#16 Veins flowing with personality, thighs dripping with character.

[windstar2]

Happy Saturday FCA!

I can't keep up in here but I do love to read all the thoughts and opinions. My thoughts on Clay/or the fandom are pretty insignificant. I just want to enjoy the "public" side of Clay that he lets us see/know. Anything beyond that is just a bonus. Now I didn't come to this threshold overnight ... took a lot of check and balances during my 4 year fandom to come to this place. Its a good place for me. (Not to say I won't venture off and "ponder" ... I do that. But I try to not make Clay fit into my pondering anymore.)

There are a few fans that drive me absolutely crazy and I do not understand them at all. But I just shake my head at them now and move on. I adore Clay and I'm so happy to support him, his career and some of his interests.

I'm not a big chocolate lover. And if I do eat any, I like the milk chocolate. My "chocolate" is bread. Goodness gracious .... give me a piece of stick to the roof of your mouth white bread any day ... or even a hard European roll and I am sooooo happy. I buy 100% wheat bread for our everyday bread and I've stopped making rolls etc., for dinner ... but every now and then, I just have to buy a rectangle of white bread or sourdough. It is soooo good.

Edited September 15, 2007 by windstar2

[jumpingjacks]

Ah yes....bread glorious bread...that would be my "chocolate", too. *lickingpeanutbutterandjellyoffherwhitebreadtoast*

Please, please let this post get me off the "dog walker" status!!!

[liney23]

I do have a long and tight history with several of the other newbies here and I never thought about the fact that sometimes our inside conversations were being exclusionary to the established posters already here. I'll try to rein that in.

Oh, don't try to reign it in - us oldies will just butt into y'all's conversations!

looks at jumpingjacks with interest...

I am so very happy to be just me

Too late - you are clearly one of us now. heh.

Wroking my way through 63 versions of EIH (And yes, I have to watch the videos too). I swear I wanna thump shriekers!

Kandre... yeah, what you said! Bolding mine!

I have narrowed down my 87 versions of BGB to the top one and 4 second places... now to go to the next step... which #1 is the best sound and which of the 4 second places should be the only second place. I've already got my Honorable Mention, but again, I have to figure out the best sound... so... getting there!

Wind... hey, girl... jest keep posting and you'll feel at home real fast!

Jumpingjack... you made it, girl!

Edited September 15, 2007 by liney23

[keepingfaith]

I dunno...I guess part of it is I think the OTT stuff embarrasses me and I don't want to be connected with it in any way.

Bit by sorry bit I've become aware of some of the OTT stuff that goes on, and it blows my mind. I remember first coming into the fandom and reading about fans who were calling the record label or the distributors, and I assumed that they had some semi-official liaison function. When I found it it was just fans meddling in Clay's business it really disturbed me. Then I hear about fans who spam the hell out of websites that attack Clay, which only gives power to the filthy pigs, and I wonder what some of the fans are using for brains. There must be a million stories in the Naked Clay City Fandom -- and not all are pretty. What I want to know is, is it getting better? Is the fandom as a whole (yeah, right), I mean in any general sense, wising up?

[windstar2]

I know I just posted and now I'm posting again but I wanted to share what happened to me this morning.

As all this was going down ... I just kept thinking, "Thank goodness this isn't Clay Aiken we're talking about!"

I have a young daughter who is a huge Hannah Montana/Miley Cryus fan. I told DD I would take her and my niece/her cousin (same age as DD) to the Hannah/Miley concert in Little Rock, Arkansas this winter. I live in the northeast Texas area, so this venue is just as close to me as Ft Worth or OKC. I went in on the pre-sale and got my tickets. (Horrible seats in the "bring your own oxygen" area of the venue but that was all that was coming up.) The tickets were emailed to me and my credit card has been charged.

Regular sale began this morning so I thought I would check it out. I go to the page for that show and there is bold wording that says:

Alltel Arena is located in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Sales to this event will be restricted to residents of the state of Arkansas. Residency will be based on credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside of the state of Arkansas will be canceled without notice and refunds given.

Also stated was this .....

Ticket limit is 4 tickets per household.

Please Note: There is a strict ticket limit policy in effect, more than one order per person or household will result in cancellation without notification.

I called ticket master and they couldn't say if I had tickets or not. Said it is up to the promoter to cancel them. Said they may let the pre-sale tickets stand since this wasn't stated before that sale ... or they may cancel them. She told me just to watch my order. WTH? Talk about your :Tour4:

I went a head and tried to pull up tickets when the public sale started at 10:00 just to see what I could pull up and I never even got a seat. Said there were no ticket available.

P.S. I'm really not trying to post ho to get beyond my "dog walker" status. I would gladly walk Clay's dog ... anytime.

[keldanker]

Is there a special place in heaven for moms who sit on wet, metal bleachers in the rain at a high school football game for the sole purpose of seeing their dd dance for 2 minutes at half time? I hope so! Anyway, that's where I was last night when you all were talking chocolate. In the middle of catching up this morning. DH just left to run errands. I told him to come back with chocolate. Wonder why? :F_05BL17blowkiss:

I think I might be a dog walker for a while longer since I'm better at reading than posting.

Lilyshines, I like your tractor picture.

:xmas07a:

[luckiest1]

There must be a million stories in the Naked Clay City Fandom -- and not all are pretty. What I want to know is, is it getting better? Is the fandom as a whole (yeah, right), I mean in any general sense, wising up?

I would love to say yes, but after the past few days, I just don't think so.

I go to the page for that show and there is bold wording that says:

Alltel Arena is located in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Sales to this event will be restricted to residents of the state of Arkansas. Residency will be based on credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside of the state of Arkansas will be canceled without notice and refunds given.

Shades of some NC ticket sales of the past in Clay fandom.....is there something special about Little Rock, Arkansas? I mean, is it her home town or something? Weird.

[atinal]

luckiest wrote:

Hee, my Classics recommendations are up, finally. I won't tell y'all how many hours I spent on them.....

I have a pretty good idea how many hours you've spent doing this, I'm not nearly finished with my 2 little segments from the TV medley. I started out thinking, I'll just go concert by concert listen to each available download. I'm waking up every morning with earworms from the TV medley going through my head. Then I thought, I'll be sneaky, Luckiest has done her TV medleys, surely if her recomendation of songs from Chautauqua is good the other songs from that medley are good, my songs from there would be good too, well cheating never works. So I guess I go back to my original plan. The other thing is, try as I might not to look at the video, I just can't not watch, he's just too darned cute. I didn't have that problem when I did Grown Up Christmas Wish from last year, I could just close my eyes and let the voice wash over me. I'll get it but this timeLdyj just might finish before me.

Edited September 15, 2007 by atinal

[jmh123]

I do have a long and tight history with several of the other newbies here and I never thought about the fact that sometimes our inside conversations were being exclusionary to the established posters already here. I'll try to rein that in.

Nooooooooooooo (speaking strictly for myself). I like it when people are friends. I like it when they address one another on the board. Sure, it should make some kind of sense to other people so they're not left wondering what y'all are talking about, but don't stop!!

[windstar2]

Is there a special place in heaven for moms who sit on wet, metal bleachers in the rain at a high school football game for the sole purpose of seeing their dd dance for 2 minutes at half time? I hope so!

I certainly hope so too. I've already endured years of Little League baseball games, peewee football and dance recitals. Just now starting the school sports though so still have years to go.

Lilyshines - Nice place you have there. Very pretty acreage. We have about 500 acres ... so we have the bigger tractors.

Shades of some NC ticket sales of the past in Clay fandom.....is there something special about Little Rock, Arkansas? I mean, is it her home town or something? Weird.

No, she is from Tennessee and lives in CA now. I guess it just sold out so fast that they decided to let those in her state have the tickets. I just have to wait and see what happens.

[merrieeee]

I dunno...I guess part of it is I think the OTT stuff embarrasses me and I don't want to be connected with it in any way. I can't, for the life of me, afford to spend the kind of money some of the OTT people spend...it has to be a shitload!!! If I get to go to one concert, I'm happy...but...that's just me. Those who can afford to go to more and want to go...more power to them.

As long as you don't include eeeing and squeeing in the bus line in Tulsa after Clay touched our hands, as OTT then you and I will get along fine*g*

I blush every time I think about it It is so not me! No truly despite what the eHP might say I really am very calm in my normal life.

I came into this fandom not knowing anyone. It is so out of character for me to have many friends at all. I too am more of a loner. This weekend I have no plans, am seeing no one and am loving it. Just me, myself and I. If anyone would have told me I would meet a group of women and end up loving every minute I am around them I would have said they were nuts! It is still so amazing to me that as different as we all are we all get along. And when I say different wow I mean different....On the subway in New York they were pointing at me and calling me their token white girl. Hee!

Kandre convinced me to post more on this board and so I did. It really has only been a few months and I love the acceptance here. There really are no cliques except for one that includes all. It is really not like any other board. It just takes time to get to know everyone....like any good relationship.

Yeah windstar2 another Texan! Maybe one day I will get to meet most of you in person.

[Couch Tomato]

I do have a long and tight history with several of the other newbies here and I never thought about the fact that sometimes our inside conversations were being exclusionary to the established posters already here. I'll try to rein that in.

Several other people beat me to it but yeah, don't stop chatting. I was just illustrating that we're all going through the change. I like KAndre's idea of butting in though. But I'm also excited cuz I know I'm going to meet many people I haven't met before this winter! whoot.

Oh crap... my mind wandered to Vegas for a minute. Wasn't there a Vegas pre party deadline? Uh Oh.

Hee. I have two words for you....Cuddle Duds.

had to google that LOL. LONG JOHN'S? heeee... the question is, will I have order them online. I don't even know if they sell them in stores here..maybe ski shops or some such place. brrrrrr.

I am pretty much a loner by choice, I think. I'm not a squeeing, double back hand flip kind of girl. I love Clay to death but I don't have every picture or every piece of clack. I don't care if he decides to tour with Kim, Ruben or Pink....I'd go. I don't care if he decides to do a country cd or a Christian cd...I'd buy both and love them. If I can get to a concert, great, if I can't, I'll have to live vicariously through those who can.

I kind of envy those of you who are so close but, yet, I am so very happy to be just me.

Anybody else want to see jumpingjacks do a double backflip? Just me? It's great that you have a fandom pace that works for you. I think we're all different. I'm a concert ho so will go to many shows as I can. but it's definitely evolving. Hello Jumping Jacks, my name is couchie and I am an OTT fan - way OTT. I embrace the OTT heeee. If I had a husband or kids things would probably be way different but I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee so can pretty much spend time doing what I enjoy. I'm lucky in that I have Muski and another close friend around the way. Believe it or not though - I've actually reigned it in a great deal.

I hope to meet you in Omaha!

I'm sure they make it sugar free couchie!

I just finished looking at the entire selection of emoticons for the first time... you guys are serious drinkers, aren't you? LOL And, so many angel ones... trying to offset the drinking????

Liney the angel ones are kinda lonely though so don't know if it's working.

Ah yes....bread glorious bread...that would be my "chocolate", too. *lickingpeanutbutterandjellyoffherwhitebreadtoast*

Please, please let this post get me off the "dog walker" status!!!

This is my problem too JJ. I could do without chocoloate, and ice cream for the rest of my life..but give up sourdough, and garlic bread and french toast? I grew up down the street from a bakery. For 18 years I smelled bread wafting through the air. Sigh.

Windstar - Good luck with the tickets. Having kids around me is a trip. In the past year they've sorta migrated from PBS kids to Nick and now to Dieney. And just the other day I got subjected to a Hannah Mantana MARATHON. I have to admit I like the young Cyrus a lot. Think she's cute and talented. But god bless you for sitting through a show. Up next - the Naked Brothers Band has a new CD coming out too.

[Gibby]

Gibby...we'll be here with our dark chocolate in hand waiting for a play by play description of your wild crazy weekend, especially the food, spirits and the fun rides, ya know like the roller coasters!

BWAH! Hopefully I'll have enough energy to post, when I come back! And it will take foreveh to catch up with this thread.

Admin note is here.

Thanks so much for your thoughtful, thorough, compassionate and wise note! And thanks to all of the other admins and mods, too - ya'll are fantastic.

OOoo, did everyone see vzubie's Chautauqua Rehearsal Clack? It was newly uploaded today. It's like watching a home movie or something. Very entertaining!! Not to mention he looks really, really, re.all.y GOOD! Hee, the only part I could make out was around 1:45 of Part 2... he's all "Shut.Up!"... Go here for both part1 and part2:

http://www3.clackunlimited.com/clack/Conce...utauqua/vzubie/

Ooooh, I enjoyed this so much! Thanks for the link. I'm gonna have to get an external hard drive sooooon - my laptop is groaning under all all of the weight of the fantastic clack! Hmmmm, I guess I could listen to the rest of the TV Medleys I have downloaded, make my recommendations, and delete the ones I don't want to keep. Maybe on Monday if I have any energy left.

I dunno...I guess part of it is I think the OTT stuff embarrasses me and I don't want to be connected with it in any way. I can't, for the life of me, afford to spend the kind of money some of the OTT people spend...it has to be a shitload!!! If I get to go to one concert, I'm happy...but...that's just me. Those who can afford to go to more and want to go...more power to them.

I kind of envy those of you who are so close but, yet, I am so very happy to be just me.

Jacks - thanks so much for posting about yourself! I'm really enjoying getting to know the newer members. I post at CV occasionally, too, but like you, very few people really know me over there, because I just don't post that often. I'm normally a pretty shy person, but decided to jump in with both feet here, and have found it great fun. I'm glad you're here.

And I agree with you about the OTT fan behavior - yikes!!

*runs off to start packing*

[Gibby]

I do have a long and tight history with several of the other newbies here and I never thought about the fact that sometimes our inside conversations were being exclusionary to the established posters already here. I'll try to rein that in.

Several other people beat me to it but yeah, don't stop chatting. I was just illustrating that we're all going through the change. I like KAndre's idea of butting in though. But I'm also excited cuz I know I'm going to meet many people I haven't met before this winter! whoot.

Oh crap... my mind wandered to Vegas for a minute. Wasn't there a Vegas pre party deadline? Uh Oh.

Couchie - the deadline was extended - you can still let them know you want to attend, and send your paypal!! Please come! I'd LURVE to meet you.

And I would never call you OTT - you're 'enthusiastic!' To me, OTT has negative connotations.

Edited September 15, 2007 by Gibby

[keepingfaith]

Oh merrieeee we have so much in common ....

eHP ... check

same age .... check

white girls ... check

EEEEE'd and danced in the busline at Tulsa ... check

milk chocolate .... check

The Beatl-- ... oh never mind that one

Snowflaaa .. sorry wrong number

Now what was your name again?

[laughn]

It just hit me... did I read it was 10 below zero in minneapolis last year. Does this mean I need more than my Clay Aiken hoodie for the evening? I don't even own a coat.

Couchie, At minus 10 you simply put Clay IN your hoodie with you and you'll be all set.

(thank you for the admin note and for being who you are and the board as well)

YSRN...how did you hear Clay say anything in those rehearsal clips, because really, I couldn't get anything. Are you lip reading? Can I read Clay's lips...can I use braille...please?

jumpingjacks, it's a wonderful thing to be happy with who you are. very cool.

Edited September 15, 2007 by laughn

[saltwaterdog]

Ducky congrats on body guard status, a position that could allow for intimate conversations.

Rats, I forgot to quote two posts I wanted to respond to and now I can't find them.

First - the drinking and angel smilies. Neither for me, please - can I have the mineral water and devil ones? Wait, I can't find mineral water and devil ones.

Second, dang, I wish I could find the other post because it's got me really thinking - unusual for a Saturday morning. It was about "objectifying" Clay, made in jest, of course. Lord knows I do it all the time, but sometimes it really bugs me in myself. Typically it's after I've had some sort of close contact with the man - definitely after my M&G a couple of years ago, but even at the bus line this summer. In LA, we were lined up at a curb and near me, "up line", was a parked car. Clay went around the car to connect with the line and again, and as he was coming around he sighed deep and heavy, then he went back into "public" mode again. Seeing that made me appreciate - even more - the effort that goes into "walking the line". Recently I've thought about what it must feel like to be watched in binoculars. Last tour I was into eyelashes, this summer tour, freckles, and always, those hands (!). I do my fair share of . I'm not criticizing. Today I'm just feeling a bit like I have an angel (guess I need that smilie after all) on one shoulder and the devil (my usual) on the other.

I'm really okay with all the ogling, objectifying and general enjoyment of Clay's many and marvelous physical attributes when he's in "public" mode; in my mind that's what fuels some of his celebrity. But my angel side really does admire his character. In many ways he's a role model for me - very human, perfectly imperfect. As my DH has said, "He's just a good guy."

Was that all just rumination??

My really important point of the morning is that I must admit that ice cream is not my favorite. I will often turn it down, although DH makes good milkshakes. I even tried Briar's Peach ice cream once. Meh. I'll just take plain ole peaches.

[luckiest1]

I came into this fandom not knowing anyone. It is so out of character for me to have many friends at all. I too am more of a loner. This weekend I have no plans, am seeing no one and am loving it. Just me, myself and I. If anyone would have told me I would meet a group of women and end up loving every minute I am around them I would have said they were nuts!

Really? You don't strike me as that type....you are so personable and chatty in person! I really enjoyed meeting you this summer.

But I'm also excited cuz I know I'm going to meet many people I haven't met before this winter! whoot.

Oh crap... my mind wandered to Vegas for a minute. Wasn't there a Vegas pre party deadline? Uh Oh.

Woman, get your butt over there and sign up NOW! I thought we had a deal.

had to google that LOL. LONG JOHN'S? heeee... the question is, will I have order them online. I don't even know if they sell them in stores here..maybe ski shops or some such place. brrrrrr.

In the winter, long johns are my best friend. And yeah, I think you just may need a coat to go with them. Gloves, maybe even a toque. You do know what a toque is, right? And no, you don't smoke it.

Saltie (heh) wrote:

I'm really okay with all the ogling, objectifying and general enjoyment of Clay's many and marvelous physical attributes when he's in "public" mode; in my mind that's what fuels some of his celebrity. But my angel side really does admire his character. In many ways he's a role model for me - very human, perfectly imperfect. As my DH has said, "He's just a good guy."

Beatifully said. WORD.

And now I'm going to take a nap. First weekend home in a month and it feels so good.

Edited September 15, 2007 by luckiest1

[jumpingjacks]

I don't consider anyone who goes to more than one show OTT. OTT, to me, are the people at any board who can not see anything except they are right and the rest of us are wrong. OTT have a way of smashing your face into the fact that THEY are in the inner circle of Clay's friends even when WE know that is a complete and utter fabrication. OTT fans are those who create freaking drama just to draw attention to themselves. OTT is the person who was spreading vicious rumors about Clay behind the scenes and wanted ME to support her bullshit. When I said no, she told everyone I was the one who started the rumors!! WTF is that? Of course, she blames it on other things now, but the fact of the matter is, she would have willingly hung me out to dry if it had saved her place in the fandom.

No one here is OTT in my book. It appears we are level-headed, smart women who may be just a bit wary of the Clay Nation at this point.

I could do a double back flip hand stand but then I'd have to be in the hospital for the rest of my life...choices, choices!!!

[wandacleo]

Well, shit, JumpingJacks, I thought we were friends by osmosis.

You mean we're supposed to actually MEET????

Edited September 15, 2007 by wandacleo

[keepingfaith]

I've never believed in the celebrity role model thing. All my role models have been people in my real life, primarily my grandmother, people who I learned from by sharing and observing their life from the inside. I may be a minority of one, but I'd have been just as happy if Clay never discussed being a role model. It's a slippery slope.

Reminds me of the last line of the Eagles' song .... "call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye."

[jumpingjacks]

Well, shit, JumpingJacks, I thought we were friends by osmosis.

You mean we're supposed to actually MEET????

Osmosis works.

Perhaps my view is a bit jaded because of two "meetings" where I wanted to kill both people before the weekend was over. Not.good. I believe the words I would use would be co-dependent and mothering. Neither of those work well for me. Been on my own WAY too long to want someone try to coddle me. *shudder*

This, by the way, was way before the Cary concert this summer.

[bottlecap]

I have watched how events have churned around here over the least couple of days, and as a Mod, have followed the conversations with some concern in my heart.

I have sat on my hands and tried to stay silent, because I wasn't sure it was my place to make any kind of FCA pronouncement, even as a long term member.

However, I just can't stay quiet any longer. If this is my last post here because I piss too many people off, so be it. I have to stay true to myself and my own conscience.

Y'ALL NEED TO EAT A VEGETABLE OR SOMETHING! HAVE MERCY!

Hey, I just got back from the local farmers' market, so I figure I can be a little smug and santimonious... :26:

[lilyshine]

Jacks and merrieeee - that's just where I am/was. I had just moved and knew no one in town when I decided to go to the AI2 tour by myself in a city 5 hours away. I had a blast all by myself.

Next came the IT and I decided to go to Philly (6/7 hrs drive) I was on a Board with the generous Shady and she insisted I stay with her. She even left her house open for me, really a complete stranger, since I would arrive before she got home from work. The next day I spent an hour walking up and down a block in Philly looking for a Clay friend. Of course, she was walking up and down the other side of the block looking for me! Complete strangers with very little in common became fast friends.

For the NaT, Shady opened her house again and a dozen or so of us piled in, sleeping on floors, in hallways, in the kitchen even.

This year I was able to reciprocate and had a bunch of people sharing my house for the New York 3-fer from far-flung locations, England, Calgary, Toronto, Raleigh. Alas, Shady didn't come.

I can't think of any other group I would do this for. My normal routine is strictly by myself and I love it that way. Once or twice a year is plenty for me and I'm so glad to be able to do it. I'm sorry you had a bad first experience and I hope you'll find a Clay friend or two that you really enjoy hanging with.

Of course, I think Clay should come and give a concert in my back yard. I'd even let him ride my tractor!

Edited September 15, 2007 by lilyshine

[saltwaterdog]

Y'ALL NEED TO EAT A VEGETABLE OR SOMETHING! HAVE MERCY!

Hey, I just got back from the local farmers' market, so I figure I can be a little smug and santimonious... :26:

Ok. Collards, spinach, mixed baby greens, eggplant, tomatoes (or is that a fruit), green beans, brussel sprouts, red peppers, onions - yeah, best bought fresh at the local farmers market.