# 19: Clay Aiken: glorious voice, excellent comic actor, master of character and man in tights!

[Scarlett]

Don't know how matinees will work out (could be that he does them all) but traditionally those are the ones that are missed when other matters are urgent.

[Couch Tomato]

heee I hear ya'll on hoping today is relatively quiet.

We weren't the only ones excited. I could feel Clay's excitement. He was chomping at the bit and I just love that he was so spontaneous and did the chat. I think he needed to just share somehow. Heeee. I'm glad he's so happy.

Two things that got to me..well three, including his response to aikim...

1. The work session rather than an audition. That's a big part he's taking on which will require far more than just his glorious voice... I bet they had to make sure he could really do this. Makes me all the more happy that he had to prove to these people he could do it.

2. And he's off the paxil. I'm at a loss as to whether what he had was chemical or what..but to me..any time you can healthily go without mediciation..all the better.

I'm excited for him. What a thrill yesterday was...now back to my regularly scheduled no getting online during the day ha!!

[luckiest1]

Yep, yesterday sure as something. What a great day in the fandom. Today I am actually getting some work done!

I'm not going to worry about whether Clay may miss a show here or there. Sure, it would suck to travel all that way to find out he isn't performing, but them's the breaks on Broadway. I doubt he will miss a performance unless it's absolutely necessary. I mean, how many concerts has he missed in 4 years? Very few.....

Kind of O/T, but on the subject of Paxil, if anyone has any experience with a teenager on an SSRI medication, could you come over to the Parenting Special Kids thread? :F_05BL17blowkiss: in advance...

[bottlecap]

Finally just took the time to read the last night's chat transcript from the OFC. (Thanks to Cotton for posting one on the OFC message board!) I can't image what that would be like to try to follow in real time. I wonder if Q&A sessions might be better handled via e-mail or some other format in the future. In any case, it's always great to hear from the man himself!

[Couch Tomato]

Finally just took the time to read the last night's chat transcript from the OFC. (Thanks to Cotton for posting one on the OFC message board!) I can't image what that would be like to try to follow in real time. I wonder if Q&A sessions might be better handled via e-mail or some other format in the future. In any case, it's always great to hear from the man himself!

There's a transcript so I'm happy the way it happened. You know.... I think it was just this sudden thing he felt like doing... now who among us would want to put one of Clay Aiken's urges on hold. Remember he PMed a mod...and we were hoping it was AIKIM heee. I think he was in shock or something by the happiness. Even though my computer conked out right then I'm glad he just did it... it was crazy, I'm sure and unorganized and messy..sorta like this fandom.

[muskifest]

Alex and I lucked out getting those 'half price' tickets for a show one summer. If I remember correctly we bought the half price ticket for Rent on a Sunday for a Tuesday night show. Very decent seats. We also bought discounted (but not half priced) tix on the same day for a Beauty and the Beast Broadway show a couple days after the Long Island JNT '06...can't remember what day of hte week it was.

And I KNOW paying the full online price is not the best 'deal'...but in THIS case--in order to get a specific night so far in advance and a seat close to the stage and on the same night as a friend who'll also be flying mucho miles to be there, etc....I figured I'd better go for them. Used my AMEX rewards points so no actually $$$ left my poor pockets....I'll just have to find special deals on flights and hotels to make up for my extravagance.

I LOVED how personal Clay was on the OFC thread and chat last night. And I find it so very ironic that some of the most vocal naysayers of the value or benefit of paying that relatively paltry membership fee are the first to ask what he said and could you please pm me with the quotes?, etc.

Hypocrisy, thy name is __________.

Scarlett, my dear, any spillage of the goods (ooh, that sounds deliciously naughty) bears no comparison to some of the posts I've seen elsewhere that basically "paraphrase" his blog and comments from private OFC threads. Hell, if any of my high school students had submitted those paragraphs, they would've done so EXPECTING me to give them right back with the word "plagiarism" in big red letters scrawled across the top! I taught them better than that!

Anyhoo....I, too, am feeling the pain of having spent most of yesterday in some altered state of bliss and fangirly goo. Work calls....demmit. But really, women....

Could we have PICKED a more wonderful boyfriend? :thsign27:

(well, except for the lack of conjugal visits, of course)

[gbmifan]

I would love to go the NY but know it is out of the question. My hubby just does not understand! He thinks I am crazy for going to another Christmas concert.

I was on the OFC, lurking and reading when he went into chat, so I headed over there. Moves fast but was able to read his responses to questions. Also loved his reply on the spamalot thread. Glad for him that he can go off of the Paxil. Just shook my head when someone said he had been off for a month and had not lost weight. I do not think it is just going to go away instantly. I will probably take a while, and it may not come off. My son who is 28 was a stick to age 23, and a 6'0 went from 160 to about 240 within 3 years. He is trying to loose it but it is not easy. He was very active until work took over and the time spent on being active stopped.

[muskifest]

Just shook my head when someone said he had been off for a month and had not lost weight

OMFG. I canNOT believe this...

wait...yes, I can.

Good God. I certainly hope all the people so freely offering weight loss/medication/career/hairstyling, etc. advice are walking their fucking talk. This really riles me. I'm the LAST person to make a seriously real criticism of Clay's weight, clothes or hair (periodic glances into a mirror confirms this). And in Clay's own cyber house, too!

Unfucking real.

But nothing's gonna rain on my fangirly parade! No, ma'am! I'm a happy camper and it's all because of that big ole' tent Clay pitched for me.

[KAndre]

All I can say is that my boyfriend is clearly better than their boyfriend, cause I don't have to fix mine!

[cindilu2]

All I can say is that my boyfriend is clearly better than their boyfriend, cause I don't have to fix mine!

Amen, sistah!!

And of course, my boyfriend is the twin of your boyfriend. :-}

In all the excitement yesterday, I forgot to congratulate rocknrllmom on the banner. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!

As far as I'm concerned, October 16th, 2007 is going down as one of the best days evah in this crazy on-line fandom. I know it won't be long before the usual suspects descend to attempt to spread their clouds of doom over the land again - but somehow, yesterday just makes it all the easier to answer them with a sincere, heartfelt

[Guest Toots]

And he's off the paxil. I'm at a loss as to whether what he had was chemical or what..but to me..any time you can healthily go without mediciation..all the better.

That's wonderful news and maybe he decided to talk with someone or he's more comfortable in his own skin now. I can imagine the sudden stardom, screaming fans, threats, etc. threw him for a loop. He was a serious small town kid and all of clatter so suddenly would probably throw anyone into a panic. Guess time will tell but I hope he has resolved the issues that caused him so much distress.

Don't think we need to worry about him on Broadway. With that beautiful voice and outrageous sense of humor he will almost certainly succeed.

Maybe we can invite Clay into our weight thread!!

[keepingfaith]

Just shook my head when someone said he had been off for a month and had not lost weight

OMFG. I canNOT believe this...

wait...yes, I can.

Good God. I certainly hope all the people so freely offering weight loss/medication/career/hairstyling, etc. advice are walking their fucking talk. This really riles me. I'm the LAST person to make a seriously real criticism of Clay's weight, clothes or hair (periodic glances into a mirror confirms this). And in Clay's own cyber house, too!

Unfucking real.

But nothing's gonna rain on my fangirly parade! No, ma'am! I'm a happy camper and it's all because of that big ole' tent Clay pitched for me.

Now, muskigirl, you know don't you ... that the pot is calling the kettle fat in this case ... and that the pot hasn't had a new hairdo in 25 years.

As to Clay pitching his tent .... *** fans self rapidly ***

Aikim ... I got misty, too, last night reading your post and Clay's response. It all went right to the heart and I was a little numb after all of it. I got on the eHP chat late last night, just in time to find out about Clay's "schmoopie post" (TM KAndre) and as soon as I'd read that one I find that he's going to be in the OFC chatroom. There were 106 people in chat when I got there, and over 500 when I left. What a whirlwind in just a short span of time last night.

Some of the questions the mods chose to put through were awfully bland... like what kind of crap did he eat at the fair (a corndog), But Kareneh (new spelling required now) had the very best question of all and his answer actually had content but was cut off by word limits. I also liked the Q&A about touring in Canada and Clay said it's because the Canadian promoters haven't asked him there. The summer tour question was interesting too -- but was cut off just as he was getting to the good part.

I think I'm going to try to coordinate seeing Spamalot with a trip to Spain early next year -- March or April. I've put off flying to Spain for the past three and a half years and now that my kids will be leaving Spain next June, it's time to actually make plans and do it. I can see Spamalot during layovers on my way to and from Madrid. But .... I'd LOVE to see an early performance in January. That may be something I just have to do in spite of the obstacles. Some things just have to be.

[lilyshine]

Any time Clay posts or chats at OFC I think of the West Wing episode when Josh discovered that there was a web site devoted to him.

Donna warned him not to go there, but - of course - he did. Very typical and hilarious results when he tries to correct some fan information.

[ldyjocelyn]

Kareneh, fantastic question! I'm glad I was there to see it.

*investigates putting on admin hat to change her display name*

The question I WISH would have been asked (not demanded, just wished): So, did the arm hair thing have to do with Spamalot? If so -- why?

And I certainly think that MY boyfriend is the bestest ever! Cutest one too!

*investigates latest cloning techniques*

[Gibby]

Ok, the ticketing is bizarre. On a particular weeknight... Row C, seat 109 is NOT a premium seat and therefore is 111.50. But Row B, seat 109 IS a premium seat and is 250. Dayum. I best be careful shopping!!

I've been up since 5:30am. Why am I not tired?!?

I guess I was lucky last night when I grabbed two center row B tickets for $111.50. I wonder if I'd get the same deal today, or if they're considered Premium now? I chose to go on a weekday, 'cuz I'll be flying in and it's cheaper to fly on the weekday. Anyway, I'm glad that some of us bought tickets right away. It looks like it created a bit of a buzz for Clay!

Alex and I lucked out getting those 'half price' tickets for a show one summer. If I remember correctly we bought the half price ticket for Rent on a Sunday for a Tuesday night show. Very decent seats. We also bought discounted (but not half priced) tix on the same day for a Beauty and the Beast Broadway show a couple days after the Long Island JNT '06...can't remember what day of hte week it was.

And I KNOW paying the full online price is not the best 'deal'...but in THIS case--in order to get a specific night so far in advance and a seat close to the stage and on the same night as a friend who'll also be flying mucho miles to be there, etc....I figured I'd better go for them. Used my AMEX rewards points so no actually $$$ left my poor pockets....I'll just have to find special deals on flights and hotels to make up for my extravagance.

Could we have PICKED a more wonderful boyfriend? :thsign27:

(well, except for the lack of conjugal visits, of course)

Muski, I'm so glad you bought those tickets! We'll have a great time.

Hubby and I went to NY before we had kids, and bought tickets to see 'Fiddler' the day of the show. We paid less than half price. It's a great way to buy tickets, but there's no guarantee at all that a ticket will be available, or that you'll get a decent seat. If I lived in or close to NY, I might try for Spamalot tickets this way, 'cuz I wouldn't be travelling to see the show. But when I'm flying in to see it? No way do I want the stress of wondering if I'll be able to see the show or not.

All I can say is that my boyfriend is clearly better than their boyfriend, cause I don't have to fix mine!

BWAH!! Yep, that boyfriend of ours is amazingly awesome.

[gbmifan]

I just lost my post after being almost done!

I try very hard to not answer some of the negative post at the OFC. I have never posted there. I get angry and probably would get deleted with my reponse. Clay is an adult and does not need our approval for what he wants to do. I have three adult boys and sometime do not like all their choices, but it is their life.

I have today off and trying to organize myself for this weekend. I am up to 160 people taking cpr. I have 20 people helping me at this point. I gave my hubby the job of organizing breaks and also getting everyone out on the ski hill to take the chair evac class. At least they are not making us get up on the chairs this year and be brought down by the ropes. Not my favorite thing. The first time I took this class I had to bring someone down who was 7 months pregnant. I was afraid I was going to drop her even with help. She was about 30 ft up. I am only 5 ft tall, so it was scary.

[jamar1700]

BWAH!! Yep, that boyfriend of ours is amazingly awesome.

I just love him.

I think this is going to be so much fun. E. has been talking about going back to NY in the spring and she said she'd definately go see Spamalot with me and show me around. She wanted to see it while she was there. We could probably even stay with her friend who works off Broadway. Not gonna buy tickets just yet. These things usually have a way of coming together.

---

Kandre ---->

Isn't it interesting how some people keep saying they will probably be moving on and yet ... they never do?

----

I've been cleaning house all morning my parents (aka: my issues) will be here for the weekend. Oy. And now I have to go to work.

[merryclay]

Sometimes it seems a few people project their own self-disappointment onto Clay. You know, weight, success and other personal challenges. Being overly critical is often a by-product of low self-esteem. Too much analysis. LOL!!! It's making my head hurt. I want to go to NYC.

[muskifest]

Isn't it interesting how some people keep saying they will probably be moving on and yet ... they never do?

So true, so true, jamar dear.

but...uh....

I've said my share of "I'm gonna..." things in my lifetime that I've never done them.

For example:

Lose mumblemumble pounds by (fill in blank with a number of special occasions)

Stop caring whether or not my 12 year old goes to school every day with shiny, recently shampooed hair.

Keep meticulous records to make tax filing easier and less stressful.

Maintain a doable, healthy exercise routine.

Stop drinking so much wine while being a vegetable in front of the tv on weekend nights with hubby.

Not look bothered when one or the other daughter asks for homework help when I'm BUSY on the message board.

Stop checking in on the message board during work.( )

And lastly...the one I confess right now that I KNOW I won't ever stop doing...

:th74: :thsign27:

He just has me by the short ones, you know? (I wish)

ETA: Just noticed that the sign says "Postho and proud of it" and I thought I was including a "Perverted and Proud of it"...heh. Oh well, both are appropriate. heh.

ETA again to say that this post was brought to you by the word "heh".

heh.

[Gibby]

I've said my share of "I'm gonna..." things in my lifetime that I've never done them.

For example:

......

Stop caring whether or not my 12 year old goes to school every day with shiny, recently shampooed hair.

......

Muski, I have this same issue with my 13 year old. For some reason, she thinks that it's a huge hassle to take a shower. My 15 year old gets really cranky if anything gets in the way of her daily shower, but the 13 year old doesn't really care if her hair hasn't been washed in a few days. Hubby and I keep hoping she'll care more about washing her hair - maybe by the time she gets to high school?

I just did something stupid. I was perusing the 'Clay Aiken Joins Spamalot' articles (there's over 170 now). I read the article at TMZ, and then made the mistake of reading the comments. A bunch of haters were posting comments. Ah, well. I guess all celebrities have haters. But Clay's laughing all of the way to the bank!! And we are having a fantastic time enjoying his many talents.

[luckiest1]

Bringing over this hilarious parody of a future OFC chat from CH.

Hee! So true! Okay, maybe the mod could forcibly halt chat, post a question, Clay could answer it, then mods could restart chat...rinse repeat. I figure it could go something like this (with appropriate sound effects):

Fans: chatter chatter crosstalk eeeee so excited where's clay chatter don't anybody dare chatter crossta--(the sound of needle suddenly being scraped across an old record, silence)

GAP

Mod: (question from Fan) Clay, blah blah blah blah?

Clay: answer answer cuteness

GAP

Fans: squee notice me clay hey stop pushing eeeeee what did he say it got cut off so excited spamalot thank you clay hee hee meet what about this clay claaa---(Deathstar ray, Alderaan explosion, silence)

GAP

Mod: (question from Fan) Clay, blah blah blahbitty?

Clay: ha ha wink comment answer cuteness

GAP

Fans: omg he answered my question aaahhhh what's going on cd wait wait claaayyyy gallbladder eeeee clay's here what about this clay omg tour quit pushing beyotch clay claaayyy cla---(trash cans falling over, cat yowling, dog barking, silence)

GAP

Mod: (question from Fan) Clay, blah blah blah and furthermore blah?

Clay: cuteness answer love quote schmoopie

GAP

Fans: he's so cuuutteee notice me tights clay sexy love you cries wig clay gallbladder oh clay claaayyyy what about--(screeching car brakes, crash, silence)

GAP

Mod: Okay, that's it

Clay: happy cuteness hugs g'night

GAP

Fans: omg eeee that was great cigarette he typed my name wub save this schmoopie squee (slamming doors, thundering boots, crickets, tumbleweed, silence)

GAP

Fan: Am I too late where is everybody waaahh...transcript?

[cha cha trusty]

I am just bowled over, overwhelmed and otherwise flabbergasted. Here I am trying to get ready for the NS Tribute next weekend and firm up Christmas concert tour plans........

And now I have another event(s) to consider???

I LOVE HIM .... I love him to pieces......... but DAYYUUUUMMMMMMMM!!!

::big sigh::

Can anyone post a link to the chat transcript? I clicked something this morning that was a thread - but I didn't see a transcript........

::wanders off somewhere muttering to self::

[luckiest1]

Sorry about that. The link I posted earlier wasn't correct.

Chat transcript part 1

Chat transcript part 2

[strummer6]

I'm a bad, bad girl.

I took the day off from work for the sole purpose of making the rounds, visiting boards, reading all the excitment, drinking in joyous posts, trip planning and beathing in all the wonderful whoo-hoos!

It's addicting.

Okay, at some point today I'll take my dog to the park (85 degrees in October? *waves to Al Gore*) and actually breathe fresh air.

But in the meantime and before I catch up on mumblenumbermumblepages I just gotta

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Clay and Monty Python! Clay and the Killer Rabbit! (insert big fist pump here.) Clay in tights! Waiting for us!

OMG.

My fangirl setting has hit 11. [TM Spinal Tap]

Hi everyone! Now back to reading from yesterday's fun. And figuring out just how and when I'm gonna get my ass to New York.

[muskifest]

I've said my share of "I'm gonna..." things in my lifetime that I've never done them.

For example:

......

Stop caring whether or not my 12 year old goes to school every day with shiny, recently shampooed hair.

......

Muski, I have this same issue with my 13 year old. For some reason, she thinks that it's a huge hassle to take a shower. My 15 year old gets really cranky if anything gets in the way of her daily shower, but the 13 year old doesn't really care if her hair hasn't been washed in a few days. Hubby and I keep hoping she'll care more about washing her hair - maybe by the time she gets to high school?

I just did something stupid. I was perusing the 'Clay Aiken Joins Spamalot' articles (there's over 170 now). I read the article at TMZ, and then made the mistake of reading the comments. A bunch of haters were posting comments. Ah, well. I guess all celebrities have haters. But Clay's laughing all of the way to the bank!! And we are having a fantastic time enjoying his many talents.

BWAH! Lord, you could've written that about my two girls!

As for TMZ and the other dregs of 'journalism'...yeah, I expected anything they might spew...not planning on visiting them, though, so won't let it ooze into my brain. And yeah, again re: the size difference between Clay and the asshats...

of his bank account, you perves!

Geez, what did you THINK I was talkin' 'bout?