Keira-anne.com

They say “write what you know.” All I know is that for the past week, I’ve been dealing with a severe case of writer’s block. Being that that’s what I know, that’s what I’ll write about.

Photo: splorp on Flickr

My perfectly Frenched fingertips have been rhythmically tapping the keyboard of my MBP these days. Whether this has been spurred on by a lack of creativity or a lack of inspiration (or both), I can’t quite say. My camera’s been collecting dust, even though I’ve done lots as of late that could have easily been photographed.

Amy and I explored a Christmas craft fair on Thursday, my best friend adopted a kitten who has a penchant for kissing my eyelashes, and I managed to whip up an entirely wicked meal of rack of lamb over the weekend. Did I write blog posts about any of those events? Nope, sure didn’t. Did I take photos of any of those happenings? Nope, sure didn’t.

It’s always good to shake things up, make them new again and keep it fresh. Clearly I’ve been grasping at straws - I even went so far as to post a clip from Sesame Street! I’ve been toying with the idea of resuscitating my Wanton Wednesdays column (which faded into obscurity back in January). But I have also realized that you, my readers, must come here for one reason or another.

So tell me: what are the types of entries you most enjoy reading at www.Keira-anne.com? Or, in the alternative, what kind of blog posts would you like to see that haven’t been covered yet?

If I had a dollar for every time over the last six months that Becky asked me “can we go snowboarding now?” then, well, I’d have about five dollars. My point is that she is just as excited as I am for the upcoming snowboard season. Mt. Washington Alpine Resort on Vancouver Island is set to kick off the 2008/2009 ride on December 5, 2008 - just a sprinkle of days after yours truly’s birthday.

Becky and I will, without a doubt, be on the slopes for opening day, boards waxed and ready to go. Keep your eyes locked on my blog over the next 7 weeks as I’ll be posting updates on the snowfall and getting you excited with snowcam shots!

And a little link love to kick off the first really rainy weekend of Fall…

P.S. A girlfriend of mine is trying to get her mitts on a vintage stove from the 40s or 50s, so if you know of one for sale, leave a comment or pop me an e-mail.

Piping hot Red Rose tea is in a warm mug beside me, the delicate scent of Nag Champa wafts my way from a few feet to the left, a cuddlebug (also known to some as a dog) is contentedly sitting in my lap while another drifts in and out of sleep beside me and tomorrow is the beginning of an equally relaxing weekend.

Curl up with me and with this post. I need to tell you something.

Taking a break from my blog over the past several days has been much easier than I anticipated. While I missed composing and was never stumped for material, the time away has given me much refreshment and allowed me to make some choices about www.Keira-anne.com.

I like to blog, but I am not a blogger. While there are many who consider themselves to be bloggers and immerse themselves fully in the so-called blogosphere - which I am in no way criticizing - there is reason I personally never have. I started a blog so that I could write, share my thoughts, post snapshots of my everyday life and stay connected with family and the large number of friends I had living in places other than Vancouver. I have never been interested in the networking side of it all.

I feel as though I’ve lost sight of why I began to blog in the first place. While the actual writing was always very much the fundamental aspect to my blogging, the slippery slopes headed straight into tightrope territory. Soon, stats, fellow bloggers and blogrolls became of seemingly equal import to the content.

That being said, here’s my bottom line: I’m a 27-year-old woman living in British Columbia’s biggest city. Sometimes I’m a bit of a narcissist. Sometimes I’m not. I love my family and I love my friends. I love dogs almost just as much. I like drinking tea (with a load of milk and a pinch of sugar) and watching movies and pretending I’m a runner. I am downright passionate about the shampoo I use and equally passionate about the causes I throw my support behind. Sometimes I achieve monumental heights in the little things in life and sometimes I totally screw up and hurt people. I’m human and this is my blog.

It’s time to go back to where it all started.

“So, Keira-Anne, what does this all mean?”

Good question - I’m glad you asked! Sometimes the best thing anyone can do in any regard is to simply simplify. Pare it down, weed out the superfluous, get rid of what’s lacklustre and open the windows to let a bit of fresh air in.

The biggest change I am intent on making is pulling in the reigns a little bit. How that will look, I can’t quite say because I don’t know how to describe the change. I want to write real posts about myself without getting too deep into the abyss of it all. Sometimes a bit of privacy is key. This blog will also no longer be a social platform for myself. Instead, consider it a constantly updated resume on life. And no, you cannot have access to my references nor apply for a position.

Photo: CMPR

Secondly, the blogroll has been whittled down. Believe me, doing so was no easy task. Save for the odd enjoyable random read, including only family and close friends is what I needed to do. Long gone are the days of reciprocal link love as a courtesy. It’s nothing personal; instead just something I think is right for me and my blog.

What won’t change is that my blog will still be the place to come to read about all the stuff you deny enjoying reading about. Sure, there’ll be a juicy post here and there, some posts solely dedicated to my unbridled and continuous lust for Javier Bardem and even more posts about one girl’s quest for fabulous hair.

After all, what’s the point in having your cake if you can’t eat it (and get a little icing smeared on your candy-flavoured lips) too?

I started blogging in September, 2005 in an effort to not only express myself through writing, but also as a means of which to keep in touch with family and friends. It was the perfect way by which to keep people in the loop, so to speak, of the ins and outs of my life.

Since that time, my writing style, topics and passions in terms of blogging have evolved and become my own. In addition, one of the most wonderful outcomes has been the people I’ve met through this online medium. I have met some spectacular people and met some people whom I thought were spectacular. Hand in hand with meeting new people comes deciphering what is genuine and what is not - not only online but also in person.

While much of what I’ve experienced and welcomed through my blog have been huge blessings, the “blog world” has also reared its ugly head more than enough times. And while some of my best friends have come by way of the blog, I’ve learned that very few people are ultimately to be trusted. And so, I find myself feeling hurt, feeling betrayed and feeling cynical by something I once loved to do so dearly. Instead of deciding to stop blogging altogether or making my writing private except to a select few, Keira-anne.com is going on hiatus to allow me the time I need to make the right decision for me.

I kinda hate blogging right now, so I am putting little-to-no effort into it. Okay, maybe I don’t hate blogging, but I certainly have no drive to do so.

Photo: Team Love Records

I do love Jenny Lewis and I’ve loved Jenny Lewis since we both wore acid wash jeans, neon hair scrunchies and LA Gear sneakers (Beverly Hills, what a thrill). Except now we’ve both grown up, grabbed some style and gotten hot. Jenny’s smokin’ and to say that I have a girl crush is a gross understatement. Just the kind of crush where I want to have an awkward, panty-clad pillow fight with her.

She’s a bonafide babe. Know what I’m saying?

I am excited.

September 23 will be an expensive day at HMV for me. Not only are Sex and the City: The Movie and the second volume of the SATC soundtrack (which is good for Ciara’s “Click Flash” if nothing else) being released, but so is Jenny’s sophomore solo effort “Acid Tongue.”

Hooray!

Jenny Lewis Official Website
Rilo Kiley Official Website

I bought “Arular” last week and have been busy driving around and listening to it. Sure, the record’s three years old but it’s new to me and it is the summer album for this girl, this year. And yes, I’ve been M.I.A. over the last few days, but for very good reasons.

Photo: Snap Photography

I’ve been a busy little bee over the weekend and there is so much to fill you all in on, but alas, you’ll have to wait a little bit longer. I just showered, Bumbled, spritzed and now I’m heading out to Granville Island for a bit ‘o breakfast. More fun and more photos to come.

When I was very young, I liked to write letters. I also liked to write short stories, notes, cards and especially took joy in jotting down my thoughts and feelings in my diary. I still remember what it looked like too: it had a cheap brass lock with a photo of Johnny Depp on the cover, clad in ripped jeans with the ‘21 Jumpstreet’ logo splashed on the brick wall behind him.

As I got older, and finally hit my teenage years, everyone started getting online with the World Wide Web. Everyone I knew was staking their claim at Hotmail with a clever e-mail address, and a few more found their online chat identity at ICQ (if you have to ask what that is, you’re too young to remember). At the time, blogs and online journaling seemed like a hugely “out there” idea, and only a select few moved from the concept of pen and paper to fingers and keyboard.

Photo: stevegarfield on Flickr

In fact, it wasn’t until many years later and I was in my early 20s that I, too, started to blog. This was in addition to the many so-called wonderful ways in which the internet allowed us to stay connected with those we know and reach out to new friends. Geocities, Friendster, Yahoo! Chat, MySpace, Classmates, Blogger, MSN Messenger, Facebook, WAYN - need I go on?

For most of our lives we got on just fine with paper stationary and telephones, so why now are we so heavily dependent on the internet?

With quite literally each passing day, I am starting to see the internet as more of a curse than a blessing. The very thing that makes getting in touch online so simple is also the same thing that exacerbates one of the biggest problems in human relations.

This topic has been cycling through my social circle a great deal as of late.

The online realm, in all its brilliance and downfalls, allows each person who logs on to appear, say, see and be all the things they choose to represent. Our names, e-mail addresses, location, appearance, ethnicity, sex and opinions can all be 100% fabricated. For every person who chooses to use this medium to contact with and express themselves to others in a manner that is entirely genuine, there is someone who exploits the anonymity of the internet to, essentially, act shitty and take zero responsibility for it.

Cyberspace requires absolutely no accountability.

So how can you weed out the gold from the ghastly? In truth, you can’t. Sometimes you just have to take the good with the bad; the pretty with the ugly. I suppose it’s true of all things in life and in relationships with others. As a friend recently wrote, maybe the best thing to do is surround your real life with those who are simply “kind hearted and supportive.” They’re the people who keep you grounded in a twisted world…whichever world that may be.

As I sit here awkwardly and gently typing, I am happy to say that my hand is much more neatly bandaged this evening. While I would’ve preferred to avoid a visit to the walk-in clinic, and the potential of stitches altogether, upon arriving at the office this morning, my boss insisted I have the gash taken care of right away. He even gave me money for breakfast and coffee.

I skipped a block down Burrard Street to the Stein Medical Clinic in Bentall 5 and was absolutely impressed. The wait was short and the staff was entirely professional and proficient. My doctor, a sweet woman with what I think to be a South African accent, was on the ball and definitely knew what she was doing. Due to the location and type of gash, actual stitches would’ve been next to impossible. So instead, I was given a thorough wound cleaning, butterfly stitch bandages, a topical antibacterial cream, a protective gauze bandage, extra dressings to last me a week (the duration for which my hand must remain bandaged) and a tetanus shot on my way out the door.

That being said, next time you require medical attention, I most definitely recommend this clinic. I may even dare to say that the experience was better and more thorough than a visit to my regular GP.

That took care of problem number one. Problem number two involved having the door and handle to the apartment fixed. Thankfully, I heard from Jack as soon as he regained consciousness, and it was the first time during either ordeal that I actually started to cry. He was totally awesome, told me not to worry and that he’d take care of everything. Aside from having his mom and best friend call to keep an eye on me and make sure I had whatever I needed, he made a couple phone calls to ensure that everything would be fixed by the time I got home from work. And wouldn’t you know it, but Dave was just finishing sanding down the top of the door as I entered the building.

I’m blown away at how awesome everyone’s been. I can handle my own in a crisis situation, but I’d really prefer not to. Knowing how bummed out the events of the last 24 hours left me, it was Becky to the rescue!

I adore flowers, and ironically enough, she brought me narcissists. Really, that’s what they’re called. We both had a chuckle over that one.

I added them to my slowly-dying bouquet of pink tulips.

Being that we were hungry girls, we ordered Indian food and I really did pick it up this time. She had the butter chicken, and I finally got to savour my lamb roganjosh.

And of course, what impromptu girls’ evening would be complete without perfect puppy pics?

Someone had his eyes on Becky’s samosas.

If Casey isn’t playing with his football, he’s waiting for it to be thrown for him.

And so now, with my tummy full of Indian food, perhaps I can finally make the pajama-clad crawl into bed with the puppies and Deadwood.

Goodnight, and good luck.

First off, I want to very pointedly say: “Wow!”

I truly have the most amazing, supportive and loving readers that any writer could ask for. I was somewhat cautious in writing my last post, fearing that I could have missed the mark I was aiming for and left much open to interpretation. Despite that, your feedback and encouragement has been overwhelming, so to all of you, I give my thanks.

And now on to my next adventure…

Just moments ago, I stood at a gate with two of my favourite furry friends and said goodbye (or howled, in their case). For the next 2 months - give or take a week - Benji and Casey are in my charge. The fun is multiplied because Amy’s dropping off her beloved Peanut with me for the weekend as she spends an ahhhhhh-mazing weekend at the Kingfisher Spa in Courtenay with her mom.

Original Photo: ameliaburrows on Flickr

I’ll do my best in our adventures this weekend to get a video of Peanut and Benji playing together because not only is Peanut the only dog Benji actually likes (aside from Casey, Pete and Bella), he gets so excited when playing with Peanut that his tail goes around in circles much like a helicopter propeller. It’s adorable to see.

Aside from that, all’s quiet on Keira-Anne’s front, so I haven’t really got much else to say this afternoon. However, I am more than sure that there will be many photo posts full of dogs in the coming days and weeks, so stay tuned.

And before I forget, are you free on Friday night? Come and see the lovely and luscious Phaedra spin her decks at the Lotus Sound Lounge (455 Abbott Street) in Vancouver.

It was a sunny afternoon, this past Saturday, as Amy and I pulled open the door at Book Warehouse. My only mission was to find one particular book. Being that she’d already read it, Amy was quick to point out the humour she found in the title of a particular section in the first chapter:

“Here, look…‘Our Inherited Dysfunction.’ I showed that to my mom and she laughed.”

I suppose it’s something we can all laugh at, being that each and every single one of us not only comes from a dysfunctional family or background, but also because we all possess sociological malfunctions in ways that are unique to the individual. My personal dysfunction, something I touched down on last year in a number of posts, wasn’t something I become aware of until only recently, despite the fact it had been simmering on the back burner for close to a decade.

Much of what troubles me manifests itself in such a way that my security can easily crumble. Questioning my self-worth while allowing my mind to be invaded by doubt comes faster than I often have the chance to put my guard up. And once again, as it has a tendency to do, my dysfunction reared its dreadful head on Sunday afternoon. As of late, yours truly and her blog have been the target of online mud-slinging 5 different times in as many months. Some have chosen to e-mail me their disdain directly, while others have chosen subversive attempts on blogs that aren’t quite as secretive as the authors may think.

And while words can initially sting, the actualities behind the language are far more comprehensive.

“Words, no matter whether they are vocalized and made into sounds or remain unspoken as thoughts, can cast an almost hypnotic spell on you. You easily lose yourself in them, become hypnotized into implicitly believing that when you have attached a word to something, you know what it is. The fact is: You don’t know what it is. You have only covered up the mystery with a label. Everything, a bird, a tree, even a simple stone, and certainly a human being, is ultimately unknowable. This is because it has unfathomable depth. All we can perceive, experience, think about, is the surface layer of reality, less than the tip of an iceberg.”
– Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth (2006 Plume Publishing)

What I find most astonishing in any of my communications (or, rather, mis-communications) with my readers and other bloggers alike is how often the tongue-in-cheek manner which peppers my writing is missed altogether. And further, it is rather perplexing to me how many of my readers that I don’t know in any regard can purport to know me enough to make solid statements about the person they believe I am based solely on the content found at a web address. However, if you believe and understand what Tolle says about words and their impact, it is uncomplicated and easy to see how it unfolds. Because the words used against me, ultimately, are as meaningless as the words I use on this blog (and even in this post), and it is rather clear that you and I are no better than each other or anyone else.

Photo: sporkist on Flickr

If, as Tolle states, we are easily lost in and hypnotized by someone’s words, we must ask ourselves why that is so. It is much the same with anything in this earthly world in which we can become entangled. When our focus is not grounded in what we know to be fact and truth that is based on tangible experience, we will undoubtedly allow ourselves to become carried away based on our emotional side. Most often, the emotional side will dictate based upon our insecurities.

Much of the aforementioned mudslingers chose to attack my physical appearance, the tongue-in-cheek posts I tend to write and what they perceive my personality to be based on, merely, words. Our emotional sides remind each of us of robbed happiness, lack of self-confidence or any number of things that any number of us experience at one time or another. And, unfortunately, it seems those things tend to spill out in a sometimes spiteful manner.

On this blog, I write about my family because they’re my everything and are the one thing that truly matters at the end of the day. I chronicle adventures with my friends because each of those friendships is a give-and-take situation that provides nutrition for the soul in one way or another. I compose entire blog posts based on a pair of jeans, a bikini or a new nail polish colour because new jeans, bikinis and painted toenails are fun (and besides, what girl doesn’t like buying pretty new things?). I share the mundane aspects of my life and add a twist because, for whatever reason, there are those that have an itch to know.

I write because I love language and connect with the joy in the expression of it.

Rest assured that I won’t be letting “the haters” get me down. Instead, I thank them sincerely for the drive they provide.