Before the concert, my mom had turned her flash OFF. but for some reason in the middle of the concert, the flash turned back on. When my mom took a picture, the flash went off. we were both VERY surprised because WE KNEW it was OFF! Next thing you know, there was an usher next to me. I thought she had tape so we could cover the flash. NOPE! My mom goes oh good, just hand me some tape. The usher handed her a ticket!!! (like at a raffle. that kind of ticket) then she took the camera AWAY!! I was like ohhhh kkkkkk??? why did she take the camera away & hand my mom tape? That's weird! Why didn't she just cover the flash? Then my mom told me they just gave her a ticket. I was thinking OMG I hope we get it back before the M&G! I tried to concentrate on the show. before I knew it, it was time for DSIFCD! I had a hard time concentrating! next thing ya know Good News was almost over. (thank GOD there is Clack cause I don't even remember most of the song!) I just remember that Angela was about 2 rows in front of me singing. After the song,I hung up from cellcerting. (OMG getting nervous even now!) the instruction papers you get, for where to go for the M&G, said to go to the left door. so I'm standing there waiting & see people gathering at the RIGHT side door. the usher came up to me & said it was stage left. so I go to the other side of the room. meanwhile.. my poor mom, LOST HER TICKET TO GET THE CAMERA BACK!! so she was going through HECK trying to get the camera back. I'm standing at the door waiting & freaking out cause I'm going to be seeing Clay at any min. It's a good thing I bought a bottle of water! Cause I drank almost all of it waiting for Clay! OK so my mom comes back crying because of all the trouble she went trough to get the camera back. I calmed her down a bit & by that time it was time to go in. OMG! AAAAAAAAAAAA So the guy (i guess a venue guy) told us to follow him. I give my mom a hug & tell her thank you again & off i went. We had to go down these LONG steep stairs! (maybe it just felt long?? LOL) We finally get to this large BRIGHTLY LIGHT room. It had a Ballet Bar, tables & chairs and a music stand for a podium. Jerome came in & gives us this speech. I listened intently to EVERYTHING he said! cause I didn't wanna get thrown out right! (that ALLLLLL went out the window when Clay walked in!) Pictures are to only be taken when you get to the podium with Clay. Nick will be taking your picture, you can only have 1 picture. you will only get 1 autograph & 1 thing to sign no matter what it is, 1. when you get your picture & your autograph, leave! don't hang around... LEAVE. There was more of what he said but I don't remember. Now comes the hard part! waiting for Clay! I'm tellin ya it felt like about 2 hours! LOL! And you know the waiting was just making me MORE nervous! (this is when I drank almost all the bottled water!) THEN... Clay walked in!! I kept going OMG! I started to cry, then stopped. I LITERALLY COULD NOT BREATHE when he walked in! he walked in with a huge smile! and he looked stunned at how bright it was in there! he blinked a LOT! I pulled up the camera & took a picture. (I TOTALLY forgot what Jerome had said! LOL!) I was about 4 people behind. then 3, then 2 then OMGm 1 person. OMG! so I thought, OH GOOD I can get a really close up picture. so I pull up the camera & it flashed before it took the picture. next thing I know... Nick's hand shows up in my picture! LOL! and Jerome shined his flashlight at me. I (being the idiot I am) say "am I not supposed to take a picture?" I REALLY HONESTLY forgot what Jerome had said! I was truly shocked that I was being glared at. LOL! DUUH! so after I say this, Jerome ( the HUGE & SCARRRRRY guy he is) comes over to me & says "I TOLD YOU NO PICTURES TILL YOU GET UP TO THE PODIUM" (he didn't yell it it said it in a very intimidating & scary voice!) I was like OMG I'm sorry! OMG! So I put the camera down & waited patiently for my turn. Then FINALLY it was my turn. I hand Nick the camera & say OMG OMG OMG! and I walk up to Clay & hand him the picture of him in the Dempsey's shirt. OMG! (I'm pretty sure i had a deer in the headlights look! LOL!) He says "Hi, What's your name?" I tell him my name. ( I STARED at him the whole time!! I can't believe I didn't leave a pool of drool!! LOL!) He looks at the picture & says "whoa this is an old picture!" I nodded & started to say something like yeah. (I might have said it but it's a little too foggy.) anyways he then said "when is this from?" I said 2003. He said "OH, The American Idol tour" I said YES! (I wanted to tell him that, it is when it was officially declared Clay Aiken Day in Raleigh. but I didn't get a chance to. AND I was kinda afraid Jerome would yell at me to hurry it up! LOL!) So then he asked "Where are you from?" I ACTUALLY had to sit there & think... where am I from? LOL! Then in a OH OH I KNOW THE ANSWER & kinda shocked, I said Oceanside. He said "OH! Over by the marine base." I said "Yes! I live about 2 blocks from it. then he said something like "OK, lets get a picture." then he (GULP) put his arm around my waist. (I can't believe I didn't pass out!!) and I put my arm around his SKINNY waist. We smiled, Nick took the picture. Nick handed me the camera & I went and got my signed Pict. Clay held his hand out for me to shake it, but I didn't see it. and he looked at his hand in total disbelief that I left it empty. I said OMG I'M SORRY! OMG! And (GULP AGAIN) took his BEAUTIFUL GORGEOUS hand. THUD!! Then I said "My mom actually got the Meet & greet, but she let me have it because I love you more!" He said "Oh well that was nice of her, what's her name??" I said Donna. He said "well tell Donna Hi for me!" I said "OK She says hi back and she loves you." he laughed a little then said "well tell her I love her too!" I said OK. Then he said " Here give her this" AND HE HANDED ME AN AUTOGRAPHED PICTURE FOR MY MOM!! IS HE THE BEST OR WHAT!!! I said "OMG!!! She's going to freak out!!! OMG" LOL! "YOU ARE SO COOL! OMG THANK YOU!!" so I walked over to the table where all my stuff is, and put my picture down on the table. My friend THAT WAS BEFORE ME was talking to me & I was telling her "how cool is he! OMG He is such a great guy for doing this for my mom!" and she was answering me back. during this time I started to put my jacket on & Jerome came over to ME AGAIN, LOOKED RIGHT AT ME!! and said "I TOLD YOU TO GET YOUR STUFF AND LEAVE!" Ok, by now I'm thinking.... OMG I am now on Jerome's list! OH MY GAWD! I REALLY & TRULY think I was being singled out! Because the person before me was STILL there when I got done. so why could she stay those few min longer during my M&G, & she didn't even get yelled at? So I told Jerome "I'm sorry!! OMG Geeze I don't know what I'm doing!" in my HELLO I JUST MET CLAY! DUHH attitude. LOL!! So I hurriedly put my jacket on, put the signed pictures in the tour book, grab all my stuff and take the HIKE up the LOOOOOONG stairs. I went to the buses to meet my mom. She said "Well???? how did it go? did you get a picture taken?? did he sign the picture you brought?" I shook my head yes & she said she wanted to see it. so I pulled out the one Clay signed for HER & she just goes "OH!! Ohhhh!!" & she just CRIED & CRIED! I said "I told him that you gave me your M&G & he signed a picture for you too!" She just cried & said he is such a neat guy! Oahhh what a great guy!" (but we ALL KNEW THAT!) So there ends my LOOOOONG M&G Story. I hope you liked it! I hope it was as detailed as people were asking for! LOL!