Medley Inspires Blog Potpourri

ACRONYM CLASS -- Graphic artists like Cindilu2 have begun "tutoring" the Clay Nation with beautiful designs of the individual tracks from A Thousand Different Ways.

A Little of This 'n That

Medley Inspires Blog Potpourri

Except for the stunning graphics featured, this blog represents a sundry medley of ordinary experiences, truisms, quotes, and information that hopefully qualifies somewhere between a savory soup and an entertaining potpourri.

Many of us whose seasoned chassis has zoomed light years past our 20-30 year-old mindset often find ourselves baffled as previously nimble limbs and efficient organs succumb to the plunders of time. Unfortunately, human body parts are not as easily replaced as those of a waning car or kitchen appliance.

My friend Terri and I discussed this subject Friday night when I delivered an overnight bag for her unexpected hospital stay following a routine procedure to expand her esophagus, a treatment she must undergo periodically. This weekend, however, her body reacted with a full-blown asthma attack; and an overnight stay was immediately prescribed.

An Expensive One-Night Visit

Since the fiscal year is in its infancy with the designated insurance deductible as yet unmet, Terri's bill for being monitored (i.e., awakened every four hours for vital checks) will prove astronomical. In addition, she has been ordered to stay far away from spicy foods -- that in itself would kill me! -- as well as chocolate and iced tea. The latter is truly painful for a southerner!

Most hospitals here have a policy of escorting a discharged patient to the door with a chariot ride via wheelchair. The minute my friend knew I was en route to complete her rescue, she marched to the nurses station with her bag, informed the staff she was leaving, and asked if anyone wished to accompany her downstairs. Sure enough, when I drove up, she -- and her assigned nurse -- were chatting in the breeze on a bench right outside the front door. Before I could stop the car, the patient was opening the passenger door.

I have been quite limber all my life, and my band students always delighted in the teacher's occasional demonstration of her uncanny ability to do a perfect split. Those were the days, as I could hop right back up on the podium and move on to the next rehearsal number in the blink of an eye. Merely a fond memory now.

The lesson or truism from this sequence? If you still have youthful body parts, savor the moment and treat them with extra special care.

Watched Pot Never Boils

Most folks are familiar with this old saying: "a watched pot never boils." When friend Terri called to tell me her dismissal was imminent but dependent upon a doctor's signature, I put my computer at rest, dressed, finished a marketing list, and still had time to spare.

Not one to pace or watch the clock, mainly because I'm usually running late getting ready, I decided to check message boards while I waited. No sooner had I fired up my computer when, of course, the pot boiled in the form of the expected phone call. And, thus, the hospital caper was off and running!

PHOTO INTERMISSION: Today's clickable interlude features five gifted visual artists who are creating graphics for the ATDW album, as well its individual songs. They include Claystruck (1), Cindilu2 (2), Shyeyewitness (3), Katt45 (4), and Amazing_CA (5).

Quote Stash Yields Five Jewels

During the past couple of weeks, Clay Aiken fans have enjoyed non-stop playing and sharing links/downloads for the single Without You, as well as the 30-second snippets from the playlist for this singer's soon-to-be-released A Thousand Different Ways. From my ongoing quote stash, this collection begins with one by the man himself:

Clay Aiken (speaking about his CD's executive producer Jaymes Foster in the album's official press release): Jaymes told me, 'Stay in your lane, but remember it's okay to swerve a little and see where it takes you.' That's exactly what we did."

Roxluvsclay (from Clayversity): Fourteen snippets of Clay is better than any full album out there!

Lakelady (describing her friends' reactions to three ATDW songs at CV): They loved them! It seems that when they recognized the songs (i.e., covers), they got excited and said they wanted the CD. Despite all the angsting that has gone on amongst fans, the covers may do really well with the CD buying public. Not to mention that great voice. One friend mentioned, without my prompting, that Clay can sing anything!

AprilJoy (CV): Thursday I met with my cousin-in-law, who is almost 28 and fairly "hip." She's never really been a fan, but appreciates Clay's voice. I just happened to have the clips of his new stuff in my car. Her reactions were priceless -- from "Oh, oh, that song!" to "Wow, perfect song for him to do!" She almost died after hearing EIDIDIFY.

My cousin said she would buy this CD because SHE ALREADY KNOWS MANY OF THE SONGS. I think that will wind up being a huge selling point for many folks who don't venture out and buy CDs because often you only get one good song. And she's coming to our CD release party now, too!

Newbird (CV): I just returned from picking up my 13-year-pld from her Girl Scout meeting. I had my BAF shirt on, and one of the girls asked me what The Bubel/Aiken Foundation was. I told her about the foundation and then she said, "Clay Aiken is hot! I'm sorry, he really is!" She said she never liked the spikes and that the new hair style is great. I told her he has a new CD coming out next month.

Tune Into Clay Blogs for the Latest

With ATDW promo really starting to roll, TV and holiday performance dates are filling calendars while Clay media reports stream across CA message boards. To stay on top of the latest news, tune into Clay's Daily Double. When Clay news happens, this blog updates -- often several times a day.

While you're in the CA community at Blogspot, take a tour of the varied, well-written journals penned by dedicated Clay fans. Depending on the template, there is usually a Blogroll in either the left or right column that allows you to link from one to the other.

To get started, here are a few journals and their current topic:

A Southern Girl's Guide to Almost Anything: "New Date to Mark on Your Clay Aiken Calendar"

Excuse Me While I Take a Moment: "Hide the cats! Ditch the wedding band! Clay's coming over!"

Lyrichord's Music Musings: "The VOX Is a Drug"

Something That Really Happened: "American Idol on the Radio"

There Was a Man: "Sing a Song (Or Fourteen)"

So drop by, take the Blogroll tour, and perhaps leave these folks a comment either with a Blogspot screen name or as "Anonymous" if you have not registered at the site. You will be amazed at how many Clay friends you encounter!

These are exciting times for the Clay Nation; and, appropriately, I located at the last minute the final stitch for this patchwork assortment in some thoughts by Leslie42 in her current OFC blog: Don't let little moments like this sneak away. Grab on ... and hold tight ... with both hands!

Caro

You can download a wallpaper version of the opening graphic at Forever Clay.

RELATED TAGS: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, Without You, Everything I Do, The Bubel/Aiken Foundation