#13 The Aiken Experience. There's nothing else like it.

[ldyjocelyn]

I think I will declare the iGallop the official exercise machine of the eHP.

Cool. Does that mean those who attend Clay's next concert in Houston will get one for free in their goodie bag from the pre-party? :medium-smiley-070:

[playbiller]

AH finished reading yet another break neck speed recap by K'Andre. Such attention to detail!

I have to download the video later and steal some pictures.

I really have to go outside and stop watching the bridge thing, I keep remembering when I rode over a bridge in Conn. and got into an argument with a toll taker, later wrote to the state about it. I had rode over the bridge and got a feeling of impending collapse - I think it was the way it moved frightened me or something. So I reported it to the toll booth right ahead - the toll taker said, people have been reporting that for weeks, I asked if she was passing it on, she said, no, not her job. a few days later that bridge collapsed (probably before my letter arrived) and many people died. If people are complaining, don't you think they should like actually report it? turns out there were small pins in 4 courners of each section holding the bridge together and one had failed, it was just a matter of time until the bridge fell off track from vibration. Not her job, I don't think I will ever forget that conversation. That was the only time I ever felt like that on a bridge and I do believe it was the way it was vibrating, not anything ESP. Safest bridge in the country - Brooklyn Bridge - it has 4 people to maintain it year round, they never move to another bridge, know this bridge inside out. I hve no idea why this one bridge gets this treatment, maybe somoeone funded it that way long ago. maintenance is the first thing to go in budgets.

[muskifest]

I will only accept an iGallop if Clay gives me lessons on how to use it.

Not that I NEED lessons, of course. But I'd pretend not to know how to do it if Clay wanted to teach me.

OK...I wanna know who's organizing this tournament. What a bunch of crap. We played our first game last night, as you know. Because we won, we played super early this morning---got decidedly trounced. Carrie didn't pitch and our pitcher just couldn't find her zone. (She's been out with an injury for a while and this was her first game back.) PLUS, the other team's pitcher was as tall as I am and very accurate. Our girls hit the ball, but none of them got past the infield.

So...we were finished by 9:15 am and had to hang around until 12:30 to find out how the teams would be matched up with a draw or something. (I still haven't figured out the rhyme or reason of what happens when with whom and why. Turns out we finished 2nd in our bracket...which means we don't play another stinking game until tomorrow morning at 10 am!

Huh? The only people who are playing more games today are those that finished third or fourth in their brackets. I think. Anyway, we have the whole freakin' day before another game...now...here's the kicker:

If we win tomorrow morning's game, we DON'T PLAY AGAIN UNTIL SATURDAY MORNING! Then, even if we lose that game, we'd still be playing another game Sat. and I'd miss the Greek concert.

If we lose tomorrow morning's game, we play another game tomorrow. If we lose that game too, we're done. If we win the second game tomorrow, we play Sat. morning. If we get to Sat. morn after having lost one game tomorrow, and we lose the Sat. morn. game....I hightail it to the airport to hop a jet plane to LA and the Greek theater! If we win Sat. morning's game, we....I don't know---play again Sat. afternoon? Don't play again until Sunday morning?

So...here's what my hubby said just now: With our other pitcher not in great form, we probably don't have much of a chance past tomorrow. Carrie can't pitch every game without some help...AND our girls have to hit the ball against even better pitchers than they faced this morning.

Of course, it's possible that we could lose tomorrow morning and then lose our next game, in which case I could conceivably fly to San Diego tomorrow. But since I'd still have to find a way to Pala and most likely wouldn't get there in time, anyway, I might as well just wait and fly into LA Sat. morning...

I guess. I mean, that would look kinda crappy if I left here tomorrow, wouldn't it? My kid loses two games in a row and then Mom says "Adios!" ...

Good grief, I'm boring myself, so to those who are still reading this I offer

Just got a call from CG and Couchie...they're in San Diego, albeit with no help from Couchie who barely got them to the airport in time. They got a navigational thingy for the rental car in San Diego and named it "Morticia".....

Maybe it's a GOOD thing I'm in El Paso, huh?

Clay content....I wish.

Edited August 2, 2007 by muskifest

[sheiladownunder]

igallop on youtube

[KAndre]

BWAH!

[JennaZ]

Thanks for the great recap, KAndre!

Sorry to hear about Carrie's loss, Muski.

[curiousgladys]

KAndre - Thanks for the Newark recap. I so enjoyed it. I can't believe that the two concerts I've been to so far had Clay on his knees during "1999"! I don't think he's ever looked hotter, and I so appreciate your knack for details! :F_05BL17blowkiss: Also wanted to say how much I enjoyed the Houston pre-party! Of course I'll always remember how I almost caused Playbiller to miss out on her front ticket because I misread her ticket number!!!

Muski - Sorry about Carrie's team loss!

[Couch Tomato]

Oh crap..lost two attempts at posting ..crap crap crap. I hate lap tops. Will post later. And I had mounted great defense for myself too!!

[laughn]

KAndre wrote:

Security didn’t search us before we came in (silly Security) but they announced “blah, blah, blah, blah”

There was a commercial, I forget for what, some kind of dog food I'm sure, and it was like looking through a dog's eyes at humans. When the people spoke it all sounded like, 'blah, blah, blah' to the dog. The dog had no idea in hell what the people were saying, he was just trying to humor them. LOL Yeah....that's how we listen to security. We stand in front of them and pretend we understand and then just go about our business when they walk away. They just don't speak Aiken.

Muski...Sorry for today's loss...I know how you feel about the next games, winning, losing, what to do, should you go...ack! I wish you luck.

Edited August 2, 2007 by laughn

[Divayenta]

Have a fantastic time with boyfriend and the girls tonite!

I probably won't stay up for it, but expect full accounts later.

Lucky dogs! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[Clayzorback]

KAndre another great recap. I always thought that Clay was haming it up with the not being able to get back on stage. He is so cute when he does his schtick. Oh and I can definitely see a need for one of those igallops....

That bridge disaster is something else isn't it? Playbiller your story gave me goosebumps.

I had a great lunch at Fuddrucker's with the grandson. We then went to see a movie. He wanted to see Chuck and Larry. Clay got mentioned. The movie is about two firemen who pretend to be gay and get married so one of them can have benefits from his retirement go to his friend, who will see that his kids receive them. His wife died. It is an Adam Sandler movie. It was really funny too. They are on their way to a wedding chapel in Canada to get married and Adam Sandler says something like "I do, I do love Clay Aiken." Just an out of the blue unexpected mention of his name. No biggie diss or anything. At least I didn't take offense to the remark. I imagine some fans would be ready to send death threats though. LOL

Have fun all you concert goers tonight.................

[cindilu2]

Oh joy, another casual Clay slam in a mainstream movie. The only good thing about this particular one is that unlike tv shows who don't care one way or the other about one viewer without a Nielsen box, I can speak with my dollars when it comes to a movie. I can't stand Adam Sandler, but do like Kevin James. But they won't get my $8.75

See, I don't care why they diss him, I only care that they do. I know people say 'any mention is a good mention', but I don't believe that. It just adds to the perception that it isn't cool to love Clay Aiken. Fuck 'em.

I don't do death threats, but I don't have to like it either.

[playbiller]

It is a concert night, idont care about the uncool - like Sandler when ther is a concert to be reported. whaps self again fro forgeting to order the cellstream. I will be reading your reports - or the reports of those who stay up late enough. Seems like all the west coasters are going to be there.

I hope thisis another great night for Clay.

OK, I had a beautiful exhausting day and a fairly happy!!!It is cool enough so I can just have the screen door open, so the dog can stayout all evening - for joy, for joy!!!! And I can type without having to pander to a restless creature.

Going to catch up on some boards.

Enjoy, all concert goers, enjoy. I am with you in spirit.

[bottlecap]

I will be reading your reports - or the reports of those who stay up late enough. Seems like all the west coasters are going to be there.

I hope thisis another great night for Clay.

Yeap, 10:30 pm is a little to late for me to be getting wound up by the Aiken. The 6:00am alarm clock comes much too early to cope with that.

Hopefully, the California contingent hasn't been too much, and can post coherently tomorrow. Hee!

[merrieeee]

Well I'm back! Did you even know I was gone? England was wet and I got to see Orlando Bloom up close....like 3 feet away.....Sw..a..oon!!!!!! He is gorgeous!!!!

I am so tired that I don't even have the patience to type:)

Anything been going on?

I missed the board so much. I hate limited Internet access.

Oh my kitty, that had been with us for 22 years, died while I was gone. Not great to come home to!

My hubby told me I missed a talk show that Clay was on! It was a repeat of Tyra! He said it put Clay in a whole different light for him. He was very entertaining and funny and thought Tyra treated him like a human being. Wow that was praise indeed from him.

eeeee I get to see Clay this weekend. I m so excited!

[ldyjocelyn]

EEEEEEEEEEEe for merrieee and Orlando Bloom. *sigh*

Clay was cute and shit while you were gone. Newark clack is excellent!

There's a concert now....we're in intermission. Can you stay up to listen to the last half and join us in the San Diego thread?

Almost forgot....so sorry about kitty. That's so sad. {{{{hugs}}}}

[muskifest]

OOOOH merrieee! Welcome back! I missed you! :F_05BL17blowkiss: and I'm so sorry about your cat...what a heartbreaking homecoming....

but this!

My hubby told me I missed a talk show that Clay was on! It was a repeat of Tyra! He said it put Clay in a whole different light for him. He was very entertaining and funny and thought Tyra treated him like a human being. Wow that was praise indeed from him.

Oh...yeah. I wish EVERYBODY could see this interview...it really is so entertaining and presents Clay in a way a lot of people don't think of him in...(bad grammar)...

Even MY hubby was smiling and chuckling at the bits he saw...

So glad you're back! I'm in New Mexico now with my daughter's softball team at the National Tournament! Missing my San Diego and Pala concerts for sure...maybe the Greek, too, depending on how the team does...

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

[atinal]

Welcome back merrieee, I'm sorry to hear about your kitty.

[playbiller]

Hey Merreeeee, sorry about the cat. It did live a very long life for an outdoor cat, a very long life indeed, because you loved it.

Ah well, sorry I missed the concert. Now if I can get the dog to come in, I can go to bed.

Glad to here it sold well.

[jmh123]

So sorry about your kitty merrieeee. Welcome back. There are some swoon-worthy pictures in this thread and the last one too. Tell us more about seeing Orlando when you get a chance.

[Couch Tomato]

I'm going to save this post every paragraph because I keep losing it on this laptop. Clay wowed us. Jerome teased us...and Ansa floated back to the hotel in a Clay Aiken fog...ok we were pretty high ourselves.

This is a drive by post to say how much I enjoyed the concert. My favorites tonight were I Want to Know What Love Is with Quiana, Measure of a Man, These Open Arms, Lover All Alone just cuz, and Because You Loved Me. I just love the ATDW stuff over the medleys. I love his voice and just can sit back and listen to him sing all night long. Him getting the spirit during the Jeffersons was very funny. He conjured up Weezy and Mother Jefferson. Silly boy. Good times!

The bus line was a freakin' hoot. We waited well over an hour because Clay had other obligations. Jerome then came out and got us out of the parking lot and we formed a line around this big basketball court. But it wasn't big enough for it to be single file so Jerome took a Claymate by the hand and took the line in another direction. After he had done that it was almost perfect. Just one little areas where we were doubled up. So jerome -and by the way did I say the man is looking mighty fine these days - anyway, he came over near where we were standing, grabbed someone a few folks away from Ansa, me, CG and my friend Salud..and then said follow him... we made some sort of scraggly looking something which made him look at us all crazy like. We dutily reformed something resembling a line. We were like a little tail about 10 people long inside this big ass square. After Jerome did his speech---you should know it by now--it got all the same laughs as usual, he walked by us to go get Clay. As he passed us he said, and I STILL don't know what you guys are. We obliged him by laughing our fool heads off. Then he brought Clay to us..and started with us first and we touched him. heee. And then because it was a square we got to watch him do the entire line in about 2 minutes. He looks so small next to Jerome.

Everybody is sleep but me. We had such a fun day. It started off at 6 am this morning and I will forever be made to pay for making such early plane reservations. Then I got us to the airport an hour before the flight because well I always get to the airport an hour before the flight and never had a problem. Well today the line to check bags was long, and the security line was even longer. I mean we got to it at 7:30 and it wrapped around so many times before going out side the terminal and down the street. After much angst, and contingency plan making we made it to the boarding area for our 8 am flight at 7:58 and thirty seconds.

Muski told you about our very lovely GPS who we have named Morticia. She lets us know every time we missed one of her instructions, which always seem to involve turning within the next 200 or 400 feet - by recalculating our directions. Hysterical. I think we've heard the words recalculating at least 10 times today. CG and I seem to have the same lack of skill set when it comes to driving - lousy sense of direction and mediocre parallel parkers heee.

We attended the CH pre party. I had more bad crab cakes Play LOL. But I keep trying because I love them so much. Had a lovely time though. Waves to Artquest, the FCA lurkers who should come on out and play with us, and whoo hoo I met the lovely Jamar, my sports sister, old friends and new friends. OOOH also met Karen Eh! It was nice to meet some FCAers.

I'm sure there will be clack but they were on the alert tonight. We saw them take someone's video camera at intermission. KarenEh's camera was taken by security before the show.

That's it for now. I should go to bed...onward to Pala.

[bottlecap]

KarenEh's camera was taken by security before the show.

Oh no!!!! So sorry to hear that.

Glad y'all had a good time though, and got to touch the Aiken.

[bottlecap]

From CV:

[ldyjocelyn]

The Desert Sun

Aiken Keeps His Options Open

Whatever happened to Justin Guarini? When was the last time you heard what Ruben Studdard was up to?

But mention Clay Aiken and most people have at least some idea of who you're talking about.

The most popular of the "American Idol" runners-up is on his way to the Coachella Valley for a concert Sunday in the Special Events Center at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

With the exception of a drummer and pianist, on this tour Aiken's picking up bands in each city that he plays.

The Coachella Valley outfit is headed up by local big band leader Ted Herman, who brought together local musicians for the gig.

Going back to "American Idol," it wasn't even Aiken's idea to try out for the show. As a high school student, Aiken started working with developmentally challenged kids and Diane Bubel, the mother of an autistic boy Aiken worked with, encouraged him to try out.

The Raleigh, N.C., native made it through the audition process to the 32nd round before he was eliminated. But the producers snatched him up as a wild-card performer and in the end, it was a close call between Aiken and Studdard.

Since then he's released four CDs and guest-starred in television shows such as "Ed," "Scrubs," "All My Children" and "Days Of Our Lives." And then there was that little dust-up with Kelly Ripa last November while he was filling in as co-host of "Live With Regis and Kelly."

Aiken's schedule has been really tight on this tour. He rolls into a town and has to rehearse with each pick-up band, leaving little time for live interviews.

We did take advantage of his offer to do an e-mail interview, however, and here are the results:

THE DESERT SUN: Rather than use your own band, you're using a local orchestra in each city. What are the advantages/disadvantages of this kind of set for you as a performer? Do you think it keeps you more on top of your game to have to adjust to each band rather than becoming settled with your own band?

CLAY AIKEN: We carry our own pianist and drummer with us. We are playing with local symphony orchestras. These are amazingly talented people. It's great to be able to work with new people because it does keep the show fresh. And, it's great to see how much talent there is throughout America.

TDS: How has your outlook on performing changed in the past five years?

AIKEN: I think I appreciate the opportunity to do it now. It's so much fun to put a new show together. Still, it's more exciting for me to sort of present that to fans. I imagine I have gotten far more comfortable over the years too.

TDS: If Paula, Randy or Simon dropped out as an "A.I." judge and you were asked to fill the vacancy, would you? What about being a coach for another "Idol" hopeful?

AIKEN: Oh, I'd love to be a judge. I think they should consider adding a former contestant - someone who knows what it is like to be on that very stage.

TDS: What's next for you? A new CD? Are you interested in doing stage or film work? More guest co-hosting on "Live With Regis and Kelly?"

AIKEN: I like to remain open to any opportunities. Pretty much everything positive that has come my way has happened when I "let go and let God." So I don't predict too much. I know we will begin to work on the next CD in the next several months. And anything else that presents itself I hope that I am able to approach it with an open and willing mind.

[luckiest1]

Sounds like Clay really had his way with San Diego last night. I am looking forward to reading more first hand recaps and hopefully seeing some clack as well.

One week until Cary!!!!!!!

ETA: Welcome back, merrieeee!

Edited August 3, 2007 by lickiest1