Kareneh

Good Morning! Just popping by to see if anyone is going to the gala. I bought myself a last minute ticket when it occurred to me that since we are on a 2 week road trip holiday in the U.S. (just kind of wandering here and there)....might as well wander on down to Charlotte and go see Clay. It's been a few years since I've been to a gala, so I'm pretty excited! I'll be going alone unless I can convince my husband this is something he wants to do. Right now there is a seat open next to me in the balcony...he still has a chance. I am so glad I kept the room I booked at the Marriott when the gala was first announced. We'll be staying there, so if anyone sees me, wave hello! We are arriving from Asheville on the 11th.

I was at Stamford last night and what a night it was! So funny and Clay's voice was beyond description. Probably the best I have ever heard him sing. I took a few pics (once I remembered how to turn the bloody camera on....and where all the control buttons were on the back....I really should have looked at it before I got myself into a darkened concert hall. In disgust, I gently placed it back in my purse. At about the three quarter point, however, I dug it out again and I managed to figure out how to do it once again. Here are a few from last night. (The rest are here...http://kareneh.smugmug.com/Music/Clay-Aiken-JNT-2012-Stamford/26948241_wSks7w)

Thanks for the birthday wishes! Had a great day.....here in Baku. Yep,I'm back in Azerbaijan again. In a couple of weeks I'll be heading back to Canada for Christmas and New Years, but can't wait to take a quick trip into the States for a couple of concerts. I'll be at Stamford and Shippensburg with my mom and my aunt. Is anyone from here going to any of those?

****loosens up rusty typing fingers**** Gee Whiz! A person takes a few days off and all hell breaks loose....um...okay, it's been more than a few days. How y'all doing? Seems I missed a lot of stuff since I've been in limbo (camped at the in-laws since May waiting for contracts, visas, and so on). One more week to go and FINALLY we are off to our new home in Dubai...which will be a hotel...until we actually find a real home when we get there. There was a photo shoot? Dang! And the video chat is scheduled to be on my moving day? If the gods are willing, and the hotel internet connection is good, maybe that 8 hour time difference will be a good thing. For now, I have to figure out a way to finagle the remote control out of the hands of my gracious hosts on Sunday night. I don't think they have even heard of a show called 'Drop Dead Diva'. Worst case scenario, I'll have to be out at the cottage on Sunday where there is no cable. So much angst! But I have to admit, it's a good kind of angst. And if I can't watch him on TV, I can retype that long 'Starry' interview in half a dozen different decorative fonts...just to feel connected. ****I appear to have not lost any weirdness.**** merrieeee....the photos you've posted from your trip are making me wish I had visited when I still lived closer to those wonderful cities.

Keepingfaith, hope you have a fabulous day!!

Oh dear.....I counted them...85 times. Good Lord!! Never met him, though, since I'm not counting the Spam picture or shouting across the room at him during the gala a couple of years ago. It breaks down into 68 concerts, 1 gala, 1 GMA, 1 Vegas skating show, and 14 Spams. Right now I'm holding tickets for 6 TnT's. I wish, now I had made a point of getting to the gala this year but I guess it's too late now to think about it, right? I've only got one more batch of pictures to go through, the ones from the Hammerstein in New York. I don't think I shot the whole thing because my seat wasn't so great and there were lots of heads in the way. Eventually, I gave up fighting it and just sat back and enjoyed the show. In the meantime..... I uploaded my Lancaster photos the other day. Here are a few from the album, which is here

akim!

Congratulations to everyone who got tickets in the pre-sale yesterday. I got lucky today in the Charlotte presale and picked up a pair in the last row of the pit. That would be 6 rows back but they’re in the center section. I was bad….. broke my own new rule (the one where I wasn’t going to buy more tickets than I needed for a concert). I first pulled up a 4th row pair but they were on the outside aisle, I bought them because 4th row pit is 4th row pit….but…I went shopping again and whaddaya know? The ticket gods dropped this pair in the center right into my shopping cart, mercy me. It really wasn’t my fault. They just fell right in there. What was I supposed to do? Oh well….I think those will be my last set to buy. merrieeee, Thanks for the ordering info for the interview. Maybe I can get one sent to me, over here. I’d love to see it. I uploaded my Hampton Beach photos last night. Lovely Hampton Beach worst-close seat ever… The album is here

Have a great birthday, ldyj!!!

Yes, I'm definitely into those jeans. I have an imagination, and I know how to use it. Can somebody help me imagine away my dog's cancer diagnosis? Got it yesterday after an x-ray to explain a chronic cough. He's got lung cancer. To look at him you wouldn't think there was a thing wrong. He's looks great, has energy, and still eats like a pig. Right now, he is doing fine. Acts like an otherwise healthy 12 year old Sheltie, but from what I have read the prognosis isn't good. Given his age, we are pretty sure that we aren't going to try and remove it with surgery. It's a pretty major operation with iffy results, and he currently has a great quality of life. I would hate to mess that up. Anyway, thanks for listening. We're going to redo the x-ray in a month to see how much it has grown in that time, just to get a little better idea of what we're dealing with. I think I said something about dropping off some Verona pictures a little later. Well, it's later, I was half right. I got distracted by school work or something...can't remember what at this point. But...anyway...here they are, better late than never. I have some more from my other concerts and can hopefully get to them this weekend if the homework doesn't get in the way. Seriously, if you want a humbling experience, take an illustration class when you have absolutely no talent at all. Just one more way to hit "submit" and embarrass yourself. Better I should go watch some pledge breaks...more fun than a 64 box of crayons. The album is here.

KF, I might actually get to come back in November or December. John's company uses people to courier tools and equipment to districts where those things are needed on short notice. Usually, it's someone from the shop who has to drop everything and go. He told me I could do it if I wanted, and since I'm a little short on status miles this year, I think this would be a good way to boost them up. I'll just have to grit my teeth and bear Lufthansa's 11 hour jaunt from Frankfurt. If, and when I come, I'll be sure to let you guys know. I figure once I do this once, I'll probably keep doing it, if only to get the air miles. Air miles get me to see Clay, so air miles are a very good thing. Have Pro Forma Invoice, will travel.

Hey there! It’s me! I know I’m not very prolific lately. But I'm still, here, hanging around. I made it to 6 concerts this summer, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Got to see some people, though not as many as I’d liked, and was lucky enough to have Scarlett as a travel buddy for 4 shows. Life was certainly good this summer! I got all of five pictures in Windsor before I nearly lost my retina to a direct hit flashlight beam through my lens. That was the silliest man in a blue sport coat that I've ever seen! I think his wife must be mean to him and I'll never look at light blue sport coats in the same way again (which is likely due to retinal damage):-) Those are some scrumptious photos from last night. Clay wears his scruffy very very very well. I think I bought a meet and greet for Charlotte from the other PBS station that offered them..…but I don’t seem to have a confirmation email. Oh well, they charged my card.... and I need 2 tickets anyway. I’m a little skeptical about that ticket’s location and right now my main interest in that meet and greet is just being there to see how they’re going to handle it, being oversold and all.....should be interesting. Fan club presale here I come.... Well, I think I’m pretty much over missing the Houston PBS evening with Clay, now. It was hard sitting way over here and knowing if it wasn’t for my husband’s job, I’d have been sitting in a Houston PBS station with my peeps and my boyfriend. (If it wasn’t for my husband’s job we never would have moved to Houston in the first place but I’m not going to think about that.) His job took me away and that’s the most important thing when you aren`t where you`re supposed to be, when you’re supposed to be there, right? **Sigh** BUT! OMG! SERIOUSLY! How awesome a night was that?! Thanks, guys, for the great recaps....slurped up every word of them and licked the spoon. I’m glad it turned out to be such a fantastic time! Hanging out with Clay, indeed. Wow! I am so glad I got to see the pictures. I’ll just Photoshop myself into an empty seat. I can do that, I haz skillz. I’m finally home…er…the Denmark one. It seems like such a long time since I was sitting in the car with Scarlett, and she was talking to the Houston PBS person about volunteering to take calls, not knowing anything at all about Clay actually being there. It was exactly a month, less a day, ago when we went our separate ways up in Verona. Maybe it’s the chilly fall weather I came back to….but it’s been a long month without Clay, LIVE. Thank God, and the goddesses, for clack!! And planning for the next tour! I’m bringing my Mom along with me in February. I figured it was time she went to a concert, and when we sat together at her place a couple of weeks ago to finally watch the TNT DVD, this woman....who usually is up, dressed, and going first thing in the morning……was still in her nightgown when it ended at ten, and wanted to know how many shows we were going to see. I think she is going to enjoy herself immensely. She also wanted to know if I could get her a front row seat...she must assume that after all this time I have connections, or something. I can't believe how fast the gala is coming up. Unfortunately, I won't be there this time. I hadn't planned on it....but it looks like I'll be in Kuala Lumpur with the husband about that time anyway. He's got a business trip there and I'm taggin along since I've never been. Since I’ve been back, I’ve been able to tag some photos and upload them. Here are some from Chautauqua. I had gotten this new little pocket camera a few months before and decided to use it for this show instead of my usual one….no special reason…..just because. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it did considering its size and me being 8 rows back. It’ll never make a full time concert camera, though, since like most of the newer small cameras, there is no EVF (are you listening Canon??). I checked, found everyone behind me was happily snapping away and didn’t seem to mind the LCD screen, but still, I tried to take fewer pictures for that reason. But, if you’re looking for a good, low light, small camera, I’d highly recommend it. It’s a Canon SX200 IS. Anyhoo…too much yakking from me…I’ve brought some pics. Made some clickables from some of the ones that I liked. If the tennis match keeps being delayed, maybe I'll get some Verona ones up, too. The full album is here

I have an extra 3 tickets for Windsor if anyone needs them. No problem splitting them up. Section F5, Row 9, Seats 4, 5, & 6. Cost: $70.88 each. They're e-tickets. PM me if interested.

Windsor, Ontario Thursday, August 5th 3 Tickets F5, Row 9, Seats 4, 5, & 6 Will split if you need only one or two. These are e-tickets. Cost: $70.88 each PM if interested. 2 of these are now sold

Does anyone know anything about the mysterious Ticketmaster presale for Windsor today? It starts in a couple of hours and so far I've gotten no email alert or seen a password posted anywhere.

Lancaster PA August 8th, 7:00PM 2 Tickets, Left Orchestra Row F Seats 111 & 112 These are e-tickets. Cost - $115 + $32.50 (half the membership fee)....$147.50 Send me a PM if interested. **SOLD**

That was a pretty decent sale. I got a single via Ticketmaster in Orchestra 9 on the end closest to the stage. At the same time, I was calling to see what the box office would offer. It ended up being about the same so I stuck with the one I had. The gal in the box office thought I was nuts for passing on it, though. She said they were selling very fast. I'm so glad that is over....my hands were shaking so bad I'm amazed I got the funky TM word typed out in one try.

I've gotten a few notes over the last few months from people wondering what the hell happened to me and why I haven't updated my blog in.....a while. I wrote something very rusty this afternoon if you're bored, or wondering or something.....Sally's. Nothing really happened to me, I'm just lazy. I guess I'm going to have to decide whether or not to get a Danish Ticketmaster account so my Turning Stone ticket can be held at Will Call. There is no e-ticket option for this show on TM, so if I use my US account, the ticket will be sent to my husband's old Houston office....in a plain white envelope...which could get tossed out with our junk mail. Will call is only an option for international orders for this one. What to do? What to do? To complicate matters even further buddy is coming to clean the house between four and five tomorrow (which is right in the middle of the Ticketmaster tango and the Phone Fandango for me). Like, I'm supposed to get up and answer the door for him? Hear with the vacuum running? What if he wants me to lift my feet when I'm just about to type in a jumbled word? What if Skype, my phone link to the outside world drops me? What if he vacuums over the internet cable and takes it out? And what if I forget the time? It's hard to wrap one's head around buying tickets in the late afternoon. It's sort of like a breakfast thing to me. So, I'm a little nervous..... It's almost 5 o'clock here....time for a cocktail. And Whee!! My exercise bike came today! There is hope I can fit into my summer pants. It sure would be nice if a little hope went a long way.

I tried the close up in Photoshop......about doubled the size, added a tad of blurring to smooth out the re-sampling bumps, and this is what I got. Not too bad, but in hindsight, I should have lightened that area on the right of his forehead just a little bit. Higher Res Close Up

Anyone planning to go to the Chautauqua concert might want to scoot on over to the the institute's website. They opened up the ticket sales last night. I noticed, too, that they are selling parking (its at the top of the concert list) for $7.25. Chautauqua Tickets It feels really good to have at least one ticket ordered and on the way.

Here I go again.....Windsor, Lancaster, and New York City.

You can add me to Hampton Beach and Turning Stone, as well.

Chatauqua for me.

Of course you are! Are you sure you can't do it? Really sure? Completely totally positively sure? Because.... It's Clay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 :04: :04: :04: :04: I checked the fare and it's almost $1000. That pretty much puts the kibosh on a trip over there in March. I guess I shall be content to wait until the summer..... maybe.....

NEW BLOG **I know I can't do it but I'm checking the fare anyway.**