#20: Clay is just so frickin' cute! Cute, cute, cute!

[Couch Tomato]

only Muski can take the every day common object and turn it into something smutty...first candy corn and now a birthday balloon.

It's so beautiful here today.

Happy Birthday KarenEh and waves to the eHP. Hope we get a report later!!

[bottlecap]

Just got done watching the AIR Hollywood Part 3 episode. No big surprises: Clay was exceedingly CUTE (Paula said he was adorable and had integrity during deliberations, so Yeah! for her); Ruben was sweet and the judges were already kissing his butt; and Caldwell was working my nerves. Julia DeMato? Five years later and still going on about how her group cut her out of practice, blah, blah, blah. Let it go already!

[Guest Toots]

Paula redeemed herself today when she said Clay was adorable and had integrity. I didn't hear what Simon said but it seemed neither he nor Ruben wanted to put Clay thru yet they admitted he had the best voice of the group. Julia could really sing but so could Candice Coleman and I don't know why she got cut. Carmen has since lost the goat vibrato, is singing country music and actually has a great voice. Kim and Frenchie were impressive with their big voices but I think Kim had a better voice than Frenchie and her voice was just as big if she let it out. Ruben was so cute and laid back. How could you not love him? Funny I didn't notice how big shouldered Clay was back then.

Julia, Vanessa and Josh all talked about Clay's voice being the best. I liked that!!

Corey Clark makes me

The eHP must not be in possession of a computer or they are just having to much fun celebrating Kareneh's birthday to remember their bored sisters back here at home.

[clayzedover]

Wow, miss a few days around here and you never catch up! Hope I am not forgetting anyone here:

Couchie, your reponse to the request to promote PH here was just too restrained... interesting to see they contact people to do this.. could he be losing readers?

As for the laptop, wish my brother would buy me one since I need a spare! I love mine, and it took about three days to realize the mouse was soooo unnecessary now. Highlighting was the hardest thing to get used to, but when you get it down, you really don't want to use the mouse any more.

Wandacleo have known you from other boards and know you have been through a lot. My thoughts have been with you. I hope that you know you did all you could for your mother and that there is a time for everything. Right now, this will be YOUR time. You've earned it. When you are ready, seize it and hold on tight. Am sure she would want that for you.

rohdy, flatbed and books=really BAAAAD idea. If they insist on doing something like that, am liking the little red wagon with an announcement as a compromise.

muski I had one of those talks too. It was a wakeup call from a boss who really cared. I'd lost my father a few months before and had taken on too much with the family as a result. No raises were involved, but the "shape up" call was necessary and I have been thankful for that conversation the rest of my professional life.

KarenEh...and everybody else who I've missed giving out wishes for: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Jumpingjacks, there are no words. I cannot believe how you managed to do all you have done for the fandom in the past (and I know you know what I'm talking about) operating with less than optimum functions. You are amazing, and am confident you will get through this. You are a strong person, but please take care.

aikim, thank you for that recipe. My ex-SIL used to bake them and I really miss those cookies. Will try to give it a shot.

Am really bad at this comment thing, and know I've left people out. It's not intentional, but I do read, just can't remember shit. Anyway, family actually expects me to cook now. Imagine that.

[bottlecap]

Kitty4clay posted some screencaps from AIR at CV, and I couldn't resist the eyelashes.

[jamar1700]

Just got done watching the AIR Hollywood Part 3 episode. No big surprises: Clay was exceedingly CUTE

Me too. And he sure was! Loved the little 6 or 9 part. Hee. I can't wait until the actual shows start.

What fun to relive this.

Except for Josh having those man-boobs. I don't remember that part. He must have lost weight in the time leading up to the show. He looks really good now.

Awww poor Q. I just can't imagine how she didn't make it through. Maybe she was sorta shy and didn't stand out. Too bad...they missed a great voice. I still don't get the Frenchie love and I guess I never will.

[jumpingjacks]

I think Frenchie caught my eye because she was so confident...it didn't matter if she was the biggest or the littlest girl there...she walked in like she owned the place. Her voice was nothing special, though.

[Divayenta]

Hee, Clay looks like Puck in "A Midsummer's Night Dream" in those caps. So cute, feral, a frisky , woodsy creature!

[keepingfaith]

If enabling was against the law, the eHP would be doing life without parole.

[jmh123]

If enabling was against the law, the eHP would be doing life without parole.

So which Christmas concerts are you going to?

[Claygasm]

If enabling was against the law, the eHP would be doing life without parole.

So which Christmas concerts are you going to?

And how many??????

And to think - until this year you had never seen Clay live!

And you didn't meet the eHP before this year.

Hmmm. Coincidence? I think not!

[merrieeee]

No we did not bribe her with a free ticket or anything*G* Why would you think we would do something like that? Innocent is our middle name!

Yup evil Innocent Houston Posse

[00lsee]

Karen Eh? Hope your birthday was happy, happy, happy!

Sorry I missed it, missed it, missed it.

Sounds like the eHP had a great time...Hope to hear a full report.

[FromClaygary]

I usually just bake cookies; my kids don't eat a lot of sweets, but I like to give them to my co-workers at the holidays. Most of my recipes are family recipes that my Grandma used to make.

I usually do the frosted sugar cookies and gingerbread men and a few others. The favorite is a butter crescent cookie that is rolled in powered sugar; it has pecans in it so it is off limits to Clay.

If you would like any recipes, let me know. Do we have a recipe forum here? Might be a fun thing to do.

Kim

Kim, I'd love that sugar cookie recipe; I used to have one that was just wonderful, but lost it.

For any Canadians buying books for K'zoo...Chapters is having a Customer Appreciation 20% off day tomorrow. It would be a great time to buy your books if you haven't already! 20% off all books, doesn't include magazines.

[liney23]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Karen Eh!

What fun to share it with the eHP! We want details!

Hollywood, Part 3??? I've only seen one part. I'm recording today and tomorrow, so maybe I'll get them all. I thought there were only 2 parts for some reason. DAH!

Books... flat bed... NO! Announcement, Happy Birthday, and thank you at intermission... yes!

aikim... I am definitely going to try those cookies.... yum!

[aikim]

This is my Grandma's recipe for sugar cookies. It makes a lot, but the recipe can be cut in half.

Sugar Cookies

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Shortening

2 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

2 Teaspoons Cream of Tarter

2 Teaspoons Baking Soda

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

7 Cups Flour

Cream sugar and shortening; add eggs, milk and vanilla. Combine flour, soda and cream of tarter and add to sugar mixture. This makes a very stiff dough. Chill dough before rolling out. Roll thin, cut into various shapes and bake at 375 until just brown around the edges. Frost and decorate when cooled.

[Ansamcw]

Toots I do believe Candace Coleman was sent through to top 32. unfortunately she was in group 2 and in my opinion was a very tough group to be in so she didn't go through.

I loved this episode. So many clips were never shown before. I do believe the original episode was only an hour. Quiana was so calm in her group...good for her.

So Kim L was with Clay...OMG he was hugging Simon...cooties.

And the deliberations was not as bad as I thought. Paula was an early supporter. I think the problem really is that she loved both Clay and Ruben. Randy...it was obvious he thought he looked funny too but he said gotta give it to hi cos the voice is undeniable...

OMG...thank you Paula and Randy...but y'know..Simon reall din;t fight it that much so I think it was inevitable that he will go through. Simon was right about Patrick...He wasn't really good enough to stand out in the semi finals.

[liney23]

I finished Hollywood part 2. Clay was in it a LOT more than in the original. Lots more just glimpses. He sure moves fast when he wants to.... LOL

They advertised the best of the worst next week, so won't be watching that one. I saw a list that showed reruns for the rest of the year. Weird! I guess they figure the holidays will keep people from watching. Oh, well... it just means January is going to be a VERY busy month.

Watching this, fresh from watching all the clack from this summer and from Sedaka and Vegas have made me realize how much he has changed. He was sooo innocent and young. As I think back over his tours, he stayed fresh-eyed and full of wonder even thru JBT. I'm having a hard time expressing what I mean, but after the mess in and of 2006, he lost a bit of his wonder. He was on such a roller coaster from Hollywood until the end of 2005, he hardly had time to realize all that had happened. Then 2006, not only the mess, but Clive's mandate. In one year, he went thru so much. It changed him and how could it not have.

JNT05 brought fan dissatisfaction with his vignettes... oh, not everyone, I loved them, but enough that he felt it. Then when the mess happened I am guessing he really wondered how we would react. His reaction to the Circle the Wagons threads thoughout the fandom was so beautiful. Then AI5 happened and we got a hint that Clay was back large and in charge, but it was a false start. He was back with the CD release and his announcement to Diane Sawyer that he was taking his life back. In those months, the confident, sexy, brilliantly funny, MAN that slayed us in the JNT06 came into being.

Now we have a man who really knows the good/bad/ups/downs of the entertainment business and the media and has determined that he's willing to stick with it and endure thru it to get where he wants to go. I'm sure doing the Rewind was even more aware making for him. Seeing who he was knowing where it all led must have been surreal for him.

I am so enthralled with his journey and am so looking forward to traveling whatever paths he chooses with him. He is a fascinating man and has made my life so much more interesting and fun. I just look at people differently because of Clay and I'm so glad.

Enough philosophy for one night... LOL Love to you all.... {{{{FCAers who need it}}}}

[playbiller]

KarenEh.

May your wishes come true.

Thougths on Hollywood part 2

I still don't get the stacking of the groups forthe sing offs and who thought that would be a good idea, it was done to get some weak people through, but I still don't get the point. I also find the commnets of Simon at the end of group 2 a bit much where , while Clay might not have been at top form, when Kim and Ruben sang, they were treated like the only people in that group that could sing and everyone else had been off key all night. I just don't understand what was so bad about Clay, the judges never seemed to have anything against greasy hair before or after.

The judges were still talking about the top 10 so I really wonder why they switched to top 12? Did Clay and wanting an even number of guys and girls have anything to do with that or maybe the need for more specific character types.

Who did they really want through there. ETA - yes, I am sure Clay was not that big a factor in their decisions, but his "type" (single white guy) might have been missing. Just as the type of girls in the top may not have been what they wanted (Kim was "overweight", Vanessa who was quirky and "overweight" and Julia who had no real professional experience)

Finally, I remember that Clay said something about the office saying something to him about coming back for wild card and besides talking to Ruben every day, I was under the impressionthat he called the office frequently to see if they chose him and finally gave up and went to bed on the day they were told they would be called (only to be woken by the call). This seems to support my belief that Nigel wanted Clay, judges or no and that they changed the number of "top" so they could have him AND an equal number of girls and guys and that they called him late because it was a big decision for them to do that. I wonder if Clay knew that he should be cheering for more girls to win groups?

Am I misremembering?

ETA I agree with Liney on not watching the best of the worst. I will read and see what Clay does, but this is my least favorite part of AI. Why do they think people want to see that? As far as Clay growing up, everyone grows up and far worse than anything Clive Davis ever did to Clay (mandate is just a word, not an evil magic power) was the gross over reaction of the fandom making pigs popular and "fighting evil" and complaining about "covers" in writing critics, on message boards and in writing reviews on Amazon. JMHO. Clay cared enought to put the time and work into the album and to make it his, covers/classics or not.

PS the kitchen guy is gone. He fixed my stairs because I walked him over to them and told him to look at how steep they were (more than normal) and that my family would get him if I tripped and died falling down those stairs and he would bear the guilt for the rest of his life. Not everything is finished to my liking and I didn 't even make him do all the things I paid for because I could not stand him messing in my house any more, I just wanted him out. So I will put all the under the counter stuff in and fix the big hole under the sink and under the radiator myself. I just wanted him out. I have a pile of disassembled cabinets and spare wood in my back yard I have to cut into 4 foot pieces and full garbage bags lining my driveway that I can only throw out 4 at a time, but I can move back now and clean up the mess FINALLY.

[Ansamcw]

I think by the time they had the top 32...which is a bit of time after Hollywood...they probably knew they were going to get 12. I base this on the fact that adding 2 more people has an affect on the length of their season and I think this would need input from FOX. I doubt they did that just because Clay didn't get through. I suspect that the success of season 1 made fox want more episodes so they could add two more singers.

I think you are right...they stacked group 2 so that weaker singers can make it through in the other groups. They knew they had the wildcard so they can;t be too nervous that their strong singers in group 2 won;t make it. I bet they always knew Clay, Ruben and Kim were going through. I really think they got the people they expected to go through except for Charles. I don't know if they expected Rickey to come through but I'm sure they wanted Corey and Josh in there.

What still make me wonder is why Carmen. There were a lot of really pretty girls that were stronger singers. Maybe its her age...they wanted someone to attract the teens.

I am really enjoying AIR. Can't wait to see how they do the top 12...

[zena]

:00003653: TO KARENEH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I know it's past midnight but Karen and I stay up late, and I'm thinking she's still celebrating and eating cake and looking at Clack and all that good stuff.

I've been doing some hard time in emergency with my 85 year old father in law these past two days and we just got things to the point of manageability tonight. Wish I could have been partying instead, but I have this feeling this is only the beginning of many more of these vigils to come. Sigh.

Thanks for the wonderful pictures, Karen, and for all the life-changing enabling you've done for me this summer. I don't think I can ever thank you enough!!!!

Waves to the eHP, some of whom I was lucky enough to meet this summer!!!!!

[Gibby]

Some cute AIR gifs - he's absolutely adorable!

Hmmmmm - is this code for 69? BWAH!

[Kareneh]

Thanks everybody for the truly amazing and often hilarious (like that last one of Playbiller's) birthday greetings. My day was great in no small part due the company I had lunch with.....and we had this excellent waiter at Biraporetti's who was totally fascinated overhearing all of our upcoming travel plans. He was such a smart fella, too....."What are you guys? Groupies?"

BWAHAHAHAHA!

keepingfaith, did you really tell him we were Band-Aids? I can't remember I was laughing so hard.

Yep! A 6 or a 9? I was wondering the same thing. Lovely gifs, Gibby. The screencaps and such from Rewind these past two weeks are all the punkiny' goodness I'll need for the holidays.

[playbiller]

If my computer was not all tied up in knots today, I would check, but didn't Clay have 88 and flip the number at Charlotte? - the man is repeating himself!! Maybe that is why he struggles to make each show different for us and can't do the same schtik each time like most performers.

[YSRN]

Happy Birthday kareneh!!

Hee.

Big Secret. Don't tell anyone.