Wednesday's Child

Life in Clayton

2007-03-18T13:39:00.000-04:00

I haven't blogged in forever! Sorry about that. I've been busy....relaxing my brain.

: )

I thought this was a great little story with which to kick things off again. From the hometown newspaper, The Clayton News Star.

”Donald Lee Avery Jr. is facing a truckload of charges following a high-speed chase by Clayton police Saturday.

But he didn’t leave for jail thirsty.

“He was in the process of lying on the ground after exiting the vehicle – but he reached back in and had one last big drag [of beer],” said Clayton Police Lt. Wayne Bridges.”

Clayton News Star

One for the road!

The Lion King Roars in Raleigh

2006-10-30T00:05:00.000-05:00

The Gazelle touring company of the hit Broadway musical, The Lion King, recently departed Raleigh after a highly successful six weeks of shows. I was fortunate to have scored fourth row seats to final show only about a month ago! (Why can't I ever get those good seats for a Clay Aiken concert?)

The Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh, is a beautiful venue in the midst of an area undergoing chaotic construction. But the parking was close by, and considering the show was sold out, it was easy getting in and out of the facility.

I took my Mom to the show. It was the first full on Broadway musical for both of us. We've attended plays, but never a musical with big production numbers, fantastical costumes, ingenious sets, and beautiful music. The actors were all amazing, down to and including the ensemble players. The talent was inspiring, as every single member of the cast not only sang and danced, but acted and operated the very realistic puppets that often made you forget there was a human behind the mask. The portrayal of the "animals" ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous - from a bird on a stick to giant complicated costumes which required more than one person to operate.

I was already familiar with much of the music. Elton John and Tim Rice's score is at once sentimental and trimphant. The actor who played Rafiki, Phindile Mkhize, had an unbelievable voice, and actually, all the main cast was vocally gifted. Zazu, the bird, was played by Mark Cameron Pow, and his veddy British accent added much to his portrayal. Pumbaa and Timon were a riot, and strangely enough, they sounded just like their animated counterparts! The weakest link was probably the adult Simba, who was very adept at showing the lackadaisical side of Simba, but less convincing at portraying the courageous battle against Scar.

The story itself is classic; a tale of family, betrayal, and ultimately, love.

It was a magical production, from the first wailing note and march of the animals through the audience, to the triumphant victory of good over evil.

And they all lived happily ever after. Well, except for Scar. I'm hooked!

We Love Clay's CD A Thousand Different Ways

2006-09-26T23:48:00.000-04:00

Clay Aiken's new release, A Thousand Different Ways, showcases some of the highest charting love songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Included in the mix are four new original songs in addition to the ten classic covers. There are also two bonus tracks available - a free download with a CD purchase from KMart (the Motown gem If You Dont Know Me By Now,) and an original song, written by Clay, called Lover All Alone, free with a download of the CD from iTunes. The staff of Claymaniacs.com is a diverse group, so we thought we would each share our favorite two songs. Why two? Well, you know we couldn’t pick just one!

One of the new songs, Lonely No More, earns Clay his first official co-writing credit. Right now, it’s a personal favorite. A slight melancholy tone graces the lone piano at the beginning, but not for long. The lyrics, graceful with yearning yet rich with possibility as well, carry us to the bridge, which swells to an almost passion filled challenge, and finally evolves to a sweet conclusion. One that makes me wonder if the singer may be ...lonely no more.

Take me in, take me home, I cant stand to be alone
Help me paint the picture of my life, dont you disappear and leave me here tonight…

Now, let’s hear from woodstock854 about her favorites!

"Choosing a favorite is ALWAYS hard, because Clay is SO good, but my favorite song on this CD is Without You. Clay has an AMAZING voice. We all know that. And some songs showcase it better than others. I truly believe this song showcases the VOX that we all love. There are soft, tender notes, vibrato, and GLORY notes that EVERY Clay fan loves. When I hear this song, I FEEL Clay around me. This song showcases his incredible range, and beautiful style. When he open ups and belts the notes out, I could just and never get up!!! And to do that with this amount of confidence, gives me a new respect for Clay and his wonderful singing ability.

I listen to this song EVERY day multiple times. I cant get enough of this beautiful voice. And I hope I never will. Please keep it up, Clay!!! We love you!!!"

Oh, I cant forget this evening, or your face as you were leaving
But I guess thats just the way the story goes…..

"My second favorite song on the CD is A Thousand Days. This song has grown on me since it was previewed. I have listened to it over and over. Not only does Clay sound GREAT (of course) but I think it is one of the "catchiest" songs on the CD. It is one of those that you find yourself humming over and over again. It is upbeat, but the lyrics are so meaningful. "Come with me, and I will never let you down." (I am on my way, Clay.) I BELIEVE him when I hear the lyrics. WOW!!! That makes a song great for me. And it contains a Glory note!!! I am a goner. It shows how strong Clays voice is. And this song translates well to a live performance, as we saw on GMA. I thought that performance was SUPERB!!! He was able to change up the song enough to make it sound very fresh. And everyone was singing along!!! It is easy to remember the words. I think this song is a real winner, and will be one of the most popular ones when he tours again. I LOVE IT!!!"

Read the rest of the Claymaniacs' staff member reviews at Claymaniacs.com!

Top Hits of the 80s: A Musical Flashback

2006-09-06T22:50:00.000-04:00

According to About.com, these were the top hits of the 1980s.

1) The Police-"Every Breath You Take"
2) Survivor-"Eye of the Tiger"
3) Foreigner-"I Want to Know What Love Is"
4) Van Halen-"Jump"
5) U2-"With or Without You"
6) Guns N' Roses-"Sweet Child o' Mine"
7) Whitney Houston-"So Emotional"
8) Bonnie Tyler-"Total Eclipse of the Heart"
9) Lionel Richie & Diana Ross-"Endless Love"
10) J. Geils Band-"Centerfold"

Hey, where's the punk rock, new wave, glam rock selections? It matters not, as they would not be appropropriate for this exercise anyway. Unless you have a vivid imagination.

Of these selections, Clay will be dueting with Suzie O'Neil (Rock Star: INXS)on I Want to Know What Love Is on his upcoming release A Thousand Different Ways. Should be nice vox combo. But hey, wouldn't it be fun to imagine how Clay would cover some of these other tunes?

I love Sting, and the Police. Saw them in concert back in the real 80s. Every Breath You Take is, believe it or not, a love song; a classic, well constructed tune about obsessive love, laid down over a sweetly hypnotic melody that belies the dark overtones of the lyrics. If Clay sang this song, he would drive the Claymate masses mad with longing. Wouldn't it be ironic if his first two radio hits were songs having to do with obsessive attraction (see Invisible)? Considering the obsessive nature of some of his own fans, it would be a delicious irony.

Eye of the Tiger, forget about it. Clay would never sing a song about... a cat!

Jump would not be a good choice for Clay, as the song is mostly about the instrumentation and not the lyrical interpretation. But, I do admit I wouldn't mind seeing him do the David Lee Roth *jump!* In fact, I might buy a ticket for that.

Now we get down to business. U2 is a long time favorite; one I've yet to score tickets to see live. Came close when they were in Charlotte last year, but there was a matter of a little "joyful" holiday tour I was attending, in Camden NJ and Washington DC, that fell on the day before and the day after U2 was in Charlotte. Nothing like a kick in the butt by Karma.

Clay opened his solo tour with a rousing version of U2's Where the Streets Have No Name. However, With or Without You is a song made for Clay. According to Wikipedia, not only is it U2's most covered song, but also one of their most overtly emotional ones. A song of love, and loss, pain, and pleasure, the lyrics are simple but the melody builds until it rips your heart out, flings it around a couple of times, then slams it on the ground.

My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away

With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you

Insecurity, anxiety, angst - all the requirements for a song of passion. Should Clay ever decide to sing this song, he would have a bunch of wrung out fangirls on his hands.

It wouldn't be the first time.

Next up, the bottom five!

Art Deepens The Mystery

2006-08-24T01:12:00.000-04:00

"The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery."
Francis Bacon
My husband is a sculptor, working with metal, mostly copper. At left, one of our cats (originally named "Miss Kitty") sees the mystery in a solid copper gecko.

His inspiration comes mostly from nature, and his work encompasses everything from the classical to the whimsical. (In this picture, the gecko is real!)

Here's my favorite piece though. He made just for me. I love it beyond all reason; it's cute, don't you think? It's called "Superstar."

I have no idea why.

*wink*

Check him out. He's good. Metalfusion.com.

...Sail forward now, all balls out

2006-08-16T12:22:00.000-04:00

Sharing an essay, written by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D.

Letter To A Young Activist During Troubled Times

Mis estimados:
Do not lose heart. We were made for these times.
I have heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about the state of affairs in our world right now. It is true, one has to have strong cojones and ovarios to withstand much of what passes for "good" in our culture today. Abject disregard of what the soul finds most precious and irreplaceable and the corruption of principled ideals have become, in some large societal arenas, "the new normal," the grotesquerie of the week. It is hard to say which one of the current egregious matters has rocked people's worlds and beliefs more. Ours is a time of almost daily jaw-dropping astonishment and often righteous rage over the latest degradations of what matters most to civilized, visionary people.

...You are right in your assessments. The lustre and hubris some have aspired to while endorsing acts so heinous against children, elders, everyday people, the poor, the unguarded, the helpless, is breathtaking. Yet ... I urge you, ask you, gentle you, to please not spend your spirit dry by bewailing these difficult times. Especially do not lose hope. Most particularly because, the fact is — we were made for these times. Yes. For years, we have been learning, practicing, been in training for and just waiting to meet on this exact plain of engagement. I cannot tell you often enough that we are definitely the leaders we have been waiting for, and that we have been raised since childhood for this time precisely.

Read the rest of this essay at Dr. Estes.

A Thousand Different Memories

2006-08-08T03:03:00.000-04:00

Last week, on August 3, while I was vacationing in Florida, the long awaited press release about Clay’s much anticipated third album was issued. A Thousand Different Ways will drop on September 19.

As is tradition in the Clay Nation, there were those who were immediately disappointed – What? No Back for More? What? Ten cover songs? What? Dolly Parton?!?

On some boards, those who expressed discontent were immediately looked upon with scorn and derision for some reason, as if their comments might infect others like a plague. Then you have the uber-fangirly fans who would buy Clay singing "the phone book” or a Chinese menu or whatever; which causes some to roll glazed over eyes so far back in their head as to see behind them. And then there were those who were somewhat stoic, allowing they would wait until they actually heard the CD, then make a fully informed decision.

Then we have the “insiders,” with their affirmations dispensed by some mysterious entities somewhere in the “industry.” Hey, I think it's great, sprinkling their good news like so much fairy dust over the heads of the worried and the anxious. Some people seem to resent those “in the know;” but we do have choices; we can soak it all up like sunshine or just scroll on by. It’s all good to me.

Some 15 months after reports of a conclave of 50 songwriters (aggregated by Jaymes Foster on behalf of Clay) met in Nashville to hash out some good new songs for him, some fans are disappointed to see only four new songs on the CD track listing. It does lead one to wonder what type of communication took place, that none of those outstanding writers could create an album’s worth of songs with which Clay could connect. Or maybe they did, and we'll hear those results another time.

On the other hand, I would much rather hear Clay sing good covers than mediocre new songs. Not that the all the covers on the new CD would be on my own top ten favorite cover song list for Clay to interpret. That list would be more likely to contain such songs as If You Really Love Me by Stevie Wonder, She's Gone by Hall & Oates, Best of My Love by the Eagles, or More than Words by Extreme. He could still sing them in concert...I wouldn't mind a JBT Ver2.0 - except all 70s and 80s and some of those new songs thrown in for good measure.

In speaking to the concept that there are all kinds of love, songs like Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away by Stevie Wonder, and When the Children Cry by White Lion would have worked as well.

I have always loved Without You, and own both the Badfinger as well as the superior Harry Nilsson version. On vinyl no less. In fact, it could have been my theme song for a few years. That song was made for Clay, and his somewhat restrained and subtle rendering (with those low notes!) is a thing of beauty.

I also find interesting Clay’s statement about the songs on the CD reflecting “all different kinds of love.” It’s endearing to me that he made the effort to create a work that all his fans could appreciate, enjoy and relate to. A (real) twelve year old hasn’t experienced romantic love, and some adult fans have surely moved on into cynical romantic territory.

Clay had a hand in choosing the songs, as well as even earning a writing credit on one of them (Lonely No More.) From his past statements regarding songwriting, I assume he actually helped write the song. I hope that was an enlightening experience for him. It's not always easy to lay bare your soul to the world.

Based on his own words in interviews past, this album is not what he started out wanting. Whatever happened to change that, which is not my business as a fan, it is now a CD of big power pop ballads from the 70s and 80s, and if the trend doesn’t burn out in six weeks, it should ride the retro wave to success, if not radio play. The fans may control the success, but RCA controls radio play.

The songs on the CD are fine by me. In fact, they all bring back so many memories! I am very intrigued by some of the choices, such as Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, and Broken Wings. Clay said he wanted a more "upbeat" tone to this album, but a little angst thrown into the mix is more realistic.

In my teen years, I was all about the angst, and many of these songs remind me of that time in my life. Don't get me wrong - it was wonderful - the passion, the agony - every little thing that happened then was a major upheaval in my life. I miss that, sort of.

What I am most looking forward to, is how these songs fit into the soundtrack of my life right now, as opposed to how they fit when they were first released. Will it all come rushing back? Friendship, first love, passion, unrequited love, heartbreak, pain, loss…. Is it all still inside me?

I’ll soon find out. And I'm right here waiting.

Clay Nation Takes Action

2006-07-29T20:31:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, July 27, in his capacity as a UNICEF ambassador for the world's children, Clay Aiken posted a message on his official fan club site titled "UNICEF Needs Your Help!" In it, he painted a desperate picture of the need for UNICEF to provide aid and relief to the hundreds of thousands of innocent children who are being harmed or left homeless due to the conflict currently underway in the Middle East.

UNICEF estimates that 350,000 children have been displaced from their homes, just within Lebanon. Emergency supplies have already begun flowing, with the first shipments arriving last weekend.

Items sent to the area include water purification tablets, soap and other hygiene products, as well as medicinal supplies for the injured. UNICEF is a non partisan relief agency, and as it is their policy to focus on children's needs in developing countries, the aid is being directed to the children of Lebanon.

Information is power. As a result of Clay's call to action, his fans contributed over $47,000 by the next day, and more people are continuing to donate as they are made aware of the need.

Rosie O'Donnell has matched that total, stating on her own blog that she will also contribute $47,000 to the cause. At times when children of any nation are in crisis, it's outstanding that so many people find it in their hearts to help make a difference.

If you would like to help, please visit the contribution page at UNICEF.

Charity sees only the need, not the cause. Please help if you are able.

Thank you.

Tall Ships: America's Sail

2006-07-29T01:15:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to visit the NC coast for the Pepsi America's Sail event, featuring the Tall Ships. More than 150,000 people descended on the small towns of Morehead City and Beaufort NC, whose normal populations together barely total 13,000.

So yeah, it was crowded, and yeah, there was traffic, and man, was it hot! But, it was also a unique experience, and so beautiful to see the majestic tall ships sailing off the coast, their sails to the wind.

With such adventurous names as the Meka, the Compass Rose and the Cisne Branco, the sailors all prayed for wind as they set out early that Saturday morning to race through the channel, down the coast and back.

The Independence Day celebration included a parade that included the local high school marching band, military personnel and sailors from the Brazilian tall ship, the Cisne Branco. There were artists from all over the country, and concerts featuring Delbert Clinton, Train and Anna Nalick.

And, there were pirates! Argh!
It was a wonderful vacation, made even better by the fact that we got to enjoy our dog Scruffy's first trip to the beach. Everywhere we went, we were asked, "what kind of dog is that?!?"

A cute one!

Consider This A Warning

2006-07-24T00:13:00.000-04:00

Clay Aiken montage created by Ms Mia.

For more, visit Ms Mia's website, Shades of Clay. Trust me, it's time well spent!

Patience

2006-07-19T01:27:00.000-04:00

Fans of Clay Aiken have been mostly patient over the past year, as they have awaited some relevent information about his next CD.

Patience. Some think it's a virtue. It's surely a state of mind, a quality of self awareness.

For the self-actualized human, patience is power; control of will, suffering with fortitude, a state of uncomplaining endurance over evil and insult, over unending time…. Patience is power over eternity.

Patience is an act. An act of forbearance, of waiting, calmly, yet with passion still. Waiting for something due, something expected, something hoped for.

Patience is perseverance. It’s persistence. It is a constancy of attitude that will carry you through the stages of expectance – from eager anticipation, to contented relief upon it’s close.

Patience, resignation. It's a quiet, self possessed spirit of submission to the will of another, or to outside forces, over which you, nor anyone else really, has any control.

But now, we finally have some information. We have a title. We know he is proud of it and that the songs he chose will reflect the intensity of his live performances. We know his executive producer, Jaymes Foster, believes Clay's vocal talents rival some of the great artists of our time. But still, we clamor for more.

Patience. We need it now!

Happy US Independence Day 2006!!

2006-07-04T20:43:00.000-04:00

Clay Aiken performs "God Bless the USA" on PBS' "A Capitol Fourth," aired in 2004.

Thanks to papergirl for the video!

There Was A Man

2006-06-27T00:48:00.000-04:00

There was a man, a lonely man,
Who lost his love through his indifference. . .
A heart that cared, that went unshared,
Until it died in his silence. . .

So go the lyrics to an old song Clay Aiken introduced to a new generation of young fans, and breathed new life into for some older music lovers as well. Clay’s powerful and haunting voice brings both the agony and the beauty of the lyrics to life as if they’re something tangible; as if you could wrap yourself up in the melancholy and the surrealism like a warm blanket and wallow in it.

That is due, in part, to the fact he is a gifted singer with a talent for belting out power ballads. But it’s also due to a particular resonance those lyrics may hold for the singer who says he still is and always will be a special education teacher at heart.

Clay shared his feelings about Solitaire and other painful moments from his life in his book, Learning to Sing; and as he did, he explained how each one helped him grow and evolve, and how he tried to use what he learned to be a better man. A better human being. A better humanitarian.

Clay has always had a heart for helping children. For example, in 2004, he participated in the "Arthur: Stories for Heroes” audio book, the proceeds of which benefited the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and other children’s charities.

Also in 2004, Clay performed with Heather Headley at the Children & Families Initiative of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids event in New York City. There was recently a poster from that event, autographed by Clay and other participants, for sale on eBay in continued support.

A shirt and tie worn by Clay during his Summer 2004 Solo Tour was auctioned in December 2004 in support of YouthAIDS, an action-based global initiative working in over sixty countries to educate and protect young people from HIV/AIDS. It brought over $2,400.

In support of the 2004 Give a Hand program, benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities, Clay's handprints in cement were auctioned for $15,099.

Clay is a national ambassador and spokesman for UNICEF, which advocates and places a high priority on AIDS education and protection of children’s health around the world.

In 2005, his participation in Kenneth Cole’s “Clothes Off Our Back” charity raised over $27,000 in support of UNICEF and other charities.

Early in 2006, Clay joined Susan Sarandon, Julianne Moore, Dustin Hoffman and other stars on "NBC for Tsunami Relief." The benefit raised more than $10 million nationally.

In addition, he served as 2005 national spokesperson for UNICEF's Trick or Treat campaign, 2004 national spokesperson for the Toys For Tots campaign, and supported Youth Service America, the Make A Wish Foundation, Best Buddies, and more.

In 2003, Clay formed his own foundation. The Bubel/Aiken Foundation was created in order to bring awareness to issues of inclusion. Their mission is to “provide services and financial assistance to facilitate the full integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of those without.” His heart was bound to the issue of inclusion when, while working at the YMCA, he learned there were no means to allow children with special needs into the camp programs.

Clay meets with special needs children and fans at every opportunity. But that’s not what makes him so extraordinary.

The real gift Clay gives these extra special fans is inclusion. He treats them like everybody else. He sees past the disability to the person. And the gift Clay gives to the world is that he inspires by example and teaches others to do the same.

His legions of fans have taken their cues from Clay, and many of them have become involved in these causes in one way or another. In the process they’ve learned the amazing extent and endurance of the human spirit, and of their own hearts. Clay helps others find the humanitarian within themselves.

What greater message can any celebrity pass on to his fans than the mindset that Everybody is Somebody?

Clay knew the pain of exclusion, of being different. He knew the pain of cruelty and apathy. He could’ve, one might suppose, become the man he sings about in Solitaire. He could’ve built a wall around himself, allowed his heart to become battle-scarred and hard until it silently died of indifference.

Instead, he did the opposite. Clay Aiken found he had a voice as a celebrity, and he’s using it. When this man became a star, he shined his light in places that had been dark for too long, and as his star grows brighter he continues to light the way for children that much of the world has ignored. He fights for them to be seen, to be heard. He takes that amazing voice and sings to the world, “Include them!”

He’s succeeding, because the world is listening. Clay Aiken’s mantra seems to be “Use your voice.”

We hear Clay's voice, and what we hear is amazing.

Written by the Staff of Claymaniacs.com

© 2006 Claymaniacs.com

A Thousand Million

2006-06-24T22:52:00.000-04:00

Like most people, I get lots of email. Some of it is about Clay Aiken and some of it is not. My favorite email of today is not about Clay, unless he is a billionaire already. I don't normally discuss politics because no good usually comes of it. But this, I like.

"The next time you hear a politician use the word "billion" casually, think about whether you want that politician spending your tax dollars.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into perspective:

A billion seconds ago, it was 1975.

A billion minutes ago, Jesus was alive.

A billion hours ago, our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate Washington spends it."

Not one to believe much (if any) of what I get in my email, or even read on the Internet, I often do a little research myself. So in this case, I visited Snopes to get the scoop. Yep, pretty close on all counts.

Except worse.

According to Snopes, Washington is actually spending twice as much as this email states, which would mean a billion dollars ago was only 4 hours and 10 minutes.

Just thought you would want to know!

Through the Years, Musically

2006-06-22T15:32:00.000-04:00

Email of the day.

It was fun being a baby boomer, until now. Some of the artists of the'60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to again accommodate the Babyboomers.

They include:

Herman's Hermits----Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker
The Bee Gees----How Can You Mend a Broken Hip
Bobby Darin---Splish, Splash, I was Having a Flash
Ringo Starr---I Get by With a Little Help From Depends
Roberta Flack---The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face
Johnny Nash----I Can't See Clearly Now
Paul Simon---Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver
The Commodores----Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom
Marvin Gaye----Heard it Through the Grape Nuts
Procol Harem---A Whiter Shade of Hair
Leo Sayer---You Make Me Feel like Napping
Tony Orlando---Knock 3 Times on the Ceiling If you Want Me, Twice on the Pipes, If You Hear Me Fall
Helen Reddy---I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore

Yeah, that's funny. Except maybe not. The very first group I ever saw in concert was Herman's Hermits. Whaaaat? The second groups I saw were Badfinger and Argent! No Matter What You Do! Hold Your Head Up!

I decided to dig out my cache of concert ticket stubs, and have a little musical flashback. So, in no particular order, some of my fave concerts.

Sting - Santana - Coldplay - David Bowie - 10,000 Maniacs - The Eagles - Doc Watson - The Who - Rolling Stones - Paul McCartney - Bonnie Raitt - Kim Locke - Kiss - Tony Trischka - Bela Fleck - Stevie Ray Vaughan - Living Color - Doobie Brothers - Dan Fogelburg - Bo Bice - Neil Young - Foghat - Bob Dylan - ZZTop - Indigo Girls - Booker T and the MGs - Jane's Addiction - Lollapalooza - Paul Simon - Clay Aiken - Crosby, Stills and Nash - Trace Adkins - Joe Nichols - Bruce Springsteen - The Police - Nine Inch Nails - The Clash - Grateful Dead - Josh Gracin - Wynnona Judd - Pink Floyd - Ice T - Jason and the Scorchers - Henry Rollins - Josh Groban - Pure Prairie League - Karl Wallinger and World Party - Red Hot Chili Peppers

So much fun I can barely even remember it all. Live music is the BEST! But... it gets tougher when you are an, um, adult. So, I agree with comedian Greg Behrendt; there should be rock concerts for adults! They start at 7 and you're home by 10.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

Color Quiz

2006-06-21T23:23:00.000-04:00

Wednesdays+Child took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test!

"Her need to feel more causative and to have a wide..."

Click here to read the rest of the results.

Well, you could say the same about most people, right? Right? RIGHT?

Daddy's Girl

2006-06-19T03:10:00.000-04:00

Dad,

Happy Father's Day!

Thanks for waiting up for me all those nights.

Thanks for teaching me to like sci-fi.

Thanks for thinking I write well. (Hee!)

Thanks for washing my car.

Thanks for saying "yes" when Mom said "no."

Thanks for making good oatmeal, banana splits, milkshakes, holes in one. And I don't mean in golf, although you did that too.

Thanks for being laid back and sometimes goofy.

Thanks for letting me stand on your feet when we danced.

Thanks for being organized.

Thanks for being content to sit and watch TV when you come visit me.

Thanks for liking Clay, Dolly, the Dixie Chicks, and Mario Lanza.

I'm a Daddy's girl - and proud of it!

Suthern Tawlk

2006-06-16T21:36:00.000-04:00

Clay once said, "I have family who wouldn't spit in my mouth if my teeth were on fire."

I recently received this email, which made me recall some of the more colorful phrases my grandmothers and aunts used to use during their homilies.

These aren't exclusive to the south, although we do seem to have more than our fair share!

Disclaimer: No offense to bankers or lawyers. Nor pigs or skunks.

*Keep skunks, bankers and lawyers at a distance.
*Life is simpler when you plow *around* the stump.
*A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
*Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.
*Meanness don't just happen overnight.
*There is no cure for stupid.
*Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
*Never corner something that you know is meaner than you.
*It don't take a very strong person to carry a grudge.
*You cannot unsay a cruel word.
*Every path has a few puddles.
*When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
*The best sermons are lived, not preached.
*Most of the stuff people worry about isn't never going happen anyway.
*Don't judge folks by their relatives.
*Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
*Don't interfere with something that isn't bothering you none.
*Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
*If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.
*Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
*The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every morning.
*Always drink upstream from the herd.
*Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
*Letting the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in.
*If you get to thinking you're a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else's dog around.

I love those. Words of wisdom you would never learn in an institution of higher learning! Even ones found in the South.

I used to beg for things when I was a child, like most children do. Have you ever been told, "you need that like a hog needs a saddle!" or "you need that like a rooster needs a wheelbarrow!" I usually got confuzzled and forgot about whatever I was begging for.

My grandmother used to always describe people by their physical attributes. "She's been hit in the face with the ugly stick!" or "she looks like she's been rode hard and put up wet," or "he's meaner than a snake!"

I'm sure we all know someone who "don't have a lick of sense," or who is "dumb as a box of rocks." And have you ever been "drunker than Cootie Brown?"

My boss was always "busier than a one armed paper hanger," but I think he didn't know "doodley squat" about being busy.

Well, I'ma hafta carry myownself upstairs and get me a showah now, 'cause I'm afixin to go out tonight!

Thanks for readin'. I preeshate it!

Rockin the Red Hats

2006-06-15T00:33:00.000-04:00

I just returned from a glorious nine day vacation in the mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. Being there is like being in another country almost; low key, laid back and teeming with nature's bounty. Almost heaven.

It was great seeing my parents, visiting old friends, going junking, hearing some good music and soaking up nature. But more about all that later. First, one of the things I was enlightened to - a "society" known as the Red Hats. Yes, my Mom rocks the Red Hats, and she is having a stone cold blast too.

The Red Hat Society is a social organization where there is fun after fifty (and before) for women of all walks of life.

This is a direct quote from their website. It's also true; I have witnessed it with my own eyes, recorded for posterity on a DVD!

Take for example, the Bonnett Belles of Blountville, TN. These ladies know how to party. They threw a big shindig a while back, with a "Roaring 20s" theme, complete with speakeasys, flappers, lots of fringe and feathers, song and dance, good food and even a liquor raid (for entertainment purposes only of course!) at the conclusion of the evening.

I just can't tell you how happy it made me to see my Mom right in the midst of it all, in her fringy red dress and sequined headband, sleek cigarette holder in one hand and liquor bottle in the other. No, really; I'm serious! I've never seen such a bunch of happy women, all dressed up, singing, smiling, dancing; laughing like nothing else on this earth mattered much at all. It was a glorious thing to behold.

Wait...yes I have. I have seen such a thing. I've seen it quite often actually; at every single Clay Aiken concert I've ever attended.

There are no age restrictions on fun, last time I checked.

As I become older, the media bias toward men and women, mostly women, of a "certain age" becomes more and more evident in any discussion of our "youth-oriented" culture. It's a curious thing, and a phenomenon that is, in my opinion, worth investigating. And I will. But first, I'm going to have some fun.

Because really, what is the purpose of life, if not to find pleasure in all that we do? Whether it's at a Red Hat Society party or a hockey game, on the golf course or at a concert. Whether it's while we are helping others, working, studying or playing - we should strive to not only find purpose and meaning in our life, but also, pleasure and passion.

Life's too short for anything else.

CRS (Can't Remember Shii...Stuff)

2006-06-04T13:13:00.000-04:00

Favorite email of the week.

MY FORGETTER

My forgetter's getting better
But my rememberer is broke;
To you that may seem funny
But to me that is no joke.

For when I'm "here" I'm wondering
If I really should be "there;"
And when I try to think it through,
I haven't got a prayer.

Oft times I walk into a room,
And say "what am I here for?"
I wrack my brain, but all in vain,
A zero, is my score.

At times I put something away
Where it is safe, but Gee!
The person it is safest from
Is, generally, me!

When shopping I may see someone,
Say "Hi" and have a chat;
Then when the person walks away
I think "who the heck was that?"

Yes, my forgetter's getting better
While my rememberer is broke,
And it's driving me plumb crazy
And that isn't any joke.

I love that. Too bad I can't remember who sent it to me.

Tips for having a simpler life.

Tip #1 – Keep a couple of get well cards on your mantle or a shelf in your living room. That way, if someone drops in unexpectedly, they will assume you have been too sick to clean.

Tip #2 - Have an easel with a couple of artist brushes on it standing in your living room, kitchen or wherever. If your house is messy and unexpected guests arrive, they will think that since you are an artist, you can't always be bothered with housework and such. People are usually patient regarding their artistic friends.

Actually, my husband is an artist. Hmmmm.

More about Art next time.

Hollyweird and Raleighwood

2006-05-29T23:11:00.000-04:00

Tales from Hollyweird, found at First Amendment Center.org.

"They lurk in bushes, camp out in cars and hover in helicopters. Some are brazen enough to openly brandish their cameras, like old Western gunslingers. (snip) ....a new California law went into effect (1/1/06) that increases penalties against overly aggressive photographers — dubbed "stalkerazzi" — who forcefully thrust their cameras into famous faces or crash their car into a celebrity's vehicle. They'll now be liable for three times the damages they inflict, plus lose any payments their published photos might earn. Publishers can also be held liable. (snip) The business is driven by money," Elterman said. "The guys who take the pictures don't care how they get the photo because they have nothing to lose."”

Famous celebrities are now hiring people to protect them from over-zealous stalkerazzi who invade their privacy, trespass, endanger their safety, and then are rewarded monetarily for doing so.

Hmmm. Now this, from Raleigh's News & Observer.

“North Carolina has put the future of its new lottery in the hands of a former head of the New Mexico Lottery who has helped launch lotteries in three other states.”

That’s right; North Carolina is finally getting an education lottery. Yes, that’s what they are calling it.

So, Hollyweird and Raleigh actually do have something in common.

Gambling.

In Hollyweird, you gamble with your life. In Raleigh, you can gamble for education.

No wonder Clay wanted to come back!

An Ode

2006-05-27T10:33:00.000-04:00

Spikey, flat, au naturale,
Sometimes there is no rationale;
Red or brown or blondish tips,
It sticks out or up it flips;
Sometimes short, sometimes too long,
Either way you can’t go wrong;
The hair's amazing, that’s the clincher,
Every day is a new adventure.

OK I'm done. Bring on the music!

Hair Today....Songs Tomorrow

2006-05-26T13:49:00.000-04:00

What's that sound I hear? Sounds like a buzz.

Clay's new look is all the rage today, but tomorrow (figuratively speaking) we'll all be talking about the songs!

One of Clay's greatest strengths, besides his ebullient and expressive voice, is that he seems to be able to change while remaining true to himself. Let's face it, his looks have changed twenty times over since his AI audition over three years ago.

But his focus has never wavered. Clay once said he wanted to win influence, not fame. His influence has done nothing but grown, from his ability to create awareness of issues, to raise money for UNICEF and other causes, as well as to bring media interest every time he turns around. With everything he has experienced during his career, his priorities have not changed. He still has a heart for children, a passion for inclusion, and a need to share his message. He still finds great joy in singing, and performing.

He remains true to his statements early in his career, that he will not discuss his private life, he will not do things or sing songs he is not comfortable with, and he will define his own type of pop star.

Why does Clay create such interest in the media, both good and bad? Perhaps because he is an agent of change. Some people do resent and fear change, however, I don't think he's out to change the music industry, or the nature of pop culture in general. I do believe he is adamant about offering music fans an alternative; popular music sung beautifully, without bowing to trends or going with the flow. He is not,and will never be, your normal pop star. His voice remains clear, and true and strong.

In an interview just after season two of American Idol, he was asked by Billboard's Chuck Taylor what he thinks about the critics who say he "doesn't look like a pop star." Clay replied, "I'm gonna define my own pop star." And he is.

Congratulations to Taylor Hicks, the new American Idol! Make it work for you buddy.

Here's a little flashback. Enjoy!

[clay aiken]

He's Baaaack!

2006-05-24T23:08:00.000-04:00

Clay is back - With a Bang!

©Kevork Djansezian/AP

Having a Ball

2006-05-23T22:24:00.000-04:00

This weekend, I'm doing something I haven't done in quite a while.

What I'm doing can be done all alone, but I'm doing it with some friends. It's cheap too. One dollar. I fully expect to be be a little sore afterwards, but it will be worth it. In fact, it will be a ball.

A bowling ball! I love bowling, it's so elemental.

A ball. Ten pins. A wooden lane. Organic!

Bowling alleys are loud, smelly places. They smell like feet and beer. But still, the environment is appealing somehow. The last time I went bowling, the counter guy said "Do you want to be near the bar, the bathroom, or the NASCAR race (on TV)?" Now really, what other activity offers such a hospitable welcome?

And, it's cheap. On Sundays before 5 pm anyway. One dollar per game. One dollar! I wasn't aware you could have that kind of fun for one dollar. I made a note of it.

Afterward, I will feel a little achy in odd places. Butt cheeks, wrists, shins. But it will be worth it.

I saw someone once with a T shirt that said "I don't know whether to go bowling or jab my eyes out!" Heck, that's an easy one - I'm going bowling.

Why Limit Yourself?

2006-05-21T22:05:00.000-04:00

In a recent interview, NPR’s Frank Stasio asked Grammy award winning musician, performer, producer and composer Branford Marsalis if he ever had any trepidation covering such great jazz classics as John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme.”

His reply was “absolutely not.”

While he has many compositions to his credit, several of Marsalis’ best-known recordings and performances are of someone else’s material.

Marsalis continued, “That’s what they’re there for. I discovered…that there was some idea in the music industry that you avoid comparison to great musicians by avoiding their material completely, thus insuring your own quest for individuality.”

“But, comparisons are inevitable. So, I just go for the best. I don’t believe in skirting them. If we fall short, we fall short. You just give it your best. I’d rather be out there going for the best than sitting on the sidelines.”

This part of the interview made me think of Clay, and his recent message about the upcoming CD featuring several "cover" songs. I'll admit I wasn’t overly thrilled about this bit of news. At first. However, interpreting existing compositions is a time-honored tradition in the music industry.

While it’s true that many artists choose to release cover songs later in their career (Sheryl Crow, Madonna, Martina McBride, Rod Stewart,) such diverse artists as Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville were known as interpretive artists early in their career.

Linda once said in an interview that her success was based on singing the best songs written by the best songwriters. Many great songwriters depend on the vocal talents of expressive singers to showcase their work. Here is an excerpt from another interview with Linda.

Q: I wondered if it was a conscious choice to focus on being a singer and an interpreter rather than a storyteller of your own stories.

A: It wasn't a choice; it just is what I am. I'm a singer not a composer, you know I think they're two very different gifts and I think that it's unusual that the 70s was such a singer/songwriter market, in the '50s nobody ever would have commented on that, I mean nobody every commented that Ella Fitzgerald wasn't a writer, for instance.

Q: Nobody comments that Barbra Streisand's not a writer either. It's just probably the community of musicians that you came from.

A: Right. I was immersed in that community, but that was an unusual bubble I think.

Q: But you drew off their work, anyway.

A: Yeah, it was an unusual thing. And a lot of singers came to writing, like Bonnie's [Raitt] writing stuff now, but she never wrote before, but she's come to writing stuff now, and that's really fabulous. Emmy's writing — Emmy always wrote well, but she wrote infrequently. But man, she wrote some great stuff for this new record.

Q: When you're a beautiful singer and you have access to any work you want —

A: Yeah, why limit yourself?

Why limit yourself indeed. Clay has his entire life to sing – new songs, love songs, adult pop, ballads and previously recorded material as well. The songs on Clay’s CD, will showcase his vocal abilities; of that I have no doubt. The songs, whichever cover songs they may be, will be chosen with care.

He'll have the cake, and I wish him the icing as well. Which is that the songs are rewarding for him to sing, fun to perform and maybe even radio friendly too!

An effective vocalist can give deeper meaning to the lyrics of a song. He or she can bring a warm intimacy to the performance, making it personal to the listener. A singer’s interpretation of a song is a gift to the listener, and Clay never fails to deliver on that gift.

This CD, only his third, is just another step in the journey. A pop music CD is not a manifesto, a cure for cancer or world poverty. It’s just a collection of songs, an opportunity for a singer to sing and the listener to be sung to.

Whatever Clay sings, one thing is for sure - you’ll know you’ve been sung to.

It may be a throwback to the golden age of pop music to focus on vocal artistry. Perhaps Clay will use this opportunity to make the skill of vocal artistry fresh and interesting again. Considering he'll be touring in support of the CD, I suspect we will get some favorites and some surprises – whether in song choice, presentation, interpretation or production. Maybe he’ll take a sweeping ballad and present it in a minimalist way, or a happy love song and make it a song of obsession. Who knows?

Imagine the possibilities.

And never limit yourself.

Scruffy and the Pussycats

2006-05-20T02:20:00.000-04:00

Scruffy...

...and the pussycats. AKA the Mod Squad: one black, one white, one gray!
Miss Kitty

Sally

Sweet Boy

Sometimes annoying, often entertaining, but always loved. Well, most of the time. But, I'm still grateful for them. Even when they puke up hairballs or bring live bunnies into the house for us to rescue.

Grab the Giddy

2006-05-19T00:36:00.000-04:00

It's past midnight, it's raining like the dickens outside and I'm wired for sound.

I've been watching some prime video tonight, of Clay Aiken's Jukebox Tour from 2005.

It occurs to me that this show has CLAY written all over it. The snark, the humor, the irony, the heart, THE FUN! It’s the Clay Aiken Show everyone! How would you like to see this on TV every week? I'd watch it.

What other artist could sing the shiznit out of everyone from Michael Jackson to the GooGoo Dolls? Who else could channel Elvis one minute and the Monkees the next? Who else would have the temerity to sing the Archies and Simon and Garfunkel in the same show? Name one other singer who would dare to sing the sweet Christopher Cross ballad ‘Sailin’ and follow it with MC Hammer.

Who? No one else. Only Clay. He is one of a kind. He delivers exactly what he says, how he says and when he says. And delivers it with style, humility and passion. He’s a goofball and a sexy man and a smart cookie, all rolled up. He’s real.

Then, the icing on the cake; a medley of his own songs, delivered in such a powerful way that they stand up next to five decades worth of classics, and it all fits. He works to make it right, to make it fun.

For myself, as a fan, that's what it's all about; the enjoyable experience of a live concert, making new friends, having fun. Some people seem to want to change that, but I won't let them.

I came upon this in the memory book of a work colleague who passed last year. I’ll share it here, because it applies.

"Your true character is revealed by the clarity of your convictions, the choices you make, and the promises you keep. Hold strongly to your principles and refuse to follow the currents of convenience. What you say and do defines who you are, and who you are...you are forever." -Unknown

Forget the critics, the haters, the naysayers, the hangers-on. Never mind the unsavory characters, the uninformed, the interlopers. Ignore the envious, the unenlightened. They are nothing to me; they have no power over my peace of mind.

Remember how much fun it can be? Remember feeling giddy?
I'm not letting anyone take that away from me.

Grab the giddy, and own it sisters! Grab it, and hold on tight.

video by spotlightlover

Weather or Not

2006-05-18T02:04:00.000-04:00

It's almost hurricane season. Hurricane Fran came inland as far as Raleigh NC back in 1996. My car was totalled, we lost 30 fully grown trees, and received a five figure insurance settlement for all the damage.

It is said that many people love NC because we still do have all four seasons. But to some, those seasons are ice, heat, pollen and hurricanes! Today however, was a beautiful NC day...skies of Carolina blue, cotton candy clouds and a warm breeze blowing.

Most people I know here in NC have a love/hate relationship with Mother Nature. Me, I love the wind. To a point. I even love the rain. When I'm not out in it.

Just recently, it began raining a downpour while the sun was shining brilliantly. It was somewhat beautiful, and looked like this.

And one day, just after yet another spring rain, the sun burst forth and I caught a rainbow in my backyard. So low, I could have touched it.

But yeah, I do love living here in NC. We do have all the seasons, after all.

And then some!

Faith

2006-05-16T10:56:00.000-04:00

It’s a decision. To have it, or not, is an option one can embrace or deny. Your choice.

By definition, faith is a confident belief which is not based on logical proof or intelligent data. It's based on nothing really. Nothing but heart.

By definition, faith means being loyal to, respecting and believing the words or ideas of a person, a concept, or a belief. In other words, believing without proof, but not without reason.

In reality, having faith is being in possession of a precious treasure; a trusting acceptance, an unswerving devotion, an emotionally charged confidence and assurance. Faith is a spiritual process.

Feeling faith makes something, or someone, valid to you. It’s an honor to the person or concept you believe in. A great honor. A gift.

Faith looks forward, never back. It's not arrogant, but humble.

Faith is hopefulness. It just is. You just do.

The ability to have conviction comes from our life experiences. Having once lost it, faith is worth searching for, fighting for and gaining back.

Faith is a treasure. Something, or someone, worthy of our faith is a gift to each of us. Something, or someone, who has earned our faith is worthy of the gift back of our own faith.

Earning it is a gift to us, giving it is a gift from us.

Faith is a commitment. It’s a promise of respect for someone else’s worth.

Trust and faith create a sense of safety, of comfort, a sense of understanding that our power is always limited by the control others have in our course.

Trust and faith create an environment in which those in whom we are faithful are given the ability to foster their own relationships with others, and to manage and master their own destiny, with our support. With our faith in their actions, and in their heart.

Blind faith. It doesn’t have to be. Not if we enter into it with our eyes, and our hearts, wide open.

It’s a risk, sure. But one most often worth taking, even if it means stepping out of our own comfort zone.

But most of all, faith is the ability to believe whatever it takes to get you through.

You gotta have faith in something. I have faith that the earth will keep spinning, my dog will continue to shred my doors, and Clay's CD will be released this year! How about you?

Knowledge is Power

2006-05-15T21:54:00.000-04:00

As mentioned below, I am currently unemployed.

So, I thought I would take a class of some kind; something that would be helpful for career enhancement, and add some flash to a resume.

I went googling, and learned about a certification called MOUS: Microsoft Office User Specialist. I am somewhat proficient with Word, Excel, Power Point. Just enough to be dangerous. But probably not enough to pass the certification test to become a MOUS.

The test itself is offered through the NC State Personnel Development Center. When I went to their website, I found what appears to be a motherlode of handy dandy informational and tutorial links.

Awesome Online Informational Computing Resources!

Maybe you'll see something interesting there too. Don't forget to come up for air!

Live 8 Lives On

2006-05-15T01:03:00.000-04:00

You know how some blogs have those little emoticons you can select to show your mood? It's like they are like little dwarf buttons..."Happy, Sleepy, Bored, Mad, Sick, Excited, Confused"...and the ubiquitous "Not Bad!"

I wonder why there is never a button for "Bitchy" or "Sassy?" Just curious.

Topic: Live 8. Last summer, millions of people around the world watched as such colorful artists as Pink Floyd, Green Day, Deep Purple and Maroon 5 rocked us in our living rooms and brought awareness of the G8 Summit and the mission of ending poverty in Africa and many third world countries.

There was some disdain for the coverage provided by MTV and VH1, as they cut short many performances for commericials and talked over some of the more sublime moments.

So, in consolation, a week later they aired 10 hours of Live 8 without the inane chatter of MTV talking heads and commercial free. And it was glorious.

My favorite performances were by Pink Floyd and The Who, both of whom I've seen live, both proving that doing copious amounts of drugs in your youth may affect your looks and your voice, but not necessarily your ability to remember lyrics of songs nearly 40 years old.

Seriously, I had cold chills while listening to "Wish You Were Here," and watched amazed as Pete Townsend ripped the guitar riffs on "Won't Get Fooled Again."

Apparently I'm not the only one. DigitalSpy.Co.UK reports:

"A number of artists who performed at the Live 8 gig at the weekend have witnessed a dramatic increase in their CD sales. Sales of Pink Floyd's 'Best Of' album have risen by a huge 1343%, while The Who have seen their album sales increase by a similarly substantial 863%."

Rock on.

Oh, and while you're rocking on, please don't forget the children in Africa. Just think if the money spent on all those CDs was instead spent on such things as UNICEF programs.

UNICEF UGANDA DARFUR HORN OF AFRICA

Just think.

Mom's Day

2006-05-13T22:30:00.000-04:00

Isn't every day Mother's Day? I guess not.

Hi Mom! Just kidding!

I read this hilarious blog about shopping for Mom's Day, and I had to share.

Finally I stop in the card section. Yes, something actually for mom -- that’s the reason we went out after all. I found the perfect card for her:

Front is three scenes of a cartoon mom and young daughter using "talk bubbles."
First scene:
Daughter: Tongue piercing?
Mom: NO!
Second scene:
Daughter: Tattoo.
Mom: NO!
Third scene:
Daughter: Run off to follow a pop star?
Mom: NO!

Thanks to blogger Too Much! for the laughs!

Here's the thing about mothers. I know there may be exceptions, but generally, the greatest thing about mothers is that they are the only people in the world who will always love you, no matter what. No matter how many times you lose, no matter how many times you fail, no matter how many times you let them down.

I've learned lots of stuff from my Mom. The number one thing is that I am not her, and she is not me.

Number two would be that when I was young, and she always said "when you get older, you'll know I was right;" well, she was.

The third thing is that if you want someone to trust you, you have to trust them back. A very valuable lesson I carry with me every day.

Oh, and one more thing I learned from my Mom - to laugh a lot. Life is pretty ridiculous much of the time, when you think about it.

Happy Mother's Day Mom!! Thanks for always loving me, no matter what. I love you too.

Gratitude

2006-05-13T12:33:00.000-04:00

As I end my second week of freedom...er...unemployment, I realize how blessed I really am. First, because I was able to make a gracious exit from a miserable job, with no burnt bridges and a generous severance package which enables me to avoid jumping into yet another miserable job.

Secondly, because...hello! It's springtime in NC!

Thirdly, because I am amazed how many wonderful friends and what a great family I have. Whether it's karma or what; I don't know. But I'm grateful.

Someone once gave me a little book called “14,000 Things to be Happy About.” It includes such things as “a champagne picnic up on the roof under the stars,” “wide beaches,” and “holding hands.”

Well, yeah.

But I recently came across another list, one that made my own mind start churning up old memories as well as remembering recent good ones.

This list included the following happy things; “boyfriends who let you put barrettes in their hair,” and “eating olives off your fingertips.”

Ooh, yes, I’ve done both of those things and what fun it is to remember them!

So, I decided to include in every few blog entries I manage to write from now on, at least one thing I am grateful for, happy about, or that makes me smile. Even if it's a grumpy blog. These things may not be things you would list, but they are mine, so there you go.

Give it a try. Try to mention a few things of your own from time to time; things that make you go “yeah………” with a smile on your face and a faraway look in your eyes.

Here’s my list for today.

a puppy lick
a pedicure that includes a foot massage
hearing someone snort when they laugh
Clay

What, you didn’t think I would forget Clay, did you?

Never.

In NC, It's Beach Time!

2006-05-13T01:34:00.000-04:00

It's getting to be that time here in NC. Beach time!

I know some people in other parts of the country have their own terminology for visiting the area where the sand meets the sea. "To the shore," "the coast," "down the shore," but in NC we go to the beach!

I remember last summer when Clay Aiken vacationed on NC's Outer Banks, then he wrote about it in his blog on his official fan club website. Good heavens...you would have thought he discovered the place! Well, it just so happens I was at the beach that same weekend; only no one really cared. LOL! I wasn't at the Outer Banks though, just the Crystal Coast. Darn my luck!

The NC coast is amazingly beautiful and diverse. Wild ponies can be found on several coastal islands; Carrot Island near Beaufort, and even the small island of Shackleford near the heavily developed Atlantic Beach area. Their story is an amazing one. Read about it at Shackleford Horses.com.

NC has 10 lighthouses, including the famous Cape Hatteras light, the tallest in the nation. See them by clicking Lighthouse Friends.

Want to send someone a postcard from the NC coast? Go to NC Coast.com.

What's on Your Soundtrack?

2006-05-11T21:53:00.000-04:00

I love music.

I remember my first "stereo HIFI record player," a little blue thing with detachable speakers. I thought I was the stuff when I got that record player. My first album was the soundtrack to Woodstock. My parents, who always wanted to provide whatever my little heart desired, within their means of course, gave it to me one year for Christmas.

Halfway through "The Fish Cheer" that sucker was off that little blue record player and in the top of their closet.

I joined the band in sixth grade, so I had the distinct pleasure of spending my formative middle and high school years as a band geek. We got to go to Europe for three weeks, so yeah, I didn't mind being a band geek. We had majorettes in the marching band, and I was the lead twirler my senior year. Good times! In Tennessee, we had an "all state" band, several actually, with green, red and blue categories, blue signifying the top players in the state. I played in the blue band for three years of high school. Yes, I was serious.

I love the German composers. Ludwig von rocks! I spent some time being addicted to the film "A Clockwork Orange" just for the music. The Strauss marches and waltzes and Ludwig Von's Moonlight Sonata, Ode to Joy and Fifth Symphony - love. I'm a plebian classical music lover, but that's OK. Everybody's gotta love something!

I love bluegrass music. I've seen Doc Watson at least ten times and I even own a banjo. To no avail! Old time music and the high lonesome sound was made famous by such stalwart musicians as Doc, Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley and the Carter Family. The Carter Family came from Hiltons VA, just across the state line from my hometown in TN. My grandfather used to sit on the knee of Maybelle Carter, while she sang to him.

My favorite orchestral composition is "Adagio for Strings" by American composer Samuel Barber. I first heard it in the film "Platoon," and spent forever trying to find out what it was and where to get it. It's hauntingly beautiful, and creates a mood simultaneously melancholy and joyous. Truly magical.

Now, don't laugh. I love acoustic new age music. If you are curious about it, check out Michael Hedges, Pat Metheny Group or Charlie Hunter. Or even better, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Bela plays the banjo. New age banjo. Open your mind. You may be surprised!

I did disco. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

I grew up on the Stones, Who, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Eagles, Steely Dan, Santana. Paul Simon, The Police, Bonnie Raitt. I've seen them all in concert.

In the 80s, I listened to lots of techno and some pop. By pop, I mean The Pretenders, B52s, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Annie Lennox - love! I have everything by Elton John. Adult pop, not like today's pop music.

Not all of which is bad though. I like Coldplay and Beck. I like obscure pop artists like Matthew Sweet, Jonatha Brooke and Michael Penn. I love Sheryl Crow's music - it's quite mindless, but poppy and fun. Mindless can be a good thing at times.

Stevie Ray Vaughn was a god. Saw him live too, right in the 'Dort Narena' in Raleigh where Clay Aiken played last October. I cried when I learned he died in a plane crash. The sky has taken many an outstanding musician.

In the 90s, I grew to love the old U2 albums, and Sting. I love the intricate simplicity of U2 and the complex sensibility of Sting.

Which brings me now to Clay. So many artists, groups, bands, whatever - they have the music but not the voice. But Clay, he has the voice; now, he just needs the music.

I will wait forever for that next CD, if it takes that long to get the music right.

I want real music. Sung by Clay. The right music will make him happy to sing it, and that will show in the end product. Perhaps it will then reveal to him the true importance of his gift.

For all he wants to make a difference, and for all his work with TBAF, UNICEF, RMHC, Toys for Tots and YSA, he can also make a mighty, mighty difference in so many people's lives with just his music, just his voice.

Music is magic, music is love. A note, a phrase set to music - it can bring you to tears, give you peace, swell your heart with joy. It can carry you through times of grief and loss. Our music is the soundtrack of our lives. It can heal you, give you clarity, show you the way.

Music can change lives. Clay has changed lives with his music, with the wonder of his voice, with the sincerity and the truth of it. I think he knows this, but he may not be comfortable believing it. Yet.

My wish is that he learns to embrace the importance of it. My wish is that he understands the power of the music.

I feel it. My wish is that he feels it too.

Not-An-Interview

2006-05-10T13:32:00.000-04:00

I may have mentioned down below somewhere that I had never really had a job interview. Not a real one anyway.

Well, I still haven't. But I did have a "meeting" today with the general manager of my previous employer's largest competitor.

He actually called me on the last day I worked, and the conversation was somewhat humorous. It went like this.

GM: "Is this Pamela X?"

Wrong last name. So, I said,

ME: "No, but this is Pamela Z!"

GM: "Well, that was awkward."

I thought it was funny. Then he said,

GM: "Is this your last day of work? If not, then this is really awkward!"

I said it was. Then he said,

GM: "I know you are busy, and can't really talk, but here's my name and number and please give me a call next week; I'd like to talk to you."

I did. Then, I met with him today, and he was very nice and personable. They have no openings at this time, but he wants me to call him first before I accept an offer elsewhere. Nice.

Actually, that's a good thing, because I'm not looking right now. I need to take the summer off. I already have a vacation planned after all. Bought and paid for.

I'm going to Graceland! Graceland! Memphis, TN!

An Excellent Obituary

2006-05-10T01:33:00.000-04:00

This is an actual obituary that appeared in the Raleigh, NC News & Observer on Sunday, July 10, 2005.

"On June 3, 2005 at 10:45 p.m. in Memphis, Tennessee, Dorothy Gibson Cully, 86, died peacefully, while in the loving care of her two favorite children, Barbara and David. All of her breath leaked out.

The mother of four children, grandmother to 11, great-grandmother to nine, devoted wife for 56 years to the late Ralph Chester Cully and a true friend to many, Dot had been active as a volunteer in the Catholic Church and other community charities for much of the past 25 years.

She was born the second child of six in 1919 as Frances Dorothy Gibson, daughter to Kathleen Heard Gibson and Calvin Hooper Gibson, an inventor best known as the first person since the Middle Ages to calculate the arcane lead-to-gold formula. Unable to actually prove this complex theory scientifically, and frustrated by the cruel conspiracy of the so-called "scientific community" working against his efforts, he ultimately stuck his head in a heated gas oven with a golden delicious apple propped in his mouth. Miraculously, the apple was saved for the evening dessert. Calvin was not.

Native Marylanders and long time Baltimore, Kent Island and Ocean City residents, Ralph and Dot later resided in Lakeland, Florida and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Several years after Ralph's death, Dot moved to Raleigh in 2001, where she lived with her son, David.

At the time of her death, Dot was visiting her daughter, Carol in Memphis. Carol and her husband, Ron, away from home attending a "very important conference" at a posh Florida resort, rushed home 10 days later after learning of the death. Dot's other children, dutifully at their mother's side helping with the normal last minute arrangements - hospice notification, funeral parlor notice, revising the last will, etc. - happily picked up the considerable slack of the absent former heiress.

Dot is warmly remembered as a generous, spiritually strong, resourceful, tolerant and smart woman, who was always ready to help and never judged others or their shortcomings. Dot always found time to knit sweaters, sew quilts and send written notes to the family children, all while working a full time job, volunteering as Girl Scout leader and donating considerable time to local charities and the neighborhood Catholic Church.

Dot graduated from Eastern High School at 15, worked in Baltimore full time from 1934 to 1979, beginning as a factory worker at Cross & Blackwell and retiring after 30 years as property manager and controller for a Baltimore conglomerate, Housing Engineering Company, all while raising four children, two of who are fairly normal.

An Irishwoman proud of and curious about her heritage, she was a voracious reader of historical novels, particularly those about the glories and trials of Ireland. Dot also loved to travel, her favorite destination being Eire's auld sod, where she dreamed of the magic, mystery and legend of the Emerald Isle.

Dot Cully is survived by her sisters, Ginny Torrico in Virginia, Marian Lee in Florida and Eileen Adams in Baltimore; her brother, Russell Gibson of Fallston, Maryland; her children, Barbara Frost of Ocean City, Maryland, Carol Meroney of Memphis, Tennessee, David Cully of Raleigh, North Carolina and Stephen Cully of Baltimore, Maryland.

Contributions to the Wake County (NC) Hospice Services are welcomed.

Opinions about the details of this obit are not [welcome?], since Mom would have liked it this way."

I think it's an excellent obituary.

Everybody Dance Now!

2006-05-09T01:45:00.000-04:00

Free At Last

2006-05-04T12:37:00.000-04:00

OK, it's done. Friday was my last day.

It was nice, really. Everyone took me to lunch, they gave me some beautiful flowers, a yummy Italian strawberry cream cake, and an awesome set of wine glasses.

Also, thirty six weeks of severance pay. : )

I didn't cry, or get upset, or feel sad, or anything.

It was time.

Now, where's that tour schedule Clay? I need to plan my year!

Clay Aiken

One More Day!

2006-04-30T10:27:00.000-04:00

Today, I found out my coworker (the only other person in my department) has submitted a request to take a vacation day on Friday, my last day.

It was approved.

I don't hold this against her, not at all. I'm sure next week and being totally on her own will be a rude awakening of sorts. Especially since she nor anyone else really knows just how many issues come up on a daily basis; issues that were not covered in training her because they are not everyday occurences.

But - Wow - anyway. So on my last day, which is also the last day of the billing period, I will do my job, her job, complete all the end of month processes, and most likely attend a goodbye party.

Good times! Except maybe not.

I had planned on doing lots of things on my last day. Important things, like removing my personal files from my computer and talking to people. : )

Lesson learned: When leaving a job, do NOT wait until the last minute to do ANYTHING. Ask for help, state the facts, and be persistent. What are they going to do - fire you?

Almost Misty...But Not Quite

2006-04-28T02:04:00.000-04:00

Today, I sent out a "thanks! and goodbye!" type email to most of the people I work with, in my office and at our corporate office. I tried to include as many people as I could think of, even if my contact with them was only sporadic. Almost immediately after I hit the "send" button, replies started coming in from people.

Everyone was so nice. So supportive. Some of the messages were brief..."thanks and good luck to you!" and some were long, and full of specific remembrances of things done, and things said.

I almost got a little misty.

The best one was from a coworker in Atlanta. She was also a Clay fan, and she mentioned that she wouldn't know how to keep up with him now. So, I sent her a link to my newsletter. Yes, I publish a newsletter of Clay news for interested fans.

I wonder if I could put that on my resume....

Clay Aiken

A Raise Before Leaving

2006-04-26T20:27:00.000-04:00

Today, when I logged on to my computer at work, I got a pop up message that said:

Your password will expire in 7 days! Do you want to change it now?

Well, no.

I've been busy packing boxes...3 so far, and 3 more started...and wondering what, if anything, to say (via email) to everyone I work with as a goodbye. Before I could compose anything, my manager sent out a general email to the department heads, advising them to reroute any of my correspondence to him, as I would be leaving on Friday. The final sentence of his email was:

Our sincerest thanks to Pamela for her immeasurably important contribution over the years, and the very best to her for the future!

Nice. Nicer is that he pushed through a 2% pay increase just before offering me a severance package.

Also, here's something of note. Since my entire career has been spent at this one company, I need to highlight each position on my resume. One employer, but ten different positions. Problem is, I couldn't recall when and what they all were, "official" titles that is.

I asked for my personnel folder, and was told I could copy everything for my personal use. I didn't know this; I asked as a favor, but evidently, legally, this information must be provided.

Finally, I noticed people whispering behind their hands quite often today, so I'm thinking they have planned something for Friday.

Oh lord.

Online Resume Sites

2006-04-26T00:58:00.000-04:00

Here are some online resume help sites:

Pongo Resume
Job Web
Resume Resource

I can't vouch for any of these sites. Yet. I'll let you know though! If you know any good sites with helpful resume information, please share.

All day long I kept thinking there were things I should be doing. Things to prepare for my departure. All day long, I kept feeling that the things I was doing, "work" things, were all so irrelevent. All day long, I wanted to pack boxes, or make contact with people I know I'll never see again.

I offered myself up for training whomever will be managing my old responsibilities. Either I couldn't get an answer as to who would be taking over certain duties, or people were too busy to train when I did know who would be handling things.

Why does this bother me a little bit? A few more days and I won't have any care or concern who does what, how they do it, or if it even gets done.

This feels a little like trouble letting go. Oh boy.

Online Job Sites

2006-04-24T19:33:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, I slept a lot. I don't know why I was so exhausted; but perhaps it was just the rainy weekend, and since I had nothing really planned anyway....

On Sunday, I checked out some different online job sites. Sites such as:

Monster
Hot Jobs
Career Builder
Triangle Jobs
NC Employment Security Commission
Page Bites

and others. Wow, there's a lot of job sites out there. It was a little overwhelming.

Maybe I should have researched resumes first. Mine hasn't been updated for about five years!

Helpful Hints

2006-04-21T15:39:00.000-04:00

I've begun to tell people I work with that I will not be available after next week.

It's interesting how some people look at you with pity and some people look at you with envy.

One coworker asked me if I were upset, and I thought about it, and strangely enough, I am not. A little apprehensive perhaps, but not in anguish or anything.

In fact, I feel a little excited. In fact, I feel exhilerated!

Due to the constant downsizing at my company for the past few years, most of the people I worked with for any length of time are long gone. My current manager is a great guy, and I'm confident he will give me a letter of recommendation and/or a reference.

I received a phone call this afternoon from my previous manager, who has been gone for about a year. He had lots of good information and advice. For example:

1. Adjust withholding for income tax purposes, if I find a job while receiving severance pay. While each income is taxed, they are taxed seperately instead of as a total sum. He had to pay several thousand dollars in federal taxes this year.
2. Go directly to the ESC my first non working day. They have tons of information there, as well as various career counseling resources.
3. Don't be afraid to call on ALL previous and current coworkers, friends and family to be on the lookout for information. 99.9% of everyone you ask will be happy to help you.

And the best advice he gave, was something I often say as well...."Life's too short!" At this point in my life, I want to do something I enjoy. I wonder if I could just follow Clay Aiken around all summer...?

I'm still feeling more anticipation than apprehension. Good stuff.

Clay Aiken

Things to Do

2006-04-20T23:56:00.000-04:00

Today, I tried to contact our HR department with some questions I had accumulated. Three times. Voice mail each time. So, tonight I compiled an email with my questions which I will send in tomorrow morning. That way, I'll have their answers in writing. The questions are concerning payment for unused vacation, family health (sick) and discretionary days, 401k distribution, my non compete agreement, and the calculation of the number of weeks of severance pay I will receive.

I also called the credit union and got my balance and interest payment date. I'll request a withdrawal and account closure next Friday, which will be my last day of work.

I found this list of "things to do" at About.com.

-Take personal property home, so there's no question what belongs to you or the company on your last day.
-Remove personal items (software, emails, etc.) from your PC.
-Collect current contact information from your future references, potential networking associates, and vendors and clients if appropriate.
-Get letters of recommendation.
-Compile a portfolio of your work.

So much to do, so little time now.

I also packed a box of personal items to bring home. I have lots of "stuff" in my office, accumulated for twenty eight years.

Does that about cover it? I can't think of what else I should do at this point. If anyone has any recommendations, please share.

A Brief History

2006-04-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

I moved to NC from TN in 1978. One day, I was eating at Hector's in the mall, and met a guy who had just opened an employment agency. He needed a "secretary."

Job responsibilities included answering the phone, interviewing prospective employees and matching them to employer's needs, scheduling interviews, helping clients with their resumes and so on.

Just so happened, I was available. Never really interviewed with him for that position, he just told me to show up the next morning and he would put me to work. I did, and he did. As his agency was brand new, he was not able to pay me more than minimum wage, and he knew I wouldn't be satisfied with that for long. He was very generous in allowing me to peruse the positions as they came in, and he said I could have my pick if something looked interesting.

One job that caught my eye was as an expediter at a large distributing company. Actually, what caught my eye was not the job itself, but the pay was decent and the hours were 10 am-7pm. So, yeah. I faxed them my resume, and arranged an appointment for an interview. When I showed up for the interview, they sat me down at a desk and put me to work.

Twenty eight years and ten positions, including management, later, and here I still am.

For another two weeks anyway!

PS - The man that "hired" me left soon after and joined a commune in Washington state. Seriously!

Hey there

2006-04-19T18:14:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog.

Blog Rule #1 - Start at the bottom and work your way up. You know, like reading the last page of a book first. Like reading your oldest email first. Like eating dessert before the meal.

Today, I learned that my job of over twenty years has been eliminated. As of May 1, I will be a free agent. Woohoo! I'm not disappointed....this wasn't really my dream job after all. Why did I stay here over twenty years? I have no idea.

Probably something to do with comfort zones, security and great benefits. The people were nice, but the job hasn't been rewarding or even challenging for a long time now.

So, what next? I've never had to look for a job or had a job interview. I wasn't looking for this one; didn't interview for it either and that's part of the story.

This blog is for my Mom (Hi Mom!) but mainly it's for me, because frankly, I'm a little nervous about what's "out there." Writing always seems to help me deal with things, so maybe this will be helpful.

Or not.

We'll see.