Clays impossible not to like # 64: A super smart, caring, determined, classy, easy-going, and genuinely good, likeable guy

[Karma]

Hey! Please do hang out here; we'd love the company. I read elsewhere that your karma served you well as far as Maine goes!

Ah, the top of the page curse! Don't know about the pop-ups; let us know what you're doing when they show up, OK?

As luckiest said, I was referring to the ticket frenzy pop-ups. Thanks for the nice welcome (and also for mentioning the Maine luck..."elsewhere" no one could apparently read my special invisible ink <snerk>)

I like posting where people actually talk to each other, what a novel concept!

[FearofH2O]

Welcome karma.

We even talk to each other at events. We had a great get together at the last Gala.

I just wish everyone was able to attend every Clay related event.

[merrieeee]

Nads hair removal is now following Clay on twitter, Oh the mind is just wandering!

[evelyn]

Just got a gold ticket yesterday and this is the first time I've ever bought one.I will turn 81 years old next week so I lprobably won't be traveling by myself back east again. Met several of you in Wash. D.C. at dinner.

[jmh123]

Welcome karma.

We even talk to each other at events. We had a great get together at the last Gala.

I just wish everyone was able to attend every Clay related event.

Duh, feel really stupid about the pop-ups.

I can't go this year either, or to Maine, but I'm OK with it. However, when Fear says this, I think, wahhhh! We had so much fun last year at the gala. And at the play. Etc. Sigh.

I am thrilled that so many of you folks are going though. I want Clay to have packed houses! And I want to hear all about your fun.

ETA: What I like best about "us" is we're pretty much drama free. Just a Clay family.

[ldyjocelyn]

Drama? Us? Heh. WE laugh in the face of drama!

My dream? For me to win the lottery, which I would then invest 3/4 of it, and then take the rest of you to the Gala every year!

New tweet from Clay over night:

Finally a realistic representation of gay men for gay men. @hellomrmag #checkitout

[Karma]

Welcome karma.

We even talk to each other at events. We had a great get together at the last Gala.

I just wish everyone was able to attend every Clay related event.

Hi H2o...we do, and we did! I wish everyone could attend, too.

(FTR, I have been fortunate enough to attend about half of the Galas over the years. So I know how it feels to be home awaiting Clack, too.)

I hate ticket stress. Was buying for me and my friend and decided to go to best available instead of picking seats. Did ok. I have Row S, Center Orchestra, seats 102 and 103. I am just glad I am going this year so the seats will have to be fine. As long as I can see over the person in front of me!

I hate ticket stress, too. I was shaking by the time I finally got seats in my cart yesterday, especially after the pop ups and watching the ones I was trying for become "Unavailable"!. But really, after seeing pictures of the venue, I think all the seats will be great, it's such an intimate house @ 700.

Nads hair removal is now following Clay on twitter, Oh the mind is just wandering!

Took me a minute. (I can be slow that way.) But oh my.

Just got a gold ticket yesterday and this is the first time I've ever bought one.I will turn 81 years old next week so I lprobably won't be traveling by myself back east again. Met several of you in Wash. D.C. at dinner.

See you there (not sure if we've met before!) Congrats on your ticket!

My dream? For me to win the lottery, which I would then invest 3/4 of it, and then take the rest of you to the Gala every year!

Funny thing, I've had this very same dream. *cue twilight zone music* It's a good dream. But I think I need to actually play the lottery.

One more thing, for those going to the gala, I discovered this morning that the Courtyard by Marriot (a block and half away from the other Marriot) in Charlotte has double queen rooms (instead of double/double) and my AAA rate is cheaper than the NIP rate. The Courtyard may not be as fancy, but if you're a penny pincher, you might wanna check it out.

Ok, that's my 2 posts for the year...heh. Thanks everyone for making me feel so warm and fuzzy.

(Can I really use this many emoticons?)

[luckiest1]

What a perfect world it would be if we could all attend every Clay event and not have to worry about finances! I honestly didn't think I was going to be able to swing Joseph in Maine on top of gala in Charlotte this year (not to mention Raleigh for Drowsy Chaperone in the spring), but where there's a will there's a way! Especially when you can travel & room with friends, making it more cost effective. Thanks for figuring out the Charlotte hotel, Karma!

[ldyjocelyn]

Via toni7babe at CV:

I came across looking around on facebook these Rehearsal/Backstage Shots from Drowsy Chaperone. Pics were public, not sure if they were posted before or not. I didn't remember seeing them before so thought I would share.

Sooooooo cute....

[jmh123]

My dream? For me to win the lottery, which I would then invest 3/4 of it, and then take the rest of you to the Gala every year!

but I think I need to actually play the lottery.

I have the same problem - wanting to win but not playing. Hey, my odds are probably about the same as those who actually do play.

(Can I really use this many emoticons?)

Oh yes, we are infantile that way. Or I am anyway. I have an emoticon obsession, or had I guess, since I haven't dug around in FCA's emotie database since the upgrade.

ETA: Thanks for the photos ldyj! That first one is hawt! and the last one so cute. Our boyfriend is such a nerd.

[ldyjocelyn]

I DO play the lottery every once in a while, but sadly, have never been lucky (except for enough to buy two more tickets!). Someday...

I think there's a limit for 20 emoticons per post? But yeay, go crazy if you want!

New tweet!

Only 64 kids left to reach the @includingkids goal to send 200 kids to camp! Your donation counts! http://owl.li/n80HR

I've also read on CV that even if you cannot make the Gala, they will add your name to a drawing and get you involved in the Gala somehow (Twitter, video, text...)

[jmh123]

Hello hello. Hope everyone has had a good weekend. I was taken out for my birthday twice this weekend, which was nice, and I am comfortably overfed. No cake, unfortunately, but probably fortunately really. I resisted buying a piece at the market on the way home. I did get a lovely piece of someone else's cake right before my birthday--triple chocolate! Yum!

Ldyj, thanks for posting that article about Cory Monteith on Facebook, at least I think it was Facebook. In case anyone missed it and wants to see it, it is here. So much I did not know about this man. Makes me even more sad about his death, and I understand a lot more now about his personality shaped the show and why they decided to hire him instead of some seasoned pro like Lea.

[ldyjocelyn]

jmh, it sounds like you had a wonderful weekend! Me? Well, my husband was sick for most of the week last week, so I got it Saturday evening and was in bed all day yesterday! It feels like a summer flu, if you can believe that...chills, aches, headache, etc. Not my idea of fun, needless to say. I'm staying home today from work.

Yes, I posted that on Facebook. I'm incredibly bummed by Cory Monteith's death, and I hope the show can survive without him. He really was the heart and soul of the show for me.

I hope we get some Joseph publicity shots soon!

[shortyjill]

Count me as one who was devastated to learn about Cory Monteith's death last week. He was one of the reasons I was still watching Glee. Now I'm not sure if I will after the tribute episode.

Not TOO much going on with me.. might have a job opportunity coming up but I haven't been given any details except that it'd be with Chrysler. The idea's thrown a bit of a wrench into my school plans since I wanted to just focus on that but until I get details about the job I feel like I'm in limbo. Went to a bonfire this weekend with friends.. and uh.. watched the entirety of the Doctor Who reboot in the last 2 weeks (did nothing else) and I fell in love. Badly (and now there's a TARDIS on my phone...). LOL And last month it was Sherlock. Luckily I've learned patience from Clay so having to wait for the next series of both will be easy!! My summer has been pretty quiet otherwise, I'm ready to pick up another book!

[FearofH2O]

Painted front door this weekend. Needs a couple more coats but with all the rain and dampness we have been having it takes forever to dry between coats. Our kitchen remodel has slowed to a crawl and we have no water or anything other than a refrigerator and microwave. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some more action on that front. Made all my plans for going to Maine. I'm pretty lucky to be able to go. Without a sister going on this trip it would be out of the question for me. At least one of my kids doesn't mind me spending his inheritance.

[ldyjocelyn]

Looks like Clay's on "royal baby watch!":

Is it pink smoke or is it blue smoke? Which is it?!

BWAHAHA!

[jamar1700]

Or he is making fun of those who are

[luckiest1]

Well I had an eventful weekend.....drove 3 hours up to Collingwood (north) to finish packing up my mom's summer place, loaded it all into a U-Haul with the help of my ex & two sons, drove it to Toronto where we unloaded it into her other home, then drove back home by 10 p.m. Woke up Sunday morning and had a serious case of dizziness that lasted all morning. No idea what that was all about, but glad it passed. Spent the rest of the day enjoying the glorious weather, since the humidity has finally left us. This is what I remember summer feeling like when I was a kid!

My son Ian (25) dislocated his finger a couple of weeks ago while sliding into first head-first during a baseball game. We spent 3 hours in emerg that night, only for them to declare that nothing was fractured, so they just popped it back into place and put a splint on it. They said he would hear from a plastic surgeon within 10 - 14 days. Well, he didn't, so he started calling the hospital the other day and finally got someone who admitted that no referral had ever been made. He now has an appointment with a surgeon on Wednesday morning. He has almost no movement in the finger right now, so I really hope that this delay has not damaged it further. His season this year is over, no doubt, but my hope is that the surgeon thinks that she can repair the ligaments and give him back full functionality so that he can play again next year. He has played baseball on a team every year since he was 4. It's what he does, it's his passion, and something I have always been a part of, to the point where I am usually the only parent there now, amongst all the girlfriends, wives and babies. I am going to the appointment with him.

[ldyjocelyn]

It's BLUE smoke! Congratulations to Kate and William!

luckiest, sorry to hear about your son's injury! I know how much baseball means to him, so I hope this doesn't affect him too badly!

[ldyjocelyn]

I'm staying home again today. Feel better in some ways, worse in others.

Clay's gonna get interviewed about his role in Joseph. From CV:

Has this been mentioned?

Dan Marois

11 hours ago

Having a brief phone interview tomorrow with Clay Aiken for an article in Tourist News about his upcoming production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Ogunquit Playhouse. What would you ask this American Idol star who has found his way to the musical theater stage?

Here's the link to Tourist News

http://www.touristne....com/index.html

While I'm waiting for the clack, I'm going to start reading this: Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies by Chris Kluwe. This guy is a punter for the Oakland Raiders (he used to be with the Minnesota Vikings). He also wrote a wonderfully profane letter in support of same-sex marriage about a year ago (if you don't remember it, read it here). I've also since learned that this guy is a science fiction, fantasy and gamer geek. He's also hysterical on Twitter. I think I have a new crush....

[jmh123]

Ldyj, I've been thinking about reading that. I read an article about him and the book and was definitely intrigued. Looking forward to your report!

[ldyjocelyn]

Via Beagle3 at the CH:

Dan Marois just posted this on facebook:

Just finished a telephone interview with Clay Aiken who is rehearsing "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" for the Ogunquit Playhouse. You'll see my article in Tourist News on August 1. He says he's looking forward to seeing his Maine fans and, perhaps, to try a Maine lobster.

Here's a link to Dan's FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/dan.marois?fref=ts

Here's the link to Tourist News:

http://www.touristnewsonline.com/index.html

[ldyjocelyn]

Thank jmh! Chris Kluwe's book is great! It's as much about EMPATHY toward each other than anything else, and for that, I love him. He's also got a great chapter about school (basically he says "you're learning to learn," which is what anybody who has had a background liberal arts stresses!) and also a great chapter about losing (basically: it sucks to lose. You want to pull your hair out and punch people. But you go on, because that's what you have to do, and some people learn to deal with losing really well.). I thought of Clay a lot during that chapter.

I would have read more, but I got sucked into YouTube today on my TiVo. I found this from Wowzers4Clay:

Be forewarned, it will take up most of the day to watch the entire playlist. However, it's perfect for a sick day. And it is EVERYTHING: every song. Every look. Every cheese group song (Lurve me some cheesy group songs...) Every Ford commercial. Sadly, my internet connection on my TiVo crapped out 3 clips from the end!

Watching this though...I marvel at how far he's come. Sure, the crowds today aren't as large, but I get a sense from him today that he's just as much at peace with his life now. In hindsight, I'm not so sure he was totally at peace with his life then. Way too many changes, way too much adulation. I think he enjoyed it, to a point. There were a lot of good perks (including the Clorilla, hi couchie!) and bad things as well (again, the Clorilla!). And, as he's told us in 2008, he was just beginning to find himself at that point.

He has matured so much in 10 years. He's a handsome young man, talented as all get-out, and still really humble. He's also happy performing in front of a crowd, no matter how large or small. He's got a beautiful son too.

His name is still out there. It may be as a punchline still, but not nearly as much IMO.

At this point, I don't think there's a chance of recreating the magic of 2003-4 (even if some fans are trying to figure out how to do that for him once again...personal bias on my part). But I think he'll be around for a long time to come...and I'll be there with him!

[jmh123]

Wonderful post ldyj! I agree totally. I think he made some grown-up choices about his career early on, although I do think he gave it his all in LA until he left, and he's most likely a much happier and more fulfilled person because of his choice to return home. Courting the limelight constantly just isn't for everyone. I think he gets just about the right amount. He's already had the phase of being "everywhere" for a couple of years, and he's been finding ways to continue to be an entertainer and live a very comfortable life. He's still experimenting, he's still growing as an entertainer, and he's still getting work. Hey--I'd take it! I would loathe and despise being "on display" all the time.

[ldyjocelyn]

gbmifan!