Welcome to my Green Place...

Recycling's good...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

A Retro *sigh* From a Long Time Ago...

In August of 2003 I flew from Grand Rapids to St. Louis ALL ALONE just to see some wanna-be "Pop Star." At the time I pretty much thought I was crazy for doing it. Little did I know I was definitely not all alone...

And in retrospect... it was probably one of the best frivolously used vacation days I've ever spent in my life!

It was hot though!... really, really hot! Warning: Don't ever visit St. Louis in the middle of August! Unless of course you have a really good reason to! Funny now when I think back on it, I barely remember the heat. Until he rose out of that stage that is...

He was real!!!



It was just so much fun to have found this video once again and be able to revisit it. I was sitting directly behind all those ladies on the front row waiving their signs! And yet I was totally oblivious to them... if you can imagine.

An out of body experience for sure!

Ah, and I just found this too! My little snippet of a review. *g*


Technorati tags:
Clay Aiken, American Idol, Season 2 Tour, This Is The Night, St. Louis

I Absolutely Love This Video!...

... Only because it helps to remind me just how much we don't really know him!

And it also prompted me to call the wedding off... hahahaha

But no, seriously! I truly, truly LOVE that video! I do!!! Each and every single 360 degrees of it!!!

Thanks again jojoct!..

Nobody ever reads my blog so I think I'm good...

A "Super Secret" Q&A Compilation from the OFC...

Originally Posted by ClaymateRn
Clay, I was wondering if the swelling after your surgery effected your vocal cords or your ability to sing for awhile. Do you still have swelling at times, especially when you eat a large meal or chew gum?

Yeah. I think the swelling probably hurt my ability to hit some higher notes at the time. But, I think the real issue now is that I haven't sung in a while. I went to karaoke the other night, just for fun, and I sounded like a dying mule

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Originally Posted by Arielone
Hi Clay,
Is there a place or country that you have not yet visited that you would like to travel to?

I would really like to go to Zimbabwe. I also want to visit all of the "stans".

---------

Originally Posted by septskyblueeyes
Your biggest pet peeve is?

You know how, on late model cars, the keyhole for the trunk is covered with some sort of emblem that flips up. I HATE HATE HATE it when someone's keyhole cover is flipped up while they are driving. I have been known to get out of my car at a stoplight and fix that.

--------------
Originally Posted by jesse13
Clay

Do you vote for the political party, the candidate or based on issue(s) that you agree with?

I usually just make a pretty pattern with the dots. ;-)

---------------

Originally Posted by RoRizzo
You wanted Ruben to sing at your funeral. Do you want him to sing at your wedding?

Am I getting married?

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Originally Posted by jesse13
What is your favorite "big" word to pull out of your vocabulary when trying to impress people in conversations?

ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM


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Originally Posted by suereu
Red Eye Flights - love them or hate them?

I actually prefer them, because then you don't waste part of your day on a plane.

---------

Originally Posted by catherinewalker
Hey Clay

for lack of a better word, a few years ago( not sure how many )there are a couple pictures of you "reclining" on what looks to be a bathroom floor, my goofy question is "why"? was there no other space in the house.

I was drunk and needed to stay near the toilet.

Ha ha.. No... truthfully, the shoot was for all of the top 12 Idols in my season and they were all taken at the same hotel in Hollywood. Some folks were on the roof; some were near the pool. I guess the photographer thought that's where I belonged! ;-)

A fun fact... that photographer was Eric Ogden. It was the first time I had met him, and I liked his shots so much that we used him to do the cover of the book, the Christmas album, and OMWH.

-----------

Originally Posted by luvtigr
Are you a person that really HATES to be alone ?

Or do U enjoy a day here and there all alone?

I actually love it.
----------

Originally Posted by thankful4clayThere was a great picture of you taken recently in Atlanta with a person who appears to work for the airport. You look like you've lost some weight.

How much weight have you lost and what is your secret?

I have lost negative 5 pounds, and the secret is a Krispy Kreme diet.

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Originally Posted by mitzigill
I've received an e-mail with outstanding photos of you taken at the Atlanta Airport and at The Varsity. Are you planning on keeping this hair style and color? Can you manage it by yourself?

It's already different

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Originally Posted by HeyButterfly
Clay... I was wondering if you've ever actually measured the size of your head. To see how big it is.

You know... for the purpose of buying a hat or whatnot?

I did have to have it measured for the hat I wore in SPAM. I don't remember the exact measurement, but I do remember the wardrobe person saying "Damn!"
Apparently, I have a large skull. :-\


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Originally Posted by mitzigill
Just received an e-mail with this headline: "AEG Live Refuses to Cancel Concert at Nokia Club by Singer Whose Lyrics Promote Murder of Gay People". Why isn't this kind of music considered a hate crime? How terribly disgusting and sad.

Actually, in most states, killing a person because they are gay isn't even considered a hate crime. So, lets start there.

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Originally Posted by claybella
You sure look tan in this recent photo, how did you do it????

I had it sprayed on. :-)

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Originally Posted by jesse13
Clay how are you?
What do you think of this quote from Robin Williams

Living in Hollywood is like wearing fiberglass underwear--interesting but painful.

That literally made me laugh out loud.

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Originally Posted by Hope1
Hi Clay,

Which was your favorite among the decade medleys you performed during JBT? Least favorite??

Favorite single? "Unchained Melody," "Solitaire," "Mandy," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Sailing," or "I Can't Make You Love Me?"

I really prefer the older stuff. So, I would say UM and Solitaire.

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Originally Posted by copingincalifornia
How does JukeBox Tour 2 sound to you?

I'd love it. It was always our favorite.

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Originally Posted by JessMcVargas
Can you talk Decca (or whoever handles it) into selling another Calendar? PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

It's not the label. And, we're working on it.

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Originally Posted by claysang
Clay, besides your season, what's you favorite season of American Idol?

There were other seasons?!?!?!

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Originally Posted by rxmom
Have you ever held a pet (other than a dog)? Like a kitten, ferret, hamster or rabbit?

I used to have a pygmy goat

--------------
Originally Posted by hosaa
If someone were born in Alaska or Hawaii before they became states, could that person run for President of the U.S.?

Are you trying to say that YOU were born in Alaska before it became a state? And YOU want to run for president? Don't be shy. It's ok.

--------------

Originally Posted by claylily
Hey Clay,

I know it has not been posted here (YET), but we heard a bit ago that you were writing another book. Fact or Rumor???

Thanks,
Lillian

Twas a rumor. But a good idea.

------------

Originally Posted by toni7babe
Is there one song that your so tired of singing??

Is there one song you will NEVER get tired of singing??

(A) Invisible and (B) This Is The Night

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Originally Posted by aiken4claysc
Would you ever consider auctioning whatever hockey jerseys you have left from the Idol tour?

To my knowledge, they've all been auctioned off.

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Originally Posted by LuvLifeandClay2
Ok so I'm minoring in astrophysics and this problem was on our first homework! I figured it out, let's see if you can.....

We are located about 28,000 light-years from the galactic center and we orbit the center once every 230 million years.

Using this information (the radius and period) calculate how fast are we traveling around the galaxy? Give your answer in km/hr.
Express your answer using two significant figures.

WendyHint: Conversion of light years and years is involved. The speed of light is also involved in one conversion!

WendyHint #2: Geometry is involved.

Good Luck....

Wendy... I'm not doing your homework for you! ;-)

------------

Originally Posted by clayluver47
At the end of your runs in Spamalot, was it your idea to greet your fans from the roof?

No. Jerome really likes "splashy" endings.
The exit on the last night of the Independent Tour, the walk out of the back of the theatre on the last nights of the JN tours, the roof of the Shubert... all were Jerome's ideas.
I think if he could figure out how to have me burst into flames and disappear at the end of a tour, he would.

------------

Originally Posted by Sunshinebear
Clay, I am trying to get rid of a terrible head cold. Do you have any special remedies that you use that I should try?

Powdered milk and root beer with three tablespoons of ketchup.
Try it and let me know how it goes.

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Originally Posted by Clandy
Have you seen this? SO cute!

http://twitpic.com/gvgyp


She says, "sweet mother of all that is good and holy, i finally met clay aiken."

Could you have been in Montreal.....................recording?

Good lord!! What is on my chin!?! It looks deformed! Bad angle!. The girl's cute though.

----------
Love him!!!

~ ~ ~

Irony...

Ya know how when you wash your car it rains? And when you don't it doesn't? Or like when you announce you're gonna be shutting down your Clay blog till he decides to come out of the woodwork again... Yes?

Alrighty then... Well I guess you can all have me to thank for the very lovely gift we received this past Thursday...


Clay with David Novak (VP of Decca Records)

This Twitter pic is currently at 25,000+++ hits!

Thank you Decca!

So I guess things are kind of looking up...


Technorati tags:
Clay Aiken, Decca Records

My Cat Just Told Me It Was Time to Go...

And he should know... because he goes a lot! I swear!... I clean out that litter box at least 5 times every morning, before I even leave for work! I have no idea what's going on there.

It's almost funny though. I mean, he scratches like a maniac at the door after being out all night only to rush in to his "scratch heaven." This seems backwards and somewhat abnormal to me somehow...

So where am I going with this?

I know that Clay doesn't care for cats...

I've had such an incredible six years learning THAT and so many, many other things about him and from him. And I still love him, mucho. Can't help it. Always will.

And I'll be keeping this site, don't get me wrong, but it's sort of hard to own a "blogger" that doesn't always quite represent what it's viewers expect from it's title. And I'm not so much into trivia games and rehashing rehashes.

This is really hard.

Please feel free, my friends, to join me HERE during this wistful interlude. Which I'm hoping won't be that much more wistfully long lasting.

Love to Clay and love to you all!

Feeling just a little itsy bit schmoopy right now.

xoxo
Chardonnay/Jannet

Memories for a Rainy Saturday...

I had planned on doing major yard work today to catch up on the last 7 weeks of negligence, but it's been raining incessantly since dawn.

So instead I decided to wander around YouTube... and now it's nearly 5:00.

This is one of the best sights ever! At least for me! This is the dancing style I grew up with and the one in which I made my living all the years I made my living in dance... and watching it just gives me goosebumps. The memories are astounding. It was especially fun to see one of my "Richie's" Eugene Flemming, from my "A Chorus Line" days featured in so many of the clips.



So if you're a Fosse fan, or if you've ever even been at all curious about his iconic genius, please just take a moment to check it out. There will never again be anyone who style equates to his.

And of course I get crazy sometimes over the fact that YouTube wasn't around during my day. I check in from time to time and hoping that someday something will pop up. I wish so much that I could see something I'd done. But just today I found this vid of my "Cassie" which was probably just a private video now surfaced... so things are lookin' up. Cheryl was amazing!

It's funny though that as I'm watching this performance, as magnificent as it is, I'm somehow only able to remember the gratitude of having that 10 minute break mid-show every night. It was a killer!

I think this was probably a performance from the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, early 80's... but in my mind I really want to believe that it's taking place on that little stage on 44th Street in NYC... and at which very moment I am upstairs in that bungalow frantically trying to re-dry my hair...

My Summer In Black and White...

I guess I'm stronger than I thought I was.

Seven weeks ago I embarked upon an accelerated class towards my Graphics major. Two-Dimensional Design. I thought it sounded like fun, an easy class, and a pretty good alternative to the fourteen week program typically offered during the school year.

Three nights a week, after work, four and a half hours. Totally do-able, right?

OMG...

If this class hadn't finished up last night I don't think I'd still be around to tell about it. Anyone ever had a Professor who thought their class was God?

Anyway, during my much extended absence, my cats got really bored and decided to redecorate... the dustmites took up residency as house-parents, my yard became completely overgrown and unsightly, and anything (and I mean ANYTHING) that could have possibly expired... expired.

I know, I've lost it. But I promise to find it again soon.

To view some of my projects Click Here.

And please be kind. This is the first art class I've EVER taken. Graphics programs yes. "Art"... no. Prior to this I pretty much struggled with stick figures. It's a whole different world.

Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate it. But I'd definitely take the extended 14 week course at two nights a week if I could do it all over again. Either that or switch to Accounting...

Meanwhile... where is Clay? Has anyone heard from him lately? I'm completely out of the loop!

Any info is completely welcome.

A Day Late... : (

And I made this weeks ago!

Sounds like you had a great one!

I'm Not Changing My Blog Name Just Yet but...

Seriously, my schedule is so absolutely crazy. But I took the time to watch this.

At least twice...




Technorati tags:
Adam Lambert, American Idol Season 8, Tour

So Where In The H*ll Have I Been?...

A really good question for just about everybody these days...

But anyway... I've been taking this art class. For some reason it's required for a Graphic Design degree...

I hate art.

I mean, I don't really "hate it" hate it. I just hate going to class 3 nights a week from 5:45 until 10:00 after working all day. It pretty much computes to Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. until Friday evening at 5:00 without much time for even a squat.

But I'm learning alot, I guess. I'm on week four of weekend projects too (in addition to the above mess.) All sorts of weird and funky stuff too that I've never done anything like before. I promise to share it with ya'll someday. Anyway, surprisingly I finished up early tonight. Usually I'm glue gunning things on the poster board at 5:00 on Tuesday in the restroom at work...

So I did this little extra credit project. Worth 10 points. *g* I figured I might need it.

Task: Take a black and white image and scale it up by 50% using a grid...

Here's the random image I chose:



And then I drew it bigger...



And no, I didn't cheat like by tracing or anything... I just took it one little box at a time...

Have I said lately how much I love art?

So Why In The Heck Didn't WE Ever Do Something Like This?...

I mean, it really does beat all the junk that Jerome always had to haul backstage, especially in the beginning, or all the heavily weighted red and purple bags of Christmas cr*p that he'd receive year after year that he probably had to end up leaving for the stage hands hands to pick through anyway. And remember the Purple Roses project in Raleigh where they actually walked the aisles handing them out to everyone because there was such a frickin' boatload of them?

Makes me sad somehow.

But this really makes me happy... for some odd reason. Especially for Kris.



Ok... enough schmoopiness.

Thinking caps back ON peoples!

ETA: I'm kidding! Shoot, the creativity and love that's been extended to that man could have powered him to the moon and back... 10,ooo times. But STILL what a very, very cool idea this was!

Technorati tags:
Clay Aiken, Kris Allen

Another Obligatory Father's Day Tribute?...

I mean, when you grow up without one (for all intents and purposes) that third Sunday in June always just sort of sneaks up on you somehow, sort of like a (well, like pretty much anything else in life that sneaks up on you at the most inopportune or inconvenient of times.) I could list several of them as examples but I'll just let you use your imagination.

Disclaimer: Yay, I Finally Got One! Even if I DID have to wait until years after I'd left home. So anyway, I've pretty much always since then thought of it as "Grandpa's Day" or "Son-In-Law's" Day.

But I have this very real sneaking suspicion that Parker will always welcome this day for years and years to come... with open arms.



Ok... so that's about the best I can do for now. But please feel free to check out these links below for some far more inspiring perspectives...

Carolina On My Mind
Clay The Man
Clay Aiken News Network
Clayspots

And a beautiful essay from Ideal Idol!

Technorati tags:
Clay Aiken, Fathers Day

Wasn't That Amazing... Grace?

And no, that wasn't a comment overheard out in the lobby after the show... But it probably could have been.

Me? Well, I didn't get to see it, or at least not until now. Not that I wasn't invited or anything...

A bit of history.

The Charleston Opera House... the place my kids pretty much grew up in during their summers as kids. Kind of like little tagalongs with their director dad. Mascots of sorts I guess. Though from what I know they loved every single minute of it and have wonderful memories of those times. And seriously, what a way to spend a summer right? Especially with such beautiful beaches so close by. So I never had to feel sorry for them being tucked away in some stuffy old theatre all summer long or anything. And it always gave me a really good break from the six nights a week... carpooling to and from ballet class.... after working ALL day... and then driving up hill, BOTH WAYS. Haha. So, I think it was definitely always a win-win-win.

Anyway, this was also where they met Quiana. Some of you might remember her? Well, back when she was 15 or 16 or something like that she was already 'amazing.' And I remember them coming home after summer breaks and her name already being a household word. But that was back in the "Serenade Show" days, which has long ago since been retired (and which I never saw either) and way before she went on to "other things."

But shows with other names still LIVE ON and are kept fresh and alive with each season! And there's still a TON of talent there! A ton.

But as I said before, I'm typically don't go out there during "dad's week" *mumble mumble mumble*. However, FORTUNATELY since my kids are all SO technologically savvy they always find a way to send me the videos anyway.

And dad's "week" this last time around was really ALL the time they had to put this one together. So I'm really sort of glad I "decided" not to go anyway.



But what a thrill though to finally see her perform on that stage after all these years! And I know it was a MAJOR thrill for her. It must have been like homecoming! And for me to be able to see her on stage with her dad. Well *schmoopies!*

My kiddo!.. and then an incredible piano solo by Tommy Gill!

I never did get any actual permission to post these but I'm hoping it'll still be ok. Because shameless Mom-Ho's with good intentions can pretty much always whine their way out of anything. And isn't it always just SO much easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission... anyway?

And there's something to be said for Positive.FREE.advertising. I mean really. Seems like another win-win-win to me.

Thanks SO MUCH for the video Aaron!

Technology Baffles My Mind Usually...

I can't even tell you how many weekends I've spent in an attempt to get a relatively simple thing to play in a format I want it to. Somehow it always works out! But last weekend was way easy!

Because I found this cool tool Fair Use Wizard that allows me to take all those wonderfully special DVD's that my daughter always sends me of her dance performances and convert them into a format that I can actually play with. I know... some of you probably have no need or interest in "playing" with DVD's, but if you do, then that ^^ up there is your tool. Totally free with no gimmicks!

And now, I can fiddle to my hearts content... and then sit back and enjoy.

Here's Whit in a 2004 performance with her Contemporary Dance Team at BYU Idaho. YOU may not be able to pick her out, but me, I have no problem. Not even when I shut my eyes... And besides, I'd be pretty proud to call any one of them mine.

Technorati tags:
Contemporary Dance Team, BYU Idaho

So Who's Idea Was It To Call Me J'nut?

So here's the thing... I'm in the grocery store checkout line when I suddenly realize that my money is in the glove compartment of my car. So I ask the pretty little checkout girl if she can hold my order while I run out and get it. She smiles and says "sure."

When I come back with the money I completely apologize and tell her how I'm just getting use to all this... being on the Dave Mattthews plan and all... using cash in envelopes instead of just "ching chinging" my debit card.

She stares at me blankly...

The Total Money Makeover?... I SO swear it works! ... pause... You've heard of Dave Matthews right?

*Lights on* Oh no, of course I've heard of him!... and I just LOVE him!

We nod and agree. *bonding moment*

I leave the store feeling extremely happy that there are youngin's out there who actually get it...

This seriously happened. And just today!

I have no idea where that came from. But even so... my budget is working great! And so I guess a rose by any other name can still smell as sweet.

I cannot believe I'm actually admitting this...

Props To Clay...

“What are your thoughts on the Prop 8 ruling today?”

Loaded question. Hope I don’t get myself in trouble here again…

I will say that I am QUITE disappointed that Prop 8 passed in the first place. I could argue all day the myriad of reasons that I believe the US Constitution provides for equal rights for all people. And, as much as it is their right to have a differing opinion, I think that some of the arguments coming from the anti-gay side are stupid, hypocritical, and even contradict themselves.

That said, I can’t say that I am too upset by the CA Supreme Court’s ruling. While it is disappointing that same sex couples in CA will have to wait longer to have equal rights, at the same time I worry that a different ruling from the court would have caused far more trouble than good.

The bottom line is… no matter how much I hate it…. Prop 8 passed with the majority of the public vote. I don’t agree with them. I don’t think it is right, but it happened. I don’t think I would be comfortable allowing the courts the power to override the will of the people. Yes, I know the argument can be made that had the courts not struck down segregation in the south we may still have Jim Crow laws in place. However, (A) segregation was instituted by the states based on public opinion and not necessarily by an official vote and (B) the US Supreme Court struck down the practice of segregation. It didn’t overturn a specific vote.

I strongly believe that the next time that Californians go to the ballot box to vote on legalizing same sex marriage, the tides will turn. I truly believe that the majority of CA voters will support the equal rights of all people next time they are given the chance. While the CA Supreme Court may now be composed of justices who believe that same-sex marriage should be legal (remember they are the ones who made it legal in the first place), what happens when the public votes for same-sex marriage to be legalized, yet the CA Supreme Court is made up of justices who feel it should be illegal? Will they then have the power to overturn the vote? Its not a precedent I want set.

As much as I disagree with Prop 8, I don’t want to give the courts the power to ignore the will of the people. Because I expect that one day, even in North Carolina, the majority of voters will allow me the right to get married, and when that happens, I don’t want nine justices being able to change the outcome.

We can’t only agree with the system when it agrees with us.

That said…. Way to go Ohio, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, and (fingers crossed) New Hampshire… and, bring on the next ballot California!

I love that answer... and I love Clay Aiken.

*Unscrupulously Posted* But hopefully, for Good.

Technorati tags:
Clay Aiken, Proposition 8

Composing My Thoughts...

This is how I wanted Season 2 to end!.. *huge snip*

Clay... Ya know I really love ya to death man!.. don't you? But I seriously think you probably could have just left it at that...

Congratulations Kris!

Congrats Adam!

I think we've seen these pictures before...

heh


Technorati tags:
Clay Aiken, Kris Allen, Adam Lambert

Clay's Parts...

So even though we had over six months to anticipate his appearance on the "30 Rock" finale I still don't think any of us could have been completely prepared.

Because just Check THIS out.

But still. I mean, really. For him to have appeared so indiginously alongside the likes of Elvis Costello, Mary J. Blidge, Norah Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Sheryl Crow, Steve Earle, Wyclif Jean, Moby, Ad-Rock, etc, etc. (of whose names I mostly recognize...) But anyway... and seriously... that must have been quite an honor for him.

In a recent MTV Interview he says that it was.

He also goes on to share his always enlightening and prolific opinion.

'30 Rock' is not only the funniest show on TV now; it's also the smartest," Aiken told MTV news in a statement. "Things that you see or hear on that show start popping up in everyday life all of the time. I don't think any show since 'Seinfeld' has been able to do that."

Like "Seinfeld," these days Liz Lemon and her motley crew leave the "American Idol" alum in stitches every week. " 'Seinfeld' had 'yada, yada, yada' and 'master of your domain.' '30 Rock' has "That's a deal-breaker, ladies' and many more. I find myself saying 'What the what?' all of the time. They've really broken into the zeitgeist like no other show has."

And in case you failed Vocabulary 1001 right along with me... or failed to realize that it was even required...

Zeitgeist is (pronounced ˈtsartɡarst is a German language expression literally translated: Zeit, time; Geist, spirit, meaning "the spirit of the age and its society". The word zeitgeist describes the intellectual, cultural, ethical and political climate, ambience and morals of an era (similar to the English word "mainstream") or also a trend.

So yay, another new scrabble word!

Just Give A Kidney can be downloaded on iTunes... with your 99 cents proceeds going to the National Kidney Foundation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And just recently discovered (6 years later!)...video and audio.

David Foster and Friends...

And Family!


Last evenings performance at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas did not disappoint! The Peter Cetera medley was incredible!

And you can listen to the audio of his performance here! While looking at all the pretty pictures!!! Ok, nevermind... iMeem decided it wasn't that important...

v v v v v

SLIDESHOW


*sigh*

As another fandom collides...


Technorati tags:
Clay Aiken, Peter Cetera, David Foster