YY, I can't believe you caught American Idol for the first time only during the grand finals! Where've you been all these months? :)

Fear not. Claymania is flourishing as I speak. The chat room at www.claytonaiken.com is even more crowded than before, with fans sharing information, and even giving running commentaries of shows that Clay and Ruben are on -- e.g. this morning, they told me what happened on Larry King Live on CNN. And let me tell you, these "Claymates" are really nice people. Robin is a prime example -- she's a resident of Raleigh ( Clay's hometown ), and her son goes to the YMCA, where Clay used to be a counsellor. As a result, she has close ties with both Clay and his good friends, who also volunteer there. She's been so accomodating in many ways, and so have Clay's pals.

Yep, his friends definitely drop by, and I've met 3 of them already. One of them, Amanda, was on TV the other night -- she was among the 8,000-strong crowd in Raleigh, and was interviewed for a few minutes ( remember the brunette who is "Clay's best friend"? ). She's popped by the chat on and off, and like his other pals who visit, she's amazingly patient and sweet. Imagine trying to answer questions thrown at you by 50 other users all at the same time!

Clay's extremely fortunate to have such wonderful friends and relatives. They're very protective of him, and will certainly keep him grounded through this rollercoaster ride. They also help bridge the gap between devoted fans and a rising new superstar, constantly updating us on his schedule, and letting us know that he's "happy", and that he doesn't want anyone to kick up a fuss about the votes. There're rumours from reliable sources that Clay's first single won't be "This Is The Night" after all, but "Bridge Over Troubled Water" instead, and that it will be released simultaneously with Ruben's single, "Flying Without Wings". No-one's confirmed it yet -- not officially anyhow -- so let's see what happens.

So Clay fans, come to the chat sometime -- I'm logged in as "spacefan". :)