If you can't say anything nice...

So, I'm watching videos on YouTube, and for a laugh, I decided to check the comments on the video I was watching, Alan Doyle singing his original song "Where the Nightingales Sing" on Q. And I could not believe what I read. Take a look:

Now if any of you know me in real life, you'll know that there isn't much that upsets me. But, a sure fire way to get me riled up is to insult my friends, family, Great Big Sea, and Alan. 

If you don't like the man or his singing, why comment? It just doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever. Maybe it's just common sense or something- which most people nowadays sadly seem to lack- but why waste so much time on negativity? If you don't like him, that's all well and good. I've no issue with that. If you don't like Great Big Sea, there's nothing wrong with that either. The world would be a pretty boring place if we all liked the same things.

My issue lies with the negativity. This guy (or girl, not really sure) isn't very smart if he/she thinks that "the vast majority of people in this country neither love nor hate him or his music." Um, what? Really? When did this person start speaking for the rest of us? I have my own voice, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let some jealous wannabe, thinks they know it all, speak for me. 

Mediocre talent? Please. If he was mediocre, why would a major record label sign him? Answer me thaf. If nobody loves or hates him, how has his band sold well over a million records and had countless gold or platinum records over the years? How do they continue to sell out show after show on the majority of their tours?

Maybe I'm making something out of nothing here. Most people will say "he/they can defend themselves", but this sort of negativity to a artist/band that has brought much joy to many people...well, it angers me. Another person said she loved the song, would even use it as a first dance song at her wedding- if it was "sung by someone with a 'smoother' voice." Again, I'm dumbfounded. If you're a true fan at all, you know that the roughness in Alan's voice is just a part of what makes his voice so unique. To go bashing someone who can't defend themselves, it's uncalled for. 

I know Alan is a grown man, and can defend himself if need be. I just think the negativity among these commenters needs to stop. Where the Nightingales Sing (done here with an orchestra- http://youtu.be/SEoqX6pp6is *this is not the video under which negative comments appeared*) is a lovely song, with an even more beautiful sentiment. A man who wanted to write a waltz (cause hardly anyone does anymore), because he wanted his mom to be proud. And I'm willing to bet that no matter what, she is.

Here's what I said in reply to the negative comments:

My advice? Save your negativity for someone who actually cares and somewhere it applies; don't use it on someone who has brought much joy to many people. 

Your thoughts? 

Did I go too far? Maybe. 

But do I care? No. 

Negative people just need to keep their comments to themselves, because 99.999% of us really don't want to hear them. 

LoveIsLove- LoveEqualsLove- Equality

Whoo. I've thought about this for a long time, wondering if I could share with the world who I really am. I wondered if people would accept me for who I am. For the most part, my friends and the majority of my family accept it.

I'm bisexual. Yes, it's true. I haven't always known it, but about 7-8 years ago, I had a good friend who helped me become comfortable with the truth. I finally knew who I was. And I was scared as hell to admit it.

At first, the reaction was disbelief. My own mother thought it was some phase I was going through. My father wanted me to "be happy, but not in that way." It felt demoralizing. Why should I change who I am? I wasn't confused, like many people thought. I knew who I was, and I was happy about it.

Though I'm no longer friends with the person who helped me with my acceptance of who I am, I am thankful to her for freeing me. 

I first met Jamie through the now defunct online kitchen party on the Great Big Sea website, and we just hit it off immediately. With her, I was fearless. For the first time in my life, I felt like I truly knew what it was to be loved by someone other than my family. And I didn't care who knew we were together. We loved each other, and that was all that really mattered.

I remember an incident in college that had me upset. I remember walking home to my apartment, in tears. When I got there, Jamie was waiting for me, and it'd never felt so right. She held me till the tears subsided, and I knew I was going to be okay. When we went back to the college to pick up some things I'd forgotten, the instructor that had upset me was in the classroom, helping another fellow student. She glared at me, but Jamie glared right back. I knew then that she had my back.

I remember one night at a pub in St. John's. We were dancing and having a blast. But this one fella would not leave her alone no matter what she said or did. I don't know what came over me that night, but I leaned over and said "kiss me," and she did. There was applause. I was showing love to the person I loved, and didn't care who knew it. We held hands on the way back to the hostel, and I didn't care who saw us.

We're no longer together, but that was a mutual decision. She has a new love now, and I accept that. And someday I hope to find that special someone.

To all those who support me and love me despite being bi, thank you. It was hard to say at first, but your acceptance meant and still means the world to me.

And to all those who struggle daily with the decision to come out, I want you to know that no matter how scary it is at first, it will get easier. And you are loved, remember that. No matter what, someone will ALWAYS love you!

I wanna end on this note. Never let somebody else judge you. Love who you want, and screw everyone else. You're still the same person you always were. Who cares if you're a woman that loves another woman. So what if you're a guy that loves another guy? That's none of anyone else's business. Love who you want to love. As long as you're happy, who is the world to judge that?

Peace & love,

Hugs & Kisses,

Krista 

Time for a Rant

Ooh, it's been a long time since I ranted, but someone on twitter has me riled up. Really ready to smack her right across her smug little bitch face.

Perhaps I should explain. I decided to do my nails for Halloween, as I will be dressing up to hand out treats to the children. A friend of mine found awesome black and red nails, so I decided to give them a try. 

Now, my nails aren't as long as I'd like them to be, so obviously they're not going to turn out exactly like any pictures I may find. I know and accept that. I also know that I'm not the greatest at doing nails, but I enjoy the practice. After all, one can only get better by practicing.

After finishing the left hand, which I had liked, I posted it on twitter. No big deal, I thought. Obviously I was wrong. Some snarky little bitch was making nasty remarks towards me. I explained that my nails weren't that long, so it was the best I could do. She was still nasty. 

I felt defeated and upset. After all, I'm not a serious nail artist, just someone who likes to experiment. But I blocked her, and moved on. Tried something new, and really like how they turned out:

This *woman* (and I use the term lightly) actually responded to this photo, and said "wtf are those? Mini hulks?" What a stupid idiot!! It says on the damn hash tag- mini frankensteins. How stupid do you have to be? Can you not read? Argh. People like that annoy me. This world is full of idiots, and she's one of them.

And don't even get me started about the hockey game tonight...

My Weight Loss Journey

Since I was in my teens, I have struggled with my weight. I was active, but not overly so, and lets face it, didn't always eat all the right things. But there were never massive gains, so I never thought about it much.

That was, until I had a dream one June night. In the dream, I could see what my weight was, and I wasn't happy with it. The next morning when I got up, I did something I haven't done in a long time. I stepped on the scale.

When the number - 251.4 - came up, I was both horrified and embarrassed that I'd let my weight get that far out of control. And it was at that moment that I decided that enough was enough and that I was going to make a change for the better.

But where to start right? Well my roommate/sister had started a diet nearly three months before I did and she was seeing results. I downloaded the app- MyFitness Pal - and started using it. And before too long, I too started seeing some results.

Let me explain how it works, if I can. With this app, you input your information (height, weight, activity level, and how much weight you want to lose per week). Based on that, it tells you how many calories you can safely consume each day in order to achieve that goal. 

Working on a credit/debit system essentially, the app can also calculate how many calories you burn from doing exercise. When that's added in, it subtracts from the food you've eaten for the day, and gives you your net. And if you're around a 3,500 calorie average under your recommended calories per week, you can lose a pound (3,500 cals=1lb).

There are many more features, but it would literally take me all morning to explain it all. But suffice it to say that this app works. It doesn't even feel like I'm on a diet. I haven't given up any of the foods I love, and I'm still able to lose weight. I've gotten better at portion control, and because of that, my favourite treats aren't going anywhere.

If you're struggling with your weight, I know how you feel. You may think you can't do it; that it's too hard. Trust me, it's not. This app helps keep you in line, shows you everything in black and white, making you more accountable. For me it was a matter of portion control and actually being more physically active. That's it. No tricks or gimmicks. You don't have to go on some crazy fad diet to lose weight.

It's been over 4 months (127 days) now, and I'm feeling absolutely amazing. The more weight I lose, the better I feel. I have a long way to go to reach my goal of 150lbs, but I know that if I stick with it, I can achieve it.

And today was weigh in day. I wasn't sure how much I'd lost, if any, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a loss on that scale!

Weight lost this week: 1.2lbs

Total weight loss to date: 31.2lbs

Current weight: 220.2lbs

If you need encouragement, feel free to leave me a comment here. I feel thankful to those who have supported me in thus journey thus far- my family, my roomie/sis, and especially Mark Hiscock of Shanneyganock - who all continue to cheer me on. It really means the world to me that I have this much support. Thank you all.

Cheers,

Krista

Republic of Doyle.

Oh my friggin Lord, what an episode of Republic of Doyle tonight. So suspenseful and an ending I did not see coming! As much as I like the people who write for the show, I did not like their ending tonight! All I could think was "how can you do that to Jake? After everything he and Leslie have been through. Why throw us this curve now?"

I've been watching the show since the beginning, and I have always rooted for the pairing of Leslie and Jake. So something like what just happened... I'm not really sure what to think...

No spoilers here, but if you watch the show, I'd love to know your opinion on the latest twist in the show we all love. 

So many questions: is there a future for these two, or is this the straw that breaks the camel's back? Only time, and the next few episodes, will tell.

It's Been Awhile... Again

So admittedly, it's been a long time since I last wrote here. My computer is currently not working, so until I discovered the Blogger app, I was without means of being able to post. But now that I have this app, blog I must.

So much has happened since I last posted. Too much to describe in full detail really, so I'll just do a simple recap to catch you all up.

-2012-

July- moved into the new apartment a couple of weeks ago. Really bright and cozy here. All hands are happy. Visit Garden Cove for Garden Cove Day, and a couple special guests show up. Everyone is thrilled, including yours truly!

August- Early August brings a GBS show in Torbay, and new friends. Roomie/sis and I met up with Anna and her partner Dara before the show, and have a blast. We all travel to the show together, and seeing the joy on the faces of my new friends makes the show extra special. What makes it even more special is that former bass player, Darrell Power, returns for a couple tunes. Here's a pic of him and Alan singing together that I managed to capture (that later made it into The Newfoundland Herald). 

Late August- The final countdown to my nephew, due August 23rd. Can't wait to meet the little guy- I fell in love with him on the ultrasound! He finally arrives on August 28th, and is named Caleb David. He weighs in at 10lbs 8oz, and measures 22 inches. Just a whole lot more to love!

September brings about my first birthday in this place, and it's celebrated with family. Not too bad a day overall. A week later, Síle and I head to St. John's- Jeremy Fisher and Séan McCann are playing at The Ship, and we couldn't miss it! Everyone has a great time, Séan stops singing while me, Amelia and Síle continue. He's visibly impressed, though I'm not sure why. Meet him and Jeremy after the show. Really great guys. Oh, and did I mention that this guy was there? 

If you can't plainly tell, that's Alan, who had showed up for Séan's set. I gave him pictures from July that his parents had wanted, and then we chat and after several attempts (the above being the first), we get a good picture together. Perfect night.

October marks the release of the GBSXX box set (For those not in the know, GBS is Great Big Sea, and March 11, 2013 marked their 20th anniversary as a band). Both Síle and I grab it, and agree that it's worth it's price tag. Three CDs, a DVD, a book, a calendar and lots of other goodies. Perfect collectible for the diehard GBS fan.

November- Séan comes to Clarenville, opening for Joel Plaskett. When we sing the chorus to a new song, Séan is impressed. Talks to us from the stage. After the show, we chat with him, give him cookies, he signs our box sets, and we got pictures (if you're Facebook friends with me, you'll have seen them. I promise to post them here at some point.)! Overall, a fantastic night.

December, perhaps my favourite time of year! Finish the shopping, and there are Christmas concerts to attend. First up, The Once! If you haven't checked them out, you should! Lead singer Geraldine Hollett is as sweet as they come! 

Next up, The Irish Descendants & Navigators Celtic Christmas. In what's now become a Christmas tradition, the two bands fronted by Con (Irish Descendants) and Arthur (The Navigators) O'Brien perform classic Christmas tunes, some covers, some originals and sprinkle in some fan favourites. Show that year was delayed by a tragedy, and we take a moment of silence for the young girl killed. 

Christmas at home- food, family, and presents. Who could ask for more?

Okay, so that brings us up to 2013, which I'll do as quick as possible. Meet my nephew for the first time in March and fall in love all over again! GBS show in April, some scary family shit, Cuddles gets killed in May while a friend is visiting. Get words of encouragement from Alan & Séan (see below).

Get inked in June and get a new kitten, Charlie. 

Apartment is making us sick, landlord isn't doing much. Another GBS show in August, this time George Street. Joined the Cocksure Lads Street team- promoting Murray's 60's Brit Pop band. Meet him before the show and have a fab chat. Stayed in for the regatta- dunk tank, good food, boat races... we have a great time. Spend my birthday in September in St. John's- Leo's, shopping, and Erin's Pub. There are lots of birthday messages, including ones from Alan & Murray of GBS. Share cake with a fellow bday girl at Erin's, bartender gives me a bag of Cheesies, says its on him. Have a few drinks, and a fab night. Amelia caps it off by getting me a copy of an unreleased as of yet cd, straight from the artist. Couldn't ask for any better.

So that brings us up to now- a nearly six month old kitten, 30lbs lost (since June), and happy times ahead. To those who have been there for me, thank you. You're the best friends and family a girl could ask for! 

Krista