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

[Gibby]

Hey, Scarlett, I'm hoping for another travelogue! Or at least a little bit of info how things are going for you. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

I saw that speech, too! Pretty darn cool, and it was right here in Colorado!

[muskifest]

Just heard that bitch Chelsea somebody on tv making snide comments about Ricky Martin's babies via a surrogate and, of course, about Clay too. She said, "Now what could those two guys have in common?" Then she went on to say she didn't care what Ricky Martin is, she'd do him.

She's pure class, that one.

Whew! Hot day today, folks! We did a very hot 3+ hours at San Diego's Wild Animal Park....Carrie's so like a little kid at places like this. Of course, Alex is just too cool to get excited about such silliness. Then a longer-than-it-should've-been drive to Long Beach for just one night and then on to Thousand Oaks where we'll stay put for three nights in order to go to our niece's wedding.

Wedding's on Sunday, then we're planning to zip back as directly as possible on Labor Day--the kids start school the very next day!

I haven't been to another board in over a week now and somehow don't miss a thing! That is, any 'thing' worth missing.... Actually, the only thing I'm missing is Mr. Aiken. I hope he's absolutely, blissfully, heart-burstingly happy with his son....

...and with the mother of his son, whatever THAT relationship might be!

[Scarlett]

Hey, Scarlett, I'm hoping for another travelogue! Or at least a little bit of info how things are going for you. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

I saw that speech, too! Pretty darn cool, and it was right here in Colorado!

I'm jealous -- I wanted to be there but KAndre had planned this for a long time. When keepingfaith talked about going to Denver, though, I was v. tempted to reschedule. Wasn't it amazing!!!

I'm at the Macau hotel with KAndre having arrived last night after a series of adventures. Initially I didn't want to go to Macau because everyone I knew who went here just stayed at the casinos the entire time. I don't plan to go to one in the near future. Well, unless Clay performs in one again.

I left Manila at 8:00 am Thursday morning. My aunt was still asleep at 4:30 am when we left for the airport but she's been doing very well. The previous day, she was out in the patio among the orchids, working on her physical exercises. My cousin who's an RN in the US trained her caregiver very well -- she was bedridden for months but has absolutely no sign of bedsores, has a bedbath twice a day, had constant mental and physical exercises and a steady stream of people talking to her, helping her stay alert and focused.

Our flight arrived in Hongkong at about 10 am. Since the Buddhist monastery was on the same island as the airport, I just left my baggage at the left luggage counter and then took a bus to the foot of the mountain and rode a cable car up to the monastery/status. The cable car ride took about 20 minutes and the views of the island and across the water to Hong Kong were gorgeous. This was going to be my "Serenity Day" in Hong Kong, so I spent some time walking around the village, viewing the Buddha statue which is supposed to be the world's largest sitting Buddha. I skipped the restaurants in the nearby "Disney-esque" village and signed up for the vegetarian meal at the monestary -- and it turned out to be quite good. I'll post some pictures and more details in the picture thread tonight (your Friday morning).

After spending the day at the monastery, I took the bus to the Macau ferry terminal (lots of adventures there because it was rush hour in Hong Kong) and arrived at a nicely lit port in Macau just 1 hour later. This place turned out to be much nicer than I expected - old world european mixed with old asia. We're going out right now, but will post details and pics soon.

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

[playbiller]

Heh, I just realized the reason I feel a need to rearrange things/people is the same reason I like playing sorting games, just a love of order from the chaos that lives in my head.

So, reading blogs is not so bad all the times, I was reading one about fantasy football and ran across this description

Tim Robinson: This tall dark and hansom dude from Big Sky country finished second last season. In fact, it may have been his first ever season with a winning record. He lives in Montana during the off-season and says he loves the freedom of the hills and the fact that he can pee outside and no one cares. He loves stray dogs, Clay Aiken music and a spirited game of bad mitten.

Is it just me who thinks he was being given a hard time?

Eh, time for bed.

[cha cha trusty]

Had a very low-key day - it's been crazy lately so I think I deserved a rainy day to just hang out in my pj's half of the day! Furthest I went today was to the mailbox! Finished up another Jane Green novel (Swapping Lives) and am about to start another one!

Can't wait for tomorrow and Kim's countdown so I can see how many days till Clay opens on Broadway again!!!

:F_05BL17blowkiss: to all in the FCA fandom!

[djs111]

(warning - you'll get yer non-succinct post some other time, when I am more busy, it is 5 am here)

I’m so happy that Clay is going back to Spamalot!! Is that what the current bitching is about? I can’t imagine….well, hell, yes I can. <g>

Heidi, I don't think it is bitching, can't think of a softer word, tho.

The categories seem to be:

-----The baby is a bad career move

-----Spam is a bad career move

-----People who are waxing ecstatic about babies are distressing the people who don't have them. Either they can't have babies, don't want babies, are not interested in anyone's babies, or do not wish to read about anything but Clay's career. (In that spirit, all of y'all who are going to Spam please STFU, because I can't afford it. Thank you.) (:-O)

-----The what does "dear friend" really mean thing keeps cropping up. Answer is "we have no idea".

My boyfriend and I (early 50's then) were together for 6 years before he passed away, and we always introduced each other as "my friend" - we thought all the alternatives sounded silly or stilted - boyfriend, girlfriend, man friend, partner, lover, live-in, light of my life, etc. It never occurred to us to feel we needed to define our relationship for anybody else, it was just what we felt like saying. Those who were our personal friends knew by default. Eric Roberts was not in our circle of friends, so he did not make any statements to People about us, and we didn't have a fan base, so the whole shebang was easy to manage, with only about 5 seconds devoted to the logistics and ramifications - basically, our relationship was not anybody's else's business. And we literally never passed each other, in the house, without a hug or little kiss, it was not like we had a platonic relationship or anything like that, by a long shot!

So I am not reading anything at all into the "dear friend" remark, the literal "translation" mostly (not all, I know!) seems to be important to those who have expressed distaste for the whole relationship and circumstances. I certainly don't care to tell others what to think, but I also certainly wouldn't sit around my dinner table being negative about strangers' relationships, either.

I am always happy for Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock, for example. And then I am happy for her and Tommy Lee. And then I am happy for Pam and Kid again! Hey, love is where ya find it, and evidently it is in short supply, I think it should be either celebrated or, at worst, ignored. Not dissected like a questionable piece of fish.

Some people do complain that they feel pressured to seem rhapsodic about something that they just don't like or don't care about - and yeah, I have read posts that wonder why everyone has not expressed happiness. I don't feel everyone needs to express joy, it is just kinda bizarre to me that some express distaste. Just read on, I would think!

I had an aunt who never married or had children. She was very very fond of the daughter of one of my cousins. When my cousin subsequently gave birth to a boy a couple of years later, my aunt (who lived with us) took the early morning phone call about the birth, said into the phone, flatly, "Oh. I guess she will love it anyway", hung up, and went back into her room. Never mentioned that child again. But the rest of us did! Aunt Peggy had (and kept) a reputation as a randomly unpleasant odd duck, and we mostly steered clear of her or were meticulously polite. But we felt if she didn't want talk of our male cousin at the dinner table, she could eat in her room or in the kitchen.

I do understand that some ONLY want to talk about Clay's career (and some of those people seem to only want to criticise it!), but the nature of this or any board seems easy to suss out, and I don't know why people think a board should change to suit them, IMO they need to find a board where they are comfy. Or something. I dunno. While some great friendships have been forged out of this fandom, it is not like we all knew each other before and all settled on being a fan of Clay - most of us would not even be here if not for Clay, and I would leave the board in a heartbeat if it became negative, waste of my time.

So anyway, Heidi, I think people are tip-toeing out, now that the initial merrymaking is over, and expressing unhappiness with the party atmosphere, or claiming board participation is down due to the baby thing. I disagree, I think participation is down in some places because the board has become too negative or bossy or whatever, and is just not a fun way to pass the time. And really, how many times can ya get interested in "career's over!, no it isn't!, is TOO! is NOT!".

I'd rather read Where In the World are KAndre SanDiego and Scarlett? And who is dumb enough to mess with them? I want details! And I like pretty pictures, too. Of everything.

(addendum - no one person or board is important enough for me to be this non-succinct concerning them. Really. Trust me on this.)

[Couch Tomato]

DJS I am awake enough to see that you are still awake yet too sleepy to you read you until the morning... hmmm I bet some people are getting up for work about now. I think I should go to bed!

[djs111]

Heeee, Couchie, I have been up since 2:30, don't know why!

Hey, my post may be better to read whilst in a sem-conscious state. I even used white space.

[Couch Tomato]

heee

going to bed, but first...

INTRODUCING

my new "neice"

her name is Neela..something to do with blue eyes...

ETA: hmmmm maybe I should change the thread before I go to bed...

NAH

heee

[djs111]

Awwwww, couchie, that is one adorable puppy! Makes me want one!

Okay, I have three cats and a bearded dragon, a son, and a grandson, and an aquarium (no particular order of importance) here. I'm over it.

[luckiest1]

Yep, some of us are up and should be getting ready for work. Heh. No rush to get there.

Things at home have been busy with cats, dogs, & kids getting ready for back-to-high school/college. Drove son #2 out to Toronto last night so he could spend the weekend with his dad. YAY! Freedom for me.....well at least until Sunday, when I head back into Toronto to help crimsonice get set up for college, and pick him back up again. Thank goodness son #1 is so independent.

The fandom seem always to be in a state of angst over something. Yesterday's was much as djs describes with a lots of "here's why my fandom has waned" posts thrown in for good measure. I know I shouldn't read that stuff because it's bad for my blood pressure, but I have had a serious lack of work to do at work for the last week, and I've been basically bored out of my mind. Don't want to seem too needy so I try to appear busy (even though my actual boss knows what's going on, she has too much else on her plate to keep finding things for me to do). Ah well, hopefully something will come up today to keep me off the boards!

Oh my God, couchie, CUTE! What kind of dog is that?

[Cotton]

djs111 I loved your non-succinct "recap" of current board angst.

Also - your "friend" view and experience.

I think that's what bothers me the most. People who are judging Clay/Jaymes without really knowing their relationship. I mean - what's he supposed to say? "My Dear Friend and Baby Vessel", "My Dear Friend and Lover", "My Dear Friend Who May One Day Become My Bride But Her Clock is Ticking So We Can't Wait", "My Dear Friend With Benefits", "My Dear Friend and Hot Mama"???

Seriously. We are his customers. Not his Inner Circle.

Either you like his product and buy it - CD's, concerts, theatrical performance tickets - or you don't like his product and you go buy somebody else's stuff.

I mean - I get that people are interested. Hell, I'm interested. But being interested and proclaiming he should do this or that are two entirely different things.

I think some of the problem is the nature of the written/read word as opposed to face-to-face talk in which you have tone and facial expression to indicate meaning, aid understanding. I think some people have a harder time expressing their dilemma with a perceived life choice. (I say perceived, because we really don't know the situation.) It's one thing to try to understand and another thing to demand life choices based on fan "standards".

And some people know exactly what they are saying and just love to watch people get upset so they can laugh at them.

You know it's true!

I think some of it is generational, too. DS didn't even blink. "Oh. He's helping a friend," nodding his head.

couchie! Oh, such a cute, cute doggie!

Yeah - what kind of pooch is he? So soft and fuzzy looking I want to reach through the screen and snuggle him!

Hope everyone has a lovely SAFE holiday weekend!

Oh, yeah. Watching that speech last night was electric!

Those people were almost as excited as Clay Fans at a Return of the JBT Concert!!! :lmaosmiley-1:

[bottlecap]

Just a reminder that Clay's episode of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" is on tonight.

[Cotton]

Michael Jackson is 50 !!!

:o

[aikim]

Good Morning Everyone,

Couchie

Your "niece" is adorable!

Waves to Cha Cha!

21 Days (3 weeks!) until "Spam, Wonderful, Spam!"

29 Days until Clay is Partying with Paula!

50 Days until The BAF Gala!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[Scarlett]

KAndre and I are done sightseeing for the day (Friday) though I see that the day's just starting out for everyone so have a nice one! :nature-smiley-014:

We split up close to our hotel -- she's heading out to a casino/karaoke place so I picked up some street food for dinner and headed to our room where I'll have the internet connection all to myself. We didn't bring a router this time so we've been sharing the ethernet in macau; I'm glad to have it to myself tonight but next time I won't forget the router (well, next time I won't pack at 2am after being awakened by ant bites!)

So... I'll be uploading pictures the rest of the night (morning to you) and then tomorrow we'll be checing out of this macau hotel and riding the turbojet/hydrofoil back for our last day in Hong Kong!

Thanks to all who've been with us on this journey, we'll have a great last day tomorrow! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

ETA:

21 Days (3 weeks!) until "Spam, Wonderful, Spam!"

[FearofH2O]

Good morning! Looks like you all have your day planned. I'm not going anywhere exciting but we are having lunch with friends at a nice restaurant today. Hade dinner last night with our youngest son at a nice Italian restaurant. The poor guy had so much on his plate and neded to talk that we sat outside on a brick patio later and talked for two hours despite him missing a class.

Last night I got a pair of tickets to Wicked for one of our nonSpam nights while in NYC. I hope we're not disappointed, it comes so highly recommended.

Muskifest, read an article in our local paper about that Chelsea woman. It appears that she also questioned the masculinity of the Jonas Bros and received death threats from his fans. Can't imagine a Clay fan ever doing that. Also their management threatened to take away E!s rights to any Jonas Bros video.

[aikim]

Fear I saw Wicked here in Chicago and I promise you; you won't be disappointed...it is amazing! Just don't go in expecting the Wizard of Oz because it is nothing like it! I know a lot of people had trouble getting into the book (and it took me two readings to really get it); but the play really does do a good job getting to the core of the book...i.e. prejudices based on skin color, social class, etc. and really makes you think! But it is a funny play too; the little asides to the Wizard of Oz movie are a hoot!

Kim

[KAndre]

Ha! Scarlett thought I would be gambling like our relatives do - not me - I put $300HKD in one slot machine ($39 US), played it down to $100 HKD and would have been perfectly satisfied to lose the rest but hit some jackpot-thing so I took the $900 HKD I won and left, and Scarlett Was just messing around with her street food. I'm too tired to do today justice, but man, I like Macau so much better than Guangzhou. As for the export, give him my number? No way in hell, first 70 is too old for me and he had that ex-pat attitude. the U.S. totally sucks and is beyond saving and wherever they are living now is heaven on earth and the people one angels in disguise. I don't need any more delusional people, thank you very much.

[spikesmom]

djs and cotton - I'll just WORD your posts - it's so much easier when someone else says it first!!! Hee.

couchie - cute doggie!!!

Fear - I agree with aikim - Wicked is amazing! I've seen it twice (both times in Chicago) and am planning to go at least once more some time (no date set just know I want to see it again!)... while I love to read, I didn't care for the book, it was excruciating to read for me, like pulling teeth, although I made myself finish it... but the show = fantastic!!! and yes, the little connections to the Wizard of Oz are a hoot!

Kandre - congrats on your "big" win... and to you and Scarlett - love your posts on your trip - they're fun to read and the pictures have been great too.. it's so much fun to see Hong Kong, et al, thru your eyes! Thanks for sharing!!

[Couch Tomato]

Yes she is a very fluffly cute puppy with personality already. And I'm about to butcher the spelling but she's a mix of Schitzu, pomaranian and yorkshire (ok I'm pretty sure I spelled that last one right).

TGIF with a Monday holiday to look forward to.

[Gibby]

Hey, djs, I enjoyed your post about board angst! I too, don't get why people get so upset about Clay's personal life, which is just that - his PERSONAL life. We don't own him, after all! I've always been of the opinion to "live and let live." Life's too short to angst about someone else's life, especially when they're happy!!

Couchie, what a darling little niece!

We saw Wicked in Denver, and it was fantastic!

Scarlett and KAndre, so glad you're having fun in your respective adventures! A serenity day sounds fantastic to me.

I'm off to work. Next week I only work on Tuesday, and then have a week off. Wooohooo! Except that means that I'll have lots of time to do some much-needed projects around the house (groan). I guess I'll just have to blast some Clay music while I'm doing all of those projects!

[Claymatron]

(Waves to FromClaygary!! ) Are you still enjoying your holiday...no phone calls from work?

KAndre and Scarlett, enjoying your travelogue and the photos are gorgeous!

I've been working a lot this week, but last weekend my family threw a surprise party for my DH and me. (We both had special birthdays and 25th wedding anniversary this summer). Couldn't believe they pulled it off without either of us suspecting, the kids didn't even give it away.

Yay...only 50 days until the Gala. Won't be getting to Spamalot this fall or winter, just can't afford it, so the Gala is it for me, but since I've never been to one, I'm thrilled to be able to go. Also this will be my first trip to any of the southern states, except for Florida, years ago. Really looking forward to seeing Clay's hometown.

I've got to work two days this weekend (the joys of retail), although I do get Monday off. The job is so much fun, I really don't mind it. Talking to people about wine and then selling it to them is not exactly hard work for me.

[Couch Tomato]

FYI, it looks like the pins will have to be ordered on Tuesday because the pin company stopped taking paypal and it takes a few days to transfer the money to my bank. So the chances of everyone receiving their pin before opening night just got a bit slimmer but you will get them sometime shortly thereafter.

[merryclay]

Parker is 3 weeks old today. Happy Birthday, sweetie. Hope to see you soon. LOL!!!Could you tell your Dad or Mom we'd like a teenie , tiny picture. Please and thank you.