institches

I'm annoyed but not really disappointed with people because honestly, the whole Clay Nation reaction ("I'm insane because of Clay's latest announcement") is for me, just the latest variation of "I'm insane because Clay was rubbing his naughty bits on a black girl he wasn't married to in public" (trying to get all the objections in there - including the not PC ones - and there were a number of those) or "I'm insane because Clay punished us for groping him/not groping him/not giving me a chance to grope him/my friend was upset for not groping him" or "I'm insane because Clay sang a gospel song/took us to church/tried to forcibly convert me/made chunky girls wear white/pandered to the religious people" or "I'm insane because Clay doesn't hate Fran/Faye/Ray/Jaymes/KLo/whoever I'm hatin' on this week" or "I'm insane because RCA implanted this transmitter in my head and it plays nothing but polka music" or "I'm insane because Clay's singing slow songs/sexy songs but not seriously/covers/the wrong song off the CD/not on my tv for a month"....I was flabbergasted with the fandom for the first couple of "I'm insane because..." because the first few months misled me about the fandom. I thought they were just like me - liked Clay for what he was - enjoyed the journey he was making - knew I was a little (ok, maybe a lot over the top) but just because it was fun. Man, was I wrong! So now I pick and choose where I hang out.

In case you had any doubt....I am still and forever will be your minion. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

No, I have nothing to add. Just that, yeah, I like Clay. He entertains me.

Yayyyyyyyyyy!!!

Stitches out!

Oh! For a second I thought we had more exciting news!

Holy CRAP! Me too!!!! Hee!!

I'm happy for your stitches out, though, cotton!

Hi guys! How's things? I wondered if y'all were still over here! And you are! How fun!

Can I tell you that Clay's new found freedom and honesty has made me feel free, too? I adore him, and I'm so proud and happy for him!

Now I'll go back and read up on what y'all are talking about! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

~Keeping everything nicely locked and loaded.

~I think you have said a mouthful and I agree with it all.

~And just what is it that you intend to do with Clay's baton, missy?

~More than a handful's a waste, they say.

~I can tell you're all really feeling Clay's ass.

~If the pants get any lower he'll need a hard-on to keep them up.

~Is there such a thing called "Shadow Envy"? Cause I think I just got it!

Sooooo, we can smut here too? *unpacks all her bags and settles in*

And I was dragged into the 21st century today. I finally got a DVR. Whoot.

Re: the jeans...I just want to offer up a prayer of thanks for Clay's nice small, though slightly roundish, manbutt. Cuz I don't know about you, but I just canNOT wear those low rider things! To fit my mommabutt, they are way too big for my waist, so then I feel like all I'm doing is hiking them up constantly so I don't have Plumber's Crack!

But On Clay?

* Philly raises her hand*

What's a poddie?

*Takes notes*

JennaZ, jmh, play, couchie, artquest...y'all are so freakin' smart. As usual, I don't have anything of substance to add, but your discussion has clarified some things for me today, and eased my mind a bit. You see, around the time of the invasion ATDW release, I was so saddened, confused and threatened by the intensity of the discussions going on, that I ran for the hills. I quit the boards, cold turkey, for almost a year. Then I popped back in here to FCA once in a while, but still stayed away from the main boards at other locations to avoid the drama.

That decision had as much to do with my own insecurities and spinelessnicity (yes, it is too a word) as the fighting itself, but I found myself being profoundly saddened by the anger. The joy that I used to get from my fandom was gone. See, I tended to be more of the pod person, but on the other end of the spectrum that artquest mentioned. I was labelled a Pollyanna, aka blindly delusional. But it wasn't that I wasn't able to speculate that situations could have been different/better/other in Clayland, it was that I just didn't want to, and I felt that I didn't belong any more because of it.

Anyway, what y'all have clarified for me today, is that maybe I wasn't insane to think that some of the people I had always loved to read, and whose thoughts I had respected, had changed so drastically. Others saw it too. I understand where the term poddie came from, and I like Jenna's description:

it was born out of a time when many of us felt bruised and battered by our experiences on other boards, a small minority huddling together amidst the masses who were out for RCA blood.

That artquest is here, joining in this discussion, calling herself the resident poddie, is proof positive that the term is definitely NOT meant for her!

keepingfaith? THAT's funny!

Top 3 reasons to be verclempt this morning:

ONE:

TWO:

I still can't find words to express my feelings on last night's show. I can't. Maybe I will later. Maybe you had to be there....don't know. It was like magic. I am a bit overwhelmed.

THREE:

Bottle's entire recap. {{{Bottle}}}

And bonus happy pills from lickiest's recap...

and then he was really, really enthusiastic with his talk about how much they all love doing this, how they've loved the last 4 years, and how even though he was crabby today in the meet and greet (and he said Jesse is always crabby) that once they got up on stage they had such a great time. He thanked us profusely for everything, and then started Because You Loved Me.

After he left the stage we all just stood around in amazement at what we'd just witnessed.

Oh, and this???

Clay started looking around for her, wondering if she'd gone to the bathroom, and made a comment to Quiana that sounded like "maybe she J dealed us". Quiana cracked up so hard she was bent over laughing, and Clay said that it was an inside joke that she would be howling about for 4 weeks.

Hmmm....Could the J mean Jacob?

Thanks for the link to that article about Kelly. Interesting. Confession: I really like Kelly. I didn't watch the first season of idol...only "discovered" her after the fact. I think she has an incredible voice...albeit a little yelly now and then. I ran right out to get her new CD, having heard little snippets about the "controversy" here and there, and I listened. And I listened again. And all I kept thinking was, "why so ANGRY, Kelly?" I almost couldn't hear the voice through the anger!

Now as I watch things continue to unfold, I can't help thinking of that saying, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." It's almost like she was soooooooo up.set. by whoever hurt her, that she lost all sense of rational thought, got on her high horse, and dug her heels in. Kind of a childish, risky thing to do with millions of dollars and your career, but hey, what do I know?

I don't know what went on, what her motivation really was for the whole scene. I admit I felt a little bit of "you GO girl" when she was sticking to her guns. But it seems now, like she was only borrowing the balls she was showing at the time. Heh. So "My December" wasn't another "Breakaway"? She got to make her stand. And much like with Clay...a half-a-million albums is nothing to shake a stick at!! And she looks kinda cute with her tail between her legs.

Topic: I missed the Clay show tonight ... but I have no doubt it was amazing.

playbiller - I went to see Clay at Musikfest for the JBT, and while I was waiting in line for the bus to get back to my car after, a bird pooped on my shoulder, and several perfect strangers (tv theme song haunts meruns through my head) told me it was good luck. Yeah, bite methanks. Hee.

I love the strikeout option too. Cracks me up.

Hey! How'd that get in there?

EEEEEEE! I'm leaving for home in 3 minutes! Then it's on to Sterling Heights! Y'all be good while I'm gone.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! :nana: Have fun!!!

Catching up before I post...some things never change...I STILL want to be KAndre when I grow up. *sigh*

{{{{Muski}}}} - what a wonderful story.

I burst into tears...idiot that I am...My vision was so blurred I can't even remember what happened next.

Just because you don't always get what you want doesn't mean you can't enjoy what you have at the moment. That's like saying if I can't have the shiny new bike I want, then I'm not going to enjoy riding...and while I'm at it, I think I'll sit in the corner and pout over my bad luck and not ride at all. Thank God, Clay's too mature for that. I think he'll get his shiny new bike someday and I believe he knows that too...and I hope when he does he'll let me ride the handlebars.

It can't be said enough how perfect this paragraph/analogy is! AND ldyjocelyn's continuation of it is awesome too! See, I'm always finding that you guys say things much better than I could, so I just take the easy way out and quote quote quote!!!!

Many of you know, I've never been a read-between-the-lines kind of Clay fan. We all have our own filters that color how we interpret things...whoever said that, was brilliant. Whoever said, "you don't get harmony if everyone sings the same note" was also brilliant. I enjoy reading everyone's viewpoints, get puzzled by some interpretations, and laugh and smile and nod along with others. But at the end of the day, I always come back to using my own filters and think of how it appears to me...this is what I see...

Look at this man's life. The path he has been on. The path he is STILL on. The path he is only just beginning, really. He is living a dream. He is making a difference. He is making music. He is making millions. He has a platform now, to reach millions, if he so chooses. He is living in a dream house in his hometown, keeping his loved ones and family close, and holding on to his beliefs and making himself and his momma proud. (As a momma, I can tell you that is a hope of mine, that my kids grow up to care just a little about making themselves and me proud.)

He is living a dream.

A wild and exciting dream. And the dream keeps growing, and delivering more to his doorstep with every passing day. To continue the analogy, so maybe he had to get his first couple bikes from Target? Maybe he'll have to wait a little longer for fate to be in line such that he can get the Lance Armstrong bike from Trek? I mean...I can't imagine there is any way his opportunities to make more music will stop unless he WANTS to stop. The man sells a half a million CDs and calls them "coasters"! The guy is funny!

I have a friend who is a struggling musician, who has been trying to "make it" for over 20 years. He would kill to be in Clay's position...EVEN if it is truly what some people characterize as a horrible record company that has no interest in making money, with an evil, controlling Clive involved.

I love Clay Aiken. I love the joy he brings me. But mostly, I love the joy he seems to be getting from this journey, and I want that to continue as long as possible for him.

"It doesn't really matter how I make a difference, I just want to make sure that I do." Awww, remember? *heavy sigh*

[Edit:]

PS...as I read this, I realize I just typed a lot of words that say the same thing...I'm a big ol' sap. I love that y'all dig deeper. I do. I don't mean to minimize that at all, ever. But I love it that I feel I can be a big ol' sap here and won't be driven out of town. I can, can't I? *worries*

PPS...I HATE being the first post on a page. So much pressure to be brilliant. And I am so not. Ugh.

Good morning! I love the joy in this place! All the concert stories and meeting friends stories!!! So happy!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Re: the stiletto admin note in lovely teal, word. And I'd like to add that as someone who has left two boards previously because some posters struggle with strong, opinionated comments---and I'm talking (as KAndre did) of posters writing the comments and posters reading (and interpreting) them. What I LOVE about THIS board, though, is that a misplaced word or reflexive reaction doesn't mean that the entire flow of conversation gets derailed, nor does it become the 'beginning of the end' of fun and sense of humor and mutual respect.

Add me to the "WORD" list on this one. I've read every page of this thread, and I didn't even notice anything that seemed to be getting out of hand! Perhaps it is because the last time I was really involved in the Clay boards it was *cough*elsewhere*cough* and the tension and adversarial nature almost gave me ulcers. So again, thanks for being here, and being "grownups."

Muski, you must be so proud! Is it too early to start thinking about athletic scholarships to college? That could free up money to spend on Clay tickets!

Muski...I'm so excited for you and your daughter! My DD plays softball too, and is a pitcher, but she is only 11, and the league she's in has rules about only playing two innings at a time...so no stats like your daughter yet! I have my fingers crossed, since I was a pitcher myself (a hundred years ago)! Hee! artquest -- to my DH, it's never too soon to think about scholarships...when my son was born and the nurse said he was 10 lbs, 3 oz, my husband shouted "scholarship!"

Oh, I have to comment on Lover All Alone. It is just gorgeous, and to see it live is just indescribable.

..and remember Balki had that great role in Beverly Hills Cop.

Serge! OMG, that was a GREAT roll!

Someone quoted from a M&G story that he likes mayo on his hot dogs. OK. I have put up with a LOT of crazy stuff from Clay Aiken...but MAYO on a hot dog???????? *throws up in her mouth a little* I'm afraid that might just be a deal breaker for me.

(I was kidding, for anyone who doesn't know me).

Bad, lapsed fan here, trying to jump back in....what is the deal with the Guillermo mustaches?

*dips toe in the FCA waters...*

People are so concerned with their outsides, and everybody else's outsides, that their insides rot.

Can I tell you how much I loved him for saying that?

A) it's true.

Secondly) it meant that he was still the Clay I fell in love with, and still spoke his mind, and still stuck his foot in his mouth now and then.

P.S. Y'all have NO idea how jellus I am that you are having a sleepover at YSRN's house. *pouts*

Hi everyone! As I mentioned, I didn't expect to go to the show last night...a friend of a friend won tickets, couldn't go, and gave them to me yesterday afternoon! I took my daughter Rach, who is almost 12, and we had a great great time. Even if she was using my cell phone as a reading light during much of the show so she could finish re-reading the 6th Harry Potter in time to start the new one this weekend! Hee!

We were far enough away, that I didn't even bother to try to make out facial expressions. It was just going to be a big picture kind of night, and I was cool with that. Of course, it was the night he happened to be wearing a t-shirt five sizes too small! Dammit! :-D

But you know what happens when you can't SEE him? You can't help but notice his freakin' VOICE. My GOD that man can sing! Did y'all know that??? Hee! We were off to the side at first, but then moved up to the empty center seats, and the sound was just incredible. In.cred.i.ble. I was telling some friends last night...his voice just does something to me. It stirs up emotions and feelings and old baggage I thought was long buried. How does he do that? Thoughts were just swirling around in my head...thoughts of first seeing him, first becoming a fan, first meeting all my Clay-friends, having him and those friends come into my life at the exact time my mom passed away and what a life saver y'all were, how the first AI concert was with Rach when she was just 7, and now she is a young lady, how life has changed and evolved since then, and so I can't really be as involved online as I used to be, how some of those friends I made will be my dearest friends for life, how happy Clay must be and that he must still pinch himself every day because he is living this wild dream....gah...I could go on and on (shut.up....I know I just DID go on and on).

Anyway...he was entertaining, and charming, and funny as hell, and just sang his ass off! I had not listened to any Clack because I was waiting until Asheville, so everything was new and wonderful! After his banter with the woman who was late, Rach said, "Is he going to talk more? I really liked that!" I assured her, Clay Aiken would most definitely talk more! Have I mentioned that I love it when he talks, too?

High points of the night?

- MOAM (which will always be my favorite after being there for the Wilkes-Barre sing-along). That is forever HIS song for me.

- These Open Arms (why has nobody mentioned that before this song, which was after the "fan" letter calling him a fatty *eyeroll*, he stood up straight and Angela told him to "suck it in" and Clay said "Ahhhm suckin' it!"?) Hee!!! God, I love him.

- The Classics Medley. There are no words for how great this was. Brilliant.

- Angela singing Listen. I lovelovelove this song...especially the live version Beyonce did on the Oscars.... but Angela does an incredible job.

- Lover All Alone. My god. *weeps*

*sigh*

That is all. I'm going to go slump into my post-show depression now...and try to get by until Asheville. Hugs again, to everyone!

Awww you are too sweet!!!! I'll probably have a fangirly recap to share after, because I am definitely claymatey and fangirly all over again now that he is touring!

Hope everyone is peaceful and happy and well!!!! MUAH!

Hi all you crazy people!!! *huge hugs* A friend of a friend won tickets to tonight's show and couldn't go, so she gave them to me! SQUEEEEEEE! If I see you there and I don't recognize you or forget your name...please forgive me! It has been a looooooooooong time!

OMG I'm going to see Clay! Everyone enjoy the show!!!!!

Miss you all!

MUAH!

:Tour3:

Ummmm, "love gravy"? Ewww. I think muski needs to work that term into her next chapter. LOL.

{{{luckiest}}}

Oh, and I am totally a Claymate. Heh.

Must.do.work.today.

BWAH! Excellent response, Couchie. Now please hand in your Claymate card, pronto!

WHEW! Thanks for responding ladies. I was a little nervous attempting the snark so early without enough coffee for the first time in a sandbox I'm just starting to play in when I don't really know how to do snark anyway! WHEW!

Mornin' y'all!

That mouth of his---those lips. Every part of his body just seems so.....agile, you know?

Play, please tell me you're kidding! Not "Christian" enough for him? People have to pass a "Christian" test to work with Clay or be his friend??? Now that is scary!

HA! The "Christian" test can only take place after a "potential" friend or colleague has passed the:

- Do you hate Clive Davis test.

- Do you hate Kathy Griffin test.

- Do you hate Kelly Ripa test.

- Did you used to hate but now you love Jimmy Kimmel test.

- Do you think AI is poison to Clay's career test.

- Do you think everyone and their brother is out to get Clay test.

- If you're a girl, are you just ugly enough to not be a real threat to my chances with Clay test.

- If you're a boy, are you "manly" enough to ensure that there will be no possibility of the word "gay" being uttered anywhere in the vicinity of Clay test

- Do you think Clay is perfect and an angel and can do no wrong test.

- Do you second guess everything Clay says and know in your heart that you know what's best for Clay better than he does test.

(yes, you have to pass BOTH those last two at the same time)

The above is intended as snark. No one other than pod people were harmed in the making of this list. OK, I had no idea I woke up so bitter this morning. Heh. I think I'll go back to muski's parting thoughts from last night....

That mouth of his---those lips. Every part of his body just seems so.....agile, you know?

I used to enjoy the discussions and seemingly intelligent expressions of opinions there. But....I haven't felt that way a lot for a good while. In fact, I've sorta been embarrassed and worried because I KNOW that board is a well-known one AND one that Clay is familiar with and probably reads.

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

{{{georgiaclay}}} Back atcha!

because I think I would probably have run the opposite direction by now.

But methinks Mr. Aiken likes attention and the spotlight too much to ever take that route.

You brilliant ladies just made me think of why I like the new Clay. The no-holds-barred, ass-kickin' Clay we saw in yesterday's blog...and well, since he was on the AI5 finale, actually. I think there might have been a bit inside Clay that wanted to run the hell away back a year or so ago, but the stubborn part of him (guh) said "look...you love this fame, you love to sing, you love having influence in the causes close to your heart. If you want to keep all that good stuff, you better get your shit (sadly, he probably wouldn't have cussed) together, and stop letting the pod people (I f-love this term, y'all...it's awesome!) have an impact on your heart!"

I think he grew up a lot, and took control of the bullshit. He maybe realized, much like ldyjocelyn, that engaging in a battle of wits with so many unarmed opponents (hee) was only bringing him down, bringing down this whole experience. God I love the new Clay. The Clay who basically bitchslapped Kelly Ripa when he covered the mouth of the NC news lady (sorry I'm a sucky fan and don't know her name) on his house tour. The Clay who bitchslapped the pod people in his blog yesterday, and basically told them he thought they were ridiculous and petty and obnoxious and wasting their time and WRONG. {{{{{Clay}}}}}

I loooove me some bitchslappin' Clay!!!! *thud* (Hee! It's a slightly amended version of my tagline since I escaped the pod)!

I am more confident than ever that Clay Aiken will live his own life, follow his own dreams, be happy and peaceful, and share the parts of his life with us that he chooses, when it is the right time to do so. Huh. He's almost being...human. Well, except for that little superhuman ability to keep us all under his spell simply by standing there.

*hugs everyone in the room*

Hi everyone. I just read the last few pages, and how freakin' SWEET are y'all, a-wavin' and a-pouncin'!?! Muski....your pounce better have included some inappropriate groping, or else!!!!

I joined FCA waaaaay back when {{Couchie and Ansa}} started it, and have continued to get the e-mail alerts about new topics and stuff, even though I've never posted. I saw the Happy New Year e-mail, and read about how the community was well-established, and came here to check it out! And WOW! What an awesome place!!!!! It's so great to see everyone here!!!! {{{{{FCA}}}}} Since that night y'all saw me lurking, I got a couple e-mails (*muah*) telling me about what a wonderful place this is, and that I would love it here! So here I am!

For those of you who are wondering, sadly, I let my dissatisfaction with the tone of another place *ahem* ruin my fandom experience, and I just went away from Clayland altogether. I still checked in now and then to find news about Clay, and caught his appearances on TV if I could, but otherwise, I just stepped away. I still chat with some friends I made along the way, so I get the pertinent updates that way too.

I am really happy to know that you all are here, just loving Clay and having intelligent conversations about him, and enjoying him and the good he brings to this world. That's all I've ever wanted to do!!! You see, I had a very blessed life, and was thankful every day. And then Clay came along. And I made friends through him and we got together across the miles and celebrated his voice, and his soul, and his heart, and his ... other stuff ... and each day, my already great life was EVEN BETTER!!! He didn't have to do that for me!!!! He just did! And all I can really do is be thankful, and spend as much time as I can wishing him success and love and joy and peace in his life. That's what I want for him. Anything that I happen to get as a result of his peace and joy, is just gravy.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for still being out here, celebrating Clay. I don't know how much I'll be around, but when life lets me think about Clay, I'll come in here to share it with y'all!

OK. End of sap. *smooches to everyone*

Good Lord, Skate and Buzzie! Those pictures are so incredibly clear and gorgeous! Of course! I expect nothing less from you two! Thanks for sharing! (Skate, I saw yours when I looked at Buzzie's at BoC...I'm guessing there are more? PLEEEEEEEEEASE??!)

EEEEE! I made it! Y'all got in full swing while I was on vacation! Yay! What a great group of people, and a neat, positive place to be! I look forward to hanging with everyone!

I'm institches, originally from TWoP, then CH, and although I AM easy, I don't get around like my girlfriend YSRN! *MUAH, girl* CH is my one-stop shop for all the news and clack. I'm happy that Angela and Ansa started this place, so I have a place to go for my conversation now too!

I used to be a maniac poster, but have apparently mellowed, as I hardly post at all anymore. I just love that man. GAH, it's crazy how much, isn't it? I explain my Clay love like before I had kids....what did I do with my time back then?, and I can't even imagine life without them (him). He's just part of me now. *sigh*

OK, enough mush.

Hi everyone! *waves*