Krista

Same.

Why pay attention to such superficial things? It has no bearing on value, talent, or anything. Krista for example is a nickname I've had since the sixth grade. That simple. Born from the fact that my real name at the time was extremely popular and even in my semi-rural neck of the woods there were multiple girls that shared it. My real name's first letter was also shared with a lot of my older siblings, because for whatever reason that letter was the go-to letter for my family with names. I also don't want people knowing my business, so Krista is all I'm going to give. Anyway, story descriptions are what I pay attention to mostly. I don't care about the name, gender, age, race, whether the story is in first/third. I am not too heavy on restricting myself in theme either. Although if I see Incest, Mpreg, and a few other things, I'm out. I am more careful and pay attention to stories if the story's status is "in progress," though. Despite being guilty of not having the most consistent posting schedule, I like seeing other authors behaving as far as that is concerned. If I see consistency, I read. If I don't I simply wait until it is completed before reading.

I think it is time to resurrect this topic. Mostly because I recently settled in and was able to watch two films. Completely different in their intent, message, and depth, to be honest. As someone who likes more depth and nuances in film, I gravitated more to one over the other: Wildhood (2021), A film about Native American culture, or how fragmented and diluted it was forced to become. That theme is mostly understated and off-center from the main theme of he film. It's about two siblings, one half-native American, living on the Eastern Coast of Canada. The other white. Things happen and they run away from home to search for the older sibling's mother. I won't get too far into the plot. I think the above paragraph doesn't really do it justice, but with these films I want to stay off plot and more in what I enjoyed and what I didn't. With this film I thought the main character (Philip Forrest Lewitski) did well in the role. The depth coming more from the writing, setting, and atmosphere over the acting, to be fair. It didn't overshadow the acting and a lot of the characters seemed to fit their roles well. The younger sibling wasn't the best actor at times, but he was legitimately young and it is obvious in the experience in line delivery at times. Some tidbits of information is lost if you're not paying attention, as they're nuanced, or observational connecting of dots that the viewer has to connect, because the actors or writing never explains some things. I only watched it once, so I probably missed a few things. Overall I liked the film. Which is rare for a film or television show made in the 2020s, to be honest. -- The second film I watched, entirely different in every aspect. I actually started watching it because I wanted a Male Character, Male Character, Female Character dynamic. I wanted to see how the writer handled it, but I also knew going in that it was going to be different than what I would need as far as visual source material. I completed the film anyway, despite portions of it making me want to turn it off at times, as it just didn't ever get to any sort of impacting level of anything. It wasn't funny, but had moments. It wasn't romantic, but had moments. It wasn't sad/impactful, but it had moments. So it felt driven more by reality and a slice of existence than anything else. For a film at least for me, that makes it feel a bit lost in direction. Anyway, the film I'm talking about is: Summerland (2020). A road trip sort of film. The main character was the weakest actor of the three of them. He wasn't the most likeable, which I think was partly intentional. The other male lead I excused better, because what he did fit the overall arc better. The female actress and lead did the most work in the film, at least for me. There were moments the other male lead did really well and his acting overall was better. The film itself with a different main theme or expanded theme involving the two of them, I think at least, would have made the better film. The main theme being a gay guy intentionally logs onto a Christian leaning dating app, pretending (catfishing) as a female. He uses the picture of the female lead in the film. The female and other male lead are in a romantic relationship and have been for over a year. So, her joining them on the road trip was an obvious complication, but the whole 'catfishing,' thing just made the main theme weak to me. Mostly because it wasn't rooted in impact. It wasn't funny, it wasn't built to be this overwhelming double-life, it just existed until it no longer could. Prisma (2022) did something similar and pulled it off a lot better, at least in the first season. Like I said though, my biggest criticism of this film is that it never got to where I wanted it to go. The road trip underlying theme sort of parallels that feeling, but I don't think that was exactly intentional. At some point you should feel 'something' concrete happened about 'something,' and the only concrete thing that happened - happened to the Female/Male secondary characters - which also makes me think if their relationship, story, and consequences were more fleshed out and the gay/catfish never existed the film would've been stronger. The outcome of the lead character wasn't much in doubt. Although it did push some growth out of him at the end, but all three characters did some growing up towards the end of the film, so the impact of the lead's growth was shared and maybe it should not have been a completely shared experience. To sum up: I recommend Wildhood, and if you're curious and going in with lower expectations, Summerland is watchable. Or at least, I didn't DNF it. Summerland did not help me either, but it allowed me to procrastinate in my writing. Not a total loss I'm thinking.

There was a generation where accents were taught to be shunned. There are people who do not speak the way their grandparents do. It's sad coming from a place where the accents gives a lot of color and warmth to the place that overall has a lot of sameness to it. I know in school we figuratively had our accent beaten out of us. We did some recitation in early grades. We had to shorten our R's mind our I's, and we were heavily corrected for using double negatives in casual speech. I get there is a time and place for proper language, grammar usage. I also know that it is the least important gauge for intellect and intelligence. But, that's not how we were taught. We were taught that proper speech, grammar usage, and language would gain us respect. People would no longer see dirty summer feet, because shoes were optional. That kids worked in tobacco, corn, and cattle after school and during summer breaks, etc. We got tan, sunburned, and probably went into the work force instead of college more often. Teachers made it known, quite clear, that if we did not break our bad habits and phase out our accent that we would not be respected. That it was something worth correcting early. It created a distinct segregation between those that could break the accent and the kids that had thicker accents and couldn't easily hide it. At least until we got older and overlooked it, and teachers were more relaxed or the curriculum no longer required such emphasis on how the words were spoken, but the correctness of them in general. I do not have an accent. My grandparents had them, neighbors had them. I say simple words completely different than the people I respect the most, and as I get older it saddens me. I wished I was left alone. I don't know if I would have an accent as my Mother doesn't either and accents/language does come from where we develop most and that's alongside the people who raise us from an early age.

To clarify since @wildone is being a cheeky butt and will be punished. I was not given a pink tractor as a teenager. Our family had a tractor, mostly just sitting around. It ran. It was one of those smaller John Deere tractors, and I made the comment one day, "It's an ugly green color, it would look better in pink." I got on it some summers just for fun and to show people that I knew how to drive it and bush hog my Mother's pasture fields. One morning my Mother told me to go look in the barn. She had it professionally painted pink. It looked grotesque, but it was pink. As for Western wear, a good pair of jeans can do a lot of work for a man that can wear them. As far as the whole western look, not a fan. If your belt buckle is bigger than your head... (the one on your shoulders), we both know there are some coping or compensation going on for that, I said what I said. Unless I'm in Texas, Montana, Oklahoma, I really don't see the reason for it. Especially if you've never roped a cow in your whole life. I used to ride horses, trail mostly. At one time I was riding a horse twice a week during the summer and winter breaks from school. Then on Sundays during the school year. They're beautiful animals. High maintenance things that demands a lot to do them justice, but it was fun.

Happy Birthday, Penguin Queen.

Excuse you sir, my 30 - 70k short stories are just the right amount.

The ass selection in HR is nice, I will admit. It was something I noticed. The hyper-masculine one that can speak bad Russian also helped the show, probably. But seeing him out of character is like a wet blanket for me... he acts very hyper-active, like a child that I know I would have to give a melatonin and put in a corner in order to not lose my damn mind.

Call me a prude, but I am tired of seeing penis, boobs, the over use of sex, and swearing in my entertainment. And we all know, if they're not in use they look like half-plucked chicken butts anyway.

There are penises in 'Off Campus..' It is not worth the poor writing and acting to see the three or so seconds though. Promise. Toronto never counts, it's Toronto.

Must've been a down year if 'Heated Rivalry' was the top choice. I mean it had it's high points in both acting and such, but that's really all it had going for it. The pacing I still never really warmed to. There was a lot of ass, which was likely appreciated, who knows... the Canadian that's a fanboy of the show will probably explain that better. Off Campus certainly won't win any awards though. That show sucked. I don't understand the hype surrounding it, truly. It wasn't groundbreaking, although romances typically are not. All the actors were wooden in their roles and the writing for them wasn't good. It made their interactions forced fed and unintentionally awkward. Everything that was supposed to be heavy hitting or impactful failed for me. If Van from Reba is the best actor in the show, you know it is going to be a struggle. Although I hear he's decent in Shameless... The themes were okay, but they both would've hit harder if the actors were better and the character writing allowed for more of an emotional investment. The Hockey was better in Off Campus. But since I care nothing for Hockey it didn't help my opinion of it. The books are likely better in both cases, probably... at least for 'Off Campus,' it better be, the show is trash.

I've said my piece with you already @wildone, you never listen. That's why you stay in trouble. All of it is ick. Addictive icky nonsense. I said what I said.

I missed the survey as well. But I've barely been on GA for over a week or so. I doubt my answers would've skewed the outcome any by looking at the results. It looks massive, this change. I wonder how many times I'll manage to break something. It will be interesting to see the implementation of it, as I am more likely to complain about... or enjoy something after I have access to it. Although I am a bit worried we're moving towards a "Recommendation" heavy system. I'm not going to break my back trying to get readers to react, review, or recommend. But I also don't want my stories buried in searches for the lack of them either.

Sometimes you have to sit back and read the whole picture. What you think is clunky, cumbersome or unnecessary hides itself well and actually fits the writing in general. It is just you tunnel visioning on how you have pictured it in your own head. Possibly many different times, and you have a feeling the words don't match the imagining. I suggest taking your hands off the keyboard. You see a typo, cringe and ignore it. Missed punctuation? Keep going and try not to focus on the structure as much. Focus on the message, the scene, the flow of it from start to finish. It may take you reading the chapter before and the chapter after, before something clicks. We've all been there. I do spot edits all the time as I read, re-read, and read it again. Reading my own story grounds me in it, maybe some of your over editing is because you've lost some of your footing with the story, and you might need to reconnect at that spot where you are most comfortable. You can also over-prune something.

I am so jealous. Australia is No. 1 on my bucket list, but I don't want to be on that long of a flight over there... --- @wildone I think if I too also went quiet around the same time, people would start worrying about you. Thinking I finally made that 'road trip,' up to see you after one of your little attempts at being cheeky. I can imagine the screaming tot, but that poor dear had its whole schedule upended and it was too young to reconcile that. Poor dear. That is one of the things you have to contend with whilst traveling with wee little ones. I will be demanding all the more juicy details from your trip. There is no way on this earth that you behaved. It would be a shock to your system. Lastly, this man also didn't remind me of his trip. So I spent those days thinking someone got to him before I did. I was worried. He knows I cannot remember dates worth a damn. He's had these conversations with me, I forget holidays. I've walked my happy ass into work on holidays before... but does he remind me, no. He up and disappears. Rude behavior.

You can cry, I'll be snockered off my ass.

Don't burn your biscuits, Wildthing, you're Canadian you're not used to that.

Good luck y'all. Be sneaky... and all that. I'll be uninvolved. Probably.

I do not think I've touched the information in my profile for over a decade. Yikes.

Dark mode. I cannot stand to read digitally for very long without switching.

I already take care of one man-child - we all know who that is, I do not need two more. I have a full time job. And I've told @wildone more than once. If I wanted to tell my side of the story to a jury, he would've already been dealt with. Miles is just an excuse to go sightseeing, vacations do exist. Although, I'd have to book the trip for the one month in Canada where there's the lowest chance for snow, so he'd expect me around July. I like the element of surprise, but I do dread snow...

When you're three aisles into grocery shopping, you have your oldest meandering beside you, because she's learned to behave... but two toddlers strapped to you via backpack leashes. The cereal aisle becomes a testament of patience. All those colorful boxes... all that cartoonish writing, and childish advertising. You can overlook the first crash of cereal boxes as your little tot finally got enough 'line' to reach a box. Pick them up, tell them no, too much sugar. Three aisles deep, a buggy half full of necessities you're not going to put back, because you're outnumbered and two sets up lips are puckered out and you see the oncoming tantrum. Twins - you piss one off, you've pissed the other one off... that happens from Birth onward. All those whispers from ladies that no longer were outnumbered by toddlers and children under the age of six in a grocery store and their judging eyes because you have two of them strapped to you like dogs and not little young people. I think that gives me the right, forever, to embarrass the brats. Nothing is more embarrassing than dragging two toddlers, both holding cereal boxes, because you've given up through the store on their butts, because apparently, if their hands are full their feet no longer work. Now they're teens. Paybacks are coming. ---- As for my parenting style, I am looking around and I no longer see parents actively placing expectations on the shoulders of their children. They wander through life being carried, partially, and give little in return. I knew from the start that my children were to have expectations. I mentioned this a few times to other parents and they blinked at me. Some would say, "kids that young?" And I would always answer with, yes. My kids were expected to gather their dirty dishes and give them to me, or place them in the sink. They were expected to clean their rooms. They were expected to bring their dirty laundry down to be washed. They knew they wouldn't be allowed any screen at the table, or in the family room when their attention and involvement/participation was -- you guessed it, expected. They come in from school, they do their homework. They do their chores. They eat their supper and we talk about their day. After we clean the kitchen together, afterwards they're free to decompress and do what they wish. When they were younger they'd bring their crafting, or toys, or whatever they wanted to do to the family room, not because they were told to, but because they wanted to be in the room with us whilst they played. Now they're older and stinky teenagers, so they do like their rooms more. But that went for the adults too. To place expectations on the shoulders of children, you should place them on yourself as well. Flexibility is key. Children have bad days. The world burdens them. You will never know every single burden, but you hope you've prepared them enough to manage it, or you've given them enough openness they will come to you when they can't. One of these days I'm sure one or more of my children will come to me and tell me something that happened to them, and it will shatter me. It may even be my fault in the end. Social media we do not allow though. I explained and rehashed my reasons for them not to be on social media. The oldest is driving now, and she still isn't allowed on any platform. I'm sure they get doses of it at school, the blocks on content are easy to get around, and they're allowed phones during down time and between classes to get that fix. They have friends, most of them with poor posture and eyes glued to their phones. I know I've done something good when they come home annoyed because their friends are addicted to scrolling endlessly looking for fifteen seconds of whimsy, and my children can't understand 'why' it is necessary to be on phones/tablets all the time and not engaging with the people around them. My children are also different individually. I worry about the boys more than I do the girls. They seem to take the punches the world gives them a lot harder. I admit that I am a beast when it comes to incidents that happen at school. I know what y'all are thinking. She's one of those.. "Little Jonny can do no wrong..." sorts. No, I don't think I am. I have explained to them that school disciplinary actions are important, they will follow through with them. I've told them after each incident there are better ways to handle it. That I understood heat of the moment situations are difficult to digest, but they are expected to handle it better in the future. I was privately proud of them both though. They stood up for what they believed, they just didn't choose the right words or way to do it. Most of you may be thinking... 'well they take after her...' But I am still a beast. Especially when I think the teachers were unfair. So far though there's only been two incidents that prompted a visit from me. They're mostly well behaved and I get great feedback on them. It was the two girls that I got called into the school over, not the boys. I won't go into detail about the incidents here, as they're rather specific and one of them even made the school's newspaper and I'm rather certain that publication is open to public viewing and not restricted behind the school's log-in, so I will not talk about that. Just know that my daughter wasn't the only one upset with that teacher that day, but you best believe I was the first one in that office and that teacher left having heard my opinion. I do get told that I am one of the most involved parents. I make it a point to be. I want to know what they're learning, what their assignments are, when they're due. I want to know how they're graded. I know each child's syllabus for every class. More parents should, we all have access to that information at least at the school my children are enrolled in. I went back and forth on whether or not to say any of this. I try to keep my footprint on social media rather minimal, so I don't like to specifically talk about anything to do with my children and family, jokes aside. I think I've kept this all vague enough. Only a few people know how I came to be a mother. It wasn't conventional. There was a time in my life when I thought I would never get the chance to be one. My husband showed me that it was a fight worth the fighting for and we made it happen, with a lot of help from my mother. Someone who I think I get a lot of my strength from, she doesn't know where I got all the sass though.

Well then, good for Gabriel, because sudden heel turns is a big and massively used trope. So, he was spared from that fall from grace, at least. Now he's just the boring, but hot, 'never really a choice' trope. And I say boring compared to the sunshine and storms that Ryan is by comparison. Not that he's boring, boring. I don't know which is worse.

I saw the twins inclusion. And I was thinking... Don't do that full on orgy... But also, I know the most consistent and really endearing thing about Percy is that he doesn't share. He may look, think about, weigh the options, but at the end of every thought he knows he doesn't share. Then Five comes right into that line of thinking as well. But still... the rating on that scene would reach filth heights I would be afraid to imagine.

They were so puppy dog innocent and cute this chapter... my goodness me. Madison finally landed a blow, and it stung. Good for her, finally stepping into the shoes she's been trying to get on for 10 chapters. But Sloan threw her into the trash like a fruitcake on Christmas morning though. If this was completely Sloane's ambitions and she is caught out, she is flirting with being expelled entirely. If pushing is zero tolerance, then digital bullying and everything that entails would likely hold just as high and strict no tolerance rules. She may be finishing her year home schooled... I wonder if she did it. Lex shows up, without Steve he shows himself to give good advice. Madison's stock in the school has to have fallen. Even with people seemingly scrambling to clear her and point fingers elsewhere. She was bested by Sloane, her rival. Then told off by three people "far beneath" her. How many falls is she going to take before she can't get up off the ground? This sort of felt like an ending. Ryan and Skylar wrapped up their relationship and formulated concrete terms and left little on the table as far as feelings and expectations are concerned. What they've set out to do will be difficult, but Madison should already know, she has to. She's already 75% there, she's just banking on Ryan not playing the same type of ball Skylar is, but even then, it was Ryan that broke up with her and lacked support for her, she's self-absorbed, sure, and that could be the only saving grace the two of them have. Gabriel must've really just been a Lassie type dude. Huh. Is this where you prove me wrong, when I am finally no longer squinting all twitchy in his direction?