#39: "The little man is healthy, happy, and as loud as his daddy"

[Gibby]

I've been watching Olympic coverage at:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/

You can pick and choose what you're going to watch, and fast forward through stuff you don't want to see. There are short commercials now and then, but not nearly as much as on TV. They have the entire opening ceremonies on that site, and I'm assuming they will have the closing ceremonies, too.

Thank you Gibby I honestly couldn't take it and changed to the Food Network. And that's after watching 5 hours a day for 2 weeks straight. I love bobby Flay. Hee actually wrote Bobby Clay and had to edit LOL. I will go there this week and watch the decathalon and closing ceremonies.

Can you provide a link or directions, Gibby, when you get a chance? I went over there again looking for the Opening Ceremonies and couldn't find them. I've tried before. I'd like to see the uninterrupted Closing Ceremonies too. I can find videos of various events, but there's no search function, and I've tried various categories from the navigation menus, but none has been the right one.

Hey, jmh - just saw your question. Here's a link to the index of Olympic video clips:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/index.html

The left side of the page has a blue subject index. Click on 'Greatest Hits,' which is right under 'Main.' The page will refresh, and the opening ceremonies should be available in three parts at the bottom of the page. I just found them using this method; hopefully they won't change the page by the time you look! They have the closing ceremonies up now, too, although I haven't watched the video clips to see if it includes all of the closing ceremonies.

Scarlett - I'm so glad your Aunt is doing better! Heeee - good luck remembering the name of that hotel. KAndre - you do write the most entertaining recaps!

Annabear - thanks for the purty smiling pics!

Aikim - Sorry for your bad day. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Yo!

Last night as the giirls and I were browsing in a Borders in San Diego, Carrie came up to me and said, "Hey, Mom...look!" So I looked in the direction her finger was pointing and saw a display of House seasons DVDs on sale. I kinda cringed because earlier in the car we were all talking about weird dreams we've been having. Both girls had told their stories and then for some unknown reason I blurted out

"I dreamed I was having sexual relations with Hugh Laurie."

Which was true, by the way, but still...why the HELL had I decided to share that little tidbit with my teenaged daughters?

Alex groaned and said, "Oh. No. You. Didn't. Just. Say. That. Oh. My. God."

Carrie giggled and sorta squealed and said, "Oh gross!"

Hubby looked at me as if I'd just grown a couple of heads and said, "TMI, sweetheart...I'm pretty sure that was TMI."

BWAH!!!!! I can just hear you saying that. Hilarious!!!!

Someday I'd love to find out how many of your dreams are about sex.

[Iseeme]

Wow Jazzgirl - thanks! I had NO idea they were still available! there was a time when I had to wear the obligatory suits and silk blouses to work (ick!) and I had the navy purse, the brown purse, the black purse - and it got tiresome changing day to day. So I just bought a really good purse and never changed. I've had the strap come off of one - sent it in and had it replaced. It was great!!! So I've bought one purse in 11 years......divide the price by 11 and it's really been a fairly cheap purse!

Was thinking about Clay and his hairdos today and wondering what he'll be sportin' next!!!

Edited August 26, 2008 by jmh123
nothing to see here - LOL

[FearofH2O]

I have an old Coach bag that my husband bought me for a gift. He picked it out and I really love it. But because of a little screw holding the handle on to the bag I have had to have it repaired many times. The first few times they repaired it for free and even cleaned and polished the bag. More recently I had to send a check with it and they did not clean it up. Change in management.

This evening my husband wanted me to go with him to a bonsai demonstration. He also wanted advice regarding a sutsaki azalea that he was having a problem designing. Unfortunately the session lasted almost three hours and I was bored senseless.

However I did enjoy the guy talking about his philosophy of the art. He starterd out as a water color artist. He talked about being so proud of his work until some guy who had no experience would come up to him and say "I don't like it." He mentioned how much it hurt although he knew the critic had no knowlege upon which to base his criticism.

Whwn he took lessons from a famous Bonsai master, the expert told him not to believe more than 50% of what anyone tells him. It is important to grow and change so don't do what everyone else is doing or has done.

Okay you can all wake up now.

[jmh123]

Hey, jmh - just saw your question. Here's a link to the index of Olympic video clips:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/index.html

The left side of the page has a blue subject index. Click on 'Greatest Hits,' which is right under 'Main.' The page will refresh, and the opening ceremonies should be available in three parts at the bottom of the page. I just found them using this method; hopefully they won't change the page by the time you look! They have the closing ceremonies up now, too, although I haven't watched the video clips to see if it includes all of the closing ceremonies.

Thank you. I swear I looked there.

Woohoo for more Hong Kong ++ trip recaps and more to come!!

:F_05BL17blowkiss: to everybody.

[liney23]

a new discount coupon good from today until Sept 18th

Hoo boy! They're sure counting on Clay to pull them out of the hole. I know that Broadway and New York around the holidays get very busy....certainly an opportunity for NJUs to see Sir Robin at his finest!!! David Hyde who????

Just got the information on the services for my mil.......1:00 on Friday in Palo Alto.............gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Labor Day traffic in the Bay Area is the epitome of AWFUL I could probably drive to LA in the time it's going to take me to get home!

Iseeme... As someone who lives in SoCal, which is absolutely equal to the Bay Area in traffic jams, I feel for you in the extreme! Can you listen to a book on CD? Clay always helps, but even he has his limits in traffic jams when you are going 0 mph for hours on end.

Not been a good day at the Aikim's...

My DD #3 took the puppy out for a walk and on the way back, the neighbor's dog was out (said neighbor never leashes the dog) and it ran across the street at our dog, growling, scaring the poor puppy almost to death. No harm done, but If I had been home, I would have given the neighbor a piece of my mind, still might.

DD#2 opened the window in the bedroom which we had asked her not to until we can get the hole fixed in it...somehow the cat managed to squeeze through the hole and get outside. They did not notice until they heard a noise by the front door and saw the cat hanging off the screen by her two front paws. Apparently being outside was not all it was cracked up to be.

Had the repair man out today to look at my fridge which is not freezing properly...we have only had the fridge 8 months and I am still paying on it. Apparently this repair man didn't have a clue.

Hubby said he hooked the fridge up to his laptop to run a diagnostic and could not find anything wrong...so how come my ice cream is soup? Replaced the compressor motor and told us to wait 24 hours to see if the temperature stablizes. In the meantime I have a roast and about 6 pounds of chicken breasts in the freezer (there was a sale) that I may have to cook if this doesn't get resolved. He also turned the temp in the fridge and freezer down. Don't understand that at all.

Like I said, good think I was at work today; it would not have been pretty.

Loving your travel log K'andre; hope we hear from Scarlett ssoon!

Kim

{{{{aikim and family and dog/cat and fridge}}}} Sure made my day look better!

muski... BWAH!!!

Not sure who was talking about embarrassing their kids, but I can still do it at 63 and I am very proud of that fact. It's a skill worthy of cultivating!

KAndre... do you like Mango??? I sure do! Do we have to wait for you and Scarlett to meet back up to see more pictures? I like pictures! Your previous pictures were very much enjoyed, just in case you wondered.

Anna... N.I.C.E. pictures you decorated the place with! Thanks!

Scarlett... glad your aunt is doing better! Have fun with your family!

I'm going to Maui the last 2 weeks of September for two back-to-back Thur eve-Sun seminars plus the 3.5 days off in between. A friend that is going, too, just called today and is going to use her air miles to get us to Kuaui (sp?) for a day, first class. I am sooo excited! I have been to Kuaui once before but she hasn't so it should be mucho fun!

[cha cha trusty]

I may have missed it if someone has already posted this, but here is a new montage from mariedrummond. It's really good!!

This One's For You, Clay!

I had never seen the MOAM in Orlando before, he was really on that night!!

for some decoration........

[KAndre]

Just got back from Qing Pang market - woo boy!

Let me quickly get the rest of my side of the Hong Kong story in!

In to every life vacation a little rain must fall...so we actually managed to get up at a reasonable time Saturday - Scarlett was on a mission. In the meantime, I discovered that our room did actually have blinds. I was shocked. Scarlett, not surprisingly, was indifferent. We performed our ablutions and went downstairs. The shuttle had just left, but we told the doorman we were going to Aberdeen. He assured us that the bus was simple and easy to catch. Unhappily. we keep forgetting about that not listening thing. I vaguely remembered something about a police station and the bus number. Scarlett remembered a number of lefts and rights, but not in any particular order. So we asked a stranger who gave us similar directions as the doorman, but he noticed us not listening, and sent another dude to show us where to turn. Nice dude. Almost wish we paid attention to either of them. We then spot a teeny bus that actually said "Aberdeen", waved madly at it, but it was on the wrong side of the street. So we trudged up the hill around the police station.The bus we were to catch was a "7" and Scarlett kept seeing signs with 7 on them, but they kept turning out to be parking signs with times to park, you know, 7 pm. We finally found a bus stop and the right bus number but something was wrong because the bus driver kept yelling at us "No Aberdeen" and wouldn't let us off in the middle of the street close to the right bus stop (yes, we considered him to be the only ass on the entire island of Hong Kong) so we took a different random bus to central and it serendipitously dropped us off right in front of a little bus headed in our direction. We passed lots of pretty stuff. I finally remembered to ask Scarlett where the hell we were going. She says some famous floating restaurant. The little bus drops us off in some random neighborhood with no water to be seen. We hail a taxi and Scarlett keeps telling the guy "The restaurant" without any modifier. He looks blankly at her. I suggest the actual name of the restaurant may be useful. It was. As soon she said, "the Jumbo Restaurant", off we went. Since there were huge numbers of tour groups, we just cut into the sampan line. It was weird sailing among what looked like a tenement slum.

We also got a close up look at the Jumbo restaurant

and lost all interest in eating there, so we decided to go to Victoria Peak and take the tram. Conveniently another cab stopped right in front of us. We get to the tram station and there's a LINE! Scarlett goes to get something to drink and I get in line just in tine for the skies to open up. It stops raining as soon as we get under the awning. The tram has a seriously steep grade.

At the top of the peak is a shopping. This is Hong Kong, people! Shopping is their existence. We decide to get something to eat and for some reason, Scarlett wants Burger King. I say no, we will get something that at least pretends to be native, which left out Forest Gump too. I picked a tea house which we couldn't find and so we decided to go ahead and go to BK and Scarlett is distracted by orange spaghetti. I don't like spaghetti at the best of times and so orange was right out I ate at BK. We took pictures off the BK balcony which was spectacular,

and decided to go to the ladies before returning to the hotel. I came across my first, and if God is good, my last squat toilet. We take the bus back to Central, hop off and Scarlett spots a Mickey D's and pulls a Clay.

She gets some sort of crawfish sandwich (and yes, she ate spaghetti less than an hour before), and I got a mango frappe...what can I say, I like mango. Of course when Scarlett saw my mango frappe, she had to have one to, and this is now her favorite Mc Donalds in the whole wide world.

We then head for the chop lane, which is only 20 feet long and only on one side of the street, which means we passed it about three times. Then we headed to the Western Market, where I buy the most gorgeous brocade ever, at $4 per yard. I will be going back. Finally, we decided to go back to the hotel, since Scarlett has to catch her flight. Since we still don't know the cross street, (or address) of our hotel, we do the cab search thing again. The cabbie kindly points out the cross street is Water St. We thank him, I actually listen for once and Scarlett gets ready to take off. We order room service one more time and they are as prompt as always. We eat, Scarlett heads off, and I go out. (just mostly people watched until the wee hours of the morning). The next morning I get up, decide I don't feel like doing the giant Buddha today, find a little French cafe for breakfast, run a couple of errands, find a great bakery with teeny sesame croissants, and make the 11:19 train to Guangzhou using nothing but public transportation. I rock! In the course of getting to the train, some American dude actually asks me how to get somewhere. Not surprising me, I haven't a clue. Nor do I have a clue as to why whenever I'm in a new place, mouth open as I gaze wide-eyed around, people walk up to me and ask for directions. Huh.

NEXT: Entering China proper is something of a booger.

[Couch Tomato]

great recap..again... I'm going to copy these all to your ehp does hong kong thread for easy finding later. Can't believe ya'll are eating at mcdonalds and burger king.

[Lotus]

Lotus, I don't live near you of course but I would so love to come to you for the winter olympics. I've always wanted to go to the olympics and that's probably as close as it will gt for awhile.

I would love for you to visit during the Olympics, but I do live 50 miles north of Vancouver and that includes a 40 minute ferry ride on a ferry that only runs every two hours.

[aikim]

Good Morning Everyone,

24 Days until "Spam, Wonderful, Spam"!

32 Days until Clay is Partying with Paula!

53 Days until The BAF Gala!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[cagney1950]

Wonderful pics, K'Andrea and Scarlett!

Couchie, thank you so much for identifying the singer in that NBA commercial. That could be the best version of SBB ever and I kept wanting to google the commercial to see who the singer was. Marvin Gaye...one in a million!

I am not Canadian but I love O Canada. I love listening to Clay's version. One because he tried it and two because I think his voice is wonderful doing it. I have listened to that bit over and over.

Tears Run Dry...would love to hear that professionally recorded. Loved clay's voice on that as the tour went on.

I asked some questions/opinions on CV. Didn't get a response. Perhaps some here may have some thoughts.

I just saw an ad for Gavin DeGraw who will be appearing at the York Fair in a few weeks. They get big names in the pop/rock/country. Clay played to 11,000 fans there during the NAT. DeGraw released his newest album the same day Clay did and on the August 13th Billboard listing he was 199 with 168, 266 in sales. I believe he was off the the Top 200 last week. I know when we were following OMWH on All Access one of his songs was climbing the Top 40 charts. His sales are better than Clay's on the current CD but not that much better. I wonder what the difference is between his marketability for tours and Clays. Other groups/acts coming include Dainty Kane, Daughtry, and Larry the Cable guy. And Breaking Benjamin. Didn't Clay say he liked one of their songs, that Brett introduced their music to him?

I also have a question about Jason Mraz. His album has sold very well and it came out about two weeks after OMWH. Has he had a rado hit?

[luckiest1]

KAndre & Scarlett, I am enjoying your travelogues. Keep 'em coming!

FromClaygary, hope you got to see everything you wanted. Looking forward to your pictures.

Anyone else still following Canadian Idol? Down to the final 4, who performed last night. I'm hoping for a Drew/Theo final 2. This is the best season, for me, since season 1. I haven't been able to get into it for a few years. My mom actually attended Drew's free concert last week in Collingwood. She said he played for about an hour, and they were giving out free buttons, and t-shirts. If I was closer I would have gone, too!

aikim, thanks for the countdown. Wow, only 24 days until Spam? I wonder how much in advance he will arrive in NYC, to get prepared? I would think at least a week or two. So it won't be long now!

annabear, how about headphones?

muski, you really said that to your kids? Doesn't take much to embarass mine....I think something like that would kill them on the spot. Although it works the other way, too. Recently my 17 yo described a particularly yummy food item as an "orgasm in my mouth". He about died of embarassment when he realized he was talking to his mom about sex. :lmaosmiley-1:

[ldyjocelyn]

KAndre and Scarlett, thank you so much for the travelogues! I'm too chicken to go anywhere where English isn't the first language. I'm bad, I know. Anyway, I love reading your stuff!

annabear, cute story about the kitty!

muski -- hee! Will daughter speak to you again? LOL!

aikim, sorry about your crappy day. Hope today is much better.

In the swing of things at school now. There's so much to do, and I end up just putting it off, because I can't seem to break things into smaller parts to get that sense of accomplishment. Someday, I'll get that down...probably about the time I retire.

cagney, I'll have to get back to you with an answer to your question, but I will say that I just feel that Clay likes being an entertainer much more than just a singer, and I get the feeling that radio, and even record sales, don't mean as much to him as some of these other artists. I mean, I think he DOES like to know that his records are selling well...but I hope you all know what I mean. Anyway, IMO, he feels his marketability (did I really say that word? YIKES!) is maybe in other areas, such as TV -- which may or may not lead to more concert sales. It's all such a complicated mix, really, and since I'm not on Team Clay (damn), I'm not sure how it all works in the end.

Didn't answer a thing, did I?

[Iseeme]

Good morning.

KAndre - loving your travelogue! And the pictures are great! Keep 'em coming! Scarlett, my SB, hope your side trip to the Phillippines was a good one! And that you and KAndre manage to find each other.

Has anyone ever heard Gavin DeGraw or Jason Mraz speak? Eh! (hee - that wasn't a Canadian "eh!" - just a shrug shoulders and make a noise "eh!") Clay's personality is so much a part of his entertainment factor!!! And I agree with ldyj that it seems like - SEEMS like - he is happy doing other things besides just being a recording artist!!! I look forward to 2009 to see what he's going to spring on us next!

[jazzgirl]

Just wanted to post that this homebody loves getting a vicarious trip to Hong Kong. KAndre and Scarlett are delightfully entertaining writers!

As for Clay's not being on tour right now and comparative market position, I just think it is harder to determine where you want to channel opportunities if your talents allow you to go in different directions. For instance, Gavin DeGraw doesn't have a triumphant debut on Broadway in his career repertoire. Big Daddy Clay has other priorities now, but I believe he will emerge and follow his heart regarding his career on whatever timetable is right for him.

[claytonic]

I agree that politics is just awful, and I don't like it either because it is soul destroying. The only reason I pay attention to this necessary evil is because the players are important .... the "winner" gets to control some important aspects of my life. I am not really a fan of Michael Moore - I wanted to state that first - however, I also want to say that sometimes, we need people like him to make us sit up. I know so many people who had no idea how bad things were until they suddenly had to access a critical service, such as health care.

OK, that's all I will say on it, this thread is for the feel-good stuff that comes with talking about Clay!!

I just received this in an email. The end is so extraordinary that it will take your breath away.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PRJxJdgc4Ng&...feature=related

ETA: KAndre

Scarlett remembered a number of lefts and rights, but not in any particular order.

:cryingwlaughter:

[luckiest1]

Hey, I am not against discussing politics on FCA. There is a political thread set up here for that purpose:

http://findingclayaiken.invisionzone.com/i...amp;#entry83665

I just won't be participating.

[Couch Tomato]

I know what you mean LadyJ but don't know that I agree. I think Clay loves selling lots and lots of albums. Although I don't think he'd sacrifice principles or anything I do think he's very competitive and likes being number 1.... or at least 2. hee.

Cagney...I'm right there with you on the Tears Run Dry had hopes for a recording of it. I'm going to assume it's out there somewhere and one of these days we'll hear it. I'm sticking to that heee.

Oh Cagney you have just made me spend almost an hour on Youtube. I love Marvn's

as much today as the day he sang it. I could really feel the electricity. My memory had it being the Laker Game but it was the Allstar Game. I do think it was at the old Laker home, The Forum. He made that song sound like something you could just listen to everday. I've heard it over the years because I got my mom the Marvin Gaye box set which comes with his number one hits, his protest songs, his live reocrodings, duets, the classics and I can't remember the last one at the moment. It's on my ipod. But for someone with such a distinctive voice he was very versatile. .. someone who can sing

and then what do you know, fun upbeat *hope I used that right hee* love songs ...ooh Clay related

.. best

*hee the short version..I think this song goes on for10 minutes. And my favorite MG song...

...I think Marvin Gaye is in my top five all time artists.

Don't know anything about those artists Cagney but I have seen Jason Mzraz commercial for his album on tv A LOT over the past few weeks. Can't remember which shows I was watching though...

ETA: Geesh that had like 50 errors.... I'm sure I left 10.

[Gibby]

I just received this in an email. The end is so extraordinary that it will take your breath away.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PRJxJdgc4Ng&...feature=related

It was great to watch that again! Wow! I think someone here posted a link to that video awhile back.

Here's a link to a funny 'balance bar' routine - done by a guy who does gymnastics comedy! He's done a number of silly performances that are also on youtube. He's a pretty good gymnast to be able to do this stuff!

'Paulette Huntinova' on the balance beam

Loved the recap and the pics, KAndre!

[claytonic]

I just received this in an email. The end is so extraordinary that it will take your breath away.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PRJxJdgc4Ng&...feature=related

It was great to watch that again! Wow! I think someone here posted a link to that video awhile back.

Here's a link to a funny 'balance bar' routine - done by a guy who does gymnastics comedy! He's done a number of silly performances that are also on youtube. He's a pretty good gymnast to be able to do this stuff!

'Paulette Huntinova' on the balance beam

Loved the recap and the pics, KAndre!

OMG "Paulette" is too funny and sooo talented! I LOVE it, thanks for posting Gibby!!

ETA: Couchie... that MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL "Ain't no Mountain High Enough" duet is one of my all-time favourite duets. They had such chemistry, and such a tragedy she died so very young. (Marvin was devastated, or course.).

[cha cha trusty]

Lotus, I don't live near you of course but I would so love to come to you for the winter olympics. I've always wanted to go to the olympics and that's probably as close as it will gt for awhile.

I would love for you to visit during the Olympics, but I do live 50 miles north of Vancouver and that includes a 40 minute ferry ride on a ferry that only runs every two hours.

So what's the problem??

Where are the Olympics going to be next year?

(sorry, I am seriously not paying attention!)

[luckiest1]

The 2010 Winter Olympics will be in Vancouver,BC. I know this because I am a huge figure skating fan.

[Gibby]

That will be soooo exciting for you Claynadians! A trip to Canada might be in my future.

I love your new avi, chach.

[cha cha trusty]

I asked some questions/opinions on CV. Didn't get a response. Perhaps some here may have some thoughts.

I just saw an ad for Gavin DeGraw who will be appearing at the York Fair in a few weeks. They get big names in the pop/rock/country. Clay played to 11,000 fans there during the NAT. DeGraw released his newest album the same day Clay did and on the August 13th Billboard listing he was 199 with 168, 266 in sales. I believe he was off the the Top 200 last week. I know when we were following OMWH on All Access one of his songs was climbing the Top 40 charts. His sales are better than Clay's on the current CD but not that much better. I wonder what the difference is between his marketability for tours and Clays. Other groups/acts coming include Dainty Kane, Daughtry, and Larry the Cable guy. And Breaking Benjamin. Didn't Clay say he liked one of their songs, that Brett introduced their music to him?

I also have a question about Jason Mraz. His album has sold very well and it came out about two weeks after OMWH. Has he had a rado hit?

I'm sorry, what was your question??? (tm some smartassed peep)

I was at the York Fair way back when. I think Clay has moved on from state fairs. I'll never forget sitting in the rain in Delaware. And it rained at Wolftrap, but TG I was under the roof! My kids were out on the lawn.

So, cagney, if your question is, "why isn't Clay doing state fairs?" I think he has moved on -- to Broadway!

Although I can totally see the little family unit of Clay, Jaymes, and Parker doing a bus tour next summer. Yep, can totally see that. Remember how Clay said he likes the consistency of bus tours? How you get on the bus, and the next day, you do the same thing in another location. I think he likes that.

Speaking of traveling alone, I did it back in my youth, over in Europe. Germany, France, Spain in particular. Not so sure I'd do it now! Even NYC is a little intimidating! But totally doable! Just hop on a train, and get off and hail a taxi! Dealing with luggage is the worst part. Thank god they invented the kind that rolls on wheels!!

KAndre - thanks to you and Scarlett for the very intertaining recaps. It's really fun to hear what it's like over there. I'll most likely never get there in this lifetime!!

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

eta: thanks Gibby - I 'stole' it from another board - shhhhhh!!

[luckiest1]

So, cagney, if your question is, "why isn't Clay doing state fairs?" I think he has moved on -- to Broadway!

Although I can totally see the little family unit of Clay, Jaymes, and Parker doing a bus tour next summer. Yep, can totally see that. Remember how Clay said he likes the consistency of bus tours? How you get on the bus, and the next day, you do the same thing in another location. I think he likes that.

Yeah, that ^^. I try not to look backwards, and wonder "why isn't he doing this anymore?", or even "why isn't Clay doing what xxxxx is doing?", I try to look forward, and anticipate what is to come!

Ugh, team meeting with the big boss this afternoon. On the plus side, there is a budget of $50 for coffee, tea, and goodies.