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#59: Forget life -- It's CLAY time!

ldyjocelyn

By ldyjocelyn
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36 members have voted

  1. 1. What should be the next thread title at FCA?

    • My life has been so enriched by knowing this Clay Aiken guy!
      3
    • I love Clay !! Forever and ever !
      0
    • It's About Damn Time for the Spaghetti & Meatball Show.
      2
    • Let's do it again, girls!
      1
    • Clay is hilarious and lickable at the same time
      3
    • I l.o.v.e. my hawt humanatarianactivistsingersongwriterambassador boyfriend
      11
    • Brad Pitt, Johnny Dep move over, way over, here comes Clay.
      1
    • It's always like the first date all over again with Clay, and I always end up falling in love.
      1
    • Whoever shrunk those jeans... thank you!
      8
    • He branded me for life.
      4
    • Clay Aiken: I am me.
      2

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treenuts Executive Producer

treenuts

Posted
Posted

merrieeee said:

we're here..........jellus?

:smack:

I fell in love with Clay, the man, all over again. He is a genuine good heart and my respect for him grew even deeper after this experience. For my own part, I finally got a coherent sentence or two out of my mouth - and I am going to be smiling for a long, long time. He asked us each what we did for a living and I told him that I was now doing graphic design, thanks to him. He asked 'why thanks to me?' (with a slightly skeptical arch to the eyebrow) and I explained that my interest in it started by 'playing with him', lol - and that I learned I loved it and had gone back to school and changed careers (and thus my life) thanks to him. He said 'all that in the last seven years?' (all the skepticism gone). He seemed to be genuinely impressed and flattered and I was over-the-moon thrilled to finally have been able to tell him that without any sappiness or pretense. I'll never forget it!

(bolding mine)

That is so very cool to read. I wish everyone had just one chance to meet him in this way. I'm impressed by your story and somewhat inspired too :wub:

What's funny to me is how he made the comment: 'all that in the last seven years?'

One could have responded with 'Yes, but look at all that has changed for you and that you've accomplished in just the past 7 years'. hee

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luckiest1 Stylist

luckiest1

Posted
Posted

Hammond Recap

Cindilu2 and I left my place at 7 am and had a smooth drive to the border. Dude there was not the friendliest, asked the 'how did you meet?' question but I wasn't giving 'the internet' as my answer (been there, done that, didn't go well the first time). Then he asked where we were going, did we have tickets to the concert, were we the only Clay Aiken fans left? And commented that he was glad Clay came out of the closet. Ooookay, we refrained from asking if he was glad because he wanted a date? Continued on through Michigan, confusing the British GPS lady every time we detoured to pee or eat. It got hotter and hotter the farther west we drove, it seemed. We rotated Clay CDs all the way across Michigan into Indiana (and someone tell me why there is no 'welcome to Indiana' sign?) Arrived in Hammond about 2 pm EST (1 pm Central) and checked in to our hotel. Met up with some great ladies in the lobby and all headed over the restaurant to grab some lunch (or dessert, as the case may be). Then back to the room for a nap before grabbing the hotel shuttle to The Venue. Who ever heard of a venue called The Venue? OK, it was in the Horseshoe Casino, but still. Not very original!

We wandered around the casino for a bit, running into familiar faces every once in a while and saying hi. Grabbed the world's biggest brownie and shared it, and then escorted cindilu2 to her M&G. It was fun watching everyone get called by Jerome and get their passes. Then we sat and chatted and waited. At one point Jerome came back out and seemed to be looking for someone. We were waving, hoping he'd pick us, but he didn't. He escorted a couple of young ladies in through the doors and disappeared. Then I spotted Ben and a guy in a baseball cap (Devin?) come out of the same doors.

When the M&Gers all came back out we listened to their stories and EEEEEE'd with them and then decided just to line up and wait for the doors to open. About that time I decided I'd better find a place to sit before I fell down (I think my body was saying WTF are you still doing on your feet, you are sick, remember?) And then it was time to go in and we rushed to the t-shirt stand to see if they had the black ones, and they did! Yay! Then in to find our 11th row seats, which turned out to be a lot closer to the stage than I'd imagined. And the 10th and 11th rows were, for some reason, raised a bit higher than rows 1 - 9 and were cushier chairs too. Weird. And then there was the 12th row which was lower. Yikes, glad I wasn't sitting there.

We got chatting with our seat mates and then security approached and asked to see their tickets. Turned out they'd bought them from someone online (e-tickets) and there was someone else in the venue with the same tickets. OMG, that is my worst nightmare. As it turned out, it was a case of the woman having sent them the wrong file, and they got to stay there after all. But it was a tense few minutes. Then, some friends of mine who I haven't seen since Kalamazoo in 2007 arrived to sit beside us. What are the odds of that happening, unplanned? And they were pretty unspoiled, so it was cool to watch their reactions as the show went on. The one lady laughed until tears were running down her face during the opening number, and lots of other parts of the show as well. They really enjoyed themselves.

It was a great show. There was a lot of Ruben support in the house, and Ruben was eating it up. Clay was just on fire, with his jokes, and his deadpan acting, and his voice! He changed up TITN, and Mandy, and When I See You Smile, just went that little bit extra in each song to make it super-special. It was hilarious when he messed up the stool banter and said that his stool was always bigger than Ruben's, and then tried to correct himself. We got to see Clay doing the off-beat dancing while Pastor Studdard sang Amazing Grace (new since Windsor & Chautauqua). I'm glad others have recapped the show as well as they have because I will need to watch clack to remember details. I was not feeling very well at the start but once Clay started singing to me I went into a Clay fog until it was over and I never even thought about being sick. Clay is the cure, y'all. He truly is. I have gone into concerts with splitting headaches, only for them to disappear the minute he starts singing.

I was glad that the crowd was receptive and got up and danced often. I was up as often as I dared, because it helped me to see over the tall lady in front of me. Hee. And I think the guys like it, they feed off the energy of the audience, they really do. Clay scratched my itch twice during Still The One. I was very happy.

After it was over we hopped the shuttle back to the hotel and I fell into bed, back to feeling sick again. In the morning I got up and went for a long, sticky walk to clear my head before breakfast. And then we said our goodbyes and hit the road home, reliving the concert the whole way. We stopped in Dewitt, MI for some lunch, and had the friendliest waiter ever. He noticed a pin I wear on my jacket that is a rainbow flag, and that sparked a conversation about Prop 8 and Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He commented that he'd love to join the military just for all the guys. wink.gif Bwah ha ha. I've never had better service in a restaurant in my life. He brought us free breakfast coupons, and offered to refill our drinks for the road. We left him a good tip. smile.gif

To pass the time, we listened to an old CD I had in the car of the NAT and it was so cool to hear the recording Clay used in that concert about his 'first year in the business'. To think it's almost been 8 years now, that is mind blowing, and he is still going strong. We are so lucky to still having concerts to attend, and to still be meeting up with friends in cities near and far. And to have concerts on the calendar for next year already! What an amazing journey it's been so far, and who knows where it will take us in years to come? Bring it on Clay, I'm ready!

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cindilu2 Chairman

cindilu2

Posted
Posted

Hee, I didn't forget, but I'm thinking maybe you had to be there. :P

What?? It's not every day Pinocchio falls out of the sky at your feet! It's a sign I tell ya! Not sure exactly what it's a sign of, but it's a sign!

- -

I can't believe it's almost over.

Thanks, Clay and Ruben and company for making this another summer to remember. It really was about damn time, and we really are so damn lucky.

:bighug:

I honestly did have the time of my life.

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luckiest1 Stylist

luckiest1

Posted
Posted

So glad I was able to be home to listen to the final cellcert. Bittersweet for this tour to come to an end but I'm ok with it, knowing we have so much more to look forward to. Still, it would be cool if Clay & Ruben could do this again sometime. It was so much fun!

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liney23 Executive Producer

liney23

Posted
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Hee, I didn't forget, but I'm thinking maybe you had to be there. :P

What?? It's not every day Pinocchio falls out of the sky at your feet! It's a sign I tell ya! Not sure exactly what it's a sign of, but it's a sign!

- -

I can't believe it's almost over.

Thanks, Clay and Ruben and company for making this another summer to remember. It really was about damn time, and we really are so damn lucky.

:bighug:

I honestly did have the time of my life.

cindi... now that is definitely a thread title! (see bolded above) And, you have to tell the pinochio story... curious minds want to know!

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luckiest1 Stylist

luckiest1

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Well, when we came out of the restaurant in Dewitt, MI (where cindilu2 did a bang up job of impersonating a lesbian BTW tongue.gif) we were walking to the car and a little, plastic, kind of crushed-by-a-car Pinocchio doll literally fell at our feet. We have no idea where it fell from....a plane? a spaceship? a hot air balloon? ha ha. It's nose no longer grows, unfortunately. But perhaps it was a sign that cindilu2 should stop 'lying' and come out of the closet...as straight. *rim shot*

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aikim Chairman

aikim

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Posted

:GM_FCA:

60 Days until The Special Chicago Concert!

:yahoo:

Happy Birthday to all celebrating!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

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aikim Chairman

aikim

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Posted

DGBMHfrom last night has been vaulted...don't want to miss this one!

Kim

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cindilu2 Chairman

cindilu2

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Posted

Well, when we came out of the restaurant in Dewitt, MI (where cindilu2 did a bang up job of impersonating a lesbian BTW tongue.gif) we were walking to the car and a little, plastic, kind of crushed-by-a-car Pinocchio doll literally fell at our feet. We have no idea where it fell from....a plane? a spaceship? a hot air balloon? ha ha. It's nose no longer grows, unfortunately. But perhaps it was a sign that cindilu2 should stop 'lying' and come out of the closet...as straight. *rim shot*

Apparently we now know my price - a free breakfast coupon at Bob Evans. :cryingwlaughter:

ETA: I don't see any clack of the opening FWW/TITN for Hammond. I SO hope it was recorded somehow (even just audio) as Clay really ramped up TITN.

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wandacleo Executive Producer

wandacleo

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Posted

Finally back from NYC and overloaded from theater and Clay. We had an amazing (tm Clay) time! I'm sure you've read all the reports and seen by Clack by now. I looked for people I knew and tried to find people I "knew" but hadn't met but it was so dark in the Hammerstein and so confusing that I was out of luck. (Sniff). There were two empty seats beside us and people who weren't happy with their own seats sat in them. When the REAL seat owners came, they were reluctant to get up (understatement). After that, I told my friend I was sitting in my seat and they'd have to pry my fingers off the chair to get it away from me. It really was chaotic. I could see Jerome running in and out and saw him hug some guy who was with a small group of people--maybe that was Tom. I couldn't see shit so who knows. I was hoping it was Devin so I could say I'd seen him, but he was just a gray blur.

Totally catty gossip--feel free to scroll if you are pure of spirit.

My friend had the good fortune to sit next to a "famous" Clack gatherer who gave her an earful when she found out Carol wasn't on the boards. (NOT Scarlett, by the way.) The woman said she is a personal friend of Clay's and was able to meet with him and take a list of questions to him, but when others are around, he acts very professional so people won't be jealous AND that she spends so much of her time providing Clack for others and doesn't get the appreciation she deserves for her sacrifices. I had met the woman before but honestly didn't recognize her because it was so dark, so maybe she was feeling neglected.

There was a couple sitting behind us--man and woman. The woman is a big fan but not on the boards and had not seen Clay in concert before--wasn't sure she would want to go to a concert alone and her husband usually couldn't go with her. Anyhow, after the concert, she was just beaming and said to me, "I can go to a concert by myself!!!" Her husband said he thought it was great too!

We saw Jersey Boys, La Cage aux Folles, Memphis, and Wicked--all just great. I can't tell which I liked best, but La Cage was the funniest. Memphis was really wonderful! It's playing in the Shubert--same ticket seller. It felt so good to be back in that theater--I have such wonderful memories of Spamalot.

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treenuts Executive Producer

treenuts

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Posted

Holy shit, don't miss toni7babe's LLVL Hammond clip. How did we survive that in person? Man.

OH.THOSE.HANDS.....lucky micstand....OH.THOSE.HIPS.....lucky jeans :hubbahubba:

And OH THAT KISS!!!!!!!!!!! :Thud:

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/8087872/21413789

interesting how he pulls away at the end though. LOL

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FearofH2O Chairman

FearofH2O

Posted
Posted

wandacleo, should we start guessing? :cryingwlaughter: Sorry I didn't see you in NYC. No matter what the mess up in NYC it was pretty packed and the most energetic of the three I saw.

I'm home, sleep deprived but happy I made the trip to see two more shows. Since Mr. Fear doesn't open mail, I have no idea why, I have about a foot of it to go through. But I'm happy to see we got our new windows installed while I was gone. Last night my brother and I discussed Clay , first time ever. He was a musician and wouldn't even listen to me but coming back from a trip to Disneyland with his kids and seeing the AI exhibit has given him a new founded respect for Clay. Who knew? Seems like they have a film clip of Clay singing and according to my brother, he was the best singer of them all.

Amongst the mail I see an envelope from Charlotte, hopefully containing the receipt for my ticket to the TnT concert. :flirtysmile3:

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jamar1700 Executive Producer

jamar1700

Posted
Posted

Totally catty gossip--feel free to scroll if you are pure of spirit.

My friend had the good fortune to sit next to a "famous" Clack gatherer who gave her an earful when she found out Carol wasn't on the boards. (NOT Scarlett, by the way.) The woman said she is a personal friend of Clay's and was able to meet with him and take a list of questions to him, but when others are around, he acts very professional so people won't be jealous AND that she spends so much of her time providing Clack for others and doesn't get the appreciation she deserves for her sacrifices.

Holy crap. It just never ends.... :cryingwlaughter:

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liney23 Executive Producer

liney23

Posted
Posted

Totally catty gossip--feel free to scroll if you are pure of spirit.

My friend had the good fortune to sit next to a "famous" Clack gatherer who gave her an earful when she found out Carol wasn't on the boards. (NOT Scarlett, by the way.) The woman said she is a personal friend of Clay's and was able to meet with him and take a list of questions to him, but when others are around, he acts very professional so people won't be jealous AND that she spends so much of her time providing Clack for others and doesn't get the appreciation she deserves for her sacrifices.

Holy crap. It just never ends.... :cryingwlaughter:

Oy vey... and I'm not even Jewish or Yiddish or whatever that saying came from. LOL Delusions of gran.du.re are great things, are they not?

At work... must get back to it. Proposal is out the door on Wednesday afternoon. Then I can get to the wonderful multi-tudinous clack.

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jmh123 Chairman

jmh123

Posted
Posted (edited)

Totally catty gossip--feel free to scroll if you are pure of spirit.

My friend had the good fortune to sit next to a "famous" Clack gatherer who gave her an earful when she found out Carol wasn't on the boards. (NOT Scarlett, by the way.) The woman said she is a personal friend of Clay's and was able to meet with him and take a list of questions to him, but when others are around, he acts very professional so people won't be jealous AND that she spends so much of her time providing Clack for others and doesn't get the appreciation she deserves for her sacrifices.

Holy crap. It just never ends.... :cryingwlaughter:

Oy vey... and I'm not even Jewish or Yiddish or whatever that saying came from. LOL Delusions of gran.du.re are great things, are they not?

At work... must get back to it. Proposal is out the door on Wednesday afternoon. Then I can get to the wonderful multi-tudinous clack.

So I wanna know who it is. I'm nosy that way. Probably shouldn't post it though. PM me?

Gathering clack is both a sacrifice and a joy, I imagine. No one should feel obligated to do it, but it is most definitely appreciated.

Edited by jmh123
Thanks.
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wandacleo Executive Producer

wandacleo

Posted
Posted

Somewhere someone posted which video has Clay calling himself a "homo" but I can't find it and can't remember (senility).

Could someone please direct me to the right one.

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