Kareneh

I've got it! Thanks for all the help! I LOVE IT!!! and my kid likes it, too. She said "It's a good song." It is a good song. I can't wait for that CD and I might just have to go to the Virgin Mega Store in Time Square to get one....just because. Was Spam final weekend an inevitability for me? I think so and should have bought tickets a long time ago. I had a great time in New York this past week...just got home yesterday. When it isn't almost 4:00 am, I'll try to compose something of a recap. In the meantime......more aural sex, then bed.....not necessarily in that order.

It won't play for me. I get a pop up message saying the clip is unavailable in my area. I've been clicking on Pause and Play for a good half hour now and nothing is happening......except I'm beginning to get a little frustrated! I can't believe this.....even Neurox worked for me back in the day. I'm not used to being denied....somebody hold me.....please.

Might I add a "Lord, have Mercy" to that? That's one humdinger of a wallpaper! And now, I have to run off to try and change my name to Mercy.

I have totally sucked at planning my Spam trips. When the dates were announced I just clicked on the links and chose arbitrary dates that I figured would be back in North America. I never even thought to ask who was going when and as it turns out, in April...over two trips to NYC I am missing a lot of people I had really hoped to see. I am going to be a much better tour planner....yes, I promise myself that. I was thinking of doing dry runs at the internet cafes in Baku to see if anyone of them had real genuine broadband and a faster connection than I have at the house. You should see some of these places.....very interesting spots....mostly in basements....of very old buildings....where smoking is allowed. Ya know.....I bet I could set up a little competition among the boys in the internet cafe to see who has the best ticket karma. I will tell them I need seats in the first five rows and I won't take "inshala" for an answer. They're not all that religious anyway.

I'm on my way to New York City and my date(s) with my boyfriend! So....what are a few stops along the way? I'm in London tonight. When I checked at the desk my invitation to tea at the palace hadn't arrived yet, so I went the coffee shop here in the hotel and had a club sandwich that tasted just like the one's my mama used to make. Last night we went to Ali's for dinner and even though I ate dolma and a lovely fruit salad, I also ate some fish with little tiny bones in a sauce that cures for two years.....unless something there was lost in translation. I've got a stop over in Halifax after this and then I'm on my way to the big apple and a triple decker Spam sandwich! I just bought my very last set of tickets. This time for April the 24th. My aunt really wanted some close up seats since she has never seen Clay close up and she figures this is her best chance to do that. I got Rt. Orchestra just one seat in from the aisle on Row D. I think these will be good. I hope, I sure don't want her to be disappointed in them. I'll be in NYC from the 19th to the 25th doing 2 shows that week. I'm biting the bullet and passing on the final weekend in case the overwhelming urge to do something crazy for the CD drop hits me. I really should stay in Halifax and have a nice little local gathering with a few fans, right? We'll see...... {{{{{keepingfaith}}}}}} as soon as you get some time to yourself, round up the posse for dinner. Have a Corona for me and forget all of your troubles for a few hours. It works like a charm....and if you end up on a plane to New York or some as of yet unknown tour destination....well then it works even better. Now, I'll go back to counting those chest hairs with the magnifying glass I borrowed from the front desk. I do believe that boy has two Carolina hoodies and I pray I get the one that's too big for him when I hit the stagedoor next week. It might be too big for him but it could never be too big for me. I wonder what time zone I'm in......must be Greenwich because I feel like I'm straddling but balanced all at the same time. Halfway in between two worlds as it were.

Yeah.....What she said. How abso-frickinl-utely gorgeous. The Chin. The Lips. The Lashes. The Hair. The Sideburns. The Profile. The Death of Me. It had to happen sooner or later. I've been teetering on the edge for the last five years....now some photographers gone and given me a lovely little shove. It really is perfect isn't it? Damn beautiful. Guh! I want to see the rest of the shots from this shoot...give me some promo, a tour program, a poster, and a key chain to slip beneath my pillow at night. Tour news! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I do. And I'm off to clean that desktop up. Who needs all those icons anyway?

Any guesses as to who Little Black Riding Hood is??? NCClayfan took the picture . . . OMG! Seriously?? I love that picture! Way to go! keepingfaith, I love them, too....a lot. Okay, I got the blog messing done. It's all here, if it turns out to be a slow day. http://sallyrandmcnally.blogspot.com/ Good Morning all you early birds. What's been keeping ya?

muski, thanks for noticing! It's 3:41 PM here and a nice spring day. I got up at nine this morning, read the boards and began to mess with my blog a little. When I got all that taken care of I was going to post something here to let y'all know I'm still around. I put one up yesterday and hope to get this one I'm working on up in a little while...once I get the pictures uploaded. We're heading downtown tonight to watch some bonfire jumping and do holiday stuff....no idea what that stuff is but we're going to do it. Yesterday was the start of Novruz, the biggest holiday of the year in Azerbaijan. It lasts for 8 days. I know it revolves around spring and renewal....includes lots of food, things you HAVE to eat (like the black eyed pea thing) and bonfire jumping. There have been young teenage boys ringing the gate bell the past couple of nights after midnight, and I found out today, I'm supposed to put sweets and colored red eggs in their hats. One week from today, I'm on my way back to Canada and then a few days later off to see Spamalot four days in a row. I can't wait, have good seats for all the shows and if that May 6th date holds fast...then I'll still be around for the new CD. I'm enjoying my time over here a lot, but I can't wait to get home and see Clay and my kids again! Not necessarily in that order....honest!

Ooohh!! What a striking banner, cindilu2! Thanks, lucky, I'm going to look for the skating on my newly installed cable TV! I have ENGLISH channels! And it wouldn't surprise me that figure skating would be broadcast over here, maybe not in English, but I know a triple loop when I see one. I'm on the fence about buying a ticket to get in the door on the 4th of May before there is nothing left. I should NOT be making a third trip back to New York in less than a month...definitely should not. And since I get back from my first trip on April 5th...going down for the CD release on the 6th (if it happens then) would technically and officially be the next month. Right? Uh huh..... Heck, maybe I'll just buy one to have just in case. Yeah, that's the thing to do.....a little hedge....just in case. Can't hurt and it won't be the first time I've done that. No. It won't be. I know once I see him again...TWO WEEKS FROM TONIGHT!!! I'll be wanting a ticket for closing so bad. Thank you very much to whoever took those blessed shoulder exposing photos from the other day. How scrumptious were they? Very scrumptious indeed.

{{{{{gbmifan & family}}}}}} The curly impudent nape hair showed up just in time. I'm off to bed. Enjoy the rest of your day everyone!

Close one eye and squint.....it's there....the resemblance is definitely there. *Snort* My fantasies run deep, dontcha know? Yellow Sweater Girl has a name like that, which is better than Mauve Sweater Girl who's initials would be MSG. *Groan* Does anyone have a recipe for dog biscuits? I'm going to run out in about a week and haven't been able to find anymore. I see luckiest one in the crowd in those pix on Broadway.com!

People are UP!!! **Runs around hugging everyone and tossing daisies!!** I've been lonely! 00lsee, you're new avatar is cracking me up. Claygasm and heck, everybody else, I have to agree with everything you've said. And this is most definitely all Clay Aiken's fault with an assist from 00lsee who happened to suggest a towel around a pair of slim hips and then hit submit. With huge apologies to muski who I am copying unabashedly......

Well, I like Clay's pole, if that's what you mean. What. I get your "point"! Ahh, the up & downs of election year. hee Well, personally, I'm kind of interested to see who ends up on top.

Somehow the time difference seems to have been exaggerated for me the last few days, even though DST over there has brought us one hour closer together. Thanks for the link to the You Tube Butt Pinch....cracks me up and so does that security guard in the camel coat! I just got word that my internet options are limited here in this neighborhood, darn it. If we stay on this pay by usage plan then the top speed I can get is 256 kps. At this speed You Tube is buffering every few seconds, and a 42 MB video file took 40 minutes to download the other day. In order to get even 512 kps, we have to go on an unlimited plan which costs $350 a month......not that the cost is going to deter me from getting it but I had to put my foot down and say....."Sucks, I know, but them are the breaks, honey." His response to that was to call the other company that doesn't service this neighborhood to get the price to run a line to the house. That strikes me as a delaying tactic, no? I've been getting out a bit, mostly to eat or pick up some things we need for the house. Our shipment still sits in Houston because the guy who came to give me an estimate was way off on the weight and the volume with his quote and Allied now wants another $2300 to move it. GRRRRRRRR!!! I mean, seriously, he came to the house and looked at it before he did the quote....and he said he was quoting high to make sure we were covered. I need me some Spamalot right now. Right this very now! Oh....I saw the local equivalent of SPAM in the grocery store the other day. I must buy some and take a picture of the can. I wouldn't dare open it but the can with the cyrillic alphabet looked interesting.....not nearly as interesting as its contents, I'm sure. I put up another blog the other day. Sally Rand McNally I also went back and did some housekeeping. I found a couple drafts I had never posted from a long time ago. I only got one favorite piece of clack in so far, I'm wracking my brains to think of some that I like that haven't already been covered. I know I watched that WAMLAM video over ad infinitum for a long time. I used to get a big kick out of that Mr. Lova montage that was out way back when. I think that it's languishing on one of my hard drives still sitting on the dock in Houston. I tried You Tube and it's not on there. Let me go try the vault and see if I can find it there. Hee! I found it! I couldn't remember who made it....http://www.clackunlimited.com/clack/Montag..._wicked/mrlova/

This is now usurped by Vzubie's Syracuse LAA....but for a long time it has held a spot in my special place....er.....held a special place in my.....um.....heart. Yeah, that's it...heart. Not my favorite song exactly but I can be bought and sold for the right amount of facial hair. Welcome and many happy returns for your birthday calclay! :00003653: Hannah grabbed his ass? Let there be video of this....please baby Jesus....please????

From PermaSwooned: It took forty minutes for it to download but gave a lifetime's worth of really great sex. I'll have to think some to choose three favorites....the performance ATD on Martha Stewart is a stand out for me. I'll go looking in the morning for it and I'll try to come up with another two. It IS distracting in here though. Makes it harder when you come late.

YAY! People are starting to get up! It definitely gets lonesome while y'all are tucked in your beds dreaming of your boyfriend. I've been up all day/night admiring those cheekbones of his. The angularity is certainly coming back into his face. Can't wait to get out there and check it out through the lens this summer. I forget who asked but I meant to answer in a previous post about this being a place where they would have once had seraglios, and the answer to that question is, yes, as a matter of fact it was. But this is a brand new house, dang it! I got the blogger thing out and typed something up. It's long but it isn't all that much....as with all things short, long, or otherwise, you have to know what to do with it. Practice makes perfect, so I'm working on another one. You'll find it here if you're so inclined. Sally Rand McNally Now, I just have to remember to put my camera in my purse, I think I overused the ones I took in October already....but then again, who's going to remember? You know what? I think John should be flogged for signing the house up for an internet speed of 256 kbps....serioiusly. I'm amazed I can stream anything from You Tube but I can. With the aid of Google and some Turkish online dictionaries, I've been able to piece together somewhat of an interpretation of this rate schedule for internet I found laying around. I think I'm due for a boost up to the 1024....does anyone who knows about this kind of thing know if that's overkill? Time to go get my recap fix. Thanks, luckiest1, for bringing them over. Oh, and I'd kill for some cuticle cream right now.

Oh, keeping! Now you got me.....you posted a Martha pic. My favorite day ever, I think. The performance from that show is one of my most favorite pieces of clack. Dayum! I think Clay looks gorgeous in those 3 blond photos I posted up thread but the blond hair has been touch and go for me.....I sure want to touch it but I sort of wish it would go. I like his hair longish and loose, sans product, the color isn't so much of an issue as is the way it's styled. Can't wait for the first rumor to leak from a venue. Canandiagua was wonderful last year, the rain was magical. I'll be back in a heartbeat if he plays there again. I expect that not all of the venues would be outdoor amphitheaters, and that there would be some indoor theaters thrown into the mix as well. I was thinking about Houston and the Woodlands would be a great place. :F_05BL17blowkiss: to Hannah Waddingham. Such a classy and talented lady.......CD can stand for a lot of things. Maybe she was just being polite in mixed company. But how excellent that Clay is getting recognition and acceptance of his talents from people who are just as talented themselves. That kind of respect has to be earned and he couldn't buy that kind of praise from her, even with seven CDs. Glad to see some people are finally up. Do you think some of you could set your alarms for 4:00 AM so I'd have someone to play with in the middle of the day? If I sent you seven CDs? A slightly used camera? Anything? Hmmmph! I thought so.. Is this really the "mean" board? I don't get it either, but then, kindadense is my middle name. Perma, now that you mention it and seeing how I am kindadense, I think I do remember you having the FZ18 and posting about it to Gibby. The time I saw Spam in January I was so far back in the crowd I didn't bother to try and I had a small Canon with 6X with me. I'm not sure what to take with me in April. I had thought I might take a few practice shots outside in Shubert Alley before the show but I'm not so certain it will be dark before eight then......wait....at the first of April it should be....but the time changes soon doesn't it? Oh God, I'm so confused! But why am I sweating it? I'll be in the back row again anyway. Before I forget, Happy Birthday to the person who first introduced me to the FZ18, Perusing One! I think I bought about ten MOAMs, kept two and gave the rest away. After that, I bought on average three of the others, kept two and given one away. I figured my sister and sisters-in-law could afford to buy their own. gbmifan wrote: YES!! Grabs gbmifan and twirls her around. A bowler! :ura: Wow! You had a great day!

Kill me now! These are screencaps from a video that's supposed to be at the CB. That dust you see is the trail of my slippers as I dashed on over there to find it. I'll be ordering a CD from Amazon as soon as I figure out the best place to send it. I'm glad to hear unsolicited comments/rumors about a tour happening in late July and August. I wonder if ticket sales for such a tour (should it come to pass) could begin in April before the CD is released. Yesterday I booked the tickets for my trip back to North America at the end of this month. I know that seems soon, but my Spamalot plans were in place when I thought I was moving in January. I'm not up for changing my Spamalot plans at all....other than maybe adding a show or two. I chose May 9th for a return date but maybe that is too soon. Maybe a week later would be better since I don't want to miss the TV promo appearances and if tickets go on sale, I might be a little logistically challenged over here. Not only that, with the time difference, I won't be doing the Ticketmaster Tango or the Box Office Trot in the private anymore. As John is my witness, I'll never go upgrade again.....um....well....not in the same session. But night after night back to back ticket sales (and the presales).....there are some things that husbands of fanatical ticket purchasers just shouldn't see.....and words they shouldn't hear. Okay, I think I have a month or so to figure this out.

How about we get together in some kind of chat on April 3rd to discuss the finer points of Clay's Spam costume from Seat A 101? As someone who's sewn a costume or two in her lifetime, I'm anxiously awaiting my chance to observe said finer points on the night of April the 2nd from that very spot. I'm particularly interested in the lining of that tunic. No holding back on the NJU stories! That is a Class 5 Misdemeanor, sorry no exceptions. Of course you'd be asked to pay a fine...or with something fine......you know....like that which is up there ^^^^^^. Prettiest Get Out of Jail Free Card as I ever did see. OH OH OH!! Perma, did you get the FZ18? And what settings did you use for the stage door shots? I have been meaning to ask that question for a while now. Tomorrow, I'm going to dust of my blog so I can keep a journal of sorts about what this life of mine over here is like. I can tell already it's going to be different. Tomorrow I'm going to have my first lesson in Azeri (I soooooooooo need to learn to say something in the local language)! English isn't widely understood here and those that think they know it.....well....it's interesting. I do have one story from yesterday to tell if you're bored and have a spare pair of minutes. John woke me up as he was leaving for work because the maid was coming at nine and I wanted to get my shower and dressed before she got there. I wasn't pretending to be someone who's up and dressed before nine every day because that is a total falsehood. BUT I was told she was nervous of dogs so I didn't want her walking into the house with the dog she's never met before guarding the bathroom door. So I get putzing around the house before I get in the shower...John calls to tell me that he called Lena, the maid, and she was just leaving to get the bus and would there in 20 minutes. I asked him if he had let the dog out that morning and he said, "No." So we end our conversation, I have to scoot from the 3rd floor down to the first to let the dog go pee. When I get there I discover that I'm locked in. There is a deadbolt I can see engaged but no way on the inside of the door to unlock it. I go to the garage...it's locked but there is no inside release on the garage door. But it does have a lovely series of deadbolts. The dog is not impressed and me...less so. I have someone coming to the house in by this time 15 minutes on the most windy chilly God awful day ever and no way to let her in...she can't even get in a car and drive home since she came on the bus. AND will she understand me as I try to communicate in English through a steal door. Huff and puff up to the 3rd floor again...the home phone is not working for some reason. My Verizon cell doesn't work over here but John gave me a local cell phone the night before. I scramble for that and dammit.....it wants a PIN to open it. It's also set up in Azeri. Now what? I spied the Blackberry charging on an end table.....$3.00 a minute with roaming but this....this was an emergency. The following conversation ensues as I call John for help......BWAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(that cost him a $75 steak dinner last night). I asked him to send Ali back to unlock the door. He tells me they're too busy right now and he's sorry but he didn't realize that the second lock wasn't able to be opened from the inside. (There are three deadbolts on this door). Finally he says okay, he'd send help......but he didn't...not right away, and Lena is buzzing at the gate and I'm looking like crap (seriously....tired, greasy,unwashed, and frazzled)....BUT finally my brain engaged (a miracle without coffee) and I thought "I'll drop my keys to her off the balcony." She didn't seem one bit concerned that we met with me hanging off the front of the house trying to toss her some keys. I keep asking myself if the purpose of that lock really is to keep someone in....you know, like away from the mall (such as it is.) John's first secretary was the wife of the landlords friend....he wanted her to work so she wouldn't have time to shop. Poor thing got canned because she couldn't so much as send an email. At least I can do that. My suitcases and my butt will,with a little squishing fit out the ground floor windows come tour time. Yeah, I thought of the windows much much later.....no coffee you have to understand.

We made it!!!! With all the luggage and one none the worse for wear pooch. The wireless connected to my laptop on the third go round and all is well, so far. No adventures and that is a good thing, really. The dog did excellent on the trip. He's got no sign of trauma from his 19 hour trip or his TSA pat down in Houston, he's eaten and taken care of business. Right now he's passed out on the landing between the second and third floors. Tomorrow, I'll catch up on all the adventures in Clayland....but right now, it's bedtime....3:11 AM in Baku. Feels good to be home.....well in a few months it will look like one. I sense some home decor shopping coming down the pike.

This is going to be quick, so forgive any typos. If John gets back from Walgreens and I haven't showered my ass is grass! In the Residence Inn on Eldridge, being picked up at noon for our 4PM flight. Dog, 6 pieces of luggage, expectations galore. The past week has been crazy trying to get all done and ready to go but I have burned the all nighter oil a couple of times to keep up with Clay. I can't believe I downloaded the WRAL interview and didn't watch it for almost a day! Which reminds me I need to download the mp4 and synch my iPOd.....crap! Thanks for the well wishes. The house in Baku already has its wireless set up so I should hit the ground running.....well a nice two point soft landing first would be ideal. Bye for now......and who knows I might be able to log in from Frankfurt! God, I'm hating to leave Texas, though. It feels very weird now that it's actually happening....but back to North America at least in April for some Spam. I wonder if they sell that at Ramstore?

{{{{{{{{gbmifan & family}}}}}}}} I'm so sorry for your loss, such a terrible thing to happen.

I can't add anything to that at all. So many thread titles so little time.

00lsee, beautiful banner!! Caught my breath when I opened the board this morning. That sure does look like his profile to me and who is that woman in the front sneaking a peek at over her shoulder? Cotton, if it wasn't for an eyewitness, I'd swear that was him. New luggage is a lovely thing to behold. I was just at Macy's on Sunday getting myself outfitted with a new wheelie laptop case, one that will hold the computer gear and a couple of cameras.