#61: Eight years of freakishly fun tours...and yes, he's still the one!

[merrieeee]

Hee our original plan was to go to buffalo, Cleveland and Detroit this summer.......oh well I guess I'll just have to suffer!

[shortyjill]

Heh, I'd take the overseas trip than seeing this place any day. As a local, I can tell you where a lot of the fun places are in the state, but not much in or around Detroit (unless you're seeing Clay! or if you're a museum fan or foodie).

(says the girl who just got a job in downtown....*whoops* lol)

I'm sure you'll have a blast.

[Couch Tomato]

couchie, no dental is not covered under our provincial health insurance. My employer offers health & dental coverage (over and above what is already covered) so I get my dental that way. Not that I personally visit the dentist...

So I guess I won't be requesting a transfer to our Vancouver office just yet. heee.

Merrieeee I had to look up Bratislava. Wow and so fast. Have a wonderful wonderful trip and keep us posted every step of the way.

So for those following the drama -- my mom's boyfriend sent her the money for the plane ticket to SC. But she has smartly decided not to go in the height of summer. So she will go at the end of summer or early fall. For your Carolinians... what are the hottest months there. We're trying to figure out when is the best time for her to go. And I am proud to say that my mom started a "chair aerobics" class today and she loved it. She'll go twice a week.

So do we know when Clay's episode will air. I love Wanda and Margaret Cho!

[jmh123]

August is the worst; October would be the ideal, weatherwise.

[FearofH2O]

August is the worst; October would be the ideal, weatherwise.

I agree, but it's not so great right now and this is the beginning of June. Yikes! Remember the SRHP or was it the HRSP tour? 106 degrees at Cary. It's usually more bearable in the mountains.

It's not just the temperature and humidity but it's also the air quality which becomes dangerous for older people.

Friday, I'm planning to visit my friend who is in a home because she is bipolar, depressed and psychotic. I haven't seen her since last fall and she has since then been moved to yet another place. Her daughter tells me she is very unhappy and is no longer allowed off the premises for lunch. I thought I'd pack a little treat bag and see if we could find an area to have some quiet time. She loves chocolate and coffee and at one of the homes they wouldn't allow her either. They know she's never going to be cured so let her have some pleasures.

I won't go into how the NC General Assembly has cut spending for the mentally ill and also Medicaid recipients as well as education. The home takes everything she gets each month and leaves her $50. This is for telephone, clothing, cosmetics, treats and for church, when she was allowed to go. I won't go any further.

Merrieeee, that sounds so exciting. I've never been to any of those places either. Maybe you'll bump into Clay.

[aikim]

45 Days until Clay is on DDD!

Happy Birthday to all celebrating!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[ldyjocelyn]

Wow, really slow around here.

OK, new question: what's the craziest thing you've done in the name of Clay Aiken?

I think for me, it has to be my first flight for a concert. Winston-Salem, NC, 2004. I hopped a plane at 6:00 a.m., arrived in NC at about 10:30 a.m., went to the concert that night, and stayed up with friends until 3:00 in the morning (reading boards, talking, and eating Taco Bell). After a few hours of sleep, I got up to catch a flight back home, and was back at my house by 5:00 p.m. It was totally insane...and totally worth it.

Runner up would probably be the JBT trip where I roomed with couchie. Was it shampoo on your face? Hee.

[FearofH2O]

I don't know. Probably the craziest thing I did was to go to Las Vegas alone. I was supposed to meet my sister but she twisted her ankle and didn't come out until two days later. I went to a show by myself and ate alone at the casino. Good thing I enjoy my company.

Or perhaps when we did the ATDW cd release party at Borders. Not only did the management refuse to play the cd, but a radio station sent out two interns to make fun of us and try to get photos for their web site to make fun of us again. No photos were taken and I think we won them over with kindness. One of them felt so bad he bought the cd for his wife.

[merrieeee]

Oh god everything!

But one thing that comes to mind is telling my DH that since I wasn't an American I didn't need to celebrate July 4th. He agreed and i went with "the girls" to Dallas, came back the next day, finished up the preparations for a party to host over a 100 fans, went to the show on the next day, came back to the house and left at 2 that same morning to drive to Tulsa.

Or telling my mum that I would visit her in the new year so I could go to a Clay concert before Christmas instead.

Or going on my first trip to Atlanta with people I hardly knew and going on a crazy ride to pensacola and lying to the rental car guy about who was going to drive the car!

Or meeting 00lsee for the first time, in a pizza hut parking lot, jumping into her car and driving off with her to god knows where and starting the adventure of a lifetime....which I hope never ends!

[shortyjill]

I actually don't think I've done anything too crazy in the name of Clay. Every time I've been able to see him I've had to plan at least a month ahead, down to the time I left. I don't know if running 12 straight blocks to just squeeze into Shubert doors as they were shutting counts. Or running around the full city block in downtown Detroit to get in the handshake line.

I can say the craziest thing I've done BECAUSE of Clay is get on a plane, fly to a city I've never been to, meet a friend I made because of Clay and then roadtrip around 3 states with other friends I had only known online because of Clay. And we weren't even on the road to see him, that was the Clay-less summer of 2009. So we went to other concerts instead.

Oh, well, I did just remember that a friend I had met also because of Clay, flew up by herself. She was 18, I was 19 and we'd never met. We went to see Clay at the Sterling Heights show. I think that's more crazy on her end though for having flown the 1500 miles to get here!

[Couch Tomato]

Yes shampoo. I can't see a thing without my glasses.

Craziest thing is still getting in a totaled car in Salt Lake City and riding to Vegas and then back to California. Totally crazy.

I also did a fly to vegas, go to the ice show, gamble all night, take early am flight home and straight in to work.

That was fun.

I think the amount of travel I did in 2004 was off the chain!

Thanks for the donations. We are set for the next 7 months.

[luckiest1]

Where to start? Like ldyj, on a total whim, after taking in the Detroit IT show in 2004, my daughter and I hopped a plane to Raleigh, NC and then rented a car to drive to Winston-Salem. We met a bunch of people we didn't know to party and then drove a whirlwind tour of all the relevant Clay places in the area (museum, Krispy Kreme, high school, YMCA, based on Mapquests) and were back on the plane home within 24 hour of getting off. Whew!

We also flew ourselves from Buffalo, NY to Las Vegas, NV to see Clay in the ice show, rented a car and decided to hit 3 more states in 24 hours. So we drove across Nevada until we hit Baker, California (world's biggest thermometer!), took some picture, bought some postcards, turned around and drove back, then went the other way through the mountains, through Arizona, until we got to Utah and had dinner at a Denny's restaurant, where we discovered we'd actually crossed a time zone too. We met up with Fear (all by her lonesome) and took her with us to Hoover Dam. We saw Elton John at Caesar's and the Beatle Love at the Mirage. We stayed at Hooter's. If anyone is interested in our pictures, here is a Facebook link to the album....very FCA centric! If you see yourself in there, friend me and tag yourself!

In 2004 I hopped in a stranger's car to drive to Dayton, OH to see another concert on the NaT (I'd already seen 4). That turned out to be canfly172. Then my daughter and I flew back to NC in October to attend a pig picking party with hundreds of strangers and to see two more concerts at Dort N'Arena and attend the NC State Fair. Wheeeee!

Most recently though, I went to work one morning, but was talked into leaving at noon with an excuse and getting in cindilu2's car to drive over 5 hours to Fort Wayne, IN for just one.more.concert on the Tried & True tour. Oh yeah, we had no tickets but managed between 9 and 10 a.m. to secure some. And then we drove home again afterwards and were at work bright and early the next morning.

[aikim]

Craziest moments: Getting in a car with someone I had never met before to go the NAT concert in Rockford. I had not planned to go, mentioned in on the board..she offered to pick me and before I knew it, I had a ticket and was on my way..my kids thought I was nuts.

Talking my husband into going to Ashville last year...how great it would be to go to NC since we had never been and Oh, by the way there is a Clay concert we can take it and we are spending the week-end with a Clay fan and her husband "waves to Fear "..fortunately for me he didn't blink and eye or think it was weird..we had the best time!

44 Days until Clay is on DDD!

Happy Birthday to all celebrating!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[FearofH2O]

I really appreciated the company luckiest as I had never seen Hoover dam and I'm a big sightseer.

Gonna run out and tend my little garden before it gets too warm today. Hope you all have a great day.

ETA:

Back from visiting my friend in the "rest home". It is so sad that an intelligent woman is reduced to lying in bed all day. She has not been out of that place for almost a year. IMO mental illness takes your life away. She thinks her kids are waiting for her to die. While I was visiting she pulled the covers up over her head and turned her back to me. I kept talking. The most excited she got was when I was leaving. I don't upset easily. I asked if I could take her out next time and they agreed. I'm a lot bigger than her so no problem.

I guess Clay didn't pop up today?

[Carolina Clay]

LOL, I've written blogs about some of my crazy experiences. To me, it wasn't crazy to host three online friends I had never met. However, my family (sister and BIL) thought I had lost my marbles and insisted we have a code word if the person I was picking up at the airport wasn't the type person I thought she was.

They called that evening and asked what we were doing. It gave me great pleasure to say, "Looking at pictures of your grandchildren." We then proceeded to locate Clay's buses and a ton of other adventures.

I have been listening to Clay sing "Home" quite a bit today. Just discovered how to view YouTube videos/montages on my TV. I featured SueReu's new montage in the current Carolina On My Mind blog with accompanying graphics by Fountaindawg, AmazingCA, and cindilu2. Thank you for your visits and your props to these visual artists who are entertaining fans during the drought.

Wake Forest Hospital has certainly been on the ball today, calling and making sure I know what to do in the days/hours before Monday's surgery. I told both contacts that I was typing everything they said.

Have a great weekend, all!

Caro

[aikim]

I really appreciated the company luckiest as I had never seen Hoover dam and I'm a big sightseer.

Gonna run out and tend my little garden before it gets too warm today. Hope you all have a great day.

ETA:

Back from visiting my friend in the "rest home". It is so sad that an intelligent woman is reduced to lying in bed all day. She has not been out of that place for almost a year. IMO mental illness takes your life away. She thinks her kids are waiting for her to die. While I was visiting she pulled the covers up over her head and turned her back to me. I kept talking. The most excited she got was when I was leaving. I don't upset easily. I asked if I could take her out next time and they agreed. I'm a lot bigger than her so no problem.

I guess Clay didn't pop up today?

So sorry about your friend..I hope the outing goes well.

Isn't that a little personal?

Kim

[FearofH2O]

Only a Clay fan would think that, aikim

I was hoping I'd missed something today. Darn it!

Keeping my fingers crossed for you Caro that it turns out well. Mr. Fear is having his surgery at Forsyth Medical Center as his surgeon switched hospitals a few years ago.

[aikim]

Only a Clay fan would think that, aikim

I was hoping I'd missed something today. Darn it!

Today is the anniversary of when Clay and Ruben were on Oprah and there was some conversation about him tugging on his shirt that day...amazing how much has changed in 8 years.

Kim

[ausdon]

I Suppose I could say that I flew half way around the world to catch Clay in Spamalot. It wouldn't be quite true, since I was going anyway, but its all in how you look at it.

I did however meet up with someone from this board in Washington, get in their car (with Kids and DH in tow!), & have a wonderful day. (Sure did shock the kids though!)

ChaCha Trusty -haven't seen you here for a while!

Also hung around an alleyway (in NYC!!) eyeing up strangers until my rendevouz with Annabear & her Mum.

Annabear!

We all know that the Schubert alley is a fine place but it sounds good telling my friends - dark alley, NYC, meeting strangers,country girl on subway at midnight all alone!

[FearofH2O]

ausdon, I've seen Cha Cha around on the Clay trail. She's still as sweet as ever. Haven't seen Annabear since Spamalot but then I don't live near her. I hope you can make it to the US again for a Clay trip.

[annabear]

FCA!

I Suppose I could say that I flew half way around the world to catch Clay in Spamalot. It wouldn't be quite true, since I was going anyway, but its all in how you look at it.

I did however meet up with someone from this board in Washington, get in their car (with Kids and DH in tow!), & have a wonderful day. (Sure did shock the kids though!)

ChaCha Trusty -haven't seen you here for a while!

Also hung around an alleyway (in NYC!!) eyeing up strangers until my rendevouz with Annabear & her Mum.

Annabear!

We all know that the Schubert alley is a fine place but it sounds good telling my friends - dark alley, NYC, meeting strangers,country girl on subway at midnight all alone!

ausdon!

Hee! I remember that like it was yesterday. Me & my mom, first time in NY, standing around in Shubert Alley at night. Once everyone else but you & your family and me & my mom had left, it just kind of figured we had to be the strangers from half way around the world we were all looking for, right?!

Of course, there was also the time a few weeks later when I bought a last minute ticket to NY for the May final show & flew by myself to spend the weekend with people I'd never met...

Couchie, luckiest, and cindilu

I'm still around, though mainly just on Facebook nowadays. Saw Clay in Cinci in March, which seems like a year ago already. Keeping busy, but not necessarily in ways I enjoy... I lost my job of almost 10 years back in October and haven't been able to find ANYTHING since. My former employer has been a real PitA and I've had to get lawyers involved in the mess. It's gotten to the point where I have to make some difficult decisions, like giving up my condo, which brings with it even more messy and difficult decisions.

Hope everyone here is well!

[ldyjocelyn]

annabear! Glad to know you're alive, but sad to know that things with your job aren't working to your advantage. I hope everything works out soon....

Went out tonight to hear a bar band tonight. Kinda fun, actually, although I'm getting too old for this s***.

I suppose I could say another of my craziest adventures in regards to Clay was flying to NYC by myself for a weekend, and seeing Spamalot 4 times in three days. That was such a fun year....

[Couch Tomato]

Annabear! Nice to see you. I'm sorry about your job but yeah the job market is pretty closed still. I still look now and then just to check things out and there's not much out there. I'm glad you have a lawyer -- someone to fight for you.

I really like facebook.. probably pretty hooked on it now. I can read it on my phone with just a couple of clicks. Just seeing so many of my worlds collide is pretty fun.

Fear, sorry about your friend in the rest home.

Well my nephew's team lost their first playoff game. We thought they would go further but this is sports. And just a few years ago he was on the 4th place team that went all the way to and won the championship game. My niece had her 3rd grade commencement today. I can't believe she's going to the 4th grade already.

Part of the fun of traveling to see Clay was going to cities I've never been to. I loved some places that I didn't really expect to like Nashville, Minneapolis and Greenville.

[shortyjill]

Nashville's a great town! Been there a couple times when visiting family.

Don't ask how or why I'm up at this point. I don't know, and I'm going straight to bed. I am currently a zombie......

[FearofH2O]

to Annabear, although I only met you once, it was a pleasure. So sorry about your employment mess.

I saw some people on the TnT tour that I hadn't seen in a long time, but usually in the theatre and from a distance. I guess many people are fans of Clay and maybe not the boards so much, especially when Clay is gone and living his life.