I Have Been Remiss...

I Have!

Gosh, so much going on and I have just been being so ding-dang lazy. Of course I work full time and go to school too... (plus the leaf raking, but that only takes up a couple of hours a day... and besides that's another blog.)

I just want to start out here by saying what a wonderful couple of weeks this has been. But of course since I'm obviously lazy I haven't kept up to the extent any reeally serious, card carrying Clay fan would have kept up.

But I did manage to catch the final number for the first week CD sales which was $211,234 and landed him at #2 on the charts. Wow! And I only purchased 3 this time as opposed to the 10 I bought of MOAM. I look forward to the day when we'll all only have to buy 1... and all those other people we've been buying them for will be there in line... in front of us.

Anyway, the celebration began for me at the West Michigan CD Release Party at the T.G.I.F. in Kalamazoo, Michigan and I was deeply touched by the outpouring of Clay love that exists here in my neck of the woods and by spending an absolutely amazing evening with women whom I'd never even met before. Seriously, I thought it was just me... all alone. And then later at Walmart I just kept looking at all these women standing in the checkout line at 12:30 a.m. and smiled so exuberantly to myself.

But like I said, I've been lazy and just EVER SO CONTENT to look and listen... and this blogging stuff takes work! However, I would never forgive myself for passing up the opportunity to preserve some of the past weeks memories on my blog. So that said...

David Foster's Star Search (9/9)

Leno (9/15)

GMA (9/19)

Diane Sawyer Interview (9/20)

People Magazine

Virgin Book Signing (9/26)

Kimmel (9/26)

Larry King Live (9/28)

And now...if you're interested in actually READING about this amazing week plus enjoying some really beeeautiful pictures as well, please visit Carolina Clay's blog (and check out her other recent posts too)...'coss there's no laziness there to be found. Nope. None at all.

Sixty-One Days Until Christmas... and counting.

But this could all change of course... since just yesterday it was sixty-two... or wait... it would have been sixty-three yesterday, just before he completely shredded any hope I might have had about ever being able to witness a first concert when he announced Waukegan, right?.. Even though, and I swear to you, I would climb every mountain... forge every stream... follow every rainbow. No seriously, I swear I would!!! For him? Anything! Really.

'Cept just not if I have to drive through Chicago to do it.

Anyway... as of now it's still definitely sixty-one... even though it's really still sixty-two for me... pending further updates. And honestly?... I don't think Peoria on November 30th is completely out of the question. However, for ldyjocelyn's sake I'm hoping he'll book it on the 29th...

This blog has been brought to you by NACT Inc.

OK... I just got really, really side-tracked there for a moment. Now back to working on the blog I was working on before all my fantasies of a perfect world became completely unhinged...

Hanging this thing must have taken almost as much effort as childbirth... sigh.

Is it weird that I find this to be a tad unnerving? I mean just knowing that this billboard is sitting out there alongside the the highway now...each and every night... all night long? And I can't even let myself imagine all the discarded beer bottles that must be gathering underneath it...

I mean, seriously... wasn't it only a year or so ago that she had a midnight curfew?..

And I hope there's a really burly computer geek on the other end of that phone number...

Of course, if I were to mention my concerns to her about this she'd just think I was being a sooper silly mom... cause that's the way she is... and which would probably be perfectly normal.

P.S. Daryn... you know I'm kidding right?.. sort of? In reality... how very, very, VERY cool!

But pleease wear a Burberry hat from now on when you go out in public, okay hon?

What's there to say... when it's already been said?..

It's been awhile... and yes, this blog title has 1000 different meanings.

I've been trying to blog, I honestly have. But I was waiting for that "perfect picture"... and then there were suddenly 1000 perfect pictures. So it was really hard to choose just one.



Thanks to my good friend Karen Eh? for that one. I'm so glad that she has such a trustworthy camera and is mapquest savvy to boot.

Meanwhile, all I seem to be able to do is look at him and listen. And isn't that enough? So much angst out there yet I am amazed at how over the years the angst has turned into so much wisdom. I love reading the thoughtful posts. Wish I was better at them. But I think I've determined over the years that my favorite sport is just... listening.

I love him beyond reason... which still confuses the heck out of me. Life would be so much easier and much less expensive if I could only learn to kick this habit... but I can't. So I've learned to just accept it... and enjoy.

Not Sure What To Call This Blog Post... hmmm

Right now I'm thinking that undoing twisty ties could probably be considered an excellent occupational therapy excercise... as well as sammich making.

Real American Hero... Man of Hottness...

Mr. Piano bench warmin', ring wearin', undershirt burnin'... and most humble Presidentially appointed guy... We salute you!

This bod's for you...

(Let's just let him bask in it for a while and then we'll figure out what to do with him later...)

Ode To Willow...

I had a willow once. Like yesterday. It's funny how they say... "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"... and "You never know what you've got till it's gone." Cause it's true.

For nearly 14 years Willow sheltered and shaded my home. Now don't get me wrong!... we certainly had our fair share of bickering... particularly during the annual bonding days of early spring and late fall. But for the most part, she was a good ole gal... and there were more hours spent beneath the shade of her branches than I could possibly begin to articulate. Some of the most peaceful moments I've ever spent in my life... I might add.

But then... in March of 2003, smack dab in the middle of AI2... (for content purposes) a terrible ice storm hit our neck of the woods and she lost a whole piece of her upper section.

And it wasn't pretty!

And although she seemed to come back pretty well in the Spring, she still, to a critical eye, looked a little "Weepier" than usual.

That was three and a half years ago... and looking back, I don't think she ever fully recovered. I think it was some time in July of this year that I realized she was a gonner. Every day she became a little bit worse. It must have been that long drought.

Anyway... it was was one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make.

Weep With Me Here For A Moment... The weeping willow tree is not only unique in appearance, but in it's meaning as well. The weeping willow is probably the most symbolic of all the trees in the world. It is usually looked upon with a vision of sadness and grief, although sitting under the willow can be seen as protection and comfort. The weeping willow is seen as peaceful and serene by most. Some even say that if you listen closely enough you can hear it whisper in the wind. It has a sense of grace and beauty about it. It is nature's own ballerina. As the wind blows through the leaves, it dances and twirls with the most delicate of motions. This tree has a sense of courage to it. It allows the whole world to see it's innermost feelings. It is also said to have a wise spirit.

I wonder if she felt any pain.

We had some good times Willow... Some really, really good times. But anyway... please rest well. And in case you didn't hear me whisper it to you the other night...

Thank you.

Wishes Do Come True... and here's a perfect example.

Early in August Clay announced that he had accepted some invitations to sing with some local symphonies in lieu of doing a JNT or CD promotional tour. And of course I immediately logged on to my local symphony's site... which happens to be the Grand Rapids one and...

NOTHING. Nothing at all.

The only possible opportunity for him to appear at DeVos Hall in Grand Rapids would be as a replacement for LeAnn Rimes, on December 19th, who had cancelled due to a scheduling conflict. I knew the odds of that would be slim... as GR loves itself some "country"... and so for Clay to step in for her just didn't seem feasible somehow. I mean really, Clay Aiken replacing LeAnn Rimes? That's like replacing kumquats with cucumbers... But still I held out hope.. day after day after day.

I probably would have lost a lot less sleep had I just paid more attention to this...



Heh...

Sorry... I Know It's Late and I'm Blogwhoring... but I just can't stop watching this!...

I thought I was strong.

I thought I could wait.

But I am weak.



Very, very weak...

Not a montage... lovingly stitched by Brandilyne.

Ain't Life Grand?

I sat down thinking I'd create a sort of "informational" blog to assist those who are planning to come to MY HOMETOWN this Christmas. But then I started getting all schmoopy.

Grand Rapids. It's where I live and work. I guess I'll have to go back a few years to give this narrative a proper lift off.

When I moved to this place 16 years ago the downtown area was mostly just a series of rundown buildings with the exception of a very small triangle in the very center of the town which included the Federal Building, the Main Post Office, a hospital, two bank headquarters, a performing arts hall a library and of course the Amway Grand Hotel, which even in those days was a city unto itself. There was a cobblestone "mall" which I assume in it's day was probably the bustling town center. But the first time I visited it I found only a very out of date department store, a single shoe store and I think there may have been a coffee shop. But the turn of events these past few days have made me stop to remember how much things have changed.

Anyway, coming downtown was always pretty scary. Even though I had to bring my girls in 4 to 5 nights a week (but only to the outskirts) for their ballet lessons. And then for years I only had to venture into the "heart" of downtown a couple of times a year. For the three week run of "The Nutcracker" each December and then again for the Grand Rapids Ballet's offering every spring and fall. The performances were always held in the DeVos Hall, and over the years of being a ballet mom I really began to feel at home in that place. As I speak I can picture the stagedoor leading into the backstage area... with the "STAR" dressing room to the right, directly across from the bulletin board and the table where flowers were always placed for the performers... the double doors to the left that entered into the wings of the stage and the many dressing rooms and rehearsal rooms on the floors above.

...But most of all I remember all those nooks and crannies and secret corridors that I'd have to sneak through to get from watching the performances from the house back to the dressing rooms backstage where I could help "quick change" little girls from their mouse costumes into their little angel outfits. But I digress...

And then my kids grew up and moved on and it was a long, long time before I ever ventured downtown again.

Then three years ago my company relocated my department to their building right smack dab in the center of town. Which coincided, coincidentally, almost precisely with the emergence of Clay. And the city had changed. Except it’s not really a city… it’s still a town... which is what is so COOL about it... a town which now has just about anything and everything one would ever want a city/town to offer… including Clay on December 19th! Heh.

For three years now I have parked in the (newish) VanAndel Arena parking lot just south of town to catch the shuttle to work… because parking in actual downtown is reeeeely expensive. And there has not been a day gone by when I haven’t looked up at that arena and thought "Someday Clay… someday." (BTW… every single one of the AI tours has performed there, with the exception of 2…)

My typical day consists of resting cheek in hand and staring out my window at the marquee of the new DeVos Convention Center, which scrolls the announcements of all the coming attractions for "the Place" which includes the convention center itself, DeVos Performance Hall and the Van Andel Arena, and saying "Someday Clay… someday."

My typical lunch hour consists of sitting in the plaza right outside my office building reading a book while intermittently glancing up at the windows of the Amway Grand Hotel wondering which window it will be that "someday" he will eventually gaze out of.

OK… so well anyway… the rest is history.

~ And Now For The Informational Part ~

Grand Rapids is really a great place to visit. But I’m suspecting anyone coming in December won’t really have much time to explore and appreciate the incredibleness of this town. So I’ll keep it simple.

The Amway Grand is of course the place to stay if you feel you can afford it and is definitely within reason especially if you can bunk with someone else… or two. It’s right next door to the venue and almost completely attached. There are tons of restaurants, shops, ornate lobbies... and a Starbucks.

Down the street is The Courtyard Marriott which is a beautiful new hotel. The bottom 5 floors are the hotel with about 20 floors of apartments above. And who knows, I guess it’s possible that Clay could stay here too. From what I understand, there is now an indoor "skyway" that will take you a short ten minute walk up the street to DeVos Hall.

Directly across the street from the Marriott is The B.O.B. which I would probably suggest for any of the before or after concert gatherings. There are tons of options there. Any suggestions? Or… there’s a T.G.I.F. right next door.

If you find yourself with any extra time on your hands here are some sites you might want to take in.

• The Frederik Meijer Garden’s
  
• The Gerald R. Ford Museum
  
• Heritage Hill Home Tour
  
• Grand Rapids Public Museum
  

With the exception of "The Garden’s" these are all located right downtown. And then there’s the Monroe Mall, which is also right there and which still has the cobblestones… but a "few" more quaint shops than there used to be.

What To Expect

The Weather: It will be cold probably in the 20’s to 40’s and if it’s snowing it will be slushy. Dress warm and hope for a crisp and sunny winter’s day and a clear night.

Driving: It’s fairly easy to get around downtown and not congested at all unless it’s during the rush hour. The streets are mostly one way, so beware of that.

Parking: It’s expensive any way you look at it and, as always, it’s cheapest if you don’t plan to go in and out.

Amenities: Sparkling Christmastree lined streets and a romantic carriage ride if you want one. *g*

And then, of course... Clay! Geesh, with all that pimpin' going on... I almost forgot about HIM! Heh

A Thousand Different... Distractions.

I am a patient person... really I am... and I was raised to appreciate the rewards that come with delayed gratification. In fact I sometimes I delay things absolutely forever... just for schnicks. I am a true believer in the fact that it's sometimes much "better to wait." But I am also a control freak... and in most cases prefer my delays when and where I want them. Because there are other times when I just want it NOW! This is one of those times.

We've been teased mercilessly, but in a good way. The foreplay has been ingeniously rendered... but though my resolve has been weaken'd, I'm still plenty strong to last it out.

It's all about distraction...

Is This The Face That Launched A Thousand Ships?"

I figured that if I read Doctor Faustus from beginning to end that by the time I was finished we'd probably have lift off. I didn't get too far into it... but I was STILL able to find lots of distractions...

This is Helen of Troy.

In classical mythology she is said to have been the most beautiful human to have ever lived.

She was conceived by Leda and fathered by the God Zeus, who on the eve of the mating took on the form of a swan.

Later, after being abducted by Paris, her suiters (which encompassed the entire Greek army) sailed off to Troy to get her back. It is believed that she was the singular cause of the Trojan war.

Quote~

"Is this the face that launched a thousand ships... and burnt the topless towers of Iliam?

Make me immortal with a kiss!

Here will I dwell...

...for heaven be in these lips."

~Christopher Marlow and "Claymates" everywhere... *g*

If A Picture Paints A Thousand Words (then why can't I paint HIM?)

At times I've thought about enrolling in an art class but never in a thousand years would I ever be able to paint anything as beautiful as this...

Because Heck, I Can't Even Draw Decent Stick Figures...

But I DID find this handy, dandy little tool where you can mess up to your hearts content and then just erase it if you don't like what you see.

I only had to erase that one a thousand times... Anyway, I found it to be an excellent distraction. **hint.. there IS a speed control, but then again, speeding it up would kind of defeat the purpose wouldn't it?...

A Thousand Other Ways To Pass The Time... ok only four... but some good ones.

#1: eLouai's Candybar DollMaker

But to limit the possibilities to only a thousand would be utterly foolhardy...

My next project? The "Pants of Perfection" meets "The Hair"...

#2 The JigZone

#3 Church Sign Generator

Just imagine the hours of fun!...

And last, but definitely not least...

#4 My Heritage Face Recognition (Awww, the really fun part about that one doesn't work anymore!..)

Anyway, hope you've enjoyed these little distractions. But if you've still got some extra time on your hands, please feel free to enjoy these...

>The Stories of A Thousand and One Nights.

It'll take you a while...

A Thousand Different...Meanings.

I have to admit that I've been intrigued by the promise of discovering them.

But first, I needed to go back and ponder the idea of "A Thousand Days" not being enough... even with the nights thrown in. I've been stuck on that one. Because well, yeah.. it's obvious. I mean, for somebody who is truly and eternally IN LOVE, this would only amount to about 2.9 years!.. (which is only slightly longer than my second marriage lasted and which, BTW, was plenty "enough" for me... and THEN some!) But generally speaking no... 1000 Days is definitely NOT enough. Not enough at all. Usually not even in the worst case scenario. Did we need him to tell us that???

So anyway, the point being... I just don't get it.

Or at least I didn't until yesterday while simultaneously reading a James Patterson novel while still contemplating the hidden meaning behind the "spinning ball." I don't know what came over me but I suddenly had this urge to google. And it was THEN that I found these...

Because what THAT led me to was even better... which was revisiting an essay I'd read a few years back. And it was only then, in the throws of epiphany, that I suddenly realized how I'd been taking this all too literally...

Read this and then tell me if everything doesn't seem a little more clear.

A Thousand Marbles
author Jeff Davis

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the basement shack with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind-he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whoever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles".

I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say. "Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital."

He continued, "Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities."

And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles." "You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy- five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years."

"Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part."

"It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail", he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy."

"So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round-up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away."

"I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight."

"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast.

This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time."

"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. 75 year Old Man, this is K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast."

"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles."

And so what could any of this mean to me? Well, at this point in my life I'm figuring I've got about the same number of marbles left... even though I am certain my children think I have lost 'em completely. And maybe I have. My marbles that is.

But anyway, I guess I was just thinking about it and wondering if there was any way I could begin dispersing those marbles just a little more equally... I mean, amongst those other things that I hold most precious and dear. I think Clay will understand.

I also wonder, in my most delusional mind of minds, if I may have just taken a stumble into HIS for a brief sec...

At any rate...999 different meanings and marbles left to go.

Clackronyms Got Ya Loony?

A new album will soon upon us! "A Thousand Different Ways!" to be released September 19th! And on it's heels the challenge of no less than 14 new acronmyms to commit to memory.

I know!.. the mere thought of it gives me a migraine. But the fact is that needing to learn them is inevitable!

The mind is a funny thing, however. Much funnier than we sometimes give it credit for. There is so much in there that goes unexercised. Flabby, if you will. Sometimes it's just a matter of overcoming the laziness. For example:

When was the last time you got tired of looking up a phone number that you call EVERY DAY? So finally you said to yourself... "Self... Just take 2 minutes out of your life and memorize the freaking number!" And guess what? I'll bet you never had to look up that number ever, ever again. Am I correct?

Another funny thing about the mind is it's ability to conjur up an image in relation to a series of alphas that have no resemblence to the image itself. Try this one:

TREE

See? I'll bet you saw a picture in your mind just then, didn't you?


Now try these:

• TITN
• WDC
• MDYK
• ISY
• MOAM
• BOTW
• IWCY

So... any pictures there at all??? I thought so! But allow me to remind you just how much time and energy has gone into the ability to see them so easily.

So anyway, I thought I'd try to be proactive and get myself to the gym, as it were...

And so I've created this little tool. And simple as it may seem, it will work for you if you commit yourself to spending just a little time with it each day. And then when September 19th rolls around you will be READY.

Here are the easy instructions:

1. Click on each picture to make it big and save to your computer.
2. Print.
3. Paste them together back to back making sure the grids are aligned. (You can do this by placing the pages back to back and holding them up to the light...)
4. Laminate for durability.
5. Cut along the lines.
6. Oh heck, you know how it works.

~Post Script~

Of course some things are easier to commit to memory than others. For example: With hardly any effort at all I am now seeing this picture in my sleep...

I Want Another Night Like "This" One!..

Yes, it has been a long, hard drought. Who'd have ever thought last December that we'd be sitting around like this, still waiting for something, come... August?

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, that's for sure.

However...

It's now down to the wire. It's done! Fini! Now it's just a matter of when he will choose to share it... or when someone else will decide to leak it. And when they do, will we have the strength to not succumb?

In regards to the pics from the photoshoot, this was his subtle plea to us:

Knowing my luck, someone will probably leak them sooner or later and you'll see them before you're supposed to anyway! For the sake of the excitement of surprise, let's hope not!

"Knowing my luck"... Ha ha. He is so cute!

Suddenly I am taken back to an evening in February 2004. Anyone who was around that night will remember the absolute joy and magnificence of the occasion... as well as the carpel tunnel pains that kicked into overdrive as we attempted to click on that link faster than was humanly possible.

Mind you, at the time, we were already in the midst of a "feast."

But no problem succumbing... none at all.

So Clay, yea, I guess you should pretty much count on your "luck" running out on you this time around as well...

Every morning I wake up and think to myself... Will "this" be the night??? Because you just never know. And there are so many potential leaks sitting out there right now just waiting to be sprung and we just KNOW that at least one of them could possibly be headed our way at this very moment. Ah, the sheer anticipation of it all! It's just one of those many things that makes it so great to be a Clay fan.

Anyway, before it all hits the fans *g* I just wanted to revisit this picture one.more.time. Just for nostalgia's sake. Even though I'm afraid the only element of surprise I can offer you is this one...

Somebody named it "George"... just to help keep the secret. I like the name. Works for me.

And while we're on the subject of George... oh, what the heck... why not?..

But ssssshhhhh... cause it's sooper secret.

When I See Him Smile...

I Eeeeeee!

He blogged twice today and gave us our first "specific hint" in regards to album content. It was offered up as a "thank you" to the "Claymates" who in one day donated $47,556.96 towards UNICEF's work with the children in Lebanon. That equates to 17% of the total monies donated to UNICEF towards this crisis.

I wonder who tossed in the $6.96?

He went on to say how these donations would provide 195 emergency health kits for 194,906 people for 3 months as well as helping with education of 20,338 children with the gifts of 254 school-in-a-box kits. I'm gonna trust him on this one.

I am SO proud to be a fan today... a "Claymate" as it were. And I guess just due to the fact that he finally feels comfortable saying that word ... it's probably the very least I can do to just try my best to be an AMAZING one... though I'm not gonna like it much...

Anyway, if ya wanna channel teacher Clay and do the math, the donations equate to either one or a combination of the following:

4,756 "Claymates" donated $10 ea.

2,378 "Claymates" donated $20 ea.

953 "Claymates" donated $50 ea.

475 "Claymates" donated $100 ea.

Keep in mind that the greater majority of his fans probably didn't donate just because they weren't able to, which is "absolutely cool." And those that did probably wouldn't have without his... inspiration... simply due to the fact that they most likely wouldn't have been aware of it.

So my thoughts, any way you calculate them, are that I don't really see a problem with him going triple platinum right off the bat this time.

He said... "Holy Moly."

He said... "I love you guys!"

Geesh.. why does he always call us guys?...


When I See You Smile...

Sometimes I wonder
How I'd ever make it through,
Through this world without having you
I just wouldn't have a clue

'Cause sometimes it seems
Like this world's closing in on me,
And there's no way of breaking free
And then I see you reach for me

Sometimes I wanna give up
I wanna give in,
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you, baby
And everything's alright,
everything's alright

When I see you smile
I can face the world, oh oh,
you know I can do anything
When I see you smile
I see a ray of light, oh oh,
I see it shining right through the rain
When I see you smile
Oh yeah, baby when I see you smile at me

Baby there's nothing in this world
that could ever do
What a touch of your hand can do
It's like nothing that I ever knew

And when the rain is falling
I don't feel it,
'cause you're here with me now
And one look at you baby
Is all I'll ever need,
you're all I'll ever need

Sometimes I wanna give up
I wanna give in,
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you baby
And everything's alright,
everything's alright

So right..

Technorati tags:
Clay Aiken,
Official Fan Club, UNICEF

Angels Among Us...

Are there?

I've always believed in angels because otherwise how would we even be able to go out that door every day with all the crazy sh that happens on this spinning ball of a world we live in and still make it back in one piece? And personally, there have definitely been times when I have been touched by them and felt their presence.

I truly do believe that angels have the authority to intervene on our behalf... but only when their doing so would result in offsetting of a misdirected calamity... and thus allowing destiny to continue on course as intended. These occurences are somtimes referred to as miracles even though, more often than not, they simply slip by us unnoticed.

But the question I have right now is one that's been nagging at me...

Would a mere mortal have the ability to thwart the work of angels, the laws of destiny, the hand of fate... and thus alter, forever, the blueprint of things to be?

Would a mere mortal have the capacity to set that ball spinning off course?...

Even IF that mere mortal happened to be DIVINE and a "heavenly" creature himself?

So you all know what I'm talking about, right? The silly words to that song! I mean seriously?

And besides... Do angels fight???

heh..

But the imagery is fun. I can just picture his "get up." Would he fight with a sword?... or just with his shear talent for negotiating? Hopefully he'd have bangs hanging in his eyes with little beads of sweat dripping off the tips, exhausted from battle... because that would be, well, it would just be hott!

Even though I can't really picture him fighting. *sigh* Particularly after the pulling out of the underwear from the corduroys merited such inaction... and besides, I think he long ago realized long ago that all he needs to do is stand still to assure that all the critical fights will be fought FOR him.

The previous portion of this blog has been brought to you by Stream of Conciousness Inc.

But seriously... I have to admit I have never clicked on a link faster than I did when I saw 1000 Days! Gah! last week.
Ha.. fooled ya!

Geez, and honestly?... for the first few seconds there I actually thought it was something... Official. I mean I'm sitting there all googly-eyed and thinking... Aawww how cute!.. he's got kissy angels... and suns... and moons... and bunny rabbits!...or were they kittens or puppies... but honestly, my mind was completely removed from my brain there for that moment in time, even though I'm sure I wasn't all alone. Some of you thought the very same thing... didn't you? Right? *looks around* Oh come on now... you did!... No?..

*covers face*

It was just SO good to hear something new from him and with my volume turned up full blast it just felt to me that he was in the room somehow. Maybe it was just the breathiness of that first phrase and the air hump at the end that immediately transported me into the land of the microphone... imagining what it must be like to be her. And even after he "da dee da DA... da dee da DA'd" me to death over a fairly mediocre and droning mix for the next four minutes, I was still toast... whimpering and begging for more.

For a few days there were some very diverse reactions and some energetic opinions as to whether or not this song would make the cut. Many have said it would... and it only makes sense. A Thousand Days... A Thousand Different Ways. Personally, I think it will happen even though we now know for sure that it won't be that version. And how do we know that? Because just today he shared that he was listening to "a really bad bootlegged version" of the song. And why does this make me SO happy! Probably because I can just picture him rubbing his hands together with that mischevious grin and saying "They have no idea what they've got coming."

I cannot WAIT to hear what we've got coming...

I just want him to bring it and bring it soon. The voice front and center as we've never heard it before. And even though idea of that seems impossibly impossible, he has surprised us time and time again. I just want to be so "shocked and awed that the angels have to be called in to resuscitate. And I'm just thinking this could happen! And plus I'm due a "sick" day.

Cover photos have been shot (as of today) and so now all we have to do is... wait.

Hopefully just a couple more spins...

And then... SPINS!

I am SO ready.