geniblogs

2010-12-05T10:52:00.032-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM LAKE OF THE OZARKS
Not much boating going on recently, so everyone is busy preparing for the
Holidays. All my neighbors seem to be in a house-lighting competition. (I'm really appreciating the electrical power and coverage of the one right next door who lights up my bedroom every night). However, since I don't climb ladders any more, I have to concentrate on the inside preparations.

Most of my decorations are collections. My pocketbook and I have been in the collecting business for way too many years. I know I should cut back, but who can resist adding more each year - especially when the U.S. economy and Hallmark needs the business.

This is my seven foot Star Trek and Star Wars ornament tree. I try to keep them separated, but I'm almost out of space........
YOU CAN DOUBLE CLICK THE CORNER OF ANY PIC TO ENLARGE IT. TO RETURN TO BLOG, RIGHT CLICK AND CLICK ON "BACK" IN DROPDOWN WINDOW.

I thought you might expecially like to see up-close the 1991 ORIGINAL STAR TREK ENTERPRISE and the 1992 SHUTTLECRAFT. The Shuttlecraft has Spock speaking, "Shuttlecraft to Enterprise. Spock here. Happy Holidays. Live long and prosper."

Another favorite collection is Snowbabies. My family, especially my grandkids
have helped me fill an entire china cabinet with these delightful little angels.
Here's some of them.

I've been collecting dolls since forever it seems. So when Astin-Drake Galleries came out with a Nativity set with 12 inch china dolls, guess who was a real sucker for them?

Jim Shore Christmas characters has been high on the collecting list since my dil gave me one many years ago.

Since I also collect depression glass, the china cabinet also gets a holiday makeover. A big "thank you" to the Christmas Cactus for blooming right on time.

This small tree holds ornaments from all my trips - many with my daughter to the White House, Smithsonian, Boston, Newport, Pikes Peak, New York's Tavern on the Green, Museum of Art - plus DisneyWorld, Texas, New Orleans, Germany, Italy, and Mexico, and of course Clay Concerts. One of my favorites is from Helen - King Kong clutching the Empire State Building(he's down there on the left below the Wright Bros. biplane).

The fireplace is lit and the mantle is decked.
(BYW the doll on the coffee table was handmade and given to me by my mother many, many years ago.)

The big flocked tree is decorated and so are the dogs (and don't they look just delighted?).

Tommy, Molly and I are ready for Santa's big day. (guess i better put out the fire in the fireplace). And it wouldn't be Christmas or geni/Jeananne without a poem.

STAR-GIVING by Ann Weems
What I'd really like to give you for Christmas is a star....
Brilliance in a package,
something you could keep in the pocket of your jeans
or in the pocket of your being.
Something to take out in times of darkness,
something that would never snuff out nor tarnish,
something you could hold in your hand,
something for wonderment,
something for pondering,
something that would remind you of what Christmas has always meant:
God's Advent Light in the darkness of this world.

But stars are only God's for giving,
and I must be content to give you words and wishes and packages without stars.
But I can wish you life as radiant as the Star
that announced the Christ Child's coming,
and as filled as awe as the shepherds who stood beneath its light.
And I can pass on to you the love that has been given to me,
ignited countless times by others
who have knelt in Bethlehem's light.
Perhaps, if you ask, God will give you a star.

2010-08-15T14:34:00.005-05:00

August 13th Road Trip and Concert Recap

LAKE OZARK TO HAMMOND – 12 HOURS OF ECSTASY

Since it only took twelve hours to return to Lake Ozark from our Merrillville, Indiana, hotel and the Clay/Ruben concert near Chicago, I have plenty of time left today to do my recap. If there are short gaps between sentences, don’t worry…….when my head hit the keyboard nothing essential was harmed….like the keyboard.

Nan and I were up at 4:30 a.m.Thursday and rarin’ to go…..well, at our age, sorta slow-motion rarin’……but we were out of the house by 5:30, Nan in full makeup and me full of coffee, so we both felt we would be able to cope in the dark. Now comes the
RECAP of why it took us over an hour to get to Eldon – 11 miles from my house. Obviously I had not had enough coffee. On our first foray, we didn’t get out of the driveway before I turned and said to Nan in the pitch dark, I better get my knee brace, just in case……as if the worse thing that could happen to us was that my knee would go out…..such innocents we were then.

Next we made it about a half mile when I turned and said to Nan in the dark, I wonder if I left the garage light on? I made what I thought was a U-turn at the first cross-street and started back to my house. After a while I turned and said to Nan in the not-quite-so-dark, I don’t think we’re on my road anymore…..these houses don’t look familiar……another U-turn and we returned to the original turn and in the dawning light I said to Nan, I think this is my road. Sure enough it was my road, and the garage light was on. Nan was very understanding.

On the last foray we made it to the stoplight at the end of my road, when I turned in the daylight and said to Nan, (I was somewhat startled to see she what staring straight at me), I wonder if I have my phone. I searched my handbag. No phone. Now, I had to have my phone, in case the dog sitter needed to call me (btw, the dogs were quite excited each time I re-entered the house and were rather pissed when they didn’t get their usual treat.) So I pulled into a bank parking lot and searched my tote bag (plastered with Clay pix, of course). No phone. So back to my house we went…… all the time trying to remember where I was the last time I used my cell. The dogs were snarling when I entered the house this time. I found my phone, took a xanax, sidestepped the snarling dogs, turned out the garage light, and limped back to the car. Nan was still staring.

When we arrived in Eldon, an hour late, Joan and Joyce were QUITE ready to go and off we went, Nan and I in the back, Joan driving her luxurious Lincoln Town Car, and Joyce navigating with a bulging folder of printed directions from various sources at the ready.

The trip seemed to be going well for several hours. I slept most of the time, (trying to be unobtrusive, naturally) but could hear Joyce reading directions off and on. Then I kept hearing , “where is highway X? why are we going right through the middle of town? we have to turn around and go back for aways.” This woke me up.

I hate to reveal that this happened more than once. Since I am not trusted to drive by anyone I know (by that I mean, anyone who has ridden with me) I appreciate any and every one who gives me a ride and only occasionally asked, “what city are we in now?”
When I learned we were in Chicago/Indianapolis megalopolis, I sat straight up. We seemed to be in an inner city area. I deduced this by the narrow, crowded streets and
bars on all the windows and doors and gas stations with HUGE black bars at pay windows. We are going very slowly with stops at each intersection. Joyce is mumbling directions and Joan is repeating she can’t read the street signs. Nan and I are clutching one another in the backseat like Hansel and Gretel in the forest.

This continued for quite awhile until Joan finally deciphered a street sign and low and behold we were on the right “track”. Joyce’s directions became street by street turns and we all eagerly awaited “Casino Roadway”. Unfortunately, things were not that simple. We were back to, “turn around and go back to where we made the wrong turn.” My only contribution during this was, (which was only half in jest) “Look for Lake Michigan”

On our way back to “where we made the wrong turn”, we even sighted the majestic Horseshoe casino building and complex itself. Unfortunately, we could not actually see a road going to it. It was kinda like Cinderella’s castle far off in the mist. So we did what every intelligent middle aged, Midwesterner does. We pulled into a McDonalds to ask for directions. (here’s the very best part of this story). As Joyce was getting out of the car, the lady the SUV sitting next to us with her door open said, “you look like you’re lost.” Joyce ran to her like Poo to a honey jar. We watched out the window and this angel of mercy talked very slowly to Joyce, who returned to the car with a beatific smile on her face.

“This lady says she will lead us there.”

We had been on the road 12 hours and arrived exactly an hour before the concert was to begin.

And so ends the story of our road trip to the Clay/Ruben concert,……….except for the parts where the valet parking attendant told us we were in the lot for “Players” only (and in possession of cards denoting such status, of course) and Joyce begged him in a little girl voice and tears in her eyes to let us park there – which he did. ( who says big city folks aren’t generous) And the part where we wandered through the screaming slot machines endlessly searching for a bathroom.

Oh, and the concert was great and Clay and Ruben were in great voice and comedic spirits and the band was great and loud and the audience was appreciative of both men
and Clay looked great (except for the hair). My theory is that he lays face down on a sturdy ironing board and Ruben sprays starch on whatever hair falls on the board and then irons it and when Clay gets up that amount of hair stands straight up like a “L” from the top of his head.

2008-10-28T14:19:00.007-05:00

HALLOWEEN TIME AGAIN

Halloween, like all holidays, is not as busy around my house as it used to be. But business is picking up......my grandkids are getting old enough to come over now. Colin and Megan live close so i get to see them in their cartoon characters. Last year they were Scooby-Do and a purple Care Bear.

]

Also last year i got to see my Connecticut grandson, Illeas, before Halloween, but he was still happy to pose in his Dragon costume.

i got a kick out of this Frankenstein Hand that moved across the table, but Illeas wasn't too sure it was safe.

Even the dogs dressed up last year.

My Tommy seems much happier about this holiday than Lara's Maddy. Looks like she thinks she may have to make an emergency call to the ASPCA.

Here's some memories i wrote about a couple of years ago.
Remember when there were no such things as store-bought costumes??? You were a hobo, or ghost, or wore your mother’s clothes….that was about it. But nobody worried about razors in apples then either.

The Halloween that will always stand out in my mind is the year i begged and begged my mother to let me wear her dangly rhinestone earrings with one of her fancier dresses and high heels (now these were her very nicest earrings, mind you) and she refused. But being the persistent only-child i was, i bugged her until she relented.

Of course, i lost one of them somewhere along my route. I just hated to go home that night. Not that i was afraid i would be punished, because i knew i wouldn’t be. But because i knew how hurt she would be….to lose that favorite earring…and that i had been so careless after i had promised and promised how careful i would be. Nothing hurts a child like that “mother guilt thing” does it? I use it on my kids all the time now..

The only other Halloween i really remember was the last one. My girlfriend and i must have been thirteen or fourteen….still young enough to want to get as much candy as we could (girls didn’t grow up so quickly then, obviously)….but aware enough of our age and height to be a little self-conscious. I remember we had a great time and were amassing great quantities of calories when we went to the last house we ever went to (these momentous occasions need to be documented, yaknow). The woman gave us candy, but guess she just couldn’t help herself from ruining our evening, “Aren’t you girls a little old for this?”

Now i wonder what would prompt her to say that to two young girls. She ruined this holiday for us forever. Maybe she had had a bad day herself, maybe she was just tired from answering the door bell, maybe she was just a frustrated old bitch. I’m sure she had problems of her own (all adults do). But my girlfriend and i didn’t understand that. We only knew we had been slapped in the face. The candy really didn’t even taste too good that night. We felt ashamed that we had been going door to door and embarassing ourselves and didn’t even realize it. Unfortunately, innocence ends so much sooner these days. days.

When my kids were little we lived in a great neighborhood and I made all their costumes. The best was the robot - two cardboard boxes spray painted silver with wire antennae on top. By that time, i always accompanied them on their forages(maybe even stole a snickers bar once in a while when they weren’t looking). Anyway, the neighbors would always invite us all in and they would oooooh and aaaah over their costumes and the kids would just preen with pride.

What memories! Now all the kids go from store to store at the mall. No meeting neighbor kids to go from door to door. No running up the street in the dark, yelling and shouting maybe even howling to the sky just for the fun of it. No discussions of which neighbors gave the best treats and which were so stingy you might as well skip their house or which house to skip because there were rumors that they didn't like kids there.....and besides they never left their porch light on anyway. Everything has changed, but then it always does, doesn't it.

But still…….i always wonder who found that rhinestone earring and what they did with it.

It’s just me, geni

p.s. sorry about the Christmas music. It is much too much hard work to change it and besides the stores all have Christmas stuff everywhere....why not my music??

Check out these

2008-04-19T17:32:00.005-05:00

LIVE FROM NEW YORK…..IT’S ME ON LIBERTY ISLAND

CLICK TO ENLARGE

AND HELEN WITH ME AND RAMESES OR XERCES OR PTAH AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

Hi everybody,

I keep waiting for Helen to write a blog about our wonderful five day vacation and cult trip to New York City. Whenever I think about it, an old tune seems to waft through my mind, like from one of those old Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns…… “THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY.”

Perhaps it would be wise to start with the GOOD.

Helen and I did have a glorious if sometimes frustrating time. We discovered we had a lot in common (besides CA, of course) since we both loved sleeping late, reading, museums, food, and makeup,(more later on this),. First of all, our prayers were answered and ours was NOT one of the 500 American Airlines flights cancelled that morning…..getting up at 3:30 am to get to St Louis was a bitch though.

Spamalot was glorious! We saw it the first night we were in ny. We had sixth row seats on the left (which we had been advised to get by previous attending clayfans.) I initially was quite upset with these seats because since there were described as four seats from the aisle, I had innocently (read; gullibly) assumed that they were counting from the left center aisle……not the left side wall aisle. The bad thing was that we couldn’t see about 1/6th of the left side of the stage. A nice (read; infinitesimal) glass of wine from the theater bar soon elevated my spirits. The good thing was that we could see Clay as clearly as if he were just 6 feet before us. I slapped Helen’s hand several times to try to curtail that grasping motion she developed early in the show. Spam was hilarious and Clay is quite the comedian. And no one yelled his name from the audience. However, a lot of us gave only him a standing ovation for the final bows to which he gave an open arms, palms up “what can you do?” expression to his fellow actors.

Yes, we did go to the stage door to try for an autograph. (yes, i became a groupie rather late in life.)After the show we were rather slow getting out of the theater and then didn't know where the stage door was......by the time we found where it was......and we had walked past it at least 4 times that day......the crowd was 6 or 7 deep. obviously we are not GOODFANS. but we did wait and see him come out but no signed Playbills for the slow....and slow witted.

GOOD AND BAD:

The location of our hotel, the Milford Plaza, was wonderful…right in the middle of the theater district……and lots of deli’s. On the other hand it was quite old with small rooms and very leaky faucets, which Helen reported to the hotel desk . Conversely, they had just installed new elevators which had no floor numbers inside the elevator. On one trip down, we properly pushed number one for the lobby, entered, and when the doors opened we were in Santa’s Workshop, without the toys and elves, however. This floor seemed to be a storage and working area for the restoration crew. Helen was a little worried, but I had her document our predicament with my brownie instamatic (see below) Luckily the buttons outside the elevators worked properly and we were soon in the lobby. Helen complained nosily, and I delighted in showing the conserirge conciurge, conseeirgh…..man in the booth, my digital pix.

More hotel woes the next day when we returned from our day-long trek through (twice) Central Park and when we finally returned to our room we found we were unable to unlock our door and had a doorknob note saying, “SEE THE MANAGER”. I felt like we were students being sent to the principal, and I knew that that Hell-raisin’ Helen had got us in deep doodoo.

Sure enough, they said they were unable to fix the faucet and we had to move to another room……..ohohohohohohoh.

I was right! This new room was the detention area, obviously……even smaller than the first, on the street side of the hotel (ah, the music of a ny night!!) and instead of a closet it had an ancient wooden armoire…..I kid you not. I kept expecting Ethel Merman to jump out of it and sing “NEW YORK, NEW YORK” at any minute…….

VIEW FROM THE DETENTION ROOM WINDOW

Well, we survived….I refused to let Helen complain any more. I have much more to tell about Tavern on the Green, Metropolitan Museum of art, Statue of Liberty boat trip, Macys and shopping on 5th avenue. My lovely daughter Lara Jean came into ny Sunday afternoon to have lunch and shop with us.

Here’s where the makeup comes in. There’s this great shop about the size of Walmart with just makeup and mirrors and samples and little brushes and q-tips and all kinds of sample applicators…and lots of employee-makeup-artists standing around to convince you how lovely you look. We all bought too much….

Then we went to the gigantic Toys R Us with a roaring t-rex……..but that’s too much to tell…..

TTYL, geni

2007-12-25T10:21:00.001-06:00

Christmas Greetings, dear friends,

Here's just a little Christmas joy from my house to your house.(you can click on any picture to enlarge it.)

Colin was my only grandchild to visit Santa this year. Megan and Illeas are too little and that red suit and white beard are rather scary. Anyone recognize the last pic of the two cuties with Santa?

My friends and I enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Concert by Clay Aiken in Wichita the end of November. We partied of course.

And here is a personal Christmas story i wrote as part of the fan club.

Christmas is a time for families to be together, even if they live hundreds of miles apart, and each family has its own traditions as every married couple quickly discovers. My husband’s family lived in another town in Missouri – a three hour drive for us. And they absolutely knew the best time to celebrate Christmas was December 24th with a big dinner that afternoon and then the opening of all the presents on Christmas Eve. All family members were required to be there. My family, on the other hand, who lived in our home town, knew that Christmas morning was the correct time to celebrate the season, so that all of Santa’s presents would be miraculously on hand. And all members of the family were required to be there.

So, like the obedient son and daughter, my husband and I were, we attempted to please everyone. Early in the morning of each December 24th we packed up our two kids, a load of presents for seven relatives, and of course, the dog……a very even tempered, though rather large, German Shepherd named Frieda, and drove the three hours from the Lake of the Ozarks to Kansas City in order to spend the day and evening with DH’s family. Then around nine or ten p.m. we repacked presents from seven people to the four of us, and tossed Frieda and the sleeping kids into the back of the station wagon, where they nestled quite comfortably on the foam rubber mattress in the back, (anyone else remember those?) and began the three hour drive home. If you’re not old enough to remember these wonderful inventions, station wagons were smaller than a minivan, but larger than a SUV, although without the four-wheel drive and the prestige.

Usually this drive passed relatively quickly, flushed as we were with family conviviality, Christmas turkey, and new and unusual presents, not to mention a tiny bit of Christmas Cheer. However, this particular year the weather Geni decided to grant the wishes, not of obedient, traveling sons and daughters, but those of frivolous stay-at-home children pleading for a White Christmas. A blizzard was gathering force as we left Kansas City heading south.

The return trip was taking far longer than the usual three hours, and one of the main reasons for this was because DH always took the rural Missouri, back country roads home, instead of Interstate 70. This was because he had personally checked the mileage both ways…. and hell would freeze over ( and it almost did that night) before he would waste an ounce of gas driving extra miles. Nevermind the fact that Interstate 70 would be under constant maintenance by numerous snow plows, even though it was midnight on Christmas Eve.

So…. when we were about three-fourths of the way home and down to twenty miles per hour on that path that was less traveled…. but needless-to-say….an unplowed, curvy, hilly, two lane road…..the fury of the storm intensified to near Antarctic conditions…..and since the windshield wipers could barely remove the snow fast enough (not to mention the ice buildup that the defroster wasn’t able to manage) visibility was down to a few feet, and we barely missed a car stalled at the side of the road.

DH swerved and skidded the bulky station wagon to a stop. I heaved a sigh of relief when I realized we were still on the pavement and not sliding off the shoulder and sledding down one of the scenic Ozark Hills. But said sigh immediately turned into a gulp as I realized he was shifting into reverse and slowly backing up to the stalled car. I stared at DH with a look that said, “Are you out of your mind, picking up a hitchhiker in this storm? We’ll disappear from the face of the earth and no one will ever even find our bones?”

About this time a man’s ungloved hand rapped on my passenger’s side window. Well, whatcha gonna do??? I rolled down the window. The snow frosting the man’s uncovered head told the story of his long wait for another car to come down this lonely road so late at night on Christmas Eve. In a few words he told us that his car had run out of gas, but they only needed to go a short distance to the next town, if we could just take him and his family there to their relatives.

“Sure, get in” I heard coming from the generous man sitting beside me. I gritted my teeth, which I tried to turn into a smile. Then I saw his pregnant wife exiting the car, holding a sleeping youngster. Another child climbed over the front seat and they all quickly ensconced themselves between the multitudes of presents in our back seat.

Of course, this woke up my children and Frieda on the mattress at the rear.
The four sleepy children stared at each other over the back seat and Frieda’s smile was somehow similar to mine, I think….which could have been misconstrued by some, but not this desperate family. They all settled in and seemed to relax in the warmth of the car.

Not a word was said as we drove the few miles to their intended destination. Perhaps
they were as uneasy about getting into a stranger’s car and I had been about inviting them. But it wasn’t long before we came to another of the small towns that dotted this infrequently traveled road, and the man pointed out a small, brightly lit home, obviously waiting at that late hour for their Christmas relatives. As we pulled into the drive, an elderly face appeared at the window and the door immediately opened. The stranded family piled out of the back seat and hurried inside.

This family man, of so few words, paused as he held the open back door, obviously searching for just the right ones to say. Then he stuck his head back inside the car and I heard a soft, choked, “God bless you,” as he quickly closed the door and turned to follow his family inside the welcoming house.

Yes, Christmas is a time for families to be together, regardless of the day or the date…and I’ll always remember the blessings given and received on that snowy night by those who believed in the Spirit of Christmas.

2007-11-22T12:31:00.000-06:00

HAPPY
THANKSGIVING

TIME TO COUNT OUR BLESSINGS.........................

i'm their Mimi

trong>

2007-10-17T18:51:00.000-05:00

CLAYNATION NEW BULLETIN REPORTS: Clay to Star in Spamalot on Broadway!
Clay announced today that he's been invited to play Sir Robin in Monty Python's award winning musical comedy, Spamalot. Award winning director, Mike Nichols had this to say:

"Clay Aiken is amazing beyond that glorious voice. Turns out he is an excellent comic actor and a master of character. People will be surprised by his wide ranging talent, since the first impression is of great country charm and a singer to remember. This guy is not only a star, he is a lot more. We are lucky to get him for SPAMALOT."

Clay will be entertaining crowds from January 18-May 4 at the Shubert Theater. Tickets are on sale NOW at www.telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200/(800) 432-7250. Ticket prices range from $36.50 to $251.50.

Read the full press release on the Public side of the official fan club site.

Clay Tells Fanclub Album is Still on Track!
We can't quote him directly as Clay's blog is part of the paying members perks for joining the fanclub....BUT when Clay announced the Spamalot news, he noted that this does not impact the work on his fourth album which is expected next year. He indicated he is in the studio working with producers this week!! Fan club members can read his blog at http://www.clayonline.com

Clay Attends a UNICEF Event on October 1st.
Clay attended the launch party of Jenna Bush's new book, Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope in New York City on Monday, October 1st. Clay attended in his capacity as a UNICEF ambassador as proceeds of the book will go to benefit UNICEF.

The New Yorker interviewed Clay at the party. "I read it on the plane to Afghanistan," he said of the book. "I was quite impressed. I remember thinking she must have had a ghostwriter, but she didn’t. She did it herself."

Air Date Set for Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader
Both Fox and the official fanclub have confirmed that Clay will be part of a two hour special celebrity charity episode of Fifth Grader on Thursday, November 1st, pending the results of the World Series. If the World Series goes seven games, the episode will be pushed back. The episode will likely air from 8-10p Eastern, and Clay will be on with Regis Philbin. Check your local listings.

"Christmas in the Heartland" Tour
From the Official Fan Club: "It will soon be the Christmas season once again and you know what that means... So, dust off your bells & don your Santa hats, cause before you know it, Clay and the gang will be touring "Christmas in the Heartland" for the holidays." Read more at http://www.clayonline.com

Fan club pre-sales, available to the Fan Club members, have already begun. The following venues have been announced:

11/26/07 Central Christian Church, Wichita, KS
11/27/07 Fox Theatre, St Louis, MO.
11/28/07 Morris Center, South Bend, IN
11/29/07 Genesee Theater, Waukegan, IL.
11/30/07 Miller Auditorium, Kalamazoo, MI
12/02/07 Warner Theater, Washington, DC.
12/04/07 Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, Wilkes Barre, PA.
12/06/07 State Theater, New Brunswick, NJ.
12/07/07 Palace Theatre, Albany, NY.
12/08/07 Mair Hall, Poughkeepsie, NY.
12/09/07 Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT.
12/11/07 Count Basie Theater, Red Bank, NJ.
12/12/07 State Theatre, Easton, PA.
12/13/07 Mayo Center for the Performing Arts, Morristown, NJ.
12/15/07 Community Arts Center, Williamsport, PA
12/16/07 Erie Civic Center, Erie, PA.
12/17/07 State Theatre, Playhouse Square Center Cleveland, OH.
12/19/07 Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN.
12/20/07 Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN.
12/21/07 Slosburg HallOrpheum Theatre, Omaha, NB.
12/22/07 Star Plaza Theater, Merrillville, IN.

END OF NEWS BULLETIN ---- BEGINNING OF GENI

Hey, sports fans, I saw Spamalot almost two years ago….March 2006.
Lara and I had great time in NYC.

And of course I wrote a blog about the trip to CT. Here it is :

....had a great time in chilly NY and CT. Lara. Harry, and babytobe are fine. Spamalot was hilarious but it was disappointing that Tim Curry was no longer in it as King Arthur and for some reason (probably he heard black-cloud-geni was coming) Hank Azaria did not appear that day…..but the actors were very funny. David Hyde Pierce was pretty much the way he was in Frasier, rather droll. The play followed the plot ? of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, so if you’ve seen the movie you know the antics that were going on in the play. I hadn’t seen the movie in so many years that most of it was a surprise…still laughed at the coconut clacking horsehoof sounds, and the knight who wouldn’t give in…but I think lots of it was new, with new songs…and the opening musical number…which was "Beautiful Finland", replete with native Finlandish costumes…until the narrator returned to the stage and repeated that the play was about BRITAIN! being the cynic than i am, my favorite was Not Yet Dead Fred, who refused to get on the dead plague victims cart…..so much so I bought the tshirt.

End of original blog…

Gosh, a lot can change in a year and a half, can’t it? I’ve been working at an Emergency Assistance Center for almost a year now. The eagerly awaited first baby is now a year and four months old.

I’m still amazed at the baby shower dd’s in-laws arranged for her. Here’s what happened back then.
Lara's baby shower in CT was quite interesting to a Midwesterner. Don’t know what you do in your part of the country (or Canada) but in MO we serve cake, mints and Mr. Peanut assorted nuts. We had a full sit-down dinner, choice of 3 entrées, and champagne punch in CT. My daughter received every imaginable baby appliance… and she had 6 helpers….one unwrapped, one wrote, one handed her the card, which she then read and held up the gift, one stuck the card in the box, two carried the gifts to the sides of the room, (restaurant banquet room) where there was still room to stack things.oh, forgot, one took pictures. i occasionally went out to the bar and sat with my SIL and his dad and sipped wine.

Oh, and another baby is on the way in CT. Yes, a lot of things have changed….but one has remained constant. My enchantment with the cutesingerguy. Yipper, I’m still here and just as much as fan as ever. Haven’t gotten my ticket to see Clay as Sir Robin yet….but I’m definitely gonna see that play again. So much is going on with clay lately….and actually I’m wondering how in the world he can do three things at once…..finish a new album, rehearse and tour for Christmas, and rehearse for his January debut in his first Broadway show????? Guess that's why he's a star!!

it’s just me, geni

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2007-09-28T17:25:00.001-05:00

OSAGE MENACE CONTROL/TURTLE HABITAT UTILIZATION DEPARTMENT

ASPCA NOTICE: NO TURTLES WERE HARMED IN THE CREATION OF THIS BLOG

Here at beautiful Lake Oz, we have an insidious menace threatening our shores…..namely turtles. No not sea turtles, those notorious terrifying terrestrial tortoises. My versatile cocker spaniel, Tommy, has declared open season on these ferocious reptiles infesting our woods
.
Here is Tommy in the official OMC/THUD vehicle – a recent purchase from the Russian Mafia (according to H2’s superior knowledge of the auto industry.)

In my last blog, I forgot to mention Tommy’s main occupation, which is serving as the Assistant to the Department Supervisor of OMC/THUD, namely me. Tommy’s job is to locate these menacing marauders, root them out of their perfidious hidden crannies, wrestle them to the ground, and scare the shit out of them.

A DEFEATED TURTLE SCREAMING FOR MERCY

First of all, I must confess that Tommy loves his work and absolutely loathes turtles. He thinks they are too dumb to live around civilized people, and also they are invading his territory. Tommy and I have decided that since turtles are the oldest living reptiles – older than snakes and lizards - 215 million years of evolution has rendered them essentially mindless shells with feet.

They journey through the woods and end up facing our fence and have no idea what to do next. Obviously they have no knowledge of left or right turns, let along U turns. So they just sit staring at the fence for hours, while Tommy, on the inside of the fence, loudly exhorts them to leave. Needless to say, the neighbors do not understand his rationale and phone me to do something about my noisy dog.

It does no good to just say “shoooo” to a turtle. Since my duty as Department Head of OMC/THUD is habitat relocations, I have to walk through the woods around the outside of the fence carrying a bottle of red fingernail polish to where this pea brained reptile is sitting in his shell (guess he doesn’t like the barking either) and carry it back down in the woods facing the opposite direction. Now you (and the neighbors) may ask, “Why are you carrying nail polish?”

To which I answer, “to paint the shell of the invader, naturally”. If the same one shows up at my fence again, he is soup.

TURTLE AFTER HABITAT RELOCATION

Now, if a tortoise is encountered on our daily outing, Tommy is on it in a New York minute. He looks like he’s playing soccer with the hapless creature. The way he bats the thing around perhaps he mistakes the shell markings for soccer ball hexagons. They are quite similar, ya know, and Tommy is a big fan of David Beckham. We’re so glad he and Victoria moved to the U.S. and now we have another vapid blonde to watch on the Insider…..Oh, wait, I digress…………

Davey does seem to have somethin goin for him…..but can he sing???

Clay content: I wonder if Clay might be interested in helping me set up a turtle sanctuary. After all, these helpless creatures need to included in conservation efforts just like the more gifted (and attractive) animals. He knows my number if he is interested.
it’s just me, geni

2007-09-21T18:42:00.001-05:00

"If dogs don't go to heaven, then i want to go where they go."

No this isn’t Tommy. This is the twelve million dollar Maltese, Trouble. Just goes to show that everybody loves pets. You don’t even have to be a nice person to love a dog. Well, yes, there is the possibility that Leona just left the dog that money to piss off her kids…..,..gotta love that woman
.

CLICK ON ALL PIX TO ENGLARGE. YOU DON'T WANNA MISS THE MISCHIEVIOUS EXPRESSION IN TOMMY'S EYES.

Here’s my Cocker Spaniel,Tommy. He’s a wonderful dog and I wouldn’t sell him for twelve million dollars. (Please, Lord, don’t tempt me on this.) He is so smart, and talented. He works hard and loves to celebrate in his off time.

He really likes Halloween and greets each Trick or Treater at the door with
the bucket of treats in his mouth. Sorry I couldn’t get a pic of that, but he somehow ate all the treats when I wasn’t watching.

Independence Day is one of his favorite holidays. He loves the fireworks displays and he isn’t afraid of a little noise like those finicky Corgies or Poodles. Of course, there is the possibility that he just likes the BBQ hamburgers. Cost me a pretty penny last July when he burned his tongue on the grill.

He loves for me to read to him. Cat in the Hat is one of his favorites. He’s friends with the neighbor’s cat although he did get a nasty scratch on his nose (more vet expenditures) when all he was trying to do was greet her just like dogs greet each other……… I think in this pic he may be saying a few choice words about that hat.

He likes to play games. Cowboys and Indians is fun (but why do I always have to be the Indian?)

But I get back at him when we play dolls and he has to wear the bonnet.

We love to play Star Wars. I think he has a thing for Princess Leia and he never shares her with me. I have to make all the whooshing noises for the X wing fighters, but he’s working with his speech therapist on this problem.

Tommy is a really big Clay Aiken fan. He insists that I play Clay’s cd’s all the time. He even tried wearing his hair in bangs like his Idol.

And as I said, he’s a hard worker. Here’s Tommy resting in his easy chair after a hard day at the office, checking the stock market. Needless to say, his portfolio has been depreciating considerably…..he just threw down his hat in disgust.

Oh, I almost forgot his favorite holiday. Christmas of course. He just loves to wear that Santa hat. Oh, wait, that’s me…….nevermind.

Ok, so I lied a little bit. He didn’t lose that much in the stock market. He invests his funds very conservatively.

All right, the truth is….here’s where I find him every day when I come home from work. But the minute I wake him up…..he’s really happy to see me. He hasn’t figured out how to open the treat jar yet……

it’s just tommy’s playmate, geni

2007-09-13T19:07:00.000-05:00

GENI IN THE SPOTLIGHTS

Dear loyal and concerned friends,
Just wanted to let you know that all is well and I am home. That nasty gall bladder is only a bad dream – sorta like a nightmare starring Kath y G. Now that I have a little time on my hands, I’m wondering what hospitals do with those extra parts? Maybe I should have asked to take it home so I could preserve it in Lucite or maybe just bury it in my back yard. You know, it was a part of me for many years and it deserves some respect.

And I know that y’all are really as interested in my operation as I am and so want to satisfy your curiosity as to the nature of a gall bladder operation. So hold on to your swivel chair cause I have an anatomy lesson planned that I know you won’t wanna miss.

THE PRECEDURE:
A newer way to remove the gallbladder is called laparoscopic (say "lap-are-oh-skop-ick") cholecystectomy. With this surgery, a laparoscope (a small, thin tube with a scope on the tip of it that is used to see the inside of your body) is used to remove the gallbladder. The laparoscope is put into your body through a tiny cut made just below your navel. Your doctor can then see your gallbladder on a TV screen and do the surgery with tools inserted in 3 other small cuts made in the right upper part of your abdomen. Your gallbladder is then taken out through one of the incisions.
Every good teacher has media now and I know you want to learn more about this spellbinding subject so i have a video which I am selling for a very reasonable price at genihasgall@cheapvideos.com. paypal accepted.

THE VISUALS:

I hope that isn’t a frog that has somehow made its way inside me. Maybe it’s one of those South American ones that the natives use for their poison darts. I bet that’s why I have been so sick.

Oh, wait, maybe this has been the problem all along.

I’m feeling so good now that I’m planning on going to the mall tomorrow because I haven’t been able to get out much lately. I bet I lost at least one dress size since I am rid of that troublesome organ.

and here’s what I look like now.

it’s just the new me, geni

2007-09-11T08:15:00.000-05:00

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

REMEMBERING

9.11 is the Pearl Harbor of our generation.

I remember my mother talking about Pearl Harbor. She said everyone was in such shock…but the main thing she remembered in her later years was that at that time ….she was in her twenties then….that her main thought was that this meant a war was coming and that her new husband would be drawn into it.

9.11 is the Peal Harbor of our generation. We all remember where we were and what we were doing that morning. I was getting reading to go with a friend to her out-of-town doctor’s appointment. I was in the shower when the phone rang.

I rushed to answer it. It was my daughter in CT calling to assure me that she and her husband (who works quite close to New York) were ok. I didn’t know what she was talking about. She said, “TURN ON THE TV”. So I did.

I stood there transfixed as I watched the replay on CNN of the first plane. Shivering in my towel. I was speechless. My daughter kept saying, “Mom…Mom”. I finally answered her ……asking her for what little additional information she had.

Then the second plane arrived. I sat down.

My friend, Carol, and I did make it to her doctor’s appointment. Life always goes on. Tragedy can slow life, but it never stops, I’ve discovered. There was a young couple in the doctor’s office, and when my friend went in, I started talking to them. He was a Marine and had been alerted to report back to his base. He had made arrangements for his flight and was with his wife before going to the airport. He wasn’t real sure any flights were leaving St. Louis, but he was going to be there at the gates just in case. When they rose to leave, my heart rose in my throat and I said, “God bless you.”

He turned back to look at me. He had such a strange look on his face. Amazement that someone would say that out loud in a public place, perhaps…..perhaps, concern that the oath he had taken in peace time to serve his country was a very serious thing , indeed, now…and, perhaps, a realization that all Americans were united that day….Marines and middle-aged ladies in doctor’s offices included.

In Mid America, half a continent away, this tragedy was all that was talked about. American was united on that day and for a few years after. Of course, we are back to our old scappy selves now. But that’s what America and our Star Spangled Banner is all about anyway, isn’t it?

I always wonder where that Marine is now.

2007-09-06T22:50:00.000-05:00

-

NO, I WASN’T HERE TO SEE THIS

And didn't hear this song live either.....

YES, I’m depressed, so I’ll understand if you don’t read this. It’s not funny or inspirational. it’s just depressing. But that’s what disappointment and ill health can do for a person. Sorry….. no smiling in the face of adversity from me. I’m a whiner. I know I’ve been cheated and I’m not gonna put a happy face on it. it’s not fair and I’m gonna bitch about it and try to spread as much doom and gloom as I can….. cause its lonely down here in the pits.

WASN’T HERE EITHER

I was reading a clay board where members were touting the three favorite concerts they attended. As you can imagine, this put me in a spiral of self-pity. Even Tommy left the room, tired of the moaning and groaning about how life is just not fair. (FYI – I spent three miserable days in the hospital instead of three glorious concert nights, the eagerly anticipated object of months of meticulous planning and scheduling and now have to have a gall bladder operation.)

Now I ask you, is that any way to treat a loyal-since- AI2 fan? And who is doing this treating anyway? Who is making these decisions? I want an up close and personal interview with that person. CAUSE IT AINT RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!

WHERE WAS I WHEN THIS HAPPENED? OH, YEAH, IN THE HOSPITAL!!

Not lookin for sympathy….yes, I know where to find it in the dictionary….just wanted to whine. and here's even a whiney poem. Now you can be depressed too...HA

SUMMER OF LOST DREAMS

I dreamed a dream
I made my plans
like wishing pennies in a well
worthless

who gets to pick
which pennies work
which dreams come true
pointless

now all is lost, I’m wide awake
and dreams are wisps long gone
the well’s been drained
wishless

it's better not to hope and dream
the pain is colder than the well
of tarnished copper drowned in tears
hopeless
geni 2007

it’s just me, geni

2007-08-14T17:56:00.000-05:00

Check out the woman's boots... oh and the painting, too. YOU CAN CLICK ON ALL PICTUES TO ENLARGE THEM AND THEN CLICK AGAIN IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER.

I’ve been intrigued by the ads a credit card company has recently been running in magazines about “THINGS TO DO WHILE YOU’RE STILL ALIVE”……maybe depressed would be a better word….. because these are things I will never do…..i know that- which is probably the “hook” of the ad. Nobody can do all or most or even one of these without some extra money which the company will gladly supply at an interesting interest rate.

But it’s not just money that prevents us from realizing our dreams, is it? It’s lots of reasons --- fear, family responsibilities, time, priorities, age, health…just the pressures of living prevent a lot of people from realizing most of their dreams….even achievable ones. (hmmmmm…..i wonder if it’s a dream if it IS achievable ---- maybe then it’s just a matter of hard work and persistence)

Well, anyway, here’s some of the items on these lists of “THINGS TO DO WHILE YOU’RE STILL ALIVE” with pertinent comments on their applicability…..in case you want to apply for the credit card and live a little…..

THINGS I WOULDN’T DO ANYWAY:

----MASTER JAPANESE COOKING - now why would I want to do that? I haven’t quite mastered microwave cooking yet.

----GO CAMPING AND LIVE OFF THE LAND - they must be kidding

----SHAVE YOUR HEAD - (I’m not making these up, btw) not sure why a woman would want to do this? it did get Brittany a lot of extra publicity…as if she needed that. But now that I think of it, here’s a story: One of my best friends’ daughters had breast cancer and naturally lost her hair after chemo. She went around bald. Refused to buy a wig or wear a hat. Said she wanted people to realize what cancer looked like and that so many more resources could be devoted to cancer research. Did I say how much I admired that young woman.

----VISIT AN UNINHABITED ISLAND – if they let people visit it, it wouldn’t be uninhabited for very long, now would it? Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Captain D’s, KFC, Taco Bell, Burger King, and undoubtedly Larry King wouldn’t be far behind me.

----DRINK A MARGARIETA ON ISLE MARGARITA – Let me qualify this. I don’t like tequila, but would gladly drink some other tasty libation on this isle….wherever the hell it is, it must have a beach. Sounds like my kinda place.

----TEST DRIVE A SUPERCAR – suffice it to say, I never have to drive anywhere. My friends always offer to do the driving (right Barb?). and I value what living I have left.

----SPEND CHRISTMAS ON A TROPICAL ISLAND – let me qualify this. it just doesn’t seem like a place for Christmas Celebration…but I would be glad to go there anytime if I had luxury hotel accommodations.

----EAT AN INSECT - now i know they're kidding

THINGS I WOULD LOVE TO DO:

---RUN WITH THE BULLS IN PAMPLOMA – Hemingway and I would have had a mah ve lous time in Italy, I think.

----WALK THE RED CARPET AT A MOVIE PREMIER - and win the academy award for starring in it. why not dream big?

----SEE THE TONY AWARDS LIVE – hell, I can’t even keep healthy enough to attend a Clay Aiken concert to which I already have tickets. oh, wait, does that sound like whining? sorry

----GO TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES – but I want VIP seating and Jerome to keep the crowds away from me.

----SEE THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS - do photos or tv count?

----GO ON A SAFARI – does watching my favorite movie “Out of Africa” count?

----SEE THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA – my daughter has done this. Why is she living my life???

----LOOK DOWN FROM THE CLIFFS OF MOHER

----FLY AROUND THE WORLD – I assume this doesn’t mean non-stop, but with daily stops at exotic locations. yeah, I definitely could do this.

----VISIT AN ACTIVE VOLCANO – I assume this means to fly very high over it in an air conditioned plane.

----SEE A PENQUIN IN ITS NATURAL HABITAT –see above, substitute heated for air conditioned.

----DISCOVER A PLANET – Here’s a tidbit of info about me. When I was a girl and asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always said an archeologist or an astronomer. Obviously, i always wanted to know everything in both directions. I still regret my inability to achieve either of those goals. Unfortunately, a working-class family, mid-twentieth century society, and Missouri State College did not afford me those opportunities (not to mention my own lack of insight and gumption). oh well

THINGS I COULD DO:

----WATCH A SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH – does tv count here? but I think I could drive there from here. but, that’s chancy for me since those are scheduled and I’m usually in the hospital for these "schedules only infrequently events" not whining, just stating the facts.

----TRAVEL WITH HANDMADE FITTED LUGGAGE – i don't even know what "fitted" luggage is but i do know if i bought it, then I couldn’t afford the trip.

----WIN A KAROKE CONTEST – I certainly sing as well as William Hung.

----GET A DEGREE IN ENOLOGY – I looked this up – it's wine making. sounds like fun classes to me.

---STOMP GRAPES - why not? might be part of that enology degree.

THINGS I HAVE DONE:

----OWN A ROOM WITH A VIEW – I had the most beautiful view from every window in my house at the Lake. oh, wait, does this mean some view of some European scenery or architecture??? oh well, nevermind.

----WRITE A SCREEN PLAY – doesn’t say it has to be produced, does it?

----EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF BROADWAY UP CLOSE – bless my beloved daughter’s generous heart for these wonderful experiences.

----DRIVE ACROSS THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE – ok, this is a lie. but I have driven the bridge across Lake Pontchartrain which is the longest bridge in the world and should be on their silly lists anyway.

----HAVE A MUSEUM ALL TO YOURSELF – ok, I’m hedging on this one. but the pic from the magazine (yes, in case you were wondering, that’s the pic at the head of this blog. takes me a while to get anywhere, y’know) shows a couple (doncha love her boots) viewing Monet’s Waterlillies, which I have seen up close and personal. the enormous canvases were magnificent and the Art Institute of Chicago’s special exhibit wasn’t crowded so I took my sweet time on each painting. it’s almost the same thing, I think.

That credit card company seemed to have forgotten to include these impossible dreams that are at the top of my own personal list:

THINGS I DREAM ABOUT DOING:

---TO GO ON AN ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG

---FLY IN THE SPACE SHUTTLE (Did I tell you I applied for the Teacher in Space Program a few years ago? Well, I should have, anyway. but of course, if I had won I wouldn’t be here writing today, would i? and let’s never forget the name, Christa McAuliffe.)

----HAVE OPRAH CHOOSE ONE OF MY BOOKS FOR HER BOOK CLUB

--- WIN A MEET AND GREET - hahahahahahahah, oh sure, and my name’s Lucky Geni

----DO THE CLAY AIKEN TOTAL CONCERT TOUR – of course, you do realize you are listening to “The Impossible Dream”…….it’s one of my favorite songs. May have something to do with “to reach the unreachable star” line….

--(however, Clay may be trying to remember my name in this blend by Gerwhisp.)

it’s just me, geni

2007-08-07T11:59:00.000-05:00

While I am not normally a country music fan, I really like this song….it’s the Feminist in me, i guess. ,,,,, . I’d much rather listen to “My Way” than “Stand by Your Man".

So while country music, imho, has not been notably pro-feminist that I know of, Martina McBride has something to say to all of us. This song does relate to all ages and stages of life and this is such a diversified group, I’m quite sure there’s a woman reading this who recognizes herself in one of these lines:

---wonderin where your life is goin to
---livin on dreams
---ever had a broken heart
---love without holding back
---lines on your face made you who you are
---wished upon a shooting star
---deam with everything they have

It was probably the lines about stars and dreams that caught my ear. Anyway, thinking about all the stages of life got me in a philosophical mood. So I thought I would offer my own take on how to get through the different stages that all of us face with as few scars on the psyche as possible:

GENI’S ESSENTIALS FOR GETTING ON WITH YOUR LIFE:

1. ACCEPTANCE – I know this is just about the hardest thing to learn in the world, but you might as well get started on it. There are some things in this life you just can’t stop, or solve or change….death….disability…..disease…..divorce. First of all, don’t blame yourself….some or all of these happen to everyone. It’s no one’s fault and certainly not God’s…so don’t try to give Her the guilt trip. I tried it….She ain’t having any….

2. FORGIVE YOURSELF – Yep, another difficult lesson but essential for getting on with your life. Sure we’ve all done things we regret. We can ask God for forgiveness and be sure it will be given. We can ask others for forgiveness and maybe get it. . But convincing ourselves to forgive ourselves is just the hardest….for me anyway. (I never said I had accomplished these …..just that they were essential…..)

3. HAVE FUN AND PAMPER YOURSELF – No matter how few or many family responsibilities you have (and naturally, women put their families first) you have gotta take care of yourself, too. If you burn out….who’s gonna do the laundry??? So here’s my list of fun things (and yes, I have accomplished these….) go shopping, spend some money on yourself for a change. Get a new hair style/color, have lunch with friends, go to a play or movie or sports event. Or just sit by yourself and read a book, listen to music, pet the dog, watch the stars come out…..if you try hard to find the time and refuse to share YOUR time, you will be a better person for it…take my word for it.

That's all i got, folks. What? You expected a pompous, extensive, exhaustive, enumeration? from me?

Well, here is something else i reommend. Another fun thing to do: WARNING---CLAY CONTENT HERE: download some clack, sing along with Clay, dance by yourself, email a clayfriend, go to a concert if at all possible.

So in case i haven't mentioned it a few hundred times, my friend and i are going on the southern leg of our Summer Clay Concert Tour starting this Thursday. We are flying to Raleigh, NC renting a car and attending three concerts in three days before flying back from Knoxville, TN, on Monday. Yes, this is what Clay groupies do. We go to as many concerts (yes the same concert) as we can afford. Nan and i only regret that we are not rich....Here's where i'll be this week-end. Don't try to call me, i'll be busy.

KOKA Booth Ampitheater in Releigh, NC(click on all pix to enlarge}

Biltmore Center, Ashville, NC

Biltmore Estates is also on our tour list.

Theater in Nashville, TN

it’s just me, geni

2007-07-22T18:47:00.000-05:00

FRIDAY, JULY 6 – JEANIE IS OFF TO SPRINGFIELD AND ON TO TULSA
Here’s my picture album of our trip to Tulsa to our first Clay Concert of Summer 2007.

you can click on any picture to enlarge it.

As you MAY have heard, I am a BIG fan of Mr. Clay Aiken and my friend Nan and I decided to fulfill our teen-aged fantasies and become groupies. And since we’re big girls now and can afford to do whatever we want without asking anyone’s permission, we had a blast.

I drove to Springfield on Friday night and we took off Saturday morning for the three plus hour drive to Tulsa, OK. We arrived at the Crown Plaza Hotel by lunchtime and signed in with the 300 other lucky preregistered dinner/preconcert party guests. Then met up with the other SW MO ShowMe Clay Fan Club members attending the affair.

i'm talking as usual in this one.
here's the rest of the fan club.

I’ve met some wonderful new friends from Springfield and as you can see, we are a varied group. Mainly we enjoy music in addition to participating in fund raising activities for the Bubel/Aiken Foundation to help include kids with disabilities in summer camps….oh and we do appreciate a certain young singerman…….

The biggest hassle of the trip was the long wait in line with several hundred other fans to get our rooms at the hotel. Seems they just didn’t have them ready for us at three as promised…..but we finally got in our rooms and changed for the party.

As you can see the Tulsa fan club put in a lot of work for their guests. The food buffets were marvelous. The decorations were fantastic and they auctioned and raffled literally hundreds of items with all profits going to the Bubel/Aiken Foundation.

Then we were off to the concert at the historic Brady Theater. Well,,,,let me tell you this about Oklahoma. Their definition of historic is not the same as Missouri. Think the beautifully restored Midland and Fox…velvet and gold inlay. In OK, historic just means OLD. Think concrete and frayed carpeting.(This 2500 seating theater is one of the smaller venues this summer. Over 12,000 fans enjoyed his show in Columbus, OH last week and our next concert in Cary, NC is a 7000 capacity outdoor amphitheater. His fans fill every seat.)

The acoustics at the Brady were excellent though, and that’s all we cared about. Our Clay was in fine voice and his fans were as enthusiastic as ever as you can hear from this music captured by one of the many technically talented fans that were there. (and NO that wasn't me hooting when he started singing...i don't think)

My pictures of the concert reflect my quite limited photography skills. Uncounted photos and videos of the concert are shared on line by other generous claymates so those are what i'm showing you here.

he almost always tours with his two backup singers, Quiana and Angela

in the background, you can see some of the symphony orchestra

Most of us met for breakfast the next morning. Here’s Nan and I…I’m showing off my new 2007 concert shirt.

This trip was just our practice run for our REALLY BIG TOUR TRIP in august. We are flying to Raleigh, NC, for a concert in nearby Cary, renting a car to drive to Asheville, NC the next night, driving to Knoxville, TN the next night and flying home the next. Maybe we’re crazy…..but it’s the most fun I’ve had in years, kiddos…….

2007-07-04T09:08:00.000-05:00

HEY, GF'S,
HERE'S HOW CLAYFANS
CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY

THE FIRST TOUR OF CLAY AIKEN'S SUMMER TOUR STARTS TONIGHT IN DALLAS.
MY NBFF (new best friends forever - sorry old best friends) AND I WILL BE ON OUR WAY TO TULSA FOR JULY 7 CONCERT. CAN YOU SAY "ROAD TRIP"?

I WILL BE HERE

When the hush is loud and heavy
When the heat begins to rise
When a knife could cut the tension
When exultation fills our eyes

When house lights start to flicker
When our hearts begin to rage
When the air's alive and crackling
And Clay Aiken stalks the stage

(Though the wait had seemed forever
And we’d bitched beyond belief
He had wanted to be perfect
All we wanted was relief)

But Clay Aiken’s back in concert
Claymates arrived en masse
Yes, our fervor is amazing
And we’ve proven we’ve got class

He’s finally here before us
The spell he spins is cast
The angst has been forgotten
It’s opening night at last

The crowd is on its feet now
The screaming has begun
United in euphoria
Our voices rise as one

He shines with arms outstretching
Eyes twinkling with delight
When he bites that swollen lower lip -
I’ll pass out at the sight

Just my luck to miss the opening
And no one will notice me
Lying here semiconscious
Awash in ecstasy
geni 2006

TOUR DATES

AN EVENING WITH CLAY AIKEN
07/04/07 Dallas, TX, US Pizza Hut Park
07/06/07 Houston, TX, US Jones Hall
07/07/07 Tulsa, OK, US Brady Theater
07/17/07 Philadelphia, PA, US Mann Center for the Performing Arts
07/18/07 Syracuse, NY, US Mulroy Civic Center at Oncenter
07/19/07 Canandaigua, NY, US Constellation Performing Arts Center
07/20/07 Chautauqua, NY, US Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater
07/21/07 Columbus, OH, US Chemical Abstract Service Buy Tickets
07/23/07 Sterling Heights, MI, US Freedom Hill Amphitheater
07/25/07 Gilford, NH, US Meadowbrook Farm
07/28/07 Newark, NJ, US New Jersey Performing Arts Center
08/02/07 San Diego, CA, US Embarcadero Marina Park South
08/03/07 Pala, CA, US Pala Casino Starlight
08/04/07 Los Angeles, CA, US Greek Theatre
08/05/07 Indio, CA, US Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
08/10/07 Cary, NC, US Koka Booth Amphitheater
08/11/07 Asheville, NC, US Biltmore Estate
08/12/07 Knoxville, TN, US Tennessee Theater
08/15/07 Atlanta, GA, US Chastain Park Amphitheater
08/16/07 Fort Myers, FL, US Barbara B Mann Center
08/17/07 Tampa, FL, US Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
08/18/07 West Palm Beach, FL, US Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
08/19/07 Orlando, FL, US Hard Rock Live

2007-06-23T15:06:00.000-05:00

Here is some information about BAF, the charity supported by our fan club.

" As a Foundation we have an
effective inclusive summer camp program entitled
"Let's All Play." Our Friend Mikayla, written and
illustrated by the 3rd grade class in Lower Nazareth
Elementary, has been well received. The Federal and
State Farm grants have generated excellent initial
work for a K-12 inclusive curriculum and work with
Johns Hopkins University has highlighted interesting
potential for helping to bridge the educational gap
that exists for many students with special needs and
their peers. All in all, great progress, but still
much to do. I feel most importantly we have to
challenge ourselves as to how we can touch the lives
of more kids!"

The SW Missouri Show Me Clay Fan Club had our June meeting at Jaiken’s home and what a sweet time it was. You can see the pool in the background from the deck where we ate.

She prepared a birthday surprise for one member. Guess who that is popping out of the cake?? Unfortunately, he wasn’t there, he’s rehearsing, ya’know, for that summer concert tour complete with orchestra. We'll all be in Tulsa for a concert on July 7. Yeah!!!! Road trip!!!!
…….

Here’s the famous redhead herself, my good friend, H2, and the lovely natural blonde geni having a little fun, as usual….well, I’m talking as usual and she’s lookin way too young.

Our president keeps things percolating for BAF. The club donated eight OUR FRIEND MIKALA books to area libraries,

Now we are in the planning stages of a Scrapping for Inclusion tour de force next fall to raise fund for BAF. I can’t believe so few women (we have a very small club) can do so much. Get your friends together. You to can make a difference.

Remember “it’s better to light one little candle than to curse the darkness” or “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” or “not dead yet”……whatever your mantra might be…..

Clay Aiken in concert. Of course, making a difference is Clay's mantra. Just ask that guy who didn’t give up and drove from Charlotte and Atlanta to try out for American Idol again after he had been turned down the first time.

It’s just me, geni

2007-06-15T19:32:00.000-05:00

MY FATHER'S DAY TRIBUTE

This is my daddy opening a Christmas gift I bought him. After he retired he took over the cooking and his specialty was vegetable soup….don’t ask me why…..oh, he took over the cooking because my mother wasn’t any better a cook than I am.

My father died over fifteen years ago and I can still hear his laughter, see his smile. He was the man by which I judged all other men – and very few even came close. He was not a wealthy man, not an imposing looking man, not an important man in the eyes of the world. But he was the world to the women in his life, and his daughter adored him. I am his legacy. All that I am, he shaped. All my values were his, as are his personality, his assets and his faults, even his interests are still mine.

When he died, suddenly of a heart attack, I handled his funeral, and wrote his eulogy. This is my testament to him. I believe a man should be eulogized by one who knew him well – someone who loved him – and I loved him most of all. His passing from this earth should be noted by more than a short paragraph of facts in the middle of a newspaper obituary column.

My dad was a man of character. He was a man of strong moral fiber. You knew where he stood and where you stood with him. He always spoke his mind, regardless of who might be hurt, including himself. This was an asset or a fault – I always admired it in him but Mother always said he could think whatever he wanted, he didn’t have to say it out loud.

I always felt a little sorry for my father – always surrounded by women – his mother and two sisters as a boy – his wife and daughter as a man. And hard women, too. The women in his life, either born or married, were and are rock-hard, all of them – including me, his only child. Undoubtedly, we alll helped shape his character. He was always a gentleman among women, but he had to be tough to survive. Maybe that’s why he learned the fine art of argument.

My, how that man loved to argue! His friends were also men who loved to argue. I have listened to him spend a whole evening in loud disagreement (not a debate, no one ever changed his mind). I’d wonder how they could remain friends after that. But, you know, he never downgraded another man behind his back after those arguments. He respected a man’s right to his opinion and respected any man or woman who had the guts to voice those opinions. I finally decided that arguing was a source of entertainment to both of them.

He was not a joiner. The only memberships he ever held were his church and his union. He remained a union man long after his retirement. Of course, this was a fine topic for arguments, as was politics – a Democrat to the end. He even admitted he was a “yellow dog Democrat” – with pride, I might add.

He didn’t argue about religion. His faith was a fact and not arguable. He was a true believer in saving grace. I walked by their bedroom every night on my way to get ready for bed, and I would see him on his knees every night. I never heard a word. He was not a demonstrative man, even in private. It was between him and his God.

He had no hobbies, unless you count swinging. Many an evening he and I would spend swinging on the patio or deck, talking, sometimes arguing, gazing up at the stars. We were very curious about those stars. We were avid science fiction fans and had all kinds of speculations about distant galaxies. Or sometimes we were quiet, just swinging back and forth, lost in their beauty and mystery.

What more can you say about a man than to say you were proud of him. His wife was proud to sit beside him every Sunday in that same church pew. His daughter was proud to have him walk her down the aisle. His grandchildren were proud to have their friends also call him grandpa.

I was also proud to print Shakespeare’s soliloquy from Romeo and Juliette in his funeral program. It could have been written for him. Who knows, maybe it was.

“When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars
And he shall make the face of heaven so fine
That all the Earth shall be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun…”

And now you know why I love stars.

Kansas City - Daddy hadn't been back from WWII too long when this was taken.

I was always holding Daddy's hand when i had the chance....and i seem to be edging away from Mother......hmmmmmmmm

We look so serious here. Of course, without my glasses, i always looked like i was a little worried about something.

It’s just me, geni

2007-06-10T13:54:00.000-05:00

Ebb Tide by The Righteous Brothers is certainly not as familiar as two of their other hits from the ’60s. For some strange reason (yeah, right) I bet everyone here is quite familiar with ‘Unchained Melody” and surely everyone’s favorite Tom Cruise movie, Top Gun, rings a bell with even younger members, and the unforgettable song from it, “You’ve Got That Lovin’ Feelin” was by The Righteous Brothers. Still sends chills up and down my spine, anyway.

In case you’re wondering where I’m going with this…..or where it came from…..Clay’s late night blog, so full of information contained this referenceBut, when I got to my room, I was so excited by the cool view…. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, is located on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. Both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean, viewed from a Mexican balcony are breathtaking. Here’s another view.

I’ve been to both coasts of Mexico.

The color of the water at Playa del Carmen can hardly be described.
And I was especially entranced by the sound of the tide at night.

So I wrote a poem about it…..how did you guess…………

The waves thunder into the shore each night
The exotic Caribbean blue has solomned
Sitting alone on the beach, it’s mesmerizing
They roar in, then recede
They roar in, then recede
They roar in, then recede
Endlessly

The majesty of their force is primeval
Since before time began
Leveling all before them
Absconding with what had been
They never end
They never will
They are mindless

Are the waves louder, more forceful at night?
Or does the silence of the stars still the soul
And it can listen with the heart?
Is it the gentle warmth of the Latin night
And the softness of the embracing sand
That revives this poignant yearning?

Do they have, do they need a purpose?
Is mindless, ceaseless motion enough?
But life is always seeking meaning
In the stars or in the surf.
Even when there is none.

The tide will return
I never will.
geni 2007

Here are the words to Ebb Tide.

“First the tide rushes in, plants a kiss on the shore
Then rolls out to sea and the sea is very still once more
So I ll rush to your side, like the oncoming tide
With one burning thought, will your arms open wide?

At last, we’re face to face,
and as we kiss, through an embrace
I can tell, I can feel, you are love, you are real, really mine
In the rain, in the dark, in the sun

Like the tide at its ebb,
I’m at peace
in the web
of your arms.
Ebb tide.

ahhhhhhhhhh, it’s just me, sentimental geni

2007-06-03T14:58:00.000-05:00

JUST FOR DOG LOVERS

The music is "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables - no reason except it is one of my very favorite songs and from the first Broadway play Lara took me to see in NYC.

Mr. Bruce, he's waiting for me somewhere, i know.

I got this email from a friend yesterday. you may have already read it...i know these things circle the globe quite speedily, but i just love it.

and as i've said before
"if dogs don't go to heaven, then i want to go where they go."

EMAIL
Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. She dictated and I wrote:

Dear God,
Will you please take special care of our dog, Abbey? She died yesterday and is in heaven. We miss her very much. We are happy that you let us have her as our dog even though she got sick. I hope that you will play with her. She liked to play with balls and swim before she got sick. I am sending some pictures of her so that when you see her in heaven you will know she is our special dog. But I really do miss her

Love,Meredith Claire
P S: Mommy wrote the words after Meredith told them to her.
We put that in an envelope with two pictures of Abbey, and addressed it to God in Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith stuck some stamps on the front (because, as she said, it may take lots of stamps to get a letter all the way to heaven) and that afternoon I let her drop it into the letter box at the post office. For a few days, she would ask if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.
Yesterday there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch. Curious, I went to look at it. It had a gold star card on the front and said "To Meredith" in an unfamiliar hand.

Meredith took it in and opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers,
"When a Pet Dies" Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God, in its opened envelope (which was marked Return to Sender: Insufficient address) On the opposite page, one of the pictures of Abbey was taped under the words "For Meredith" We turned to the back cover, and there was the other picture of Abbey, and this handwritten note on pink paper:
Dear Meredith,
I know that you will be happy to know that Abbey arrived safely and soundly in Heaven! Having the pictures you sent to me was such a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.
You know, Meredith, she isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me--just like she stays in your heart--young and running and playing. Abbey loved being your dog, you know.
Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets!-- so I can't keep your beautiful letter. I am sending it to you with the pictures so that you will have this book to keep and remember Abbey.
One of my angels is taking care of this for me. I hope the little book helps. Thank you for the beautiful letter. Thank your mother for sending it. What a wonderful mother you have! I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I am in heaven but wherever there is love, I am there also.

Love,
God and the special angel who wrote this after God told her the words."

As a parent and a pet lover, this is one of the kindest things that I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is some very kind soul working in the dead letter office. Just wanted to share this act of compassion
_____________________
THERE ARE WONDERFUL CARING PEOPLE IN EVERY LINE OF WORK.

you may want to go read another blog now, cause, wouldn't you know it, i wrote a poem about Mr. Bruce.

THE TALENTED MR. BRUCE

He could bound straight up,
Four feet in the air, ten times in succession.
He could croon along with any song,
A canine Caruso.

He could demolish a pillow
In ten minutes flat.
He knew a bed, not the floor,
Was for sleeping.

He could see ghosts
From the hallway door.

He’d rather mouth a hand than be petted.
I never left a room that he didn’t follow,
Nuzzling my fingers.

He’d crawl up my lap, stare in my eyes,
To beg a bite of food,
Or just steal it right off the plate,
Then run like hell.

He’d race through the house
With a toy in his mouth
To entice us to romp.

One soft, pale hair is sometimes seen still
And moves me to tears.
He filled my dreary days with life and joy.

He died as he lived,
Running full out.
geni 2000

2007-05-25T17:40:00.000-05:00

CAN THERE BE SUCH A THING AS TOOOOOOO MUCH?

Well, of course NOT when it comes to our Idol or our family or our pets. (hhmmmmm?? Is that the right order?) Surely not when it comes to buying clayconcert tickets, or protecting your kids, or pampering your pets??

Oh well, actually the answer to that question is YES. Especially regarding PETS - sorry I didn’t make that clear in the beginning.

CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTO OF OUR DOG FREEDA

DOG SCOUTS

1. “These dog scouts wear scarves, earn badges, do community service, go to summer camps, and learn new skills” Here are some of the badges that can be earned by your dog in dog scouts. (This is from an article in my local newspaper. honest, I didn’t make this up – even I’m not that big a liar)

I especially liked the badges in “therapy” and “back packing”. Do you think the dogs are in therapy, or giving therapy to other dogs? Oh, wait, maybe they’re those dogs that visit senior citizens in nursing homes. I wonder what in the world the one with the musical notes on it is for? Tommy howls a bit. Think that would qualify? Does the dog have to perform before the scout pack (pun intended) or can you just take a recording of the canine virtuoso? Do they play instruments? Wonder if dancing is included?

THIS IS MY MUSICALLY TALENTED SHIZ TSU SUSI

BTW, the dog scout motto is “ Let us learn new things that we may become more helpful.” Wonder if the dogs bark out the motto? Wonder if they have to stand on their hind legs and raise one paw?

These pet pamperers need to get a job or volunteer for a charity or even clean out their closets. And I just have to share this tidbit from my days as “supermom”. When my dd was a brownie I used to staple her badges to her sash. Give me a break! I worked eight plus hours a day, got her to the brownie meeting, in brownie outfit including beanie and sash. Surely you didn’t expect me to sew too. It was a wee bit embarrassing when one of her badges fell off and the smirking scout leader announced that they had found a badge on the floor…..with a staple attached. My innocent dd went and retrieved it while I acted like I was the competent mother of one of the other brownies. My poor dd didn’t know that all mommies didn’t staple badges and superglue hems.

DD is on the right and btw that's why you're listening to Lara's Theme

Well back to the theme of this blog. PET PAMPERING

If your dog barks excessively, the Dog Shrink recommends a Citronella Collar for about $80.(YES, I said dog shrink. This advice comes directly from her magazine column) “Barking will activate the microphone on the collar which discharges a harmless citronella spritz. One problem is that a “genius” dog may learn to turn his head and bark until the spritzer empties and then continues to bark to his/her heart’s content.

The DOG TREAD MILL sounds interesting. Guess that's for owners who are never home or too lazy to ever walk their own dog. Wonder why they got a dog in the first place?

Clothing for dogs is a really big seller now. Paris Hilton has her own line of pet clothes. (I swear on my Clay Aiken Official Fan Club Membership Card that I’m not making this up.)

Here’s some cute doggies in their designer dresses.

THIS ONE MUST BE FOR THAT GENIUS DOG THAT LOVES TO BARK.

Well, MY cocker spaniel, Tommy, just wouldn’t have a thing to do with any of these. He is a boy after all. And he’s so good looking anyway – what does he need clothes for?

It’s just me, geni

p.s. Just in case you didn't know who the aforementioned IDOL was. Here he is with his dog.

2007-04-27T16:42:00.000-05:00

(click on the picture to enlarge it)

Something strange happened to me last night. I enjoyed a sports event. I went to my five year old grandson’s T-ball game. I should tell you up front that I am not a sports fan of any kind – not baseball, football, basketball, not hockey, soccer, (boys or girls - live or TV) not lacrosse, not tennis nor golf not Nascar, not even Superbowl, World Series, or the Final Eight or Four or whatever.

I’m not interested in anything where I have to sit for long periods of time and watch somebody else doing spectacular feats that I could never do (or be allowed to try to do when I was the age to do them) not to mention the fact that I ‘m not supposed to talk at any of these things and, in fact, am told to quit talking ….which is very rude of them I think.

Dancing with the Stars is as sporty as I care to watch….love those sparkly, low cut outfits, and the shoes are just amazing….but I digress
We grandmothers have duties which we have to fulfill, and I strive to show an interest in any and everything concerning my first grandson. (Barney was a real trial and TeleBabies were an insult to even toddler intelligence and
and let’s just forget the Wiggles, please.) Wait, still digressing, I see.

My grandson’s T-ball game was the subject here. In case you are unfamiliar with T ball – the ball is placed on top of this pipe thingy for the little ones to hit. No frustrating pitching and swinging at air. I laughed out lout the first time, one of the players whopped the pipe itself and sent it flying. From the dirty looks I got, I assumed that was not proper T-ball bleacher etiquette so restrained myself the next several times it happened.

All these three foot boys and girls were being taught the basics, I could tell. The coaches were very positive and patient. My heart went out to the little girl who was just sitting on second base staring into the outfield (she was a runner, btw, not the second baseplayer.) Coach ran out and picked up her helmet (which somehow was quite a distance away) and put it back on her and explained to her that she needed to watch the batter so she could run to third back when they hit the ball. The behind the plate coach was helping the batters with proper stance and bat holding. I loved the kid who had batting gloves on. I gathered he was the head coach’s.

Most of the five year olds, including mine, were more interested in the dirt on the field than the play. Well, after all, baseball is sooooo slooow at the best of times, and T-ball is not a competition. No score is kept. They play for an hour and quit. Everyone gets to swing as many times as it takes to knock that stubborn orb from its throne, ….and not one was put out in this game. (don’t know if that is usual or not) Of course, these kids are too young to have their tender feelings bruised by failure…however, are they in for a rude awakening next year!!!!!

The parents were on good behavior at this early stage in their sports attendance. I’ll quit attending when the yelling and arguing starts and certain more talented kids get to play all the time and others get spinters in their little behinds from the benches. But I already noticed one highly active little guy fighting over the ball to the encouragement of some adults.

I’d say most of the kids were there for the novelty and maybe the uniforms. Standard procedure was to drag the bat through the dirt on the way to the plate. Kicking the dirt occupied most of the fielders attention (it was a windy day). My grandson (always one to investigate anything) was picking it up and letting it funnel through his fist. Not sure if he was testing soil consistency or wind direction and/or windspeed.

Not too sure how enthusiastic First Grandson is about the sport to tell the truth. The only thing he told me initially was that when it was over he got fruit rollups and a Hawaiian punch pouch drink. Well, after all, I’ve toiled for less reward myself.

it’s just me, geni

2007-04-21T09:46:00.000-05:00

Hi friends,

Here is the email i received yesterday from UNICEF. Thanks to those of you who joined me in donating to this. Ann is right.( don't forget to read the comments to my last blog.)This is probably the only way we are going to defeat the Taliban and convince Middle Easterners that the United States is a caring nation.

"
Dear Jean,

Last week UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken set a goal of raising $100,000 in ten days to help kids in Afghanistan.There are still two and a half days left, but we've already exceeded the goal and I wanted to thank you on behalf of UNICEF for your extraordinary response. Together, we've raised over $160,000!

Please click here to watch Clay's video thank-you on UNICEF USA's Fieldnotes blog.UNICEF is putting your donations to work to save children and brighten their futures. Again, on behalf of the many young lives you've touched, thank you for your generosity.

Sincerely,

Christine Squires, Vice President

U.S. Fund for UNICEF"

Clay Aiken fans are the greatest (if i do say so myself)

In addition to his UNICEF work, you may have heard of this web site that Kevin Bacon started to fund money to chairitable foundations:

"Six Degrees update; Kevin Bacon's Six Degrees challenge ended on March 31st and The Bubel/Aiken Foundation was officially declared a top six finisher and therefore eligible for the matching $10,000 award. TBAF finished in second place with nearly $45,000 in donations from over 2000 individuals."

Life is good.....even in the face of tragedy.....we all go on.

it's just me, geni

“....I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."

2007-04-14T03:35:00.000-05:00

CLAY'S AFGHANISTAN APPEAL - $100,000 IN 10 DAYS

"We can do this. I've just returned from Afghanistan. The children there need our help today. Let's give UNICEF our support." - Clay Aiken

(this is a copy of Clay's letter of April 12)
Hello Friend,

I've been visiting UNICEF field locations in Afghanistan for the past week. Today, I'm writing to tell you what I've seen and ask for your help.

On my trip, I met Fwazia (we’re in the picture above). She is 11 years old. Fwazia attends a unique school where boys and girls from grades 1-9 share classes and study in the open. The school is in urgent need of funding to buy tents and materials to build a new school. This will give more children the opportunity to go to school.

Let's aim high and work together to raise $100,000 in 10 days to support UNICEF's work in Afghanistan. Join me in standing with UNICEF to support the kids of Afghanistan.

Give online with confidence. If you contribute $50 or more by April 22nd, UNICEF will e-mail you my exclusive field report, in a PDF file format, with some of my own photos from the trip that won't appear anywhere else. As my personal thanks to those of you who are able to donate $1,000 or more, we'll mail an autographed copy of my report.

The children in Afghanistan need help now. Please join me in making a donation today

Sincerely,

Clay Aiken,UNICEF Ambassador

P.S. I'm so inspired by the change we can make together. Please pass this message on to your friends and family asking them to support UNICEF's work.

note from geni. Can you believe Clayfans had already donated $40,000 in one day and by April 14 $90,000 had been donated. Here is a link to the UNICEF site if you care to donate yourself. Or just read more about the project when you click below.
UNICEF page.

2007-04-04T17:30:00.000-05:00

my life now

i've almost reached nirvana
i remained cool at the the DMV
they said i needed receipts
i wistfully said, i see

i guess i'm finally mellowing
aging like fine old wine
i didn't rant and scream today
i'm learning about time

there's so much we're allotted
there's this and then we're through
i want to laugh and sing my life
before i say adieu.
geni 2007

I've lived a middlin’ amount of time on this Earth and still don’t know jacksh..t about life. Those lists of ”THINGS I’VE LEARNED” are real nice, but usually not real practical and certainly not applicable to everyone. I don’t know who writes those lists (I think they’re usually too embarrassed to sign their name) but I can’t for the life of me figure out why they would recommend some of this. I bet they don’t follow it themselves.

Here’s some advice from others that I’ve gleaned from my “FILES OF USELESS THINGS I’VE SAVED AND WILL NEVER READ AGAIN OR IF I DO READ THEM WILL NEVER FIND A USE FOR THEM”

Smile at everyone you meet. (you could attract undesirables that way, y’know)
Do a good deed once a day. (not advisable – then people come to expect it from you and are ungrateful)
Save your money. (nahhhhh….no fun)
Forgive your enemies. (why? They’re your enemies….they’re not nice people)
Eat a healthy diet and exercise. (yeah, like that’s gonna happen……)
Don’t worry about small things.(no wait, those are the only problems you have the slightest chance of solving.)
Live on a budget. (What’s a budget anyway?)

I’m quite sure I can do better than those people who make those lists. Well, if not better, at least my list is not so hard to do and it’s my list and I can put anything I want on it.

GENI’S THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO DO LIST (maybe)

CLICK ON THE PIC TO ENLARGE
Pet every dog you meet (be sure it’s wagging its tail before you do that, though)
You can try to pet a cat but that’s usually not successful, considering how stuck up cats can be.
Laugh at least once a day.

If the sun is shining, be sure and turn your face to it.
If it is snowing, see if you can catch a snowflake on your tongue.
If it is night, be sure and look at the stars for awhile.
Sing every chance you get and always very loudly.
If you can’t sing, hum.
Don't just smell the flowers, pick all those suckers you can.

Cuss if you want to. Scatologicals are not against the Ten Commandments, y’know.
Eat the things you like to eat, especially if it’s chocolate.
Never give a cheap gift and tip generously. (honest, you often get better gifts in return.)
Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom when you’re away from home.
Go to every Clay Aiken concert you can possibly afford and find transportation to.

Call or email a friend or two just to say hi.
Don’t drink enough to get drunk (it embarrasses your friends)
Don’t take any crap from anyone.

GENI’S THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT LIFE LIST
(These are the only things I know for certain.)

1. Life is short.
2. Life is good.
3. Do the best you can with what you’ve got to work with.

That’s it folks, works for me.

it’s just me, geni

“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”

please leave a comment and tell me what you have learned about life in your years on this planet.

2007-03-29T15:38:00.000-05:00

I have been back from Connecticut over a week now and haven’t had a minute to write…so you know how busy I have been. But last week was quite full of just getting caught up at work, working in the yard trying to find the flowers coming up through all the leaves that didn’t get raked last fall, getting taxes done, and meetings after work, and getting poem books ready for our Show Me Clay Fan Club NotaGala gala.

(CLICK ON THE PIC TO ENLARGE IT)

The visit to Connecticut was great……well, except for the 6 inches of snow and sleet we got one night (while you southerners were enjoying 70 degree weather). Harry had to shovel a path off the deck for their dog go get out to pee.

….and except the day I got deathly sick(sorry no pix of this sight) with my usual migraine symtoms (yes sara….it was the cold air that did it, not the two glasses of wine, I’m sure). Harry’s aunt and I had gone out for an early dinner(as we always do when i visit. she's single and my age) and the poor woman was worried sick and had to get me back to Lara's house and it took the two of them to get me in the house. Poor Lara had to try to get hold of a doctor(who wanted to know my allergies and list of medications I was on…as if I was conscious and could tell her) to get my meds (that I don’t take with me any more cause I never have these attacks any more……hmmmmmm) But, Miss Efficiency that my Darlin Daughter, is,she got the RX, put me to bed and checked on me to see if I was still alive, I guess.

Other than that, I had a great time. Grandson Illeas is growing so fast, scooting around everywhere, and laughing and babbling all the time. He has no problem letting his needs be known.

And wanted to let you know about all the other plans in the works. Darling Daughter and I are planning a trip to Hilton Head in June for some fun in the sun.

In August, Mobama, H2, and I are hitting the concert trail just like the teeny-boppers we have become and are planning a road trip in July to Dallas. Yes, I said ROADTRIP. Does that sound like a second-teenhood or what? Hey, you only go around once….you might as well enjoy it. And we are flying to Raleigh in August to hear our Idol in concert again. As you all know, you can’t get too much of a good thing. Hope you are enjoying your time on this planet as much as I am.

Speaking of the yard (remember….. i have AADD and my mind flits around a lot) I LOVE SPRING AND BEING OUTSIDE. The quince, forsythia, and flowering almond bushes are all in bloom….not to mention the crocus, hyacinths, jonquils, and all the tulips, hastas, hollyhocks, lilies, and irises poking their hopeful (hopeful that the deer don’t find them) heads into the sunshine.

Life is good.

it’s just me, geni

2007-03-11T19:19:00.000-05:00

this picture of Little Miss Lara and Illeas is clickable.

HERE’S THE LATEST SCUTTLEBUTT
I’M HEADIN BACK TO CONNECTICUT
The darling grandson is almost one
So I couldn’t resist joining in the fun

I’m gettin lonely and couldn’t resist
Gotta learn what’s new and what I missed
Is he crawling and walking?
Is he singing and talking?

I hear him laughing when I phone
I can’t wait to see how he’s grown
I’ll get to hold him and tell him a tale
With fairies and genies him I’ll regale

Remember that daughter I blogged about
She called last night and did i shout
She’s says we’re going to Hillton Head
In June I’ll be traveling South instead

So don’t miss a blog when I send you a link
It might be more interesting that you think
And do leave a comment cause that’s how I know
That my visiting friends feel like quid pro quo

it's just me,

geni, jeanie, Jean Ann, jeananane,JA,mimi

2007-03-02T18:09:00.000-06:00

Do you believe it is possible to hold two diametrically opposing views at the same time? ….to hold two completely opposite faiths in your heart?

I do believe it is possible…….because I do know both of these.

I believe we decide our own destiny.
I believe that God guides our steps.

I believe in reincarnation.
I believe in salvation through grace.

The reason I can do this is because I have a daughter.
I have never been pregnant and yet I have a daughter.

She is mine. I would give my life for her.
I knew when they called and told me they had a new baby girl for us that she had found me.

I believe God sent her to me.
And I believe her soul found a way to find mine.

She has a magnificent soul…..and it is an Old Soul.
I wish I was half the woman she has turned out to be.

I don’t know if she even knows these things. Oh, she knows I love her. I tell her almost every time I talk to her.

Here she is as Mary in the Church Christmas pageant. She seems rather dubious about playing this role perhaps because it was a bit part with no words. She wanted a starring role I think.

Not that she was an angel growing up. Oh no, she broke my heart a few times. We argued about everything from clothes, hair style, eye shadow, to picking up her messes, spending money, boyfriends, etc. just like every other mother of a daughter, I imagine. She was a wild one there for awhile.

But she’s a woman now and a fine one. A bossy one….one who knows her own mind and stubbornly sticks to it. But, then she’s my daughter….my image. She won’t like to read that, I’m sure. But it’s inescapable. It just seeps out in daughters and there’s not much she can do about it. Well, yes, some daughters do renounce their mothers and strive to be just the opposite. And that’s sad for both of them. I see and hear my own mother in myself constantly, especially now that I’ve reached a certain age (which shall remain nameless, of course) and I actually feel closer to her when it happens.

My daughter helped me change my life….made me realize what I was doing and how I was thinking. I had no idea I was full of anger, but she told me it was there. Of course, that just made me even angrier…at the time. It took years, but gradually I realized that she was right. I WAS angry. My mother was usually angry. I came from a troubled home. Loving but troubled.

And I decided I didn’t want to live that way any more. I used to say “people don’t change” but we CAN change….it takes a long time and a lot of introspection, but we can change. I’ve done more in the last five years of my life than all the years before. Things I always wanted to do. Things that make me happy. Maybe it’s the new millennium, maybe the stars are now aligned in my favor. I think it was my daughter. I thank her. I love her. I’m proud of her. She’s mine.

This daughter of mine went with me to my first Clayconcert…..and she is definitely not a fan. (well no one is perfect….) We used to go on trips together before she got married and a lot of plays in NYC.

click to enlarge

This poem, written on her wedding day is one of my best, I think.

LARA ON THE LAWN

Like dried flowers between the pages of a book
She will press these hours into memory
To preserve them for as long as
Books continue to be read and
Love continues to blossom.

And this one I wrote twenty years ago.

MENOPAUSE AND PUBERTY

I know I lost my temper
I know I screamed at you
It’s so infuriating
The teen-aged things you do.

Such fierce antagonistas
At 40 and 14
Menopause and puberty
Revolt in every gene

But I have the advantage
I’ve been to both these lands
Remember adolescence
Remember all my plans

But that’s not such a credit
To see where I’ve come from
I know I’m not the woman
I wanted to become

Plans turn into frustrations
And this you’ll not believe
I know one compensation
In 30 years, you’ll be me
geni

She has a birthday this month and I want to get an early start …

http://www.GlitterMaker.com/ - Glitter Graphics - MySpace Layouts

I love you, Mom

2007-02-24T09:46:00.000-06:00

A THOUSAND DAYS FROM CLAY AIKEN'S LASTEST ALBUM - A THOUSAND DIFFERENT WAYS

Here's the link if you wanna watch the video. just copy and paste on your address bar. Prepare to be amazed!

http://www.kgbx.com/cc-common/videos_on_demand/player.php?track_id=11545&s=c&playGateway=exiting#

PERHAPS YOU SHOULD LISTEN FOR AWHILE BEFORE YOU START READING THIS ENGROSSING BLOG THAT HAD ABSOLUTLY NOTHING TO DO WITH CLAY.

Isn’t life strange? And full of strange people? And strange people in the strangest places. Who would think someone would say ”fuck you” at a thrift store?

Very funny, huh? Yes, it did happen today. Now don’t ask what I was doing in the thrift store and not in the food bank where I’m supposed to be. I was helping. Sure I was. Well, I was butting in anyway. But not much bothers me anymore. Actually I thought it was funny.

This lady was really pissed because it was two pm and we were closing the store. (the food bank closes at 1:30, btw) Anyway I was sitting in my office doing my computer work, and I heard the volunteers asking people to quit shopping like they do every day about 1:45. They have a terrible time getting people to leave for some reason. I hear them cajoling people every day.

So thought I would be a good Samaritan and help out. When will I learn…no good deed goes unpunished. So out I go. Actually I have NO problem bossing people around…as my daughter will attest – and I just went up to people and asked them to please go to the counter and check out. Several shoppers were quite elderly and I rather doubt if they had even heard the earlier closing announcements. But I assure you I was quite polite - yes, that is a possibility cause I have mellowed quite a bit in the last few years – undoubtedly from listening to soothing music.... And my friend, Sue, was there volunteering at the check out counter, so she can also vouch for me….although she didn’t hear any of this.

So I’m politely asking people to go…reminding them that we close at two and these workers are volunteers who are just helping out. Everybody was very nice…..except ONE. As I walked away from her, I saw that she just went to another rack and started going through more clothes….so I walked over to her and again asked her to check out. Damn! This is not please her at all….don’t ask me why….maybe she really needed a new shirt…..probably had a hot date. But she gave me a lizard stare, crashed the shirts back on the rack and said, “Fuck you!” and left the store on her broomstick.

I’m so sorry…..i just laughed. Yipper..i did. I seem to find just about everything funny any more. What else can life throw at me, anyway? No much can upset me any more. Certainly not thift store shoppers. Actually everything is grist for my blogging now…aint it…..LOL

oh, yeah.....just remembered i had a leeetle problem with a lady at the movie theater a couple of weeks ago. hmmmm...maybe this is getting to be a habit...well, i decided quite a while ago that i wasn't gonna take any shit from anybody any more. and i don't. now, my friend barb was there and she can attest that i did not start this. (most of y'all have known me for a long time, so i know i have to get back-up for some of this)....anyway, barb and i were sitting waiting for "Dreamgirls" to start and doing a lot of talking when a couple sits down next to me - a memorable woman with an enormous full-lengh leopard coat - and the theater was half empty. The movie starts and barb asks me which singer is the American Idol girl. I am the American Idol Resident Expert among my friends, ya'know. So i proceed to tell her.

This leopard loving lady next to me says, "LADY, WILL YOU PLEASE QUIT TALKING".

Well, obviously this lady had no idea with whom she was dealing....so i looked right back at her and said, "LADY, WHY DON'T YOU GO SIT SOMEWHERE ELSE."

She didn't say another word. Up she jumped. At first i thought she was moving...but no, the man just sat there as she went UP the aisle. Then it hit me...she was going to report me to the management. HA! I was primed and waiting for a pimply-faced teenager to come tell me to quiet down. The lady returned and sat right next to me again....and nobody showed up.. damn

Really, i tried not to talk much, because i really hate it when people talk during a movie....but it was not the most comfortable movie i've ever sat through...but it was a great movie, and there was a lot of talking going on all around us. It's that kinda movie.

So now you know. You can say anything you want to me....i won't be offended....but be prepared to reap what you sow. I'm a survivor....i can not be intimidated.

MY PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE

I believe in surviving
For no reason
With no hope

I believe in going on
With no end in sight
With no plan for success

When all you feel is sadness
When all you see are tears
When all your bridges have been burned

I don’t believe in giving up
Youth and beauty have fled
Friends and esteem are fading

I’m still here
I’ll fight on
Ya’ never know
geni 2007

2007-02-17T13:06:00.000-06:00

<
?

Clay didn’t call. I didn't win the poetry contest. Life is bleak.

I have gotta get another hobby. Anybody heard any more about the scandal contest? I’m countin on winnin that! I know my scandal. I’m a scandal junkie (along with the rest of America, obviously). There’s not a detail of jessica/nick, jen/brad/angie, or now anna nicole - that I’m not up on.

Couldn’t resist copying this…….

I am talking to myself now. And am talking to the dog all the time. I’m down to my last neuron….and it’s too tired to synapse even if I had another one available.

Here’s my actual conversation this morning with my Cocker Spaniel.
“Tommy, you have got to quit getting into the wastebaskets. This is beneath you. You are a purebred member of this household. You have your own food ….and beg half of mine….you do not need to search the wastebaskets for scraps. This is a very annoying habit of yours and I am getting just a little tired of cleaning up after you. Now what do you have to say for yourself?”

This was said in a most sincere voice while staring intently into his serious big browns and scratching him behind his long curly blonde ears. I half expected him to answer in complete sentences. Instead, he belched. I think he had found a chicken bone in there.

Have also been thinking about past lives and time-machines. ( Oh, it’s really lonely here in bleak-snowsville. ) Would you go to one of those “past-life regression” mystics? I would. How fascinating! And the only way I’ll ever see CA in person, I’m sure. Oh yeah…you people can post all you want to recapping your trips to Kimmel and Martha and Tyra. I can only dream.

Naturally, if I did come up with the money to pay for a “reading” I’m sure I wasn’t Cleopatra. Undoubtedly, I was one of those poor slobs pushing granite blocks up the ramp to the top of the pyramid. It probably got loose and slid right down and squished me. Well, at least I was thin for once.

People are always talking about going back in time and meeting famous people or changing history. Personally, I would want to go forward in time. I wanna know what’s gonna happen. Will Clay ever call? Will we every get out of this war? Will we ever colonize space? I want to walk on Mars or better yet a far solar system with an eden-like third planet. I want to see Earth from space. I want to meet creatures of another species. I want to cure cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Of course, this brings up the interesting question of - has the future already happened? And are we just in some parallel universe?

And the even more disturbing question. Has geni finally completely lost that last neuron….and her mind?

It’s just me, what’s left anyway, geni
P.S.but then again...where could i find a finer hobby

PPS here's the poem that didn't win.

I HOLD FAST

I hold fast to the promise
That hearts will not lie
That faith won’t let go
That love fights for a soul

I hold fast to the dream
That loving means reaching
Believing means winning
It’s enough for beginning

I hold fast to the vision
Of life full of purpose
Of love in all ways
Of stars set ablaze

The voice that soothes my soul
The smile that heals my heart
The eyes where moonglow shines
I hold fast to what is mine
geni 2007

2007-02-01T11:47:00.000-06:00

ANNUAL EXAM
YES, DEAR READERS, IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN. DON'T FORGET TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TO VISIT THE SHRINE OF THE GREAT WHITE STEEL PLATED PRESSURE GOD

THIS WEEK’S CRAFT SPECIAL: FUN WITH STICKERS
How to start a thrilling and inexpensive hobby using stickers -

CAUTION: This hobby is specific to women over 40. Younger women probably would not have access to needed materials and equipment or expertise in usage - and probably shouldn’t be reading geni’s blogs anyway. You can take my word for it….or just ask around.

CRAFT #1: FASHION DESIGN
BEACH WEAR – Depending on desired style, size, and modesty of individual
FASHION TIP A: You can easily add interest to the neckline of your existing swimsuit using stickers.

FASHION TIP B: You can add an artistic flair by adding polka dot stickers to plain suits.

FASHION TIP C: For the more daring beachcombers or those wanting to eliminate those tacky strap lines, wear stickers alone. Recommended only for those readers currently in Europe.

CRAFT PORTRAITATURE: Easily make drawings of favorite storybook or cartoon characters using stickers. Also useful in doodling and caricature

CRAFTS FOR THE LESS ARTISTIC;
Attach the stickers as eyes on the outside surface of those little magnet face games with the bbs. It’s easier than trying to get the little bbs in the eye slots.

CRAFT EXTENTION:
Tassels are always a nice entertainment item and can easily be affixed to stickers with duct tape or elmers or superglue (on second thought, skip the superglue in that area of the body). These can be made of fringe from ottomans, left-over Christmas tinsel, or old cheerleader pompoms. Shredded bank statements from your office wastebasket are colorful (often red) inexpensive and usually abundant (however, do not attempt to assemble said tassels at workplace) Used tassels from Shriners’ hats are a possibility for those employed in the hotel or convention center business or perhaps along parade routes.
BONUS POINTS: These can be awarded to those who actually use the tasseled stickers in an exercise regimen. Oh wait, I think that may require something called “pasties”……nevermind.

Serious hobbiests could delve into their tribble collection. well, those would be more puffy and harder to twirl, wouldn't they...but so cute. (this suggestion is only for trekkers, like you Naomi)

It’s just me, geni

P.S. You know you might have a problem when you return from your pilgrimage to the Great White and Steel Plated Pressure God Shrine with three of these.(now "digitalized", the latest in imaging, i am told by the uniformed Shrine attendants.) Animation can't be too far in the future. Watch out Pixel and Lucasfilm....

2007-01-23T18:11:00.000-06:00

LOVER ALL ALONE: written and performed by Clay Aiken

TWO SIDES OF THE COIN
TWO MOVEMENTS OF A SYMPHONY
TWO VIEWS OUT THE SAME WINDOW
TWO POEMS

There’s only now
There’s only this
There’s just this moment that exists

Grab it
Keep it
Savor it
Add some spice and flavor it

There’s just this day
There’s nothing more
There’s no way of knowing what’s in store

Can’t trust in tomorrow
Don’t remember yesterday
There’s always, only, just today

Notice it
Touch it
Cherish it
Hold it in your heart and nourish it

Stars may go nova
And planets collide
This moment’s your world – live it alive.
Geni 2007

4 a.m. thoughts

It doesn’t help to be wiser
When you’re older too

It doesn’t help to dream
When you know it can’t come true

It doesn’t help to cry
Alone at night in bed

And wish you could have known
Where the path had led

But who is wise enough
To see how it all will end

That life will not forgive
And youth won’t come again

That life is short
But nights have hours to fill

That wisdom only brings regrets
And dreams will haunt you still

Perhaps it’s best to not have known
And yet, you still regret it

To not have known just what you want
While there’s still time to get it
Geni 2007

2007-01-13T11:23:00.000-06:00

What with the ice storm and all…thankfully the power is still on here….i have a little time on my hands. So here’s some great quotes about dogs…..one of my “favorite things” ….you’d know this if you read my profile. But, of course, everyone lies in their profiles. (The geni in MySpace is 26 years young, 5’9”, and an interior designer. Ya pays your money and takes your chances…..ha.) Actually, I do lie a lot…..about my age and certain interests that are no one’s business……especially strangers or relatives……jes sayin’.

Truthfully, however, this is MY dog. Not a pic I copied from Google Images…..although there were some rather interesting ones there…..

And here are the quotes:
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man. -Mark Twain

You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!' - Dave Barry

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. -Roger Caras

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your
pocket and then give him only two of them. -Phil Pastoret

Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.
-Ann Landers

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. -Andy Rooney

We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made. -M. Acklam

Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate. -Sigmund Freud

I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult. -Rita Rudner

A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down. -Robert Benchley

Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog. -Franklin P. Jones

If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons. -James Thurber

My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can. That's almost $21.00 in dog money. -Joe Weinstein

Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul -- chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth! -Anne Tyler

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.
-Robert A. Heinlein

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. -Will Rogers

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
-Ben Williams

Here’s some from one of my favorite authors: Anon (I think he runs a couple of self-help groups, too)
If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise.
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am.
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue.
If you’d greet everyone the way you greet your dog, you’d have more friends.

Since I've been into memorials lately...here's to all the great pets who've shared my home in the past. I want to go wherever they've gone. I want to pet them again.

Mindy - Schnauzer

Ginger - rescue dog, mutt

Bruce-rescue dog, mutt

Susie, Shih Tzu

Freeda,German Shepherd, Greta, Brittany

I'm still searching for pix of Atticus and Ichabod - wonderful mutts....but that was so long ago they're in black and white ......and cameras were still on tripods.........
edited sun. jan14

found a pic of me and my dog Ichabod...told you it was b&w

And everybody in the know knows this pup.....

it’s just me, geni

P.S. don't forget to comment. you can leave pix of your dogs....well, maybe

2007-01-07T19:08:00.000-06:00

Blogging Inspiration

Got my inspiration at church this morning……both kinds. The sermon was about New Year’s Resolutions….every year this woman resolved to lose weight and never did. Finally she resolved to just grow taller…..then, at least, she wouldn’t feel so guilty about failing.

Well, this just reminded me of my best friend. She has been a real inspiration to me….in many ways…..one of which was to lose weight. I’ve told her she is my role model….and she thinks it’s a joke. She is beautiful, tall, thin, blonde and tan. Yeah, one of those cheerleaders types….which she was, natch. Didn’t you just hate them in high school…..oh, was that just me?

Here we are. Not too hard to guess who is who…….

But I did lose quite a bit of weight, became blonde and tan (ahhhh, doncha just love modern technology!! )She still has that cheerleading spirit, and keeps telling me how great I look. And I had said to her a long time ago, “I can get thinner, blonder and tanner…..and I’m workin on getting taller.” Well, it was funny at the time.

People often reach a turning point in their life when they have to decide how they are going to live the rest of their lives. Are they going to continue down the same old track (leading nowhere) or are they gonna be like “Tootle” and jump the tracks – smell the flowers, make a daisy chain, roll in the grass.

It’s a very difficult decision to make. Change can hurt….it is almost always uncomfortable. But if you want something more out of your life than what you have….and I did….yagotta try. Nobody is going to do it for you. That geni is not gonna pop outta that bottle and fairy godmothers haven’t been seen since Walt died.

This guy went from this

To this

……from not having enough money for gas.... to a mansion he showed off on TV. He’s been a real inspiration to many people because of his work with children with disabilities and UNICEF. He’s had some setbacks recently but he seems to be giving it his all anyway.

Anyway, the point is…ya’nevah know how you might inspire someone. You may NEVER know. Now that i think about it, that sermon included something about the light of your life extending out and helping someone else along the path.

I know I ’ve got a long way to go but I’m gonna give it all I got. I plan on enjoying the life that’s been given to me. Live long and prosper.

it's just me, geni

p.s. course you could always try wishing on a star.....
"Star light, star bright
first star if see tonight
wish i may, wish i might
turn me into a microphone tonight...."

-

2006-12-28T14:29:00.000-06:00

CREATIN' AINT EASY, FOLKS

Click on all pix to enlarge.

EARTH PLAN B
In my blog of December 19th, I copied this great “God’s In Box” for your reading pleasure.

At that time, you may recall –(what? You haven’t memorized these masterpieces? Well, that's why i copied it again.) that I mentioned “wouldn’t you really love to know what is in God’s folder “Earth Plan B.doc”? Well, I have some ideas of my own. Too bad I wasn’t around in the beginning to help Her a little with Plan A. I love to decorate. I could have been a big help. So here are some of my ideas…..

GENI’S REMODELING PLAN

First, of course, women would be in charge of the planet from day one. We are much cleaner and things would look a lot better around here after these few billion years. What a colossal mistake that was…putting men in charge! Women are so much stronger than men, too …everyone knows that….do you really think men could go through childbirth – more than once? Well, now that I think of it, I guess that’s why God made women the childbearers in the first place……but then I wonder if God planned on there being six and a half billion people on this flimsy planet….hmmmmm, but it’s probably hard to think that far ahead, after all.

But I digress….women are stronger….and smarter……more compassionate….. more creative…..and most important of all….more peaceful. What was the Creator thinking, putting men with their ego, competitiveness, and aggressive nature in charge!! (Well, I guess some women might qualify here……but let’s skip these finer points, ok?)

Well, back to the beginning. To start with, I would have put wings on humans. Yes, think about it. If we could fly….there would be no need for roads, no cars, no wrecks, no pollution, no wars for oil. No planes – no 9-11. No global warming, no ozone depletion – stick with me here – no noxious emissions from cars or air conditioners. All those wings fluttering would take care of over-heating – hmmmmm, maybe the Creator WAS male, obviously He wasn’t too concerned about hot-flashes…..oooppps, digressing again.

With wings we could get to where we need to go real quick. More time for shopping and visiting with less spent on traveling. No not reaching a hospital in time. No more separation from families. (Well, some daughters-in-law might not think that is too good an idea…..damn, this is harder than I thought it would be…ohno!, did I just cuss? …..losing celestial credibility real fast, here) We could carry our babies with us. No more strapping them backwards in a seat behind us just to keep them safe.

There would be more woods and certainly more flowers if I had been called in as decorating consultant(and not all that land would be paved over for parking lots). It must have been an oversight that there aren’t more flowers. Oh, I know some people love wildflowers, and yes, they are pretty…..but I’d love to see a field of peonies, or a forest of lilac bushes, wouldn’t you?

And I would have created a better way of communicating between humans….and between humans and animals. My dog would love to talk to me, I just know. ..bet yours would too, or your cat. I bet pets would really like to be able to express their love for us more clearly or their dissatisfaction with a particular brand of pet food. Who knows? Maybe they don’t like to be called pets….maybe they hate their names and would prefer Matilda to Muffy. Well, though, a wagging tail and purring are pretty expressive.

I was thinking about mind reading. No more deception, no more lying, no unearned praise, no self-serving flattery. Only truth. That would be nice. Sometimes it is so hard to express your real feelings, your appreciation, your love, what you really want and need. How much better relationships would be if our real feelings could be intuited without words.

Well, perhaps that’s not the best idea (da……darn it, this is much harder than I originally suspected). There would have to be some kind of inner mind-control. Not every thought needs to be known by others. There are some feelings better left unsaid. Clay would never perform publicly again if he knew half of what’s in the minds of some Claymates…..not me, of course….. but some, I’m almost sure…….

Clay Aiken in Angelic mode from his Joyful Noise Christmas 2005 Tour which Skeet and i saw in KC.

And speaking of that performer. I would certainly have created a universal CAappreciation gene. Then everyone would be able to know what it is to be transported by a voice so beautiful and expressive…..football and soccer stadiums would fill to overflowing. We would all fly in ourselves and save all that airfare money. And an extra bonus of the CAgene would be WE wouldn’t have to put up with eye-rolling and snide remarks from those who just “don’t get it”…..just sayin….

Hmmmmmm….now that would eliminate those nasty reviewers, too, wouldn’t it? – curse you EW!! Ohmy! Now this has turned ugly. Very ungodlike….sorry…..but …..
it’s just me, after all, geni

P.S. I definitely would have decorated the sky with more stars and maybe a couple more moons…..and they would each be in different phases, of course.

2006-12-23T09:04:00.000-06:00

Remembering

I know the Christmas season really depresses some people, especially those who have recently lost loved ones. Moods seems to come and go. Some years are ok and some…. I’d just as well skip the whole thing. But lately, I’ve come to think of it as a time for remembering those precious times we had together.

I’ve been robbed several times in my life….robbed of companionship. Not of love…that still lives in my heart.

My best friend was killed in a car wreck a few years ago. We had exchanged gifts every Christmas, so I discovered that I could relive our happy times every year when I decorated my tree. I have dozens of ornaments (yes, we were friends a long time) that she made for me. A couple she did in needlepoint and her beautiful china painting is as precious now as it was then (who would do that for me now?) I have several she made in her church crafts group, not to mention the ceramic Christmas napkin holders we did in class together. Eva still lives and always will for me.

My mother also was killed by a car crash. My daughters found a novel way to immortalize her special character….and my mother was a character, believe me. My mother was an Olympic Champion Bargain Shopper. One year a long time ago, she found an irresistible sale on chapstick and every year thereafter for Christmas, we each got a chapstick in with a present. It became the family Christmas joke and we always reminded her not to forget our favorite gift. Well, imagine my surprise when I discovered chapstick the Christmas after she passed. My daughter and dil are keeping her grandmother’s tradition alive, and how I love them for it. (P.S. every Easter my mother always gave me a VERY BIG SOLID CHOCOLATE bunny, even when I was way over 50…)

You know that guy on TV that’s “shopping challenged”. That could have been my husband. He never shopped until the 24th for me. And he knew he better get something just for ME….I bought everyone else’s gifts and my gift was his job. Bless his heart, he always bought me clothes that were a couple of sizes too small. I never had the heart to tell him…..come to think of it, he was just sneaky enough to do that on purpose. I just went and exchanged them or got something I liked better anyway. I’m sure he never noticed the difference….I think the salesclerk made the selections for him just to get him out of the store so she could close on Christmas eve. (I quickly broke him of the habit of buying me household appliances for gifts….I bought him a can opener one year)

I still top my tree with the beautiful hand sewn angel that my son’s long-time girlfriend (also killed by a drunk driver) had special made for me one Christmas. Shanna had ordered it for me that Fall and her mother brought it to me with tears in her eyes that Christmas. We still share wonderful memories of that lovely girl.

Well, I hadn’t meant for this to be so sad….rather, I intended it to be uplifting. Maybe you have to know sadness, to realize the real worth of something. But I hope you don’t have to lose someone in order to appreciate them. Go hug someone you love right this minute. I am.

The real spirit of this season is giving. It doesn’t matter what you give…..but the giving of your time is the most valuable gift of all. Spend time with those you love. I know, you’re busy. We all are. Make the time. There’s only so much of it allotted to each of us….and since we can’t know how much time that is, use it wisely. Spend your time on things that are worthwhile. And in the end….only people are really worth our time….not things. And spend time on yourself, too. There aren’t any roses out there to smell in December, and I don’t recommend smelling poinsettias…..but you get the idea. You are worthwhile, too. Take care of yourself. Someone is counting on you to be there for them.
Listen to some music and enjoy the eye candy.

And, of course, the very reason for this season was a Gift to us from a loving Father. Don’t forget to cherish that Gift with your thanks and praise.

it's just me, geni

2006-12-19T17:33:00.000-06:00

Another Holiday Blog! Just a few more days until THE DAY. But you can celebrate any day, anywhere. My family celebrated last weekend. We had a wonderful day and I was so grateful to have them all with me. And when your kids have families of their own….. those days get rarer and rarer.

It doesn’t matter what the exact day is that you celebrate on. What matters in life is family. “Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”

So my presents to you this day are the beautiful quote above, a song by Clay Aiken, a poem, and something to laugh about - gifts to me from my friends Carol and Nan, my pastor, and just something I LOLed at myself . And those can make any day special, can’t they?

IN DECEMBER DARKNESS BY ANN WEEMS

The whole world waits in December darkness
for a glimpse of the Light of God.
Even those who snarl “Humbug!”
and chase away the carolers
have been seen looking toward the skies.
The one who declared he never would forgive
has forgiven.
And those who left home
have returned,
And even wars are halted,
if briefly.
As the whole world looks starward.

In the December darkness
we peer from our windows
watching for an angel with rainbow wings
to announce the Hope of the World.

Click on the graphic below to read the funny…..and click again in the lower right corner to make it even bigger. I especially liked God’s folders down the right side (doncha really wanna know what's in "Earth-Plan B.doc"?) the baby pix, and look at what’s playing on God’s WMP…..

Have a Merry one.

it's just me, geni

2006-11-30T12:39:00.000-06:00

Guess I’ve become a holiday blogger….ooooops…..guess I forgot Thanksgiving. Oh well, Just the Important Ones, I guess.

Decorating the House: I used to love to decorate every room in my house and have a big Open House and invite everyone I knew. Spent days baking cookies and cakes (all right, that’s a lie - all I know how to do is melt chocolate and pour it over those Chinese noodles) But I did spend a lot of money on chips and dip, pretzels, cheetos, and liquor. Who needs anything else!! It was wonderful!! The downside was I was a nervous wreck and collapsed after the party for a couple days of bed rest.

So as the years passed (along with my youth and stamina) I now get my four year old grandson to come to help decorate the tree. It seems like every year for a while I had to buy a bigger tree because I love to shop for Christmas decorations and always buy a new ornament or two everywhere I visit, and when Hallmark started selling ornaments (y’know they’re “limited editions” and “appreciate in value”) the downhill slide began in earnest. I’m now up to a 12 foot hummer of a tree and 8 smaller trees spread throughout the house.

I started collecting angels years ago and almost all 12 feet of the main tree are covered with them. However, sometimes it’s hard to tell an angel from a faerie….y’know….they both have wings (scientific correctness dictates that angels have feather wings and faeries have butterfly wings - but some artists use their license in this regard) and they usually have a beatific expression on their face. Although, since I’ve become a connoisseur of faeries, I’ve discovered quite a variety of facial expression on them. This is one of my favorites!! My daughter says she looks scary, but i think she looks soulful. hmmmmm...do faeries have souls?

it’s clickable and click again at the bottom right corner to see it really large and expressive....

As you probably know, I’m also a scifi nut so I have smaller trees exclusively for Star Wars and Star Trek ornaments. Hope you saw that really great new one Hallmark had out this year of Kirk, Spock, and RedShirtGuy(obviously not long for this or any World) in a transporter. Wow! Sound effects and wavering lights….takes me back to the sixties….

I also have a tree just for souvenir ornaments…..D.C., NY City, Empire State Bldg, Pikes Peak, Texas, Connecticut, Boston, Newport, New Orleans, Puerto Villarta, Germany, and last but not least Branson, MO (love me some Wayne Newton). There’s a tree in the computer room devoted to Clay, naturally, and yes, one with tiny birdhouses in a bathroom…..

Grandson has three trees in his room. He’s quite special…..and that reminds me…..he was here helping me decorate the big tree. Every ornament was new and just wonderful to him. I saw all those sparkly dreams with new eyes. It was delightful…..one drawback is that he does seem to hang everything rather close together in one spot…oh well, the company was worth the rearranging later.

One last story – I just bought a new faerie – a male one – rather rare. My daughter says I’d better watch out or all those faeries will be propagating late at night. He’s a Truffle Fairie…he’s holding chocolate…those little twinkle-toes don’t have a prayer….ooooops - hope the angels are closing their eyes.

also clickable

it's just me, geni

2006-10-21T10:01:00.000-05:00

HALLOWEEN TIME AGAIN

It’s too bad adults don’t get to go trick or treating. We could all trek up to Clay’s door …but we would just yell, “Treats only” when he opened it, wouldn’t we?

Most women love to dress up. And we could be as outrageous as we always wanted to dress and no one would make snide remarks about being “cheap”. We could wear great wigs….long straight black Cher ones, or pink ‘60s pageboys, or white spiky Billy Idol ones …at one time or another all these appealed to me but i have always been too repressed coughanalretentativecough to really express my true inner self. That must be why i love the internet and message boards so much….you don’t know me….i can be anybody i want to be. My Space is really great for that. I’m young and tall there…but i digress.

We’re talkin’ Halloween here, right. Remember when there were no such things as store-bought costumes??? You were a hobo or wore your mother’s clothes….that was about it. But nobody worried about razors in apples then either.

The Halloween that will always stand out in my mind is the year i begged and begged my mother to let me wear her dangly rhinestone earrings with one of her fancier dresses and high heels (now these were her very nicest earrings, mind you) and she refused. But being the persistent only-child i was, i bugged her until she relented.

Of course, i lost one of them somewhere along my route. I just hated to go home that night. Not that i was afraid i would be punished, because i knew i wouldn’t be. But because i knew how hurt she would be….to lose that favorite earring…and that i had been so careless after i had promised and promised how careful i would be. Nothing hurts a child like that “mother guilt thing” does it? I use it on my kids all the time now..

The only other Halloween i really remember was the last one. My girlfriend and i must have been thirteen or fourteen….still young enough to want to get as much candy as we could (girls didn’t grow up so quickly then, obviously)….but aware enough of our age and height to be a little self-conscious. I remember we had a great time and were amassing great quantities of calories when we went to the last house we ever went to (these momentous occasions need to be documented, ya know). The woman gave us candy, but guess she just couldn’t help herself from ruining our evening, “Aren’t you girls a little old for this?”

Now i wonder what would prompt her to say that to two young girls. She ruined this holiday for us forever. Maybe she had had a bad day herself, maybe she was just tired from answering the door bell, maybe she was just a frustrated old bitch. I’m sure she had problems of her own (all adults do). But my girlfriend and i didn’t understand that. We only knew we had been slapped in the face. The candy really didn’t even taste too good that night. We felt ashamed that we had been going door to door and embarassing ourselves and didn’t even know it.

When my kids were little we lived in a great neighborhood and i made all their costumes. The best was the robot - two cardboard boxes spray painted silver with wire antennae on top. By that time, i always accompanied them on their forages(maybe even stole a snickers bar once in a while when they weren’t looking). Anyway, the neighbors would always invite us all in and they would oooooh and aaaah over their costumes and the kids would just preen with pride.

What memories! Now the only trick-or-treater i have is when my daughter-in-law drives over with my grandson and i have a special bag made just for him and we take pictures of him. All the neighborhood kids go to the mall and go from store to store now. I understand completely. Parents have to be so careful in these troubled times.

But still…….i always wonder who found that rhinestone earring and what they did with it.

It’s just me, geni

Check out these

2006-10-16T08:24:00.000-05:00

LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT

Doncha just love those wonderful little, seemingly inconsequential, inventions? I don’t mean the earth-shaking, magnificent accomplishments like cell phones and their offspring, camera phones, tivo, high speed internet, audio books (a mixed blessing), web cams, dvd and cd burners, uSendit, Itunes, blogs…….

No, I mean just tiny, thoughtful ideas to help save a little time, eliminate an irritating annoyance. Who was the nice person that thought up making the back stand on picture frames with one side slanted so you could use either a vertical or horizontal picture in it? That was thoughtful. Or that curved thingy attached to electric cords that clips onto it when you wind it up for storage.

Pull out handles on rolling luggage, push buttons to open umbrellas, beep button to find lost portable phones (be nice to have one of those on remotes, too) One of my favorite inventions is the detachable gas pump. Yes,it is embarrassing to drive off with it attached to your open gas tank, but better that leaving self service hearing that scrape and clang and the horrible scene in your rear view mirror of a writhing pump spewing gasoline all over the service area. And although gasoline will clean the dirt off the side of your car, it also does something to the paint job.

Or zip locks on plastic storage bags…think how many schoolkids are saved the tramatic experience of stale bread with their pb&j, not to mention, effortlessly learning that red and blue make purple.

Who thought up the laborsaving idea of using the lid on the liquid laundry soap to measure just the right amount? Lids in general have evolved, well maybe that really is creationism ….squirt tops on ketsup and mustard – no more searching for mislaid ones. I love those flip top ones on mao. Child-proof lids probably saved a lot of kids. Course there’s the trade off of seniors dying with their medicine bottle, lid intact, cluched in their arthritic hands. Gel caps (capsules, of course, but a nice segue you’ll have to admit) gel caps are so much easier to swallow even if they remind me of midget slugs…excuse me, little people ones.

I adore post-it notes….now you don’t have to hunt for the scotch tape, remember how that pulled the paint off the wall along with the taped note? Clap-on lamps were nice. Whatever happened to those? Someone die of fright in the middle of the night when all their lights came on suddenly?

Now these innovations are not so little but are so convenient that they hold a place in my heart: Household appliances like self cleaning ovens and no-defrost freezers. Most of you are probably too young to remember chipping away at the ice buildup with a knife and boiling water and sitting the pan up there. Those glass topped stoves are nice to look at. Did you know you can melt that glass if you happen to be looking at clack and forget that you left something cooking on HIGH?

Driving innovations can be life saving. I kinda like what they’ve done to the side of the highway. Ya’know when you veer over too far to the shoulder and you get that horrible grating noise and vibration…wakes me up right away. Then there’s seat warmers, remotes that unlock the door and turn on the lights, cruise control, GPS, (I need one of those because I have literally driven miles to get to the next exit to go back and find the right exit I just drove past), DVD players for kid control. No more, “Do I have to stop this car and come back there?” I wish someone would come up with an easier way to open the hood, though. That release handle under the dash takes a lot of muscle to pull, not to mention the search for the little latch inside the hood when you’re standing out in the sleet with your jumper cables over you shoulder.

Sippy cups, diaper caddies, electric warming box for wipes, automatic musical baby swings, telebabies, the wiggles…..not to mention “that night” pregnancy tests and morning after pills. Hmmmmm maybe I shouldn’t go there.

Velcro is real nice. Now kids never have to learn to tie a bow – which they don’t need to know anyway – stores sell colorful bows to just stick on your gifts. Velcro shoulder pads are nice too, except if one should happen to somehow fall out of a loose sleeve and someone taps you on the shoulder and says, “I think this belongs to you.”

Personal enhancement items are great. Like non-absorbent falsies. Ever go swimming with a pair of those old ones in your top? Not a pretty picture when you’ve been out of the pool for awhile. Nail glue is marvelous. One word - leepressonnails. I gave up on eyelash curlers….too dangerous. Self-ear piercers are simple and handy, but studs all the way to the top of the ear are overdoing it, I think. Also won’t go to the various and sundry other places that some people are piercing now.

Thank God for little things.

i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night

it's just me, geni

2006-10-05T13:07:00.000-05:00

sex, lies, and videotapes

the sad killings in PA have prompted this blog. what in the world is happening to people? Why in the world would someone do this? the killing of innocents is always about the killer, though, not the victims.

quite obviously this killer chose those symbols of innocence - Amish children - for a reason. not because he knew them, or they had harmed him in any way. just for the symbolism. and girls - women - are quite often the target for men with suspected sexual confusion - sex.

i watch the news- videotapes - sporatically, so may not be up-to-date on the "latest developments in this breaking story". and in my opinion - and that's what a blog's for, right, opinions? - but a blackbagfull of the problem lies right at the media's bloody doorstep. this constant, continuous, overblown coverage of stories with an emphasis on sexual overtones is fueling the fire.

and i mean the fire raging in so many people. that fire of sexual confusion - sex. that quest for physical gratification, for a "soulmate", someone to fill all our desires, someone to be the answer to all our problems, someone to make us whole. well, of course, no one can fit that bill. no one is going to solve your problems but you.

but we are constantly fed this dichotomy on screen. 1. "the horror of it all" and 2. if i buy enough/change myself enough i, too, can have some of that perfection i see fed to me daily on screen - if a bit too skinny or a bit too musclebound sometimes - still the promise is there - maybe.... perhaps, if we can just find it.....maybe everything will be all right.

it's all pr....lies....giv'em what they wanna hear and see. i have no idea who's to blame....the giver or the receiver....the media or the public....the idol or the worshipper. as pogo said, "i have seen the enemy and it is ?????"

but is it any wonder there is so much frustration out there? confused people are just becoming more confused. they give up and the dementia takes over. perhaps just the overwhelming feeling that "if i can't have what i want someone is going to have to suffer along with me". perhaps just the desire to end it all, somehow, no matter who else gets hurt.

do i have any answers? are you kidding? this is a blog not an advice column. i have no idea what a solution might be or even what the real cause is. this is the third millennium, we're all just winging it here. i only know what i see and hear on those screens, just like you. i only know something is very wrong with a lot of people. let me know what you think...

it's just me, geni

p.s. a blog isn't part of the "media", is it?

2006-09-26T07:53:00.000-05:00

CLAY AIKEN CD RELEASE PARTY - SEPTEMBER 18

i just had to share the unique experience i had last monday.

These are some pix from the KCCLAY club cd release party. This is most of the group in front of Walmart just chomping at the bit to get in there a buy lots of ATDW. I'm there in the second row.

WALMART had

there were five of us from Mid and SW MO who traveled to Kansas City for the ATDW CD release party. you have to understand that Overland Park, KS is just part of greater Kansas City. there are more people in greater Kansas City than in all of the great windy state of Kansas. (i think)

the KCClay Club did a wonderful job. There were about 60 of us at the restaurant, the favors and door prizes were generous, the silent auction and raffle prizes were fabulous. The KCClay Club earned a lot of money for Bubel/Aiken Foundation with their hard work.

the videos and games were great (well, claytrivia level 2 and 3 were too hard for me(now I ask you, who besides Jaiken knows three of the five songs Clay sang solo with the Raleigh boys choir – and unfortunately, long-term memory is slipping along with short-term) and although i know all the lyrics and harmonize beautifully with clay on every song he ever performed, seems i'm no match for certain claymates who obviously prepared for this Claylyrics event with refresher courses at Clayversity.

as i said the Clay gift sets were fabulous - lots of burberry purses, frames, paper weights, sponges, clocks, pillows, key chains, flip flops, candles, tee shirts, the satin night shirt was REAL nice, light switch,
note cards, magnets - all with CLAY on them, of course. Lucky Me won a raffle prize of totebag, clock, key chain, frames, and best of all three cd set of JBT by Tsunamimommie. The key chain has CLAY in rhinestone letters – I’m thinking of changing my username to I BLING FOR CLAY…..

then at 11 pm they passed out electric candles and off we went to walmart. now this is way past my bedtime and I was getting a leeeetle tired by now, but the buoyant spirit of all those Claymates kept me goin……and the sound of that glorious voice wafting through the aisles of wallyworld may have helped. the curious stares of those late night walmart shoppers sharpened my senses too. One can only guess what went through their minds at the sight of 60 women (and one man, bless his heart) in new white tee shirts with CLAY AIKEN’S FACE emblazoned on the front, waving six inch white electric candles – all excitedly laughing and talking at the same time. i talked to a couple of quite young people who stopped by my bench at the front of the store (where i had taken refuge – well, yes, I did have a couple of drinks, but only for the sake of liquor research. Wouldn’t you just hafta know what “sand in your pants” tasted like?)

walmart had three registers open for us at twelve oh one and had 250 cds stacked on the table. Jaiken collected almost 30 cds for our service personnel (walmart donated five). Great job, J! It was a wonderful experience…and I haven’t even gotten around to talking about the Voice yet.

well, I’m one of those who had been streaming the cd all week…so no surprises. But with Clay's new CD for company on my three hour drive home Tuesday, time flew. (See my previous blog if you haven't already bought yours. It was the #1 debut album on the charts last week selling over 207,000 copies!!)

it's just me, geni
"i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night"

2006-09-15T08:14:00.000-05:00

CLAY AIKEN IS BACK

QUITE SOON HAS FINALLY ARRIVED

Clay Aiken fans are mighty thirsty after the long drought. But there's plenty happening now to quench their thirst.

CLAY AIKEN 3RD ALBUM IN STORES - SEPTEMBER 19

GO HERE TO LISTEN TO "A THOUSAND DIFFERENT WAYS"
http://www.clearchannelmusic.com/cc-common/mfeatures/clayaikenOD/

CHRISTMAS CONCERTS GALORE!!

CLAY AIKEN HOLIDAY CONCERT APPEARANCES
12/02/06 Merrillville, IN, US Star Plaza Theatre
12/04/06 Verona, NY, US Turning Stone Casino
12/05/06 Engelwood, NJ, US Bergen PAC Center
12/06/06 Baltimore, MD, US Lyric Opera House
12/07/06 Norfolk, VA, US Scope Arena
12/09/06 Williamsport, PA, US Community Arts Center
12/10/06 Wilkes Barre, PA, US FM Kirby Center
12/11/06 Easton, PA, US State Theatre
12/14/06 Greenvale, NY, US Tilles Center for the Arts
12/15/06 West Point, NY, US Eisenhower Hall
12/16/06 Red Bank, NJ, US Count Basie Theatre
12/18/06 Detroit, MI, US Orchestra Hall at the Max Fish
12/19/06 Grand Rapids, MI, US Devos Hall
12/21/06 Jacksonville, FL, US Moran Theatre
12/22/06 Charlotte, NC, US Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
12/23/06 Greensboro, NC, US War Memorial Auditorium

GET THOSE TIVOS AND VCS SET FOR TV APPEARANCES!!

Sep 18 Clay Aiken - Entertainment Tonight
Sep 19 Clay Aiken - Good Morning America (ABC)
performance and interview
Sep 19 Clay Aiken - Entertainment Tonight
Sep 20 Clay Aiken - Good Morning America (ABC)
Diane Sawyer Interview Part 1
Sep 20 Clay Aiken - Entertainment Tonight
Sep 21 Clay Aiken - Good Morning America (ABC)
Diane Sawyer Interview Part 2
Sep 21 Clay Aiken - Entertainment Tonight
Sep 22 Clay Aiken - The View (ABC)
Sep 22 Clay Aiken - Entertainment Tonight
Sep 24 Clay Aiken - Good Morning America (ABC)
Weekend Show - performance and interview
Sep 26 Clay Aiken - Entertainment Tonight
Sep 26 Clay Aiken - Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)

(Need to buy more VCR tapes.....)

A THOUSAND DIFFERENT WAYS

The following is a complete track listing for the much-anticipated “A Thousand Different Ways,” including writer and producer credits:

RIGHT HERE WAITING
Originally recorded by: Richard Marx
Written by: Richard Marx / Produced by: John Fields

WHEN I SEE YOU SMILE
Originally recorded by: John Waite
Written by: Diane Warren / Produced by: John Fields

WITHOUT YOU
Originally recorded by: Badfinger and Then Harry Nilsson
Written by: William Collings, Thomas Evans, Michael Gibbins, Peter Ham, and J.C. Molland
Produced by: John Fields

LONELY NO MORE
(NEW SONG)
Written by: Andreas Carlsson, Samuel Waermo, Mimmi Waermo & Clay Aiken
Produced by: Andreas Carlsson and Samuel Waermo

SORRY SEEMS TO BE THE HARDEST WORD
Originally recorded by: Elton John
Written by: Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Producer by: Per Magnusson & David Kreuger

EVERYTIME YOU GO AWAY
Originally recorded by: Paul Young
Written by: Daryl Hall
Produced by: Adam Anders

EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU)
Originally recorded by: Bryan Adams
Written by: Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen & Robert John “Mutt” Lange
Produced by: John Fields

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS – Guest Vocals by Suzie McNeil
Originally recorded by: Foreigner
Written by: Michael Jones
Produced by: Russ Irwin, Marti Frederiksen & Charlton Pettus

THESE OPEN ARMS
(NEW SONG)
Written by: Jon Bon Jovi & Desmond Childs
Produced by: John Fields

BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME
Originally recorded by: Celine Dion
Written by: Diane Warren
Produced by: Eman

HERE YOU COME AGAIN
Originally recorded by: Dolly Parton
Written by: Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil

EVERYTHING I HAVE – Featuring William Joseph on Piano
(NEW SONG)
Written by: Jeremy Bose
Arranged by: Jeremy Lubbock

A THOUSAND DAYS
(NEW SONG)
Written by: Christian Leuzzi, Aldo Nova & Emanuel Olsson
Produced by: John Fields

BROKEN WINGS
Originally recorded by: Mr. Mister
Written by: Richard Page, John Lang & Steve George
Produced by: Eman

AND BEST OF ALL A NEW CONCERT TOUR STARTING IN EARLY 2007!!

2006-09-11T10:53:00.000-05:00

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

2006-08-30T11:39:00.000-05:00

august 30, 2006 my first public blog post

VITAL INFORMATION: UPCOMING CLAY AIKEN APPEARANCES
Date Show Network
September 15 Tonight Show With Jay Leno NBC
September 19 Good Morning America ABC
September 22 The View ABC
September 26 Jimmy Kimmel Live ABC

Welcome Clay Aiken fans
and Star Trek fans

and Simpson fans (and King of the Hill and South Park fans, too)

i was checking on a new Clay Aiken montage on youtube when this video arrived on my monitor and the title was so intriguing so i watched it. seemed serendipitous since i am also a Trekker. wonder how youtube knew? then i got to wondering how i could post it on my clayonline blog.....so have just wandered around until i landed here. ya never know.....

so here's the con.nec.tion:

and here's the youtube video:

The Simpsons vs Star Trek

FROM CULTUREKILLER

go with the flow, ya never know,
it's just me,