ClayManiacs

AUG 18

:purpbana OK everybody going to the Indy concert! Are there any pre-concert parties or anything going on before & or after the concert? I'm staying at the Marten House Hotel. Is there anything happening there? I'm really getting excited! August 18th is just around the corner!

Not sure !!!  We were going to spend the night but due to my being very sick two weeks ago and missing many days of work, I have to go in on Friday. So it looks as if we are headed back southeast on I-74 to Cincinnati after the show. Hope to meet many Clay maniacs there !!!  Taking my 8 year old son, my sister, and our mom. She is a Clay nut in a wheelchair. :shappy

Please see our main thread in Concert Connection about the Indy parties and get togethers!

INDY! (http://www.claymaniacs.com/forums/index.php/topic,9565.0.html)

What a GREAT time in Indy!  My only regret was that it would have lasted longer.  This concert was a double whammy because not only did we get to see a WONDERFUL performance from OMC but it was great meeting up with SO many Claymaniacs!  To me, both were equally special and I will never forget the great times we had!

Clay was spectacular in Indy.  I had already seen him at his 2nd concert of the tour in Mohegan Sun so I knew SOME of what to expect but he has gotten alot more relaxed since the beginning of the tour.  It was alot of fun seeing all the different changes and all the banter with the band/singers and with the audience!  You can really tell he is happy and having alot of fun.  ICMYLM was just beyond words.  I'm glad that the audience was quiet during that song.  It was very beautiful and he sings it with such emotion.  BFM was a great song I thought as well since the crowd was really getting into it and singing along!  Also, I loved seeing the newer changes that were made to 1000 Days.  This is the first time I saw him sing it live even though I had downloaded it and listened to it alot.  I know I didn't go into much detail on the songs (not real good on the writing skills!), but they were all GREAT and I was really entertained.  I'll let some of the other better writers go into more detail of the concert!!!

Afterwards we had our after-concert party at TGIFridays.  I was in charge of planning this get together and was a bit nervous about planning the whole thing since I had never done it before.  I had called one of the managers about a month before to let him know the size of our group and about what time we would be there.  He told me they don't take reservations but that he would make a note of it and if I could call ahead of time to let them know we were on the way.  I called as soon as the concert was over and spoke to the manager working and he wasn't aware of our large group arriving.  He said he would get things set up for us.  Since it was 10:45 on a Thursday night, the resturant wasn't busy at all thankfully.  They had us all in our own area which was great.  There were some that left right after the concert and weren't able to come to the party but we did end up with around 28-30 people.  One of our main waiters was ALOT of fun and really helped add to our party.  :lol  As soon as we walked in the door, he was standing there and said "Were you just Clayed?"  He was a Clay fan and was very entertaining!  I was a bit concerned when we got there at 10:45 since I knew they closed at midnight but they were all great and let us stay way past closing time.  It was almost 1AM before we all left.    During the party, we had door prizes too which was fun.  Thanks SO much to Shaikeninseattle, ClaysBuddy, KSChristian4Clay, and Claysjoy for donating items for the door prizes.  We had enough for everyone to get something!!  Special thanks also to Audra (STLClaycrazy) for the BEAUTIFUL nametag lanyards she made!!  They are VERY nice!!  Thanks also to Lindsay (wvclayfan) for helping coordinate transportation around Indy and also to Heater for all her help with the party favors.  Thanks also to all the great maniacs for making this a trip one I will never forget!

Great review, Clandy!!!

As many of you know, I won a Meet & Greet in Indy.  I am going to write my review of that first, and then my review of the concert some time later.

I found out that I had won in an e-mail.  It was around 5 am, because I had to go to work at 6:30 am.  I had learned that Audra had found out that she won a M&G the day before, and her concert was right before Indy, so I KNEW there was a good chance that they had sent out the Indy e-mails.  I couldn't sleep well that night, knowing those e-mails arrived at SOMEONE'S house.  I was tempted to get up in the middle of the night and check my e-mail, but since I had to get up so early anyway, I didn't.  But when my alarm went off at 5 am, I went STRAIGHT  to the computer.  I knew there were many claymaniacs going to Indy, so I was just hoping one would win.  I never ever in a million years thought it would be me.  I knew Frankie, Tammy, and Audra had already won one.  And I thought they were so deserving.  So I knew it could happen to someone I know, but never me.  I checked my e-mail, and THERE IT WAS!!!!!!!!!  The e-mail was from "ME" and I HAD won a Meet & Greet to meet Clay. 

For those of you that have not heard this story, I will repeat it.  If you have read it, scroll on down.  The first time I saw Clay was in St. Louis on the Independent Tour.  That is how I found Claymaniacs.  I was looking for concert info.  My OCD was at an all time high at that time.  He wasn't TOO well known yet, or so I thought.  I had sent him a couple of letters in the mail and even a gift.  Who was I trying to kid?????  I soon found out that there was a whole ClayNation out there doing the same thing.  But I wanted SO badly to meet him and get a hug, and a picture.  Just once.  That is all I wanted.  A St. Louis radio station had a contest for a Meet & Greet.  It was online.  They had trivia questions you had to answer to earn points.  You saved up points, and when you had enough you could use them to be entered into the M&G contest.  You could enter everyday, but you could only answer each question once.  They were not easy, but we could always find the answers on the internet.  My daughter and I entered EVERYDAY!!!  We even entered in the names of the other 2 people who were going to St. Louis with us.  We were honestly hopeful, with all the work we had done.  We were fooling ourselves, but we couldn't imagine that anyone had worked harder than us!!!  BTW, my daughter would have turned her M&G over to her Mom if she had won.  But at that time, I believe you were able to bring in one friend.  Needless to say, we did not win.

When we got to St. Louis, I found out what the ClayNation is all about.  My daughter and I had bought Claymate t-shirts off the internet, and bought one Clay pin to wear on our shirts.  My sons thought we were really "out there".  They were beginning to make me feel like I was!!!  I had NEVER ordered a t-shirt to wear to a concert before, and was NEVER this anxious and excited to see anyone in my life!!!  I think my hubby and sons knew it, because I got big hugs when we left for our Clay-trek.  And there in St. Louis were people of all ages with signs and more signs, t-shirts, Clay earrings, and even a woman with a bib that said "Clay makes me drool".  I then knew I was NOT over the top.  My daughter relayed that info to the rest of the family when we got home.

It was then that I started to begin feeling that I would probably never meet Clay.  And it became more and more OK.  I didn't hear of M&Gs at the concerts I went to on the summer tour, or the Joyful Noise tour.  I was happy to be a fan and sit in my seat and listen to that angelic voice, and stare at that beautiful face.  I began to feel like Wordsmith;  she says that she feels like his proud aunt!!!

That all changed again when I saw Clay at Mohegan Sun.  The drought was over, and seeing him again was overwhelming.  Especially since it was shared with other Claymaniacs.  And when the fan club offered the opportunity for M&Gs, I was right there with everyone else.  But I STILL could not even imagine it would be me.

As I opened that e-mail at 5 am, I think I was in shock.  My hands started shaking SO badly, I could barely type.  But I had to let my buddies know!!!  Luckily, Tammy was on-line, so I had someone to share it with.  My family was all asleep, so I shared it with them much later.  I had to leave for work, and was happy to come home to all the congrats from you all.

I was very nervous that whole day, but then I was able to put it into perspective.  And I calmed down.  I also talked to Frankie and Tammy on the phone, and that really helped.  They both gave me excellent advice, and I knew what to expect.  That alleviated some of the fear and stress. 

I had NO clue what to wear to the M&G.  I usually wear a Clay shirt and jeans to concerts and my pins and buttons.  But I knew I would have my picture taken with him, so I wanted to wear something nice.  I live in jeans and jeans shorts, so I knew I would wear that.  I had to be me, but I wanted to wear a nice shirt.  So I ironed 3 shirts, and decided I would let the Claymaniacs at the Wed. night get together in Indy decide for me.  I can never decide what to pack, so I always overpack. Just ask Clandy!!!  She'll be happy to tell you!!!

Well....part way down the road, I realized I had left those 3 shirts at home, because I hung them up after ironing them, and I forgot them.  Everything else I packed was very casual clothes, so I was in trouble.  My daughter wanted to shop anyway, so she, Glory, and I ventured to the mall.  It was very warm out, and I had decided to look for something GREEN for obvious reasons.  So I found the tank top that I ended up wearing on the summer clearance.  It was exactly the kind of thing I wear, so I was being myself, and I would match Clay's green eyes.  I put my buttons and pins on, and off I went.

Meet & Greets are held 1 1/2 hours before the concert. Our concert was at 7:30, so the M&G was at 6. We got to the venue around 5:30 and I went right to the will call window where I was to pick up my pass.  They said they had not received them yet.  Clay was still warming up on the stage.  I kept checking, and the girl said just to keep my eyes open.  I would be able to tell when the passes arrived.

It turned out that the M&G didn't start til about 6:40 pm.  Nick came out and he had the list and the sticker/badges that we had to put on us to ID us as M&G winners.  It took a while to round everyone up, and then off we were!!! It seemed like some of the people already knew each other.  I didn't know anyone, so I talked a little with someone who was standing there by herself also.  She had won on the Fan Club site, too.  We talked a little, and then we were escorted to the Meet & Greet.

I must say that many Claymaniacs were there to cheer me on, and some took before and after photos.  It was just SO much fun, and I appreciate each and every one of them.  I was surprisingly calm.  Frankie told me I would be.  And I also took the advice that Frankie and Tammy had given me, and I tried to stay near the end of the line.  Others knew that hint, apparently, because there were a lot of people trying to get to the end of the line.  We all laughed about it.  But I was successful.  I was about 3/4 of the way back.  Our group was much larger than 10, so I am certain the Stub Hub winners were there with us.  There were groups of 2 and 3.  There was a teen girl behind me with her Mom, I assume, and I heard her Mom ask her if she was having fun.  Then I heard her say "You better be!"  That led me to believe they had paid the bucks to be there.  Maybe it was because they were running so late, but we were altogether, and they didn't get any more time with Clay than the rest of us.

I was able to snap pictures while in line, and watch and listen to Clay.  He was in a very good mood, and was smiling and friendly with everyone.  That put me at ease.

We were given our instructions ahead of time, but it was different than I had heard from others.  The "mean" guy was straightforward, but really not mean.  My first thought was that maybe they are not being as strict.  Maybe there were complaints, or maybe Clay was uncomfortable with all the rules.  Pure speculation.  But I did not get the impression that I was going to be thrown in jail if I disobeyed the rules.  We were told that we could say "hi" to Clay and shake his hand, but if we asked for a hug or kiss, then he (the mean guy) would have to step in.  Mary was there running things, and she was fairly friendly.  I saw her smile a time or two.  It all moved like clockwork.  You had to have your item out for Clay to sign, and you handed it to Mary and told her your name.  You had to have your camera ready, and hand it to the blond guy (?) who handed it to Nick who took the picture.  So by the time I got up to Clay, I knew what to do, and I was at ease.

I did think about things I would say to him.  I SOOOOO wanted to talk to him, but I knew he would have to initiate the conversation.  I am not shy, so I thought of things I could say to him to spark a conversation, and it did work!!!  As you may know, Clay spelled Tammy's name wrong, so she asked him to sign again.  I used that info to my advantage.

I DID bring Clay a gift.  I brought him my favorite book, The Little Prince, and wrote in it that I wished him many more friendships.  I also wrote him a 2 1/2 page letter telling him about Claymaniacs.  I let him know how many friends we have all made here, and that we have been through illness, divorce, the birth of twins, and even a death of a dear friend.  And we have stuck together and drive and fly all over the country to be together.  I told him he wasn't the ONLY  topic of conversation here.  LOL  I just wanted to let him know how special this place is, and how he is responsible for so many friendships.  I also told him about the OCD Prayer List, and how we pray for each other and him and his mother and brother.  I also told him that I was one of the few people in the country that was not crushed when he lost AI2.  I knew in my heart he would make it big, and indeed, he did.  I also told Clay about our jj, and included her address and said how much something autographed by him would mean so much to her.  He may not even have read the letter, but this was my ONE chance, so I had to say it all!!!

When I got to the front of the line, I handed my camera to the blond guy and showed him how to use it, and handed my item to be signed, and Mary asked my name.  I told her I also had a gift, and she took it.  There was only one other gift there, so she layed mine on top of the other one.  She was busy getting all of our names, so she did not open our things. 

I do not remember all the dialog exactly, as you are in a small state of shock, I suppose.  I felt calm, and we did say several things back and forth, so I will tell you what we said to the best of my recollection.

Mary told Clay that my name was Debbie.  He said Hi, Debbie, and then asked me how to spell it.  He asked me if it was "ie".  I said, Yes, and he had better not misspell it like Tammy, or he would have to do it over again.  He asked me if I was chastizing him, because that made him feel bad (not his exact word?!?) but I assured him that he made everything right with Tammy and corrected it.  Then he asked me if my name was Tammy, and then immediately corrected himself, and said my name was Debbie and I was getting him all rattled.  (Don't I wish???)  He asked me about the picture I had brought for him to sign.  (Another piece of advice from  Frankie.  The more unusual the item is that you bring to sign, the more likely it is to help start a conversation.)  My daughter had made a picture of Clay for me using a computer image, and then cutting it out with an exacto-knife on special black paper, and then mounting it on a white background.  I told him all about it, and that my daughter made it for me for my birthday.  He asked me where I wanted him to sign it, and I told him he could sign on both sides if he wanted, and he did.  He signed "Debbie   Use Your Voice, Clay Aiken".  I told him that I had just used my voice.  We then took our picture, and I made SURE to be up close and personal.  I had seen Audra's picture the night before in Indy, and it was so lovely.  I wanted to look like Clay's sweetheart in the picture.  LOL  So when he put his arm around me, and I put my arm around him, I made sure to snuggle in close.  This was NO time to be shy.  I was going to take FULL advantage of this opportunity.  Our heads were touching.  I could feel him right against me.  I did  :thud big time!!!

After the picture, I said Thank you, Clay, and he said It was good to meet you, Debbie, and we shook hands.  So he said my name more than once.  I walked away a happy girl.  I was Clayed BIG TIME, and I knew I would never forget my moment.

I used my regular (non-digital) camera because it is a good camera and takes good pictures.  So we had to wait to see the picture.  My daughter and I took it to WalMart in the morning for one-hour film processing.  When we went to pick them up, she made me wait, as she looked through the pictures.  If it hadn't turned out, she wanted to see it first so she could break it to me.  I heard her breathe in hard, so I knew it had come out.  She said, MOM, it's really good!!!  I was SO thrilled when I saw the picture.  We were making such a fuss in WalMart I am surprised we didn't draw a crowd.  We made copies for all the Indy goers still there.  And I have been having a blast showing it to everyone and telling them that he is my sweetheart!!!

Two more things:

His eyes ARE green.  I was also told to look at his face, and I did.  His eyes are definitely green, but they are a light green.  And the word I have used over and over again after meeting him is ADORABLE.  If you haven't already figured it out, Clay Aiken is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!

And, I must apologize, I did not smell him.  If I turned my head it probably would have ended up in his armpit and ruined the moment.  But as others have said, it all happens so fast.  You really don't have time to remember everything you wanted to say or do. 

This was a special, special moment.  I would never have dreamed it would happen, and Clay, being the fun and great person he is, makes it fun for all.  I really was not nervous.  I felt like he was an old friend.  I will always be grateful for my moment.  Although I have already posted it, I will post the picture of me and my sweetheart below.

I hope MANY more of you get this extraordinary opportunity to meet our boyfriend.
Woodstock :bouncy

Here we are:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/woodstock854/0517332-R1-033-15_EDITED.jpg)

Debbie, a beautiful story and a beeyooteefull picture!!

I'm so happy for you I could just burst!  I know you made Clay feel as special as he made you feel.

Congratulations!!   :hugg

Debbie - what a beautiful story!!  And oh what a beautiful picture - you two are absolutely beautiful together!!  I am so happy for you.
And maybe just a little jealous   :roflmao
Lori

Debbie, I  :thud along with you...just "seeing" you and Clay....dang, woman, the smell!!! oh welll! LOL  :hugg

DEBBIE,
THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT WITH US.. YOU MADE THE BEST OF A WONDERFUL MOMENT...

Woody,

What a wonderful recap!  You had my attention with every single word.  I felt like I was there with you.  You really made the most of your time with Clay and I just knew you would! I am so glad you won!!

Your picture with him is gorgeous! (It would make a great Avie!)

Thanks for taking the time to share each moment with us.

Love,
Prissy

:wave Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present the first DAY of my vaClaytion. Hopefully I will write the rest tomorrow evening. This part isn't concert themed, but more or less a recap of my journey to Indiana and meeting Claymaniacs for the first time ...

August 17, 2005 – The Claytrek Begins

I awoke with to what felt like thousands of butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. I couldn’t believe the day had finally arrived! I had just made plans to go to the Indiana State Fair 95 days ago. Boy, how time flies! :lol I hadn’t gotten to bed until about 2:30 a.m., but I was wide-eyed and ready to begin my six hour drive to Indianapolis. The drive was uneventful, unless you count opening all four doors of your car in an Arby’s parking lot in order to shoo a bee out. :bduh I also hit very slow moving traffic on the Ohio/Indiana border, but it didn’t add too many minutes to my drive time. When I wasn’t listening to Clay, I was talking to Alli and that certainly made the time go by faster. My CD player quit working when I was about an hour outside of Indianapolis; therefore, I spent that time singing to myself. That is really scary, let me tell you! I’m pretty sure I came up with a new verse for “If You’re Happy And You Know It…”

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to show it
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.

If you’re happy and you know it … *draws a blank on the next verse*
If you’re happy and you know it, scratch your nose. :lol

And that was the end of the verse. I was laughing too much to finish it. Why I didn’t sing Clay’s songs to myself, I’ll never know!

I finally arrived at our hotel and was greeted by Liz! I felt like I had known her for years! We talked and made plans for the rest of the afternoon. We knew we had to pick Diane up at the airport around 4:30, but it was only 2:30. We decided we would try to find a service station where I could have someone look at my stereo. There was no way I was going to drive six hours home in silence! Well, that didn’t exactly happen. We found several gas stations, but just never made our way there. I’m not the best drive when it comes to foreign territory. Finally, we just headed to the airport. I think we arrived around 3 p.m. and just drove around. I’m not kidding either. We got to know the roads surrounding the Indianapolis Airport very well! We never did find the Starbucks we were looking for.

We met Diane and began our journey back to the hotel. She was so excited! She could hardly contain herself. :bouncy We talked about the cellcert from the night before. Evidently, Clay was on fire that night! I didn’t have the luxury of being there, but I’ll take her word for it. :wink

In all honesty, I only remember bits and pieces of the rest of the evening. Meeting Debbie, Ellen, Alli, Heather, Kris, Krista, Ethel, Meesa, Audra and countless other ClayManiacs was the highlight of the evening. Debbie and Ellen brought all kinds of snacks for us to munch on while we got to know one another and talk about OMC. Toward the end of the night, Heather, Alli, Kris, Krista and myself gathered in their room to burn the midnight oil. Kris and Alli were in their own little world :wink and Heather and I talked about the concert in secret code so as not to spoil things for Krista (who wanted to remain a JBV :lol). We must have done a decent job because Heather actually had to pull me out into the hallway at one point. Our code was so secret I couldn't even figure it out! I couldn’t tell you what time I went to bed, but I know I didn’t get a lot of sleep.

DEBBIE - WHAT A WONDERFUL REVIEW OF YOUR MEET AND GREET.  IT GAVE ME CHILLS ALL OVER AND MADE ME RELIVE MY PRRECIOUS TIME WITH CLAY AS WELL.  THANKS.

Lindsay - Can't wait to hear Part 2!  :roflmao

Debbie, I just read your recap of your M&G.  I heard it first hand right afterwards, but it still is a wonderful story.  I will probably read it more than once.  :thud

LindsRoomie, your Wednesday recap was great.  I can't wait to hear what happened on Thursday.   :roflmao

Meesa, are you writing a recap of the Indy concert?

Woody, thank you so much for the review and thank you even more for telling Clay about my girls  :hugg  Just reading it made me cry. You are so sweet and I am sooo happy for you. Cherish that picture FOREVER!

The drive to Indy was filled with anticipation. I was so excited to finally meet so many of my OCD buddies that I thought I would never get to Indy. 

I was the first to arrive at the hotel and Lindsay made it a couple of hours later and we talked like old friends.  Lindsay and I couldn’t believe that Clay was staying next door at the Marriot.  There were 4 buses parked in the lot. We later picked up Diane (Glory) or Shirley as I kept calling her :bang at the airport.  Later that day we met up with Debbie, her daughter Ellen and Alli, plus other Clay fans.  My apologies for not remembering their names. It was great visiting with everyone.  Debbie and Ellen went all out and brought dips, chips and drinks.  Later that evening we (Lindsay, Alli and myself) went to the airport to pick up Heather.  As soon as I saw her I jumped out of the car and gave her a hug that would last forever.   

Thursday morning we all met for breakfast.  Heather, Kris (claysjoy) and I took a walk to the Marriot to try to spy Clay at some point. We walked along a sidewalk that surrounded a lake, went inside to maybe run into him, (after drinking so much coffee, I had to go to the bathroom somewhere…why not the Marriott) and even sat across the street when we saw the movement of buses going up to the front door of the hotel.  We thought for sure OMC would make an appearance, but no luck. We made our way back to our hotel since Angela was soon to arrive.

 Back at the hotel, I called the fair box office to see if Meesa and Alli could upgrade their tickets.  As it happened, there were tickets available but they had to be purchased either by Ticketmaster or go to the box office personally to pick them up.  Lindsay and Alli made their way to the fair ticket office only to find out that for some crazy reason the tickets weren’t available to them.    I’ll let Lindsay tell you about her ticket experience.   

It was time to get ready for the concert, then we all met in Heather’s room. There I met other Clay fans from Ohio and finally I met my CottonClandySis Angela.  I wanted to ask so many computer questions, but there was so little time.

We had a great lunch at The Cheesecake Factory and then it was time to go to see Clay.  We arrived and anxiously waited for Debbie to get there. It was upsetting to see that the venue had a “No Camera” restriction when we arrived. Well, that was not going to work. I didn’t come all the from AZ to be told that we couldn’t take any pics when other venues allowed it.    I happened to spy Mary and asked her about it.  Mary said that we could take pics, but it was up to the venue.  I spoke to a fair rep and was trying to find out why they would impose such a restriction when Clay and the previous venues didn’t mind. As a result of my persuasion, the restriction was lifted and everyone was able to take all those Claylicious pics.

In the meantime, Alli and Meesa did score some great seats.  Everyone was a happy Clay camper. 

As we entered the stadium, I still couldn’t believe the day finally came to witness Clay in this type of concert.  I was sitting with Lindsay, center track, row 5.  We couldn’t believe that we were so close to our boyfriend.  I just sat there and kept saying, I just can’t believe we are so close. The concert was fantastic as most of us already know.  I danced, sang, clapped, yelled, even screamed at times to Clay singing the oldies.  He was just incredible. 

The concert was over in the blink of an eye.  I will proudly admit that I did cry a bit b/c it was over.  The months of anticipation were gone.  We headed to TGI Friday’s for a great post concert party.  Angela, Heather and Audra contributed to the great party favors and we had a wonderful time.  Alli_Aiken had me laughing so hard I thought I was going to fall off my chair more than once. 

Later we met in Heather/Angela’s room to watch a DVD of the concert.  What a guy.  It was time for me to call it a day and go to bed.  I said my tearful goodbyes to everyone, still not believing it was over.  I purposely left early to drive back to MI.  I didn’t want to say goodbye all over again. 

The drive back to MI went by quickly.  I listened to my JBT CD all the way.  I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going b/c I was thinking about Clay’s swivel hips and I took the wrong exit.  I had to turn around and get back on the freeway…this time I turned the CD off so I could make it back to my inlaws.

I know I’m leaving so many things out, but I wanted to get this posted. I can’t tell you what it meant to me to finally meet my OCD pals and share this wonderful experience with.  I am already planning on my trip next year. 

Liz - I'll start working on one!

Meesa - You're behind! :wink I'm already finished Clay Day!!

Liz - Loved your recap!! :hugg

Debbie - Have I told you how much I love that picture? I think I have, but I'll say it again! I love that picture! And the story that goes along with it! :bouncy

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you part two! Let this serve as a warning - I was long winded!  :bduh

August 18, 2005 – Clay Day

What an adventure this day was! We woke up around 8:30 and went to breakfast in the hotel lobby. Over eggs, sausage, cereal, bagels, coffee and juices, we planned the day’s events.

Debbie, Ellen and Diane went shopping for an outfit for Debbie’s Meet and Greet! The rest of us did our own thing - some of us going for walks and the rest just lounging around the hotel. After she returned from her adventure to the Marriott with Kris and Heather, Liz called the box office to check on tickets for Alli and Meesa. She learned that there was a pair in the center track section, about 12 rows back. The only way we could get the tickets was if we went to the fair and purchased them.

Well, Alli and I set out to get them! That was an adventure in itself. We were under the impression we just had to follow 86th all the way to the fair. After about 40 blocks (yes, with stop lights at almost all of them), we realized we weren’t going in the right direction. So, we called Heather and determined that we missed a turn somewhere. Thank goodness for U-Turns. I did a lot of them that day! We still weren’t sure what street we needed to turn on, so we stopped at a drug store. Could’ve been a Walgreen’s, but it also could’ve been a Rite Aid. I couldn’t tell you. Our questions were received with several eye rolls, but we finally got some answers.

Sure we were on the right track, I was getting excited! Wait! Another wrong turn! This time, we ended up stopping at a gas station. You know you are in a bad part of town when there are bars on the windows and you have to talk to the cashiers through Plexi-Glass. As it turns out, we were on the right street, just the wrong end of it.

Finally arriving at the box office, we were greeted by a man who looked like he loved his job and a woman hovering over the window like a mother bird. :lol We asked what seats were available and he said, “Two tickets in the center section, row 13.” I looked at Alli and then back to the guy and said, “We’ll take them.” Then the mother bird looked at me and said, “This is going to make me mad! I was here first!” I didn’t know what to say, but I certainly thought to myself, “I’m pretty sure he looked at me and asked ‘Can I help you?’” Unfortunately, as soon as I said we would take them, they were gone. Into thin air. Poof! No clue where they went, but Alli thought maybe he just didn’t want to cause a fight.

We left the fair empty-handed, but had no trouble getting to the Cheesecake Factory where we were meeting everyone for lunch. Lunch was great! The waitress even seemed to be a Clay fan! That was a major plus in my book! Afterward, we went back to the fair. We stood under the grandstands until concert time just chatting, buying tickets (Meesa and Alli’s story to tell) and taking lots of pictures. I was on a mission to get a picture of Nick for Joyce, and I am proud to say I completed it! Concert time!!

Liz and I were so excited when we saw our seats. The first few rows were staggered and we ended up having seats with very few chairs in front of us. I was crying when I called my best friend from our seats because we were so close. As always, Clay was ON!! He was very chatty and enjoyed interacting with the audience. At one point, thankfully one of the few times I didn’t have my camera glued to my face, I was sure Clay looked right at me and smiled! It took a few minutes to register and then I got this happy feeling all over. It wasn’t until intermission that Liz said she thought he looked right at us too!! We decided it must have been true then! Woohoo!! I was a bit misty-eyed toward the end of the concert. With it being my last one of this tour, I wanted it to last forever. All good things must come to an end, I suppose.

Although the concert was over, that didn’t mean the fun had to stop! We made our way to Fridays and were waited on by the best waiters! As soon as we walked in the door, the one asked us, “Have you just been Clayed?” Of course, my first response was, “Uh huh. Do you have a cigarette?” :roflmao The company, food and party favors were excellent! I want to take this opportunity to thank Angela, Heather, Liz, Audra, Kris, Shaikey (gosh I hope I didn’t forget anyone) for sending me back to West Virginia with the best party favors ever! :hugg We kept the staff of the restaurant there well past closing time, but they never complained once! They seemed to really enjoy the ClayManiacs!

Afterward, we went back to the hotel and gathered in a room to watch a DVD of the tour. I don’t remember much of the DVD, but I know we laughed and carried on until after 4 a.m. I’ve never been so tired or sore (from laughing so much), yet so happy and content. There is just something about being around so many friends at one time.

I better stop day two here before I get weepy. :lol I promise – day three will be shorter!!!

Day 1 - August 17th

I got up early and posted my goodbyes to everyone here, before leaving my house around 7 a.m. for the nearly 4 hour drive to Kansas City to catch my flight to Indy.
As you could tell from reading Lindsay's post, a long car drive by yourself gets kinda interesting. I listened to a Jukebox Tour cd my friend Jen made me over and over again. I called Audra (who was on her way from Toledo to Indy) and talked to her about her M & G. Finally I approached KC and put gas in my car ($2.69 a gallon!) and went to my friend Elaine's house. I was early, so I watched a little TV while she got ready. Then she took me downstairs and my friend Melissa and I signed on here and posted a little. As soon as Jana arrived, we went to KCI to catch our Indy flight. Elaine's hubby drove us there.
We had a quick lunch and met Karen (another KC Clay Fan) and a short time later boarded our plane. We had an hour long flight to Chicago and talked all the way. Then, at a hour long layover in Chicago, we met a man who said his wife loves Clay. He was headed to Indy to meet up with his family. We got his cell number and promised to call him with tickets to the concert for his wife. I checked my voicemail and found out Audra had a flat tire and was waiting for her mom or cousin to come get her, so she couldn't pick me up at the airport. We had a 26 minute flight and landed in Indy at about 5:30. We finally found our luggage and I couldn't reach Audra, so we met up with another Clay fan from the northeast and went to get her rental van. We went to our hotel (5 minutes from the hotel) and got settled in our rooms. We set up Melissa's laptop and I called Audra. No answer. Then I called the Amerisuites and talked to Woody. She said they were just getting there as well, so we could come when we were able. Later, Audra called and said she was on her way. The rest of the people at my hotel went out to eat. I sat on a couch in the hotel lobby and then a message popped up on my cell phone. Just when I went to listen to it, the lobby door opened and I heard "Meesa?" It was Audra! We hugged and went to her vehicle to go to the Amerisuites with her cousin Nicki and her sister Lauren. After a few wrong turns (we ended up in the ghetto!) we made it. Woody had told us that Clay was staying nearby, so we were excited.
We got to Woody's room and she answered the door and immediately gave me a big hug. Lots of the others were there and I recognized them. We snacked, talked and took a group pic. It was great finally meeting everyone. Then Audra told her M & G story and showed everyone her pic. We decided we wanted to go to Clay's buses, so Audra, Lauren, Nicki and I climbed into Audra's SUV and drove over there. Lauren filmed Audra and me running around and acting completely fangirly. We got pics too.  :lol
Then we headed back to my hotel and I introduced Audra to my KC Clay Fans group. She showed her M & G pic and told her story again. Audra had to take Nicki home since she had to work in the morning, so she told me she'd meet up with me in the morning and after another hug, she left.
I went down to Elaine and Lyn's suite and Melissa and I hung out with them for a long time. We looked at JBT pics and listened to Clay cd's.
We went to bed fairly late, but were excited for our Clay day!

Day # 2 to come later .......

Great reviews ladies!  I think you all have covered almost everything!  I don't know that I need to write one!   :lol  Hopefully I'll get something down eventually...if not you've all got me covered!  :wink

It was a fantastic time and I can't wait to do it again!

Day 2 - August 18 - CLAY DAY! Part 1  :bouncy

We didn't need an alarm. Melissa and I woke up around 7:30 to start getting ready for our big day. I logged onto her laptop and checked in quickly to see what you all were up to and then I took a shower and got ready. I decided I was not going to bother flat ironing my hair. It was going to be plenty hot!
Melissa and I headed down and ate breakfast with the KC Clay Fans and other friends who came from North Carolina and the east coast. We hurried back upstairs and went with a couple of the other ladies to Sam's to pick up snacks. Then we hurried back, went to the suites and listened to Clay and waited to hear from the rest of the Claymaniacs.
Lindsay called and said she and Alli were on their way to the fair because they had 12th row track center seats! Yipee! She said she'd call me, but as you read in her review, they got lost.  :lol She called me back and said the tickets were gone and she'd explain at lunch and to meet up with the rest of the gang at the Cheesecake Factory. I went down to grab my concert stuff and my other roomie arrived. She said she'd go with us, so Melissa, Jaime and I headed to lunch. We got there and we had a huge group of people. Clandy had made it and I sat next to her. After we ordered Alli and Lindsay arrived. They told us about the mean ticket guy and the lady who got our tickets!  :bang
After a wonderful lunch, Jaime, Melissa and I headed to the fair to try and upgrade Alli and my seats. We got there, I practically sprinted to the ticket booth and all they had was 17th row track center. Alli wasn't there yet, so as soon as she arrived we talked about it and decided to take those seats. I went to get them and poof they were gone! Crap!  :bang Then a little later he said row 13 track center was available and poof those were gone too! Crap!  :bang :bang The lady that got the tickets Alli and I were trying to get to begin with was swarming the ticket booth like a vulture. *rolls eyes*
Meanwhile, there were "no cameras for Clay" signs on the ticket office windows. We all told the guy Clay said it was okay, but it was the before mentioned mean ticket guy and he was not exactly friendly. Lindsay kept an ear out for closer tickets and Liz chased down Mary and finally got the okay for the cameras. The ticket guy didn't believe it. (Whatever!) One of the LBFCA was selling closer seats, so Lindsay and I ran to buy them. Some lady ahead of us said she'd think about buying them but the minute she heard I wanted them, she bought them on the spot. Crap!!!  :bang :bang :bang I headed back over to where our group was hanging out and finally found some Track right row 14 tickets. I bought them and Alli and I were excited. Then I found a lady selling track center row 14 seats for less than face value. I snatched those up, sold the grandstand seats to Monica and her Mom and the others to a nice couple. Meanwhile, Jacob ran by and Alli missed a chance for a pic due to a heard of 13 year olds following him. Nick came out for the M & G winners and I got a quick pic. Woody had a great time at her M & G.
Time to enter the concert .....

*More to come*

Day 2 - August 18 - CLAY DAY! Part 2   :shocking

Okay .... have to back up just a sec ....

We took a group pic. Imagine getting 17 people in one pic.  :lol Lauren and Audra were AWOL, because Audra said they were lost. They made it before the concert though.

I went in the gate, got seperated from Alli when I stopped to buy a tour shirt, program and keychain. Then I made my way to our seats. Kris (claysjoy) and Alli were there talking and Kris asked me to find Krista (Fantasy) at the bathrooms. I made my way back there and never found her. I came back and saw Shaikey and Marsha in their grandstand seats and waved. Then I sat down and Alli and Krista left. I had to hold our spots, so when Woody came over and asked if I wanted to find Pat (Pat4Clay) I couldn't leave. My cameras and film were out and I was getting ready for the concert. Clandy came over and said Alli switched her seats so she could get better pictures.
Finally, the concert was about to begin. I tried to get my phone ready to call Dove, but ACK! no signal. S'von and the gang came out and asked for a quarter and my heart began to race. I was ready for a big time Claying!  :smile
When Clay finally came out, the screams were loud and well deserved. The first half of the concert flew by and Clay was sounding great! Clandy and I took picture after picture. Clay came down in the audience to pick the man for Car Wash and I saw the top of his hat. Clandy barely got to see it. The 6 year old girl in front of me kept standing on her chair. Not to be confused with the lady 3 rows ahead of us who had her arm in a brace. Her way of dancing included blocking my view. I felt like really breaking her arm, but I refrained from that temptation and focused on Clay.
Intermission came way too soon. Clandy and I deleted blurry pictures and I called Dove as I finally got a signal. We talked for a few minutes and then I hung up as Car Wash started. Clay was incredibly snarky and wonderful that night. Of course I loved every minute of it! Then came the time when he asked what we did Wednesday. I looked at Clandy and kept my mouth shut. Most people mentioned computers, traveling, etc. Then he called on a girl in a green shirt who said she went to his hotel. I laughed and said, "That's what Audra, Lauren and I did" to Clandy. I laughed and the rest of the concert went by quickly. I loved the audience particpation in "Back For More" and "Invisible". Streamers went everywhere at the end of the concert and Clandy and I decorated ourselves. I gave one streamer to Alli. I found our the girl in the green shirt that Clay talked to was Lauren! She was talking about her, me and Audra.  :lmao
I met Melissa and Jaime out front and we made our way to the car. We arrived at TGI Friday's after everyone else was already there, but Jaime was tired and decided to not stay. Melissa and I sat with Lauren, Audra and their mother. We all talked and laughed. We took pictures and everyone ordered. Audra could tell you I took 15 minutes deciding all I wanted was french fries and a huge glass of ice tea. (Okay ..... 4 glasses of ice tea. It was hot and muggy at the fair and I was thirsty!)
We got our lovely framed Clay pics and JBT CDs.  :clap Then we had the drawing for the prizes. I won a small JBT bag and then a JBT transfer in Alli's trivia game.
Audra, Lauren, their mother, Melissa and I left earlier than most of the bunch so they could take us back to the hotel. Dev and her friend left at the same time. I loved meeting Thea and getting the big hug. I hugged everyone else goodbye and we headed to the hotel. It was storming around the city (thank goodness it held off for the concert!).
At the hotel, Audra and I said our goodbyes. It was hard, because we didn't get to spend much time together. There will be more times to come soon I'm sure.
Melissa and I headed up to the suites and hung out with the rest of the KC Clay Fans and our friends. We looked at pics, discussed the concert and laughed until 2 a.m. I told them our ticket fiasco story and Janelle from Raleigh was so sweet and wanted to make sure it wasn't one of her bunch who did that to us. It wasn't but I do know where the lady who did that to us was from. We made our way to our room and went to bed since we would have to travel home the next day. We had to be extra quiet. Jaime was sleeping, because she was headed up to Interlochen early the next morning by herself. (She had a front row seat!) Melissa and I kept whispering and laughing about the concert.

Day 3 to come .....

Day 3 - August 19

I woke up around 7 so I could gather things together before we had to leave for the airport. Melissa and I both got ready and headed downstairs for breakfast. I had to laugh because Jana, Elaine and I were all wearing the same Clay concert shirt.  :lol We all sat together and re-capped the concert again. I went by the front desk to turn in my hotel key and there was a girl (probably 17 years old or so) and wearing a blue concert T-shirt. Before I could talk to her about the concert, the front desk clerk asked her about the concert. She told her that Clay's "let's his back-up singers perform too much".  :bduh  I didn't talk to her needless to say and she mosied on over to her mother and grandmother.
I told my friends what she said and we came to the conclusion that she just doesn't get what Clay is all about.
Melissa and I had printed off our boarding passes the night before, so we got the hotel shuttle to take us to the airport. We went to Starbucks (strawberries and cream frappuccino) and then on thru security. The security guy jokingly said he had to confiscate my Starbucks.  :lol Along the way to security I talked to several people about the concert, because they saw my shirt. One young couple (mid to late 20s) said they went to several NAT concerts and were sad they missed the JBT. The security guys asked about the concert too. They sure were nice in Indy!
Melissa and I went and sat in the terminal and the rest of our bunch straggled along. We also saw that Tiffany (who runs All Things Clay Aiken) was on our flight home. When we boarded, we all saved seats so the 9 of us could sit together. We shared pics on our digital cameras. The guys sitting a couple rows back saw our shirts and asked if we were the Clay gang. We laughed and gave him one of our fan club's business cards. They were impressed! Elaine also told them about Tiffany's web site. After the plane landed, we exited the plane, said goodbye to half the group and went to get our luggage.
Elaine's hubby picked us up and took us to get our cars at their house. When we got there, we got our luggage to our cars and said our goodbyes. There is nothing like a Clayventure to make you closer to your friends. I headed home, calling my friends Jen and Audra on the way home. When I wasn't on the phone, I listened to my JBT CD that I got at the post-concert party.

Sadly, my JBT Clayventure ended there. I cannot wait until JNT2 hits KC!!! I had the best time in Indy meeting my fellow Claymaniacs.  :hugg