was funny. Once you were in the running, Clay was making faces at you and egging you on, which of course was driving the prices higher and higher just for the individual attention it got you. cindilu2's friend was in a bidding war for something, but she let it go at the end, and the winner ran up on the stage to get her item from Clay and got a kiss! After that, all hell broke loose, people were bidding more for the kiss than for the item, I think. Clay was dancing and hugging himself and rubbing things on his face and through his mouth and kissing them and saying he slept with them, just to raise the bids. He SOOOOOO knows. It went on for a long time. He must have been exhausted before he finally sang. I was cellcerting NCDonna and mandmlady through the whole thing and every once in a while I'd say something into the phone because I'm sure all they could hear was the screaming going on! I've been thinking about the auction almost constantly. There was a really funny part when he was auctioning off the signed LTS. He said "Learning to sing............hearing........(long pause).......the music........(another long pause).......in your life" (said very dramatically). Then he said something like "that was a dramatic pause". It was hilarious. I really hope we get more clack of this. Every little clip that gets put in the vault makes me over the moon excited, because I don't want to lose the memories. I have to admit, the performance part was almost anti-climatic, just because the auction was so unbelievable! But someone (a woman, can't remember who she was, but not Lynda Loveland) did the introduction. It was funny, because he'd been on the stage doing the auction the whole time, and I don't think that was planned. So she did this great introduction for him anyways, and then he came back on the stage and sat on a high-backed stool. Quiana sat beside him, to his left. Jesse was on the piano to Clay's right. Clay said that he'd done this really fun tour a couple of years ago, one he'd really enjoyed, but Jesse hadn't been on it so hadn't had a chance to play any of those songs. Then he said it was 3 hours long every night, so maybe Jesse would be glad because he would have been too tired. But he said he was going to sing a couple of songs from that tour, and then launched into ICMYLM. He was making faces at the woman who was sitting in the first row aisle seat (the one Clay had been sitting in originally) so that was what all the laughter was about. It definitely was not as inspired a performance as some nights on the JBT, but really, the room was still so abuzz from the auction, it was hard to bring it down that quickly. I was trying to cellcert but the battery on my phone was dying, and the connection kept cutting off, so they kept calling back. Thank goodness I had thought to put it on vibrate! I was really surprised when he said they were going to sing The Prayer. I thought it was totally gorgeous. Quiana's voice is just so rich and full. When Clay came in for his first part, I really got the impression he was holding back. He started letting loose more as the song progressed. I think he is always conscious about not overpowering his partner in a duet. I believe this audio is going to be one of my favourites for a long time. I can't wait to get it on my iPod when I get home! Then Quiana sang a song that I didn't recognize at all. After each song, when the audience went to stand and give an ovation, Clay got the look on his face and tried to make us all sit down. Hee. Then he went into Unchained Melody and I died. I have been obsessed with his David Foster version, and this was similar to that. Near the beginning, one of the semi-glory notes, we all started applauding, and he shushed us, and said "wait till the end". BWAH. After it was over we all went nuts and he said "see you in the summer" off mike, then leaned over and said it again into the mic. Then he was gone. *sigh* We all made our way out to the elevators. I was hanging around waiting to find my group, and I saw so many people come out who were just walking around in a daze. None of us could really believe what we'd just witnessed. Jerome came by and was really friendly, asking us all if we'd had fun, etc. Kristy came out and rode down the elevator with my daughter, and she said she was really friendly. Not sure whether it was upstairs or down in the lobby, but Diane Bubel was there, shaking everyone's hand or hugging everyone, as they left. I thought it was really great the way she personally wanted to speak to each person. In the lobby there were goodie bags for everyone, with a BAF mug and some other small stuff, including a local newspaper and a copy of Exceptional Parent magazine. We went outside and talked to people for a few minutes until our whole group assembled, then we walked back to the hotel to change. I am surprised we weren't hit by a car, because our heads were really in the clouds still and we weren't paying much attention to where we were going, LOL.

Hey everyone I have to post quick as we are getting ready to go to church, and I can't miss my once yearly NC church experience (nothing like we have at home!) Clay was on fire last night. It was the best $175 I have ever or will ever spend, I think, in my life. I can't even begin to describe it. He had no inhibitions. He did everything, short of stripping, he could, to get us to bid higher. He had no shame. He made all sorts of insinuations. He danced, he rubbed, he wiggled, he tongued, he shreiked, he pouted............you name it, he did it. I got a few very grainy pictures that I may post later but I am pretty sure there will be great clack coming out of this as no one seemed to be stopped from taking video during the auction. Now, the performance was another matter - we were all asked to put our cameras away. I am SO glad that there is audio (I am listening to the Prayer right now) and let me tell you, it was amazing. There is one extremely high note Clay hits (not a power note, an extremely fragile high high note) that almost had me on the floor. I have to disagree with ansa about Quiana's voice in person - it is phenomenal. Of the two, I actually felt that Clay's voice was not as full, but not because it can't be, because he holds back when he's in such a small room. I think he realizes just how powerful it is when he let's it loose. I love the way their voices blend together. I was over the moon with the song selections (although I bet most others weren't). I think UM was reminiscent of the David Foster Gala version, which I absolutely adore. I will never forget last night. I met so many people - fans, but also Jaymes Foster (had a conversation with her about whether there were Target's in Canada), Diane Bubel, Kristy, Jerome...........OMG just can't even remember them all. I promise to write more later. I am sure all the key points have already been mentioned on the boards - 8 songs on the skating show in November, Quiana on the summer tour, concert in Oklahoma this summer. His attitude towards LAL was interesting, when he was auctioning it off. He kept saying "I'm never doing anything like this again" in relation to the song, or at least that was the way I was taking it. He said Jaymes made him do it. People were yelling out "sing it, sing it!" and he gave us a look and said "it'd take a lot more money to get me to do that". Heck, it went for $50,000! Not quite sure what to make of that...... But seriously, it was like being in his living room. He was among friends, and I felt included in that assessment, even though I've never met him. He was just so comfortable. I don't even know how to describe it. I really and truly hope there is complete video because if there isn't it will be the biggest loss this fandom has ever had, IMO. Y'all just HAVE to see him in ACTION!