Clayboard's Mamarose Hits her big 1-0-0-0-0!

Here is her 10,000th post:

I have done some thinking the last few days as I realized I was approaching 10,000 posts. When we passed 10,000 Clayboard members not too long ago, I reflected on how huge that number seemed, how hard it was to wrap one’s mind around. Thinking of that number in relationship to MY POSTS was no less amazing to me…actually quite a bit more amazing. How did I get to this point? (please don't answer I talk to much...LOL).

Of course, as always happens, this personal milestone made me stop and take stock, look at my files and think about where I have been, where we have all been with Clay. And always when I do that I am drawn to one song that speaks my heart more than any other. How the words of that song seem to tie together so many memories for me, memories of Clay and memories of my time on The Clayboard. If you have a moment, I hope you will enjoy sharing with me just a few of the memories I found.

“I could not ask for more than this time together…”

From Sept. 2003 (having been printed out and attached to my kitchen bulletin board.):

Mom’s ClayDo List (Important Clay Dates)

A must read for informed Claymates or those who live with or care for them!

Saturday, Sept 20th - Miss America appearance
8:00 pm EDT on ABC. Clay should be on in the first hour.

Sunday, Sept 21st You should have pre-ordered your CD by now to be sure of getting one (order either online or at a local store)

Wednesday, Sept 24th - Fox AI2 Tour TV special
time ???

Thursday, Oct 9th - ABC PrimeTime Live special
time ???

Monday, Oct 13th - Tonight Show with Jay Leno NBC

Monday, Oct 13th - Nationwide CD Release Parties

Tuesday, Oct 14th - CD is finally released

Wednesday, Oct 15th - Good Morning America

Friday, Oct 17th - CBS This Morning

Friday, Oct 17th - The View

Mid-October - People magazine

Other Upcoming Events

Any Day Now: Elle Magazine

"I could not ask for more than this time with you…"

From Fred Bronson (June 2003):

"The top two “American Idol” contestants capture the top two spots on Billboard’s Hot 100, as Clay Aiken’s “This Is The Night” (RCA) debuts at No. 1 and Ruben Stoddard’s “Flying Without Wings (J records) opens at No. 2. It’s the first time in the 45-year history of the Hot 100 that the top two positions are new entries.
Aiken’s “This Is The Night” is the first song to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 since 1998, and the first since chart rules were changed to allow airplay-only tracks to appear on the chart alongside commercially released singles…
Aiken‘s single sold nearly 393,000 copies and Studdard's single moved nearly 286,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan. “This Is The Night” boasts the biggest one-week sales figures since Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997.”

“Every prayer has been answered, Every dream I have's come true”

From my Worcester, MA, Review, March 2004:

“Then it was cell-cert time. And then, as if it was ordained, as if it was planned and meant to be (which I firmly believe it was),. Clay made a BEELINE to the cell-phone of the FOUNDER of his largest and in my opinion most important, wonderful and outstanding site and board, CA.com and The Clayboard, our own ClayNation. He reached for CN’s phone and said hello to the board member on the other end of the line. He asked who was holding the phone for her and she replied (smart answer) ClayNation. Clay replied (paraphrasing) “It can’t be the ClayNation, who is it?” (meaning the whole ClayNation). Well I think that some 70 percent of that crowd that night in the Worcester Centrum Centre were members of our beloved board! Because from my vantage point at that moment it seemed a roar went up from the crowd!!!! They all seemed to know who was holding that phone. They knew it WAS CLAYNATION…now we needed to get it through to Clay. I believe he asked again, “who is holding the phone for you.” At this point, my mind had not yet reached complete meltdown stage, and my one thought was that Mamarose must make Clay see that he was indeed talking to our one and only ClayNation! I made eye contact with Clay and pointing madly at CN…I said “Clay…IT IS CLAYNATION!!!! Well, this all happened in seconds, but of course it seemed longer and I think perhaps we could have gone on for some time with this, sort of like an Abbot and Costello “Who’s on First” skit, but seeing that “resistance is futile (LOL)” our board member on the cell phone told Clay CN’s name and I also said it…and Clay continued to talk for a bit and then handed CN back her cell-phone. But not before our CN very casually placed her program, my program and my wonderful purple Sharpie at the big but beautiful feet of our young man. He bent, signed the programs, took my Sharpie (that’s okay Clay…I can share) and signed a couple more programs. It was not until later that I realized he had returned the Sharpie to CN. When she handed me the Sharpie at the show’s end I hugged her pretty tight!!!!”

“And right here in this moment, Is right where I’m meant to be,
Here with you, Here with me. . .”

From the Yellow Shorts story, Albany, August 2003:

“With my hand on the bathroom door I stop dead...at the same time the young man is walking towards me up the hall my mind again takes in the security guard, and a sign that says "Authorized Personnel Only" and then again the young man...and it suddenly hits my consciousness with a bolt of lightning that the man walking up the hall is CLAY! Oh My God, it is Clay! I would know that walk anywhere and the closer he comes...the more I know. This is all happening in seconds...and silly me...I start to go into the bathroom and then I stop with the door half open, handle still in my hands and I think...what in the name of God are you doing? Stay still, enjoy this sight, do not move. So I take it in not moving. I just stare, frozen. Clay does not really see me...he does not look down the hall at me. He stops at a door and is intent on either knocking on it or opening it...so I just stand and watch. The security guard keeps reading and has not looked up either. Clay, oh Clay, is wearing a white, plain t-shirt and tiny, cute little boxer type yellow shorts...it is hot...HE IS HOT. He has no shoes on I think...but Lord I am not looking at his feet. I pause for a moment...and then the responsible mom in me kicks in. I am supposed to be here to use the handicapped restroom in an unauthorized area. They were nice to let me do so. Don't invade Clay's privacy before show time in his somewhat state of undress. So as Clay gets in his door, almost...I go into mine...I am shaking my head and smiling ear to ear. What a wonderful world...what a moment I will never forget. Not a meet and greet, but somehow feels so intimate and special to me. I will cherish it.

And I still do. But I like to add that I am very glad now, in light of the feelings Clay has expressed about sometimes missing his lack of privacy, that I entered that rest room and let our Clay be Clay!”

“These are the moments, I thank God that I'm alive,
These are the moments, I'll remember all my life,”

Moments….The Clayboard is all about moments…little moments that somehow make you smile so joyfully from their simplicity that you never forget them.

Posted by luv4clay2007 on my Good Morning thread on July 8, 2004:

“I just made coffee for the first time in my life!!! sorry im just a little excited!”

My reply:

Luv4clay2007,
For some reason this comment brought tears to my eyes...not sure why. Somehow I am always going to remember that on the first day of Clay's SOLO TOUR, luv4clay2007 made coffee for the first time!!! LOL. It is just too cute!!! Too Clay...too The Clayboard. Congratulations sweetie!!!!!


“I've got all I've waited for,
And I could not ask for more.”

Written to Clay in a note that accompanied his tin of cookies, Christmas 2003:

"...But I also have to thank you for another reason. You have brought together such a wonderful group of people at The Clayboard at Claytonaiken.com. We are there because of you...so we have you to thank for the wonderful friendships that we have forged. As I said, we have become a family. We have our ups and downs, we get silly, we even argue from time to time, but we are first and foremost there to support you and stand by you in any way we can...be it BAF fund drives, radio countdown and TRL voting, CD release parties, attending concerts, requesting, watching TV appearances...you name it. And in doing all of that it seems we have found that we are there to support each other as well. You are never far from a hug when needed at The Clayboard. It is a pretty special group of people and I am proud to be one of them..."


“I could not ask for more than this time together,
I could not ask for more than this time with you”

Original post date…not sure:

“I think the excitement and the love of Clay and The Clayboard at CA.com is all STILL here. I think it is a bit like a marriage (at least for me). Sure in the beginning, those courting days, everything was REALLY EXCITNG AND NEW. But as we have adjusted and come to know each other, faced some foes and battled hard, conquered some mountains together for and with Clay, had some thrilling highs and some really painful lows, our love for him and our love for this board and our board family has deepened, changed, developed and grown.
I have always said that The Clayboard and our board family and our amazing roller coaster ride with Clay is an incredible WORK IN PROGRESS. It is just like a marriage...complete with all the highs and lows, ups and downs, discoveries, disappointments, thrills, chills, spills, crying jags, laughing sessions, joys, tears, hilarity, anger, times for making up, times for making out, changes and growth. As we change...I feel we always move forward. But as with any successful marriage...and I feel with our very successful board...one thing remains...and that is the LOVE. Perhaps we have come to a deeper, more abiding, calmer, loving place...but those of us in it for the long haul are still here...loving The Clayboard...loving Clay...as we have always been...and I daresay we always will be.
So I guess perhaps there are times when the fever pitch of our early glory days is just a little bit missing, but if it is ...it has been replaced by something deeper. The strong, educated, experienced passion of knowing that we are here for each other AND for Clay and we always will be.”

“Every prayer has been answered,
Every dream I have's come true,”

Posted to Clay following his “Solitaire” performacne on AI3 (March 2004):

“I know you know that the world knows now, once and for all and forever, just who the ONLY AMERICAN IDOL is. Tonight you (with us by your side) firmly closed the door on any doubt of that, as "the three stooges," as someone called them, cowered, unable to utter a word for fear their lips and tongues would betray the fact that they had just been served and dined on a heaping helping of fresh, juicy crow!!!!!!
I am happy to report to you that I am breathing now...and truth be known...I was actually able to breathe throughout the performance...because I have come to have such infinite trust and faith in your ability to always "bring it" when needed. I depend on you, my dear, and you never disappoint your Mamarose.
I go to bed very happy, having once and for all shed that last vestige of faded regret over the outcome of AI2. You have taken us so far beyond that event that it is now totally unimportant. We have YOU and our future is the brightest it has ever been.
Good night, and Clay, as always, I love you!"

“And right here in this moment, Is right where I'm meant to be,
Here with you, Here with me. . .”

From Billboard Magazine (Oct. 25, 2003):

“Clay Aiken’s “Measure of a Man” is the best pop album of 2003. Every song , every note is brimming with ambition and glory…. “Measure of a Man” is an utter triumph of art and commerce” - CT.

October 2003:

“Measure of a Man,” Clay Aiken’s much anticipated debut album, is already double platinum and had an extraordinary first week at retail, with sales of 613,000 copies and a smashing debut at No. 1 on The Billboard 100. Aiken has the third highest first week sales figure of 2003, and the second highest first week total of any debuting solo artist in the Soundscan era.”

Posted by WOWpoc (Oct. 23, 2003):

“Mamarose, you wrote something to us on Oct. 8 (2003). I‘m sure you may not remember your exact words, but I was so impressed I printed out your message and kept it with the Time magazine article. As I was listening to Clive Davis make his presentation yesterday stating that what Clay had done was not normal in the music industry and that he never had presented double platinum for a one week in his life, I thought back to your message.
And I quote:
“On Tuesday, October 14, we need to show Clive Davis and the folks at RCA, especially those who are snidely snickering behind backs, the true power and wishes of the so-called “Mom and Pop Walmart shoppers.” On that date, we are going to create an explosion for Clay the likes of which the music industry has never seen. We will not just cause naysayers to sit up and take notice, we will blast them off their complacent, holier than thou fannies. …We will move mountains, even mountains as supposedly entrenched and well-established as RCA. So let it be written, so let it be done.”
Mission accomplished Mamarose. We are waiting for our next assignment.”

“I could not ask for more than the love you gave me,
'Coz it's all I've waited for . . .”

My Clayboard 1 year anniversary (May 2004):

“I could write a million words about Clay and still not put my fingers on just....well...you know the rest. But this is not my Clay anniversary, this is my Clayboard anniversary. So I tried to think of just how to put into words how I feel about this place we all call our Clayboard home. I have heard the phrase "I came for the man, I stay for the people." How very true that is. For the people is what The Clayboard is all about.

I love the interweaving of the people that takes place on this board....such a huge and diverse group, yet held together, crossing paths, mingling, sharing, caring and yet still going our separate ways, seeking out the places where we most feel we belong...yet all of us somehow always bound together in this special place.

Some of us choose to mostly dwell in the city, spending our time walking Clay Street, while others of us gravitate to the more laid back camaraderie of the suburbs, Calling all Clay Fans. Some of us choose the even quieter and more spiritual paths in the Prayers and Encouragement Forum, while others seek the deep philosophical discussions raging in the Clay Street Cafe. Some of us call Inspir-Aiken home base, while others like the cozy closeness of the BAF Forum. And our guys can now be found talking guy talk in their own new ClayDawgs Forum.

But whether you raise a cup of coffee on the street in the early morning hours or hoist a more potent libation over in CAC late at night, you know you are never alone. I love the knowledge that though I may not "see" good friends here on The Clayboard for some time, I know they are still here...and I can usually find them when I need them. We are always HERE, not all in the same place, not necessarily walking the same paths...but together nonetheless. And I love the knowledge that any time we meet...we will speak the same language, share the same past, remember the same special moments, understand the same 1,000 inside jokes and references and know that we know what we know! Be we Sistahs or BAFers or Number Buddies or Dawgs or whatever...we are all the same because we are all valued members of one and only Clayboard!!!!!

I am very proud to be a member of The Clayboard. I have often called it a work in progress...it is a GLORIOUS work in progress. It is a special and wonderful gift to us. I thank God for that special day that I searched the name Clay Aiken and found my way here. It all comes down to these words for me:

Now I know how the river feels,
When it reaches the sea,
It finally finds the place,
It was always meant to be,
Holding fast, home at last,
Knowing the journey's through,
Lying here with you,
I know how the river feels…

And I could not ask for more,
I could not ask for more.

"Holding fast, home at last”

And ending with my siggy:


~ Keeper of Clay's yellow shorts!
~ Member of the Society of the Positive Bumpers!
~"I can't put my fingers on just what it is that makes me love you..."
~"Think I lost you in another life....a part of me that I left behind."
~"Have a wonderful day in the Clay neighborhood!"