I'm going to try to finish up my Dayton concert recap so I can move on to other things.

When we finally made it to the venue, we all got out of the van and took pictures in front of it. It took a couple of shots for us to all look normal (me especially. I have a habit of oversmiling to the point of lunacy), but it was worth it because now we all have a keepsake to last a lifetime.

When we got up to the box office, it was time for Leah to go for it. Kat had two extra tickets that she wanted to make some of her money back on, and we decided that Leah would be the best at this. She walked around hollering to people, and approaching people in line. One guy looked like he was going to go for it, but some bitch he was with yelled at him and they slinked away.

It was at this point that we realized that Jacob (Clay's smarmy backup singer) was lurking around the box office in a "disguise". By disguise, I mean a hoodie. He's been on the tour long enough to know that anyone with their hood up is 1000 times more likely to be Clay and fans know this kind of shit. So it soon became our goal to play a little prank on Jacob.

I'm not sure if this story is going to be used anywhere else, so I'll keep it vague for now. Three words. Jacob got punked.

After our faces faded, we made our way into the venue. Refreshments were bought. Overly zesty hot dogs were thrown away out of fear of food poisoning. Squealing occurred when we finally saw our row of seats. We were right at a bend in the seating, so not only were we all sitting together, but we could see everyone else. The giddiness had begun to overtake me. I was seeing Clay with an entire row of my friends. Friends who loved Clay Aiken as much as I did. So what do I do when I get giddy? I sing "Wilkommen" really fast. And jump up and down.

We got through Cherie by singing and clapping along like idiots. Erin and I psyched ourselves up. This was going to be an emotionally draining experience and we were loving every minute of it.

Then the lights went down again. The spaceship stairs began to flash. And I lost my mind. And he was there. Singing "Where the Streets Have No Name". He even did the driving move that some of us like to think he does because he thinks it's a song about being lost.

During "Perfect Day" we all shot our fists in the air during the drum parts, imitating Clay as only Clay fans can do.

He called Jacob a soprano. He brought an adorable 12 year old on stage to sing with him. It made a few of us cry. He screeched "Rosanna" just like we like it. We felt the connection when he sang "Still the One". During "I Survived You" Erin and I just held onto each other and moaned. The same for "Solitaire". I never thought a little "k" sound could do such things to me.

During the James Taylor medley, we were all feeling very misty. It turned to waterworks when "You've Got a Friend" began. There we were, all together, all singing, all holding hands. Except for Melissa who said that holding Leah's hand would put her over the edge. But, befitting the situation, this tender moment was interrupted by the most random and hilarious thing ever. There on the jumbotron was a shot of the four singers. Just as Jacob's part came in (You've got a friend), there appears this square, with Jacob's head in it. It makes it's way across the bottom of the screen in the time it takes Jacob to sing his part. Then, makes it's way back for the next "you've got a friend". Our whole row erupted in gufuckingfaws. We all pointed and wiped the tears from our eyes. It was as if it was meant for us. And it really seems like it was, since, not a word was mentioned regarding it in the many Dayton recaps we read.

After the show was over, Leah and I were anxious to get to the buses, but did not want to be rude and rush ahead. Everyone gave us leave to do so, though. We located the throng of people and stood around, later joined by Wendy, Robin and Erin. Melissa, Kat and Brandi were farther behind us.

Security was really hoping we would just keep moving along, but seasoned Clay fans know better. Soon our patience was rewarded. Out came Clay, in a red shirt. He looked luminous. He also was ignoring us. He just walked in front of us and away. I felt sick.

But then, it became clear what he was doing. He was going all the way to the end of the line to start touching hands and talking to people. The crowd surged toward the front. Leah yelled at me to get up there and I listened. My arm slipped in just over the heads in front of me. The irritated "hey don't shove"s fell on my deaf ears.

I don't know what I said or did before Clay touched my hand. I do know that, at the instant I gripped his thumb, I yelled, "THANK YOU FOR SINGING STILL THE ONE!" I'm sure he didn't hear me, but I meant it. Disillusioned or no, I feel that song was a gift to us. I'm not sure how well he would have responded to a wide-eyed woman who gripped his thumb so tightly that he had to yank it out anyway.

After the encounter, I rushed around to find everyone. I found Leah first, and it hit me. Like a ton of bricks. After several months of shit, and nothing going my way, I'd finally done it. I'd touched Clay Aiken. It seems stupid to even right that, but that's what I was feeling. Finally, something had gone right. Not just something, a something I'd been waiting for over a year to do. I began to cry as I told Leah that I touched him. She kind of laughed and said, "awwwwww". I found Wendy and Robin and Erin. I was still sobbing. Wendy got it on film.

When I look at it now, I really can't believe it's me. I go to great lengths to be stoic in my everyday life, so to actually see yourself cry tears of joy is very odd. And a little embarrassing.

Elated from touching the Aiken, we headed back toward the van. Kat, Melissa and Brandi weren't there. This had me worried, because I didn't want them to be mad at me for surging ahead and leaving them behind.

After about 10 minutes, I saw them. I couldn't resist. I ran full bore toward Kat and yelled, "I touched Clay Aiken!" and threw my arms around her. We spun for a second and she yelled that she had too! I told her that he had to jerk his thumb from my corpse grip and she told me that she had actually shook his hand like a real human being.

The drive home was a riot because any time there would be silence, someone (usually me, because I can't stand silence) would bring up yet another hilarious or fantastic thing that we had seen. Lisa was called and brought up to speed on the events.

Back at Kat's we all got comfy quickly. And then the neverending refreshing of the Clackhouse began. Kat and I were the last ones to give up on Clack. Everyone had gone to bed, but I could have stayed up all night.

In the morning, the mood was bittersweet. Everyone would be leaving today. We all ate breakfast and watched the Weather Channel and a show about Kimodo Dragons.

Leah and I followed Kat and Melissa to the airport so Kat could drop off the big van. I didn't get to say good bye to M, because we thought she'd be coming back out, but alas, she didn't. We drove back to Kat's and then went out to TGI Fridays for one last meal together. It felt so natural, sitting around at a restaurant with everyone, like we could see each other any time we wanted.

Back at Kat's, we said goodbye to Robin, Erin and Wendy, and stayed at the house while Kat dropped them off. We cleaned up a little, hoping to do anything to pay back Kat's generosity for housing us the whole weekend.

When she got back, we chatted a little bit and then made our exit as well. Kat looked so sad, standing on her front lawn waving good-bye to us. It made me choke up a little, actually.

The drive home was good, because we finally realized that we could take the expressway for longer than we thought. We seriously shaved an hour off the trip.

When we got home, I called Kat to let her know that we were ok. And I talked to Robin. We were all miserable. Clearly we belonged together, in the same city. Hell, the same house.

Thank you again to everyone on the trip for the best weekend of my life. I hope to make it happen again VERY soon.