Kareneh

Me Me Me.....I'll be in Waukegan, too.

Nelle and I will be there, too, and we're staying at the Radisson. We aren't going anywhere until the next day when we have to drive back to Chicago to catch our flights.

Well, there isn't the delicious aroma of turkey cooking around here today, everyone but me and the dog are in another country. I'm getting that lovely burning smell you get when you first turn on the heat at the beginning of winter. I am/was freezing my ass off here. The temperature dropped from 82 to 52 around dinner time last night.....30 degrees...in the time it took me to slap the mayo on the bread till I passed the last crust off to the dog. I caved in turned off the ceiling fans and retrieved some socks from my luggage. Today I had enough of shivering and turned on the furnace. Just turned it on....didn't come down hard or anything. So, this is my first Thanksgiving alone in quite few years. I thought it would be great to have a day with no interruptions in which I could get copious amounts of schoolwork out of the way and feel really proud of myself. HAHA! I'll get to it eventually but I slept until noon and so I sort of lost the morning hours. I'm not so proud of that right now....but I got to playing with the new camera and then one thing led to another. BUT.....I do have a point here somewhere.....oh, yeah.....a small world story. This occurred to me today. merrieeee came here from England. I came here from Canada. On my very first Thanksgiving Day in Houston, John (who is now in Azerbaijan) and I went to dinner at his boss's house. At the start of dinner our host (who as of this month is working in Denmark) said grace. During the prayer, I held John's hand with my right and merrieeee's boss's hand with my left....except I didn't know he was merrieeee's boss at the time. I just thought he was John's boss's brother-in-law. Small world, eh? And one for which I am thankful as I head off to the other side of it soon. zena, darling.....you have a green bean casserole there that doesn't have french-fried onions in it. We have to talk. I think I adopted sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole on our second or third hitch in the states. Imagine my distress when we moved back to Halifax once and I had to search high and low for a precious can of Durkee French Fried Onions. I found them in the foreign food section covered in dust on the highest shelf. No Celine and no Durkee French Fried Onions....I'm sensing a theme here. And muski, your Thanksgiving dinner is the same as mine with a substitute of GBC for the succotash....so that makes it exactly like keldanker's. Now I wish I had of ordered something from Luby's to eat in front of the TV. Who was it that said his voice is his musical direction? Excellent point. And in keeping with today's theme, I'd equate it to being a good cook who can make a great lasagna and an equally yummy poached salmon. I don't think I'd want a steady diet of one or the other, and though a cook may prefer to make one thing over another, I remember getting really bored with making dinners. I think I'll ponder the CD's being like dessert and the live performances bringing the meat.....and potatoes. I only said potatoes so as not to sound too crass. It is a holiday after all. John has been over there picking out our furniture with the landlord....should I be worried. I'm not going to own this stuff, so I am keeping an open mind. He sent me some pix he took with his cell phone from the top of the Maiden's Tower the day I left my memory card in the side of the laptop. Okay, that's all you have to deal with from me right now. I'm going to take my dinner out of the oven, walk the dog while it cools a little and then eat. When that is done and the foil pan is in the trash, I'm going to use a necktie to fasten myself to the chair as a reminder that I really don't want to wander up to Best Buy at 2:00 AM. I DON"T NEED ANYTHING! No, I don't.......I really don't....except that 2G cards are 17.99.....and double-except I DON'T NEED THEM. I think I shall uncork my last bottle of vino myself and that way I won't be able to go. Sounds like a good plan.

I'm awfully late so I feel I should offer a small and tasteful addition to Cotton's Birthday wishes Or..... maybe not..... :bday2: I had a lovely all black outfit in my hand in Palais Royal today and went, "Mmmm....too dark," and put it back on the rack. (Makes mental note of where it was in the store). I guess for some people this really will be black Friday coming up. I am doing really great with my Christmas shopping this year...none of this "one for him" and "one for me", "one for her" and "one for me" stuff. I think I am running a 3:1 ratio of gifts to give away and gifts.....just because I'm worth it. I was following the Celine Dion discussion at the CH, and as one who was personally affected by her decision not to play Halifax, I'm moved to comment...not over there because I am too lazy to post on two boards on the same day but.....anyway....My 22 year old daughter (for no reason I can fathom....but I get that part of it too as it is applied to me, by others, quite often) LOVES Celine. She has idolized her for years, every talent show at school meant another performance of a Celine Dion song....no matter how subtly we tried to suggest an alternative might be better. My daughter's devotion has never faltered and she's begged me to take her to Vegas to see the show at Caesar's, she made me listen to her Celine CD's all the way back to Nova Scotia from Clio one year (well when she fell asleep, I flipped them off). She owns all of the perfumes, and is mocked by her friends but she doesn't care one....a few flips of her hair and she walks away. When the concert on the Halifax Commons was announced my little girl was over the moon. Her dream had come true, she was going to finally get to see her idol. She wanted advice about getting the best tickets and planned to go sleep overnight at the box office....for a general admission venue that holds 40,000. I told her she'd do better to sleep out the night before the concert and then use her long legs when the gates opened to run like hell. Nothing can stand in the way of the young and the motivated. Last Friday night she was still all agog but had been complaining to me about the bad press Celine was getting in Halifax for actually doing nothing more than saying she was going to show up. When I got up on Saturday morning and logged into Yahoo a thousand unhappy emoticons were waiting. I had a vary sad and broken hearted kid. Then I remembered that Live Nation had sent me an email alert that Celine Dion was coming to the Toyota Center on January 9th, 2009. Yes, that is supposed to be a nine. The tickets were to go on sale on Monday. It occurred to me that Celine Dion tickets would make a smashing Christmas surprise. I showed up here at my computer armed with a wealth of ticket buying experience and prepared myself to get the best floors seats I could get and after pulling up lots and lots of lower level seats in the back corners, I finally snagged a pair 12th row floor. Then the browser crashed. Then I got more crap and finally another pair in the 12th row on the floor. Whew! She is going to be one happy girl on Christmas morning. Those in Atlantic provinces would be well advised to remove and and all heirloom glass ornaments from their trees prior to 9:00 on the morning of the 25th, just to be on the safe side. She can hit a mighty high C when she wants. Well, as it turned out my daughter was right all along when she said that Celine canceled because of the attitude of some of the local media, and that Dave Rhodenizer guy who wrote the article in the Daily News.....he cost me $407 bucks. I forgot that I won't exactly live in Houston next year.....but I'll figure that part out later. It's nice to have someone in the family who really knows what your devotion feels like. And has a sense of humor about it, too. She told me that she was the first in line to buy Celine's new CD when it came out last Tuesday. I asked her, "Was there really a line?" She laughed and said, "No." Then she said the sales guy asked her if she wanted it double bagged so no one would know what she bought. Sound familiar? I wonder if that was the same place I bought one of my MOAM's a few years back? Back to the black.....sounds like the story tellers will be faded in between songs with lighting and faded out as the songs start. I do get a kick out of him being hold up in his office. I picture Mary bringing him a plate of food and telling to quit sending text messages to the people at the dinner table....they're trying to eat and he has work to do. That is a really CUTE banner up there, really really CUTE. The thought that there might be a new CD out in the early summer is thrilling. With so many other things happening in the next few months, with me and with Clay (but unfortunately not together) I won't have time to think about what it might sound like or anything......but I bet there will be a cute picture on it. My head seems to be spinning all the time lately. I can't wait to get up to South Bend and beyond next week, so I can get off the merry-go-round for a while. My new camera came today. It's in the box, still, on the dining room table but I have the battery charged. While everyone's eating turkey and dressing, I think I'll go shoot something....for practice. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone at FCA!!

Thanks everybody for the truly amazing and often hilarious (like that last one of Playbiller's) birthday greetings. My day was great in no small part due the company I had lunch with.....and we had this excellent waiter at Biraporetti's who was totally fascinated overhearing all of our upcoming travel plans. He was such a smart fella, too....."What are you guys? Groupies?" BWAHAHAHAHA! keepingfaith, did you really tell him we were Band-Aids? I can't remember I was laughing so hard. Yep! A 6 or a 9? I was wondering the same thing. Lovely gifs, Gibby. The screencaps and such from Rewind these past two weeks are all the punkiny' goodness I'll need for the holidays.

YAY!!! It's eHP lunch day!!! Yeah, I know I have to go get ready but here we all are....bouncingup and down in anticipation There's merrieeee and Scarlett and KAndre and keepingfaith ....Oh and me Did Solo say she was coming or did she have more important things to do this morning than be a dancing nanner? Well, she's getting one anyway. (Okay, what gives? In the preview only my banana is dancing? Did your guy's batteries run out?) And these to 00lsee who isn't going to make it after all. Feel better soon! :PickMe-1: Toots, I'm studying. That's one of the reasons I'm still here and John is gone to Azerbaijan without me. I was kicking myself for taking this on this fall and then finding out that we were moving.... but in the end it worked out since I didn't have to confess that I wasn't going anywhere until the Christmas tour was over. **Smiles sweetly to self** Too bad, though, when lunch is over I have to go tour the Houston print museum, alone, for extra credit. I'm still getting a bunch of lead footed bananas, I wonder what they'll do when I post them.

Tonight after I got all of my assignments done for this week, I decided I needed to go back in and do some more pix from the summer. I've another 20 or so to my Houston album. Here are a few of the ones I like.

They want to roll them out on a flat bed and do what? I'm not sure I get the point....do they want Clay to see how many books were donated in honor of his birthday? Um.....I agree there is no right time as far as I can see. Just having them on display in the lobby would be plenty. Maybe they could have them set up at a table that also have information available to the patrons about their organization. I've been kind of missing but lurking lately. I seem always to have you guys tucked away in a little corner of the task bar and I don't think I'm ever logged out. I did manage to squeak a story in under the deadline for the mid-December shows....if it ends up on the floor at the end of Clay's bed some night, my mission will have been accomplished.....by proxy. Have I posted since John left for Baku? Hmm...not sure. He left for Baku on Wednesday....wait I must have posted that somewhere because Zena called me in the wee hours for a chat and said she wouldn't have done it except she knew I was alone. Anyone need a car? I have to sell one, or two, or both.....Let me see. I cleaned out the sock drawer. YAY! We are on our way out of Dodge now! I bought Christmas cards to get a jump on the year end sales when they get rid of all that holiday stuff. I have to make sure I pack them.... What else? I am so enamored of my sweet jug eared boyfriend again. It's been a long time since we've had a glimpse of that softest, whitest, little area behind those ears....which I love....a lot. For some reason he looked even more absolutely stunning this time around than he did when I first saw him on AI2.... OMG! This is Friday night!!! It's eHP Luncheon EVE! Oh.....that means I have to shave my legs in the morning. Hmmmm...I'll use the electric razor and call it a dry run for November 28th. I really need to get into the tour planning thing, like where are my tickets....as in who is holding them in what city? What am I going to where and where am I staying? All that good stuff. I think I need a winter coat. Has it snowed up north yet? cindilu2, you amaze me. I don't how you do that stuff that you do...at all. No clue. But I sure do like it. jumpingjacks, I hope you get your kidney real soon. I think your spirit and determination NOT to be sick is keeping you feeling well enough to live your life on your own terms. merieeee, I agree with you that is one hell of a beautiful picture and I think I really want to see that jacket recycled...one of my faves.

{{{{{wandacleo}}}}} Cotton, I did see you ask me that the other day but I haven't had time to do much the last few days besides get my husband ready to leave (he left a few hours ago) and do a lot of things that we had to do together before he was gone. I'm here until mid January and he'll be meeting me in Halifax for a couple of weeks over Christmas. We're moving to Baku as he has taken a job transfer there. The term is for two years and could be extend on a mutually agreeable basis. That's about it. I'm going to try and come back later and catch up. I fell for the story line and am in the middle of writing a story to submit. It sucks so far. He hasn't asked for any other type of submission from me in lieu of, so this is what he's getting.....whatever I can bang out at the end of my fingertips in a couple of hours. I'm amazed at how fast I can type under the circumstances. I don't know why I am doing this, I really don't. But whatever. It's the same darn story that came to mind when this whole thing first came up and it's still sticking in my head. I missed the deadline for my first three concerts and found out yesterday that the deadline for my last is today. CRAP! He's on Eastern time isn't he? Is that going to matter? OY!

Yep, mine too. Pretty, pretty, pretty. Baby, baby, oh baby...... Well, we'll be there a minimum of two years since that's the length of the contract but it could be longer depending on us, and on what else is happening in the company. ***Attention honorable and dishonorable members of the eHP*** Next Saturday (the 17th) is my birthday and I am going to be spending it horribly alone, probably with a quart size tub of Ben & Jerry's Everything But The Kitchen Sink. I think it sounds like a good excuse to do lunch if any of you guys are fee. I missed the last get together and I'd love to get together at least once before the tour starts. Any takers or am I doing take out? Someone up thread asked who was going to Williamsport and I forgot to answer that I'll be there too. Okay, smack me and take away my membership if you see me lurking around here this afternoon. I've given myself 2 hours to finish last weeks homework (including that embalming essay thing) and it's all due tonight. Really, ban me or something.....what isn't done by 1:30 isn't going to get done because I have to let go and move on.

Hi! John and I are back from our first trip to Vegas, as of last night. I think we liked it…. since we bought a Marriott time share. What can I say? It’s kitty corner from Bellagio and they have that nice fountain show I can see from the window. I can see a lot of construction cranes, too but they’ll eventually eat up all the land they’re sitting on right now and move further down the strip out of my view. I think we really are a little nutty. :ura: We hit the ground running last night when the plane landed since John is moving to Baku ahead of me, and that auspicious date is Wednesday. I’m sitting here looking at the most eclectic to-do list I’ve ever composed: make appointment with Deloitte, tell Mom I got the Celine perfume for the kid, anal glands – dog – groomers, buy John tuxedo, call about smashed up car, English Assignments 13 & 14, going away party – Saturday, flu shot. :schwirr: Oh, and one for typhoid and his lovely friends. We really did have a great time and now that I’ve managed to get this new fangled contact lens out of my eye and can see again….. here is my humble recap…. Way back in the summer, John and I had made tentative plans to go to Vegas in early November to celebrate our 25th anniversary…..which happened way back in the summer. The same week, way back in the summer, that I was booking hotels for that tentative trip the Marriott Vacation Club called and offered me a practically free condo for the first weekend if I’d strong arm my husband into joining them for a wee presentation one morning over coffee. So, after I hummed and hawed for a while, I said “sure, why not?”….and THEN…the skating show taping was announced. I thought I’d hit the jackpot, and I had yet to set one foot in Nevada. I was pretty excited that so many people were going to be there for the show, and became even more so when my aunt and uncle, who are big Clay fans, decided to come meet us there. They’re still there until Saturday, making it a full week. I think they are going to see Neil Sedaka tonight (the same Neil Sedaka who was getting out of the Orleans limo when we were getting out of a taxi in front of the hotel. My friend Shirley, from Halifax also came with her husband and their neighbors. The Marriott Grand Chateau was very nice for the weekend but on Monday we moved over the Orleans, which was fine, too and hey……you couldn’t beat the price. Saturday night we went to see Elton John (from the back row of the second balcony) and on Sunday we saw Stomp Out Loud. Both shows were excellent. I was bushed by the end of the second day and if it wasn’t for the sheer folly of it, I would have knelt down and kissed every escalator I encountered. Hmmm….maybe it would have been okay if I didn’t French kiss the escalators. (Ouch! You’ll have to excuse me, I ditching a rhetorical analysis of a process essay on embalming to write this.) Okay…where was I? Oh, right…. My feet were sore and my ankles were starting to swell. Nice, eh? Monday was more site-seeing, collecting hooker cards for my scrapbook , picture taking for same…. and the Folies Bergere. Then came Tuesday…something BIG happened that day. Gee, what was it? I guess that was that skating show that we loved. I can’t wait to see this on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and many days thereafter on my DVD player. It’s always kind of a surreal experience for me every time Clay walks out on that stage. There are always echoes of that first time I saw him as he rose through the floor of the stage in the Air Canada Center….palpable echoes. I can’t remember how many times I’ve seen him live but it’s quite a few, and it never changes. I didn’t take my camera to the arena with me, I had brought the small one with only the 6X zoom and my seat was in the 12th row. I didn’t see much point to take pictures from there with such a small zoom. I deliberately left the camera behind but inadvertently left my binoculars (both pairs) in the room. DUH! I am so glad for the people who did bother to take their cameras to capture those great shots and video. I couldn’t really make out his face from where I was sitting except I could tell when he smiled. I managed to divide my attention between Clay and the skaters, and I think the interpretations of the songs were very well done. It will be cool to see how it all comes together when it’s edited for TV. Clay was perfect for this and this special is going to be great exposure. When the show was all over and we ambled our way back to the casino I finally bumped into some FCA’ers! I forgot my pin, too, Couchie. I remember meeting liney23, wandacleo, luckiest1, and Couchie. Lots more folks wandered by and stopped in red truck area to chat, I wish I could remember who “lots more folks” were at this point but it’s all kind of running together now that it’s 3 days later. My apologies to anyone I’m forgetting. We went to Spamalot for our last night, down at the Wynn. How hilarious! Sir Robin was on stage for a large portion of the show and for most of the funniest bits. This is going to be something I’ll be looking so forward to as I line up to pay of my $9.00 bag of Tostitos at the City Mart in Baku. Clay as Sir Robin and $3.00 Tostitos…….is it enough to make me hang around here until after the show opens so I can squeeze in a little side trip to NYC on my way outta Dodge? It’ll be close since it looks like John is coming back to Houston on the 19th of January and we’ll leave together somewhere around the 23rd. But I just might try to see if I can swing it. Time to start looking for a ticket, I guess. I am so glad I went to Vegas…for more than just the chance to Clay on skates live and in person. It was a good break from thinking about all the real life things that seem to be coming from all directions….nothing bad, just have to work on my juggling act a little. I do wish someone could tell me why two people who have never worn more than mild drugstore readers suddenly decide it’s time to go get mono-vision contact lenses. I mean…if I absolutely really have to know the price before I get to the checkout I can’t really afford it can I? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! I love pushing his buttons…..I’ll always hold out hope that someday, I’ll win one of those Meet & Greets. I think with this new format it would be much fun….and fun for me, too, if Clay is still touring and putting his buttons out there for many years to come. This grasshopper has lots of patience. rohdy, I think your book idea in honor of Clay’s birthday is a super idea. I’ll be going to Kalamazoo and if I can help in anyway, please let me know. I think I’ll add “record AI2” to my list since we are going to be tux shopping in the morning. I will not complain about this because it could be much worse, we could be shopping for formal attire for me after a week of Las Vegas buffets. Thank God we are not! Does anyone else think this is Jaymes in this photo? The woman in the front row with the camera dangling from her wrist? It looks like her to me, but like I said above, it’s the first day with the new eyeball. Well, I think I’ve taken up quite enough real estate. I’ll go back to my assignment. I HAVE to get this in tonight! Hopefully, I won’t have to drive up to Halifax next week since it looks like I have to take one of the cars up there, to be stored, when I go at Christmas time. Two trips in a month would be a lot...they'd be one way, but still.....with John leaving on Wednesday, I’m thinking we aren’t going to get around to selling either one of them anytime soon. Beauteous photo, PermaSwooned . You’re making me want to ditch my homework and go play with my summer tour pix. And go back to researching a new camera and doing all that kind of good stuff that’s more fun than English essays. I am open to submitting, too. All he has to do is ask......a story doesn't count. ETA: Is that really 200 posts? WOW!!

Um..no....not a bit. A lot. Seriously.

Fifth Grader was a hoot last night. I totally enjoyed every minute of it! I'm a little late to the celebration but I see there are still some cutie pies left on the table. What a cutie pie my boyfriend is! Cutness personified.....if he were a puppy he wouldn't spend one night in the pound...or my dog house for that matter. Yeah, he definitely gets to sleep on the bed. There's just something so special about having adventures with Clay in the morning....thanks laughn, these skits always make my day. Yep, every puppy needs a little fur. OH CRAP! Who saw me?? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! :PickMe-1: Teacher Clay had Azerbaijan on his hot little map up there. Think he'd be interested in the Google Earth link to my house? Well, of course he would, who wouldn't? YAYAYAYAYAY, John got his contact out! That sounds pretty lame, I know but yesterday we both went from not wearing any glasses other than drug store readers to contact lenses. He only has to wear one, but I got two and bifocal ones to boot....and mine don't work....since my distance vision is gone with them in but at least if I have 15 minutes or so I CAN get them out. Unfortunately John is a little squeamish about digging around in his eyeball, so he had to sleep with his last night. Finally after several trips the the bathroom at work today, he finally got it out! I think I had an easier time because I've spent so much time in women's bathrooms....airports, bars, places like that. I've had the chance to see it done before. I guess I should go throw some things at a suitcase and find all the tickets and the confirmation numbers for stuff. Elton John tomorrow night...and that sounds totally weird.

{{{{{ldyj & family}}}} So sorry for your loss, I'll be thinking of you and your family.

I'll be in Vegas, too. John and I are arriving on Saturday around noon and we'll be there until Thursday the 8th. My aunt, Lecherous Broad Lorraine, and my uncle, are flying in from Halifax on the 4th. None of us are going to the pre-party. Saturday night we're going to Elton John, Wednesday we've got Spamalot. I'll have access to a laptop if you post any plans to meet I can find them here. I have a pin, too. I think are seats in Section 102 but we're in Row F or FF which ever of those is further back.

How incredibly mesmerizing are our latest pieces of clack? I have so much school work to do and here I am sitting on my not so cute, or little derriere, watching two videos. I have them set to automatically play over and over, removing me from the decision making process and essentially shifting blame to my media player settings. Excellent ability, transference…..ranks right up there with delegation and procrastination. For a break, do I get up out of my chair? Nope. I stay here and do REALLY REALLY dumb things…..like the REALLY dumb thing I did this afternoon. I decided to book a hotel room for one of the weeks I’m going to be in New York in April for Spamalot. I look around at some sites, get some prices, do some research, make a decision and book. And as soon as I hit the “Book It Now” button, it hit ME….that I hadn’t been on kayak or one of the “redirect you to the vendor sites,” I was on hotels.com! I had prepaid $2200 on my debit card two days before payday, four days before I leave for Vegas. CRAP!! I called them up and cancelled and was told that it could take up to 30 days to post back to my account. A quick peek at the checking account online revealed a sea of red ink and minus signs….all pending….the things we did this weekend, the car payment, the dentist, the eye doctor. CRAP!! Thank God, for the gal from Bank of America. She was more than feeling my pain…..but it wasn’t hard to miss. I don’t think I have ever made such a desperate plea for a stop payment in my life. No go on the stop payment but the bank has agreed to honor all the things pending and won’t charge me overdraft fees. WHEW! Then I had to call John and suggest that he might want to use a credit card for the next few days. When I called hotels.com back for the second time to pin down when the credit will be issued, I was told 48 to 72 hours, and BOA says they post this stuff as soon as it comes in, overnight. I can’t believe I did something so stupid. I KNOW this is how they work. I was just trying to be a good custodian of my Clay love….. Well, Toots, I did tell my mother and my mother-in-law. The M-I-L isn’t talking to me right now because I am heartless and uncaring…..her description of us since we don’t live in the town we grew up in. I kid you not. It’s kind of funny that we have lived only 5 of our 25 married years back in the town we grew up in….so I guess I never really knew how heartless I was all along. Anyway, John had to deal with her when he was back home getting his passport renewed, she kept trying to pick a fight….and so it goes. Whatever….I’m heartless. I just hope this doesn’t make the TV or the news back home. Yikes! AND Ditto This is the view from the master bedroom window. The US Embassy is one of those houses. Oh, and the final copy of the lease contract on that house with the view arrived today for signature. It makes me shake my head in wonder, that as crazy and insane as my Clay love is…..traipsing all over the country, sitting here watching a couple of videos over and over, booking $300 a night hotel rooms in New York (and seeing the same play 5 times in a month), all of that stuff…..is really quite sane after all…..by comparison at least. Dang it! I forgot to return the DVR! I am beginning to get so excited for the trip to see my boyfriend in Vegas. I get to see Elton John, too and we’re going to see Spamalot so my aunt, who is doing Vegas but not Broadway, , will have some idea of what’s going on when the reports start hitting the boards in the January. When I was booking Christmas tour trips, I felt a little guilty about giving in to the urge to go to so many again….I am the weakest of the weak when it comes to him….but as it turns out I’m going to be alone from the day after we get back from Vegas until Christmas. I’m glad for the distraction. I love being distracted but would someone please come and take custody of my credit cards? That, Bookwhore, is hilarious! Four hours later……I didn’t delete this when it became obvious I wasn’t going to have time to post it. That’s probably a first. Perma, thanks for that scrumptious photo, I hear ya on the summer photos. I’ve barely scratched the surface on mine, and I’ve accepted that I’ll be working on summer tour pix into next year sometime, but that’s okay. I prefer to take my time with them and enjoy the process. Boobgate was very funny….never doubted those were his real hands in a real photo on her real breasts....well, they look real to me. And that devilish grin on his face….genuine, real deal, what a naughty boy look if there ever was one. I agree wholeheartedly with permaswooned he did look hot that day….definitely yummy.....with Dream Whip. In Los Angeles I finally managed to catch him waving goodbye. Love the smile.

You have just reminded me that the new DVR I picked up from Comcast a few weeks ago won’t perform any of its recording functions anymore. I guess I can’t put the trip down to the cable company off any longer. I’ll unhook it and mosey on over there after the dentist this morning. grrrrrrrrr What an awesome boyfriend! What a treat to get such great videos from the tribute. I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of clack but I should know better than to have any doubts of the Claynation’s resources. I am in love with the whole damn thing but, in particular, I love that little kick he does at the end of the performance. It’s always good for me when he performs, but it’s so much better when it’s good for him too. And Friday night you could tell it was very good for him. Love the strut off the stage and I love that he knows he nailed it. Have I used the word ‘love’ too much yet? Claygasm, thanks for your fantabulous Solitaire montage. I loved that too. I love zena and her sword. When KAndre and I pulled it from the stone at the Dollar Store who knew it would actually find a loving home. The chances that it would end up in the dumpster behind Birraporetti’s were pretty good, but luckily or by divine providence it fell into the right hands and subsequently down the back of the right dress. Things like that make me confident that all is well with the universe (well…..ultimately). And zena, you are so right…..you don’t need fencing lessons to play here. Heck, I come here totally unarmed and still have no bruises. Nope, no bruises…just gems, like these…. Okay….I guess I have to get off my butt and get ready for my check-up. grrrrrrrrrrr That is one busy man! Funny thing about teachers and format, my English Comp one in a PITA when it comes to that stuff. It just isn’t enough to be totally brilliant these days. I suppose I better get on that story, if I’m going to write one for those November shows…or heck…maybe I’ll save it for Easton…..except I really don’t think I’d want to read it on stage. What is he doing up so early anyway? Marking papers in his jammies getting pissy.......love.....*sigh*

Oh.....my....

My busy global life? Well, I did homework all day and am still in the middle of that kind of stuff. My second bathroom looks like a mini Sam's Club since I'm gathering food to ship to Azerbaijan in January. The yellow house seems to be secured, according the the agent who had a little trouble with the negotiations when our requests were mistranslated to the landlord and the landlord got a little incredulous. I think that's all straightened out now and I have a home. I also have a generator and a second 5000 liter water tank on the way.....since I learned that "water every other day" means from 3PM to 9PM on that "other day" and when the unstable power grid knocks you out of the loop, the pump on the tank that's supplying the water isn't going to work and supply you with water. Power outages are fairly commonplace so I needed to be able to run the pump, the fridge and the modem. I can use the glow from the laptop monitor for light. Thank goodness it IS a laptop so I'll be able to brush my teeth by it. I find it hilarious that I have a 7500 square foot brand new house that doesn't have guaranteed basic services. I'm trying to make it as self-sufficient as possible. The posts about being on wells here reminded me that my big water tanks are just that....wells. Too bad the water wasn't drinkable, though. I also found out that shipping dry and non-perishable food is cheaper than buying it over there. Well....in the expat stores anyway. I didn't get to Ramstorewhen I was there, but I hear that Ramstore bread is 15 cents. John gets to shop for the furniture because I can't go back over there between now and Christmas.....and do Clay at the same time. I'm telling myself it isn't all that important since we aren't going to own this furniture anyway. John is nervous but I have every confidence he'll do fine with it. And when I am sitting on some really really heavy masculine living room sofa.....it'll all be Clay Aiken's fault. Like everything else..... I haven't been posting much but I am here most of the time. I've been nodding along every day with everyone's posts. I have my dentist appointment on Monday and all of those shots I have to get before I move....those are next week. Somehow before I go, I have to squeeze in all that medical stuff. Eye exam...check. Gee....that was a tough one, eh? But it's over. I hope I get some time to write a story to enter. I have no idea if I would ever have the guts to get up on stage with it, and yet, to read someone else's story wouldn't be hard at all. Weird. I have a couple of funny ones in the back of my mind and I think it might be worth doing just because I like the idea that he's reading them himself....in his jammies....on his bed....late at night.....when everyone else is in bed. Yep. Once upon a time.... A cellstream from CV? Very cool....thanks to everyone who's reporting tonight! Can't wait!

Drive By.....

Somebody's here gnawing at my ankle because I haven't put his picture up yet. He says...."Hurry up or they'll have moved on and you'll be posting a picture of that Clay shrine thing you've got going on there." He also suggested I might leave the "shrine thing" in storage in favor of more Milk Bones since our shipment is going to Baku by volume rather than weight. He's a silly boy but he's cute. Scarlett, I'm going to try to take in the Shanghai exhibit next Saturday. Thanks for the reminder. I am running out of weekends when John is going to be here to go with me. I love to look at that Vegas countdown....less than three weeks! :7:

{{{{{Playbiller and Holly}}}} I hope everything is okay.

Oooooh....new people! Welcome Karma and ausdon. I'm the local nocturnal creature. I guess I should offer up something to the goddess of fresh meat....whoever the heifer that it is.... Lordy, the brain sure plays some tricks on a person in the middle of the night! Could be the brownies, I suppose. A humble offering to help keep the sardines in Sardinia, where they belong. ZENA!!!!!!!! You crack me up!! (She's the other nocturnal one around here.) Together we might get into mischief.....but we're really very nice people. Aren't we Zena, honey? Now, put down that sword and get to bed!! Okay, I can't go quite yet. This was post 188 by member 888. I'm going to have a little toast first in celebration. Then I'm going to bed.

Who is this Kareneh person who has taken on my pesona???? Eh???? Well......okay.....she's welcome to that......BUT BUT BUT!!!! My question mark? Who stole it? Give it here! NOW! Someone in the middle of an identity crisis should have a question mark, don't you think? I feel positively naked without it..... :o OH. Maybe that's what Clay had in mind. Since he was the one who stripped me of it. And I guess it will be nice to be recognized the next time he comes a calling over here. Y'all don't mind if I sit around nekkid do ya? (My most humble apologies to those of you who found this post before you'd had your coffee and orange juice.) John will be getting his passport back on Friday so he'll be home to police the 6 pounds of German chocolate I bought at the Frankfurt airport last weekend. What the hell was I thinking? Oh....yeah.....Christmas....Ho Ho Hold me back. Two and a half more days to go. I want to sit around and listen, too. But I was stuck tonight listening to English Comp. audio lectures on line. I cheated a little bit, though and opened Photoshop while I was listening and worked on a few pix. I learned that I can listen, take notes, crop, tag and save file as.....all at the same time. I'll head off to bed now and leave you with a couple of studies in profile and potential use of left hand. And also in the interest of science. My own little Grizzly Adams.....isn't he cute?

This is the Maiden's Tower...built by a Dad for his daughter in the 12th century when the Caspian actually lapped at its base. Could she have been the original Rapunzel? It sits near the entrance of the Old City and has 15 foot thick walls. I climbed the tower to get a panorama of the city (left my memory card stuck in the side of the laptop back at the hotel). The stairs spiral in a tube up the middle of the tower, they are narrow, very low overhead (you have to bend over quite a bit) and made of worn stone blocks. It's in Fountain Square but don't know anything else. I can look it up when I get some time, though. Fascinating: There was more than one of these bronze plaques at the statue of the last president who was the leader following the Soviet time until just a few years ago. I was told he was so popular that when he died in the US after unsuccessful cancer treatment, they kept his body here so that the people wouldn't know he was dead until they figured out what was going to happen. Some say he was over here for a few months already gone. Pizza Hat??? Yep, Pizza Hat! Did she ask him if he was going to be touring in Baku??? No, I wasn't quick enough on the uptake. I almost didn't toss the question into the pile that I did....it was the one about the audition....but I am so glad I did! He typed my name and I can still feel those gentle little pecks a few hours later. I've been QWERTED!!!! BWAH! And that rhymes with....quoted. akim, that was an awesome post and I can easily see why Clay was affected by it and quoted you. And Couchie, can I just say "a unit of language upon which sentences are built" to your entire post? I've decided that my Mom really wants a trip to NYC as a Christmas gift so I'm going to do two trips from Halifax one with her and one without. Tonight I got seats in Row C center at the same price I paid this afternoon for the A's and B I got. I hope I get some things accomplished tomorrow because all I did was type credit card numbers into little narrow boxes. I shouldn't be all that proud that I didn't have to once remove a credit card from my purse to do so......Do you think I learned those numbers by heart from calling to make payments or check available credit?