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

[treenuts]

2 Concerts

2 Spams

a zillion and one dreams...

[shortyjill]

11 only for me... 8 concerts and 3 Spams... #12 will be in Ft. Wayne. I've never met him either. Best seats ever? 2nd row in Sterling Heights. And that was a pretty amazing concert. I had front row for 2 of my 3 Spams too but it would have been nice to be a bit further back. I had a crick in my neck that hurt for quite a while after!

[keepingfaith]

This Sen. DeMint is a big nutcase.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) attempted to convince pastors that economic issues are moral issues at the Greater Freedom Rally at a church in Spartanburg, South Carolina yesterday, imploring them to help conservatives retake Congress in November.

In addition to reiterating anti-choice talking points on abortion and backing "traditional marriage," according to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, the senator went further and said if someone is openly homosexual, they shouldn't be teaching in the classroom and he holds the same position on an unmarried woman who's sleeping with her boyfriend -- she shouldn't be in the classroom."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/02/demint-gays-unmarried-pregnant-women-teachers_n_748131.html

I'm shocked that such as this caliber of human being serves in the United States Senate. What kind of police squad does he want empower to enforce his particularly sick brand of immorality on the world?

On a lighter note, spent time listening to music today -- on the radio -- don't know what I'd do without Pacifica radio. Saturday is music during the day and it is some of the best and most eclectic, always enjoyable and entertaining, and rarely anything I've ever heard before. Anyway, one of the songs I heard today was a kind of folk/bluegrass tune that was a toe-tapper and the lyrics went something like this:

What the world needs now

Is another folk singer

Like I need a hole in my head

What the world needs now

Is another Frank Sinatra

So that I can get you into bed

To be honest, I don't think the world needs another Frank Sinatra. The world never needs another anybody, in my opinion, because there's one enough of everybody, but it may be in dire need of a sexy, romantic singer with a beautiful voice and a hot delivery. I think I know just the man .....

And for something completely different, I bought the biggest, most delicious, perfect in every way, honey crisp apples today. $1.49 a lb. and worth every penny. I'm eating one now -- with peanut butter smeared all over the slices and they are downright decadent.

[preden]

What beautiful pictures! can't wait to see him again October 14th!!! I've not been a fan as long as some of you, but I've seen once in Spam at a very bad seat, but made up for it in 6 other spams, by the wonderful kindness of certains generous fans who left me have very good seats, one gala, and 3 Timeless Tour concerts!!!! I will be seeing my first real Clay concert in Chicago and my 2nd gala. I'm very thankful for all these blessings!!!! :04:

[claylove]

Okay you made me count it all up and unless I forgot something, I think I am at about 50 times with 6 more planned right now. BTW, I was in a group photo for the LA gala in 2004 but never had a meet & greet or photo with just Clay. Still hoping for that one day :-)

2004: I Tour (1); NAT (4); JNT (4); Gala-Los Angeles (1)

2005: JBT (8); GMA (1); JNT (6); Gala and Caregiver Conference-Florida (1)

2006: JNAT (2); Jimmy Kimmel & ATDW CD Signing (1)

2007: SHRP (5); CITHL (1); Cap 1 Holiday on Ice (1); Gala (1)

2008: Spamalot (5); Gala (1)

2009: Spamalot (4); Gala (1)

2010: PBS Taping (1); Timeless Tour (1)

Planned:

2010: T&T Chicago (1); Gala (1)

2011: T&T San Francisco, Baltimore, Charlotte, Greenville (4)

[Kareneh]

Oh dear.....I counted them...85 times. Good Lord!! Never met him, though, since I'm not counting the Spam picture or shouting across the room at him during the gala a couple of years ago. It breaks down into 68 concerts, 1 gala, 1 GMA, 1 Vegas skating show, and 14 Spams. Right now I'm holding tickets for 6 TnT's. I wish, now I had made a point of getting to the gala this year but I guess it's too late now to think about it, right?

I've only got one more batch of pictures to go through, the ones from the Hammerstein in New York. I don't think I shot the whole thing because my seat wasn't so great and there were lots of heads in the way. Eventually, I gave up fighting it and just sat back and enjoyed the show. In the meantime.....

I uploaded my Lancaster photos the other day. Here are a few from the album, which is here

[bottlecap]

Pepsi Refresh Project Link

http://www.refresheverything.com/nationalinclusionproject

From your mobile phone:

Text* 102308 to

Pepsi (73774)

[luckiest1]

Oh geez, you want me to really count?

2003:

1 AI Tour

1 Jingle Ball concert

2004:

2 IT concerts

7 NAT concerts

1 JNT concert

2005:

5 JBT concerts

2 JNT concerts

2006:

3 JNAT concerts

2007:

1 Holiday On Ice in Vegas

7 DCAT/SRHP concerts

1 Gala

2 CITH concerts

2008:

10 Spamalot shows

1 Gala

2009:

1 Gala

2010:

1 Raleigh PBS taping

3 TNT concerts

I think that's right, and if so it adds up to 49. Eeep, Chicago will be the big 50! Can I also point out that for 47 of these, I had to cross the freakin' border? The Canadian shows are so, so special to me.

ldyj, it's definitely not my friends who are saying that to me. It's co-workers and my mom (who should know better but you know how mom's are, and what are you gonna do)

keepingfaith, I bought a basket of Honey Crisps at the farmer's market last weekend, and then, being the ditz I sometimes am, left them behind when I picked up something else. So yesterday and I went back and bought another basket, and this time I didn't put it down until I got to the car! They really are to die for, aren't they? The first one I ever had was in Vegas in 2007. Good times.

Karen Eh, it's never to late!

[ldyjocelyn]

keepingfaith

Love reading everyone's "counts." luckiest -- my Mom only knew about a very few of my shows. She never understood how I could read a book more than once, so I'm sure she would have been appalled at the number of times I saw Clay!

And I don't have time to figure out why I can't make kf's name bigger....later!

[FearofH2O]

We start out talking about Clay but it always comes back to Honeycrisp apples. I bought some last week too but they were organic and $2.49 a lb. at Whole Foods. Can't wait for Costco to have them cheaper. Since I gave up sugar, fruit is my candy. I miss watermelon but honeydews are pretty good.

Watch out for bottlecap, it's almost candy corn time.

Watched Precious last night from Netflix. I remember Clay recommending it. Very good movie. But the violence was making me duck and wanting to yell at the mom. No child should ever have to live this way but I'm sure some do.

Somehow I found an old photobucket account I hadn't seen in a while. Here's an old gif I can't attribute, but thanks who ever did it.

Happy Birthday keepingfaith

[bottlecap]

Watch out for bottlecap, it's almost candy corn time.

Yeah, bay-bee!

[aikim]

11 Days until The Chicago Concert!

13 Days until The National Inclusion Project Gala!

Happy Birthday to all celebrating!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[cagney1950]

Happiest of Birthdays, keepingfaith!!! Did you do your check at Walmart for tnt stock yesterday?

[Couch Tomato]

Watch out for bottlecap, it's almost candy corn time.

Yeah, bay-bee!

weeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I'm scared to count mine up!

Happy Birthday Keeping Faith. I hope you have a wonderful day!

[gbmifan]

Happy Birthday Keeping Faith. :04:

Well have you all beat. Just finished my HoneyCrisp apple(Kroger had them for $1.88lb) and had two candy corns to top off lunch. Trying to loose a few pounds so could not have anymore.

[KAndre]

Happy birthday, KF!

Number of times I've seen Clay...dear lord...it is more than 50...

Oh geez, you want me to really count? I honestly can't remember them all...

2003:

1 AI Tour

2004:

AMAs

2 IT concerts (Grand Prairie, Las Vegas)

2 NAT concerts (somewhere in North Dakota, Grand Prairie)

2 JNT concerts (Atlanta, DC)

2005:

6 JBT concerts (New England, 2 in Atlantic City)

4 JNT concerts (Atlanta, Pensacola, Clearwater, Melbourne)

2006:

3 JNAT concerts (West Point, Long Island, Red Bank)

2007:

8 DCAT/SRHP concerts (Frisco, Houston, Tulsa, Newark, Ashville, Pala, Los Angeles, Indio)

4 CITH concerts (Twice in Mineapolis, Indiana, Illinois)

2008:

Lots of Spamalot shows

2009:

1 Gala

2010:

1 Raleigh PBS taping

4 Timeless concerts (Jacksonville, Melbourne, Clearwater & Snoqualmie)

1 Chicago (Two weeks)

Every Kimmel show.

[preden]

I'm pitiful with my 11 times, but will be up to 13 after Chicago and gala this month!

[Lotus]

It seems so few compared to you all.

1 David Foster Star search

1 SRHP

2 CITH

4 Spamalot

1 Gala

1 Raleigh Taping

2 Timeless tour

And since I shall be in SE Asia probably only 1 TandT

Still it is a lot for me who became a fan in 2006 and has never become obsessed like this before.

Ah Honeycrisp apples..just the right combination of sweet, tart, crunchy and juicy. What a treat.

It has taken way too long to write this as my 2 little grand daughters are here and we have had breaks for shreddies, cheddar bunnies and blueberries.

Of to a local Fall Fair in a few minutes.

[jmh123]

OK, had to work on this one. It was a lot easier to see Clay when I lived in the northeast, and I see that over half of the times that I've seen him since I moved back south were on trips back to the northeast. Between the increase in appearances here lately, the Galas, and relatively inexpensive access to the northeast, I'm still a lucky girl.

2003:

AI2: Anaheim

Hurricanes game

2004:

IT: Philly, Wilkes-Barre, Nassau

Broadway Cares - Heather Headley benefit

Dover - BAF benefit

GMA/The Early Show

NAT: Syracuse, Delaware, AC, Musikfest, Clearfield, Charlotte, Raleigh x 2

JNT: Sewell, Baltimore, MSG

2005 :

GMA

JBT: Buffalo, Wolf Trap, Musikfest, Borgata x 2

JNT: Reading, NYC (Beacon), Camden, Raleigh

2006:

GMA

JNaT: Greensboro

2007:

ATDW: Syracuse, Canandaigua, Chautauqua, Cary, and Asheville

BAF Gala

JNT: Washington, DC

2008:

Spamalot - 5 times, I think...

2009:

NIP Gala

2010:

TnT taping

Bringing Broadway Home benefit

Timeless Tour Asheville, Canandaigua, Lancaster, Verona

And I'm not the least bit tired of him yet!

Oh, and first meet and greet before the Asheville concert.

[Kareneh]

Keepingfaith, hope you have a fabulous day!!

[jmh123]

:bdayparty2:

kf, have a great one!

[ldyjocelyn]

Hee -- I ended up having to compile a list too to see how many times I've seen Clay. I ended up with 29, and I realized today that I forgot one, so I must have miscounted by 1 yesterday.

AI Tour, 2003

• St. Louis (with husband)
  

Radio Station Tours at Christmas, 2003

• Indianapolis (with husband)
  

IT Tour, 2004

• Winston-Salem, NC
  
• St. Louis (with husband)
  

NAT, 2004

• Springfield, IL (with husband)
  
• Rockford, IL
  
• Charlotte, NC
  
• Dayton, OH
  
• Fort Wayne, IN
  

Christmas 2004

• Atlanta (2 shows)
  

JBT, 2005

• Indianapolis
  
• New Hampshire
  
• Boston
  

Christmas 2005

• Chicago (with husband)
  

Christmas 2006

• Merrillville, IN
  

DCAT, 2007

• Houston
  
• Tulsa
  

Christmas 2007

• St. Louis
  
• Merrillville, IN (with husband)
  

Spamalot, 2008

• 5 shows in March 2008
  
• 1 show (with husband) December 2008
  

Gala

• 2009
  

Timeless Tour, 2010

• Reno, NV
  
• Hammond, Indiana
  

Future:

• Chicago PBS Benefit, 2010
  
• Waukegan TnT, 2011
  

I have two "rules of thumb:" one is to try and see him live once a year (almost blew last year, and then decided I could afford the Gala); the other is to see him at least one concert a tour. So far, I'm good.

Also, please notice that hubby has seen him 6 times!

[bottlecap]

ldyj, (unless you were lying about the man with you at Hammond being your husband :o) lrdj was also at that concert.

[ldyjocelyn]

Well, gosh he SAID he was my husband, didn't he?

OK, that makes 7 for him...and yes, he's going with me to the Chicago PBS show. At this point, I'm still expecting him to be the only male there. That could be a good thing, actually -- with that small crowd, Clay may be able to pick on him easier. OTOH, that means he's not gonna want to stand in line, and he probably won't want me to stand in line without him. Here's hoping that it is as Pink Armchair says -- good seats all around!

[Carolina Clay]

Hello, FCA!

Sorry I'm so late with the birthday greeting, Keepingfaith, but I hope you have had a wonderful celebration!

Keepingfaith

I have been out trying to drum up text votes from family, friends, music students/parents, etc. I sent an email earlier today to just about everyone in my list except Clay fans. Hope it helps! This.Is.The.Month!!!

I can tell on the "live feed" at the Carolina blog that some people vote straight from the links in the current entry. I thought it was cool that a RETT Syndrome supporter (also mother of a child with the disease) left this comment:

Your blog showed up on my google alert for Rett Syndrome. I will continue voting for your cause this month. Good luck!! -- AnnMarie

We certainly helped RETT win $250k in September. It's nice to know they are still paying back.

kareneh, I love the Lancaster photos and can't wait to see Hammerstein! :clap:

Have a great week, all!

Caro