Krista

Bio * My Pets * Computers * Sites * Friends * Books * Listen to the Lyrics

All gloom abandon, ye who enter here...

Updated: April 23, 2003

    Just a few tweaks to this site today--on the pet front, my wonderful Kirby passed away in 2001 and my enfant terrible, Andy the Scottie puppy, has arrived to round out my canine posse. On the life front, well, **much** water under that particular bridge, but the only item for public consumption: my sister is engaged to be married in October 2004.

    So what's the deal with this page?

    I made this particular Web page as a spin-off of several of my other sites (the ones alive and the ones not, see my sites. It was primarily intended to answer all of the questions I am asked regularly, to deflect the constant "Are-you-Michael-Crawford" mails I get (believe it or not, some people still miss this point), and to help those who need to find me, find me. (How's that for late-night grammar?)

    Okay, who the heck are you, then? Not Michael Crawford?

    I'm neither Michael Crawford nor a former soap opera star with the name of Krista. I swear. Pleeeeeeeeeasssse desist with the annoying, rather sad fan mails. Have I stressed this enough? Anyway, I live the very glamorous life of a now-PhD student in History at the University of Cincinnati. We'll see how long particular adventure lasts. And so that I can say I gave ad space, if not money, to my old schools, let it be known that I highly recommend Xavier University (majors: Honors A.B., History, English) and Walnut Hills High School (class of 1993).

    Relations or alone in this world?

    Believe it or not, the Net is very useful for finding out about your family! In one day, I found two distant cousins and knowledge of my dad's line, all through a random search. So go figure!

    Since I know the friends of Erica and Ryan have actually been to this site, I will publicly admit a blood relation to them. Just not when Erica's about to brawl with a "Judge Judy" reject in the parking lot of a shopping center...

    Likes, dislikes? Felonies?

    *glances nervously around* Is this about that ticket last weekend? It was all a fix, I tell you!

    But, semi-seriously, I suspect you can guess some of the many places my heart leads: I love musical theatre (listening to it--unless you count my star-turn cabaret acts in New York), I've been a rebellious Netizen for about seven years now, and I would rather lose my left arm than the ability to read. As I look around my lair, I realize that it's quite hard to describe "my interests" briefly, so I will say simply that I love just about anything, save frogs. Give me something to do and I'll try it, that's for sure.

    Hatreds: Any cereal with marshmallows in it. Why, why, God, why? They've even massacred "Captain Crunch" this way--an abomination! Frogs: the #1 enemy of this world. Needless to say, stupid, pretentious people. (A redundancy, I know.)

    So what else do I need to know?

    There's always more. My talents are unlimited.

Krista in Greek

Beware of dogs?

    I have grown up with dogs. Currently, my family is owned by four little beasts. The fear of my mailman, the scourge of my backyard, and the silliest of little animals are Abby (Foxhound? Beagle?), Maddie (God only knows. I suspect Jack Russell's in there), and my little one, heart o' my heart, Andy the Scottie (Andrew Eightball Seamus William Wallace the Braveheart Thank You MBNA, among his other names). Two of my dogs are rescue animals; I personally believe there is no torture severe enough to inflict upon a person who would abuse or neglect an animal.

    Andy, my lovely little thug

    Maddie
    Abby

    Molly



These shots are of Kirby, who was my best friend from the day he first came to us, in 1992, till the day he died in my arms, December 18, 2001, of cancer. My heart broke that day but the one good thing to come of it was that I ever had Kirby, my comedian, my little buddy, my gift from God. You can read more about him here.
Krista in Greek

And you thought that my insanity was unique...

    Real Life People--Scary, eh?

    Jade's Domain--The home of a fellow deity, Jade's Website features anime, and the secret adventures of one very cool goddess! Ask her about Ally McBeal, or, for that matter, what her feelings are for one Dylan of The Practice. You don't find friends with better taste, or kinder hearts, than Jade.
    To Daae For, by Stef--Stef's site is a tribute to all the Christines, past and present, of Phantom. It's ever-evolving, and always improving.
    Richard Gist's Balto-Wash Theater Page--If I ever had to choose to be locked in a room with a person, Da Prof would likely get my vote. Beyond being a great theater critic, he's one of the most fascinating conversationalists I've ever met--and one of the best friends.
    Tampa Bay Lightning Photo Album--Sharon was one of my first, and best, Net friends. She currently runs the Tampa Bay Lightning Photo Album, a tribute to her favorite hockey team, which includes a Digital Postcard feature. Touch base with a lady of great heart!
    The Roswell Connection--Everything from X-Files to anime to Phantom. Ask her how Scrappy is doing, or if it's true that she just loves fan clubs. Ask her about her encounters with Charles Dance, the Phantom in the NBC miniseries: this is a lady who *always* manages to have adventures.
    The Chatnet #Phantom Page--Explore this tribute to a room full of the greatest conversationalists on the Net. (Quit laughing!)
    ShadowSong--Karin runs the Phantom of the Opera mailing list, manages her own Web design company, and hosts the official Franc D'Ambrosio page. Her life is a bit more social than mine, but hey, who can keep up with Karin's world?
    Jenn's Page--I met her in Hartford, and after a night of girl talk, our lives have never been the same! Check out her sites about VC Andrews, Beyond the Lake (Phantom area), and all sorts of *scalding* material.
    Carlotta's Page--She is unquestionably the diva of IRC and, along with Randy and Kevin, one of the most memorable characters I'll ever meet. Discover the secrets of her eternal passion for a dead tenor named Piangi. Sorry, Car!
    Randy Blair's Homepage: The Oddman Cometh--Randy's a man of many faces, although we try not to look when he's in the process of changing them. Find out what the most gregarious member of #phantom has to say about life, theater, and all the things in the world that matter (like Gizmo Furby).
    Carrie's Cobweb Site--Carrie's a redheaded whirlwind whose life seems to take a new turn every time I talk to her. Lately, things are looking up for her, as they should. Stop in and be charmed by her!
    Tim's Nitch in Cyberspace--He was in Cincy for the infamous get-together with the horrible waiter at Uno's, but he didn't bring a camera! Whatta guy! Tim's site is a tribute to musicals, including J&H and POTO, and includes some personal analysis of religious issues.
    Beth's Home Page--She claims to be sweet and innocent, but this site will reveal her true nature!
    Kevin's Home Page of Horror-- Keeeevvvviiiiiin, where did your page go? For pity's sake, guy!
    Da Phantom's Home Page--Da Phantom yawns, quotes music occasionally, and manages the unique feat of coming across as incredibly cool while being very quiet. Currently, her page is just a block of black, but I'm hoping she'll bring it back eventually.
    Roses in Shadow--She's the world's biggest fan of Anthony Stewart-Head, I suspect, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Miriam examines the realms of sci-fi and Phantom here, along with Buffy links. I haven't seen her in ages, however, so tell her that I do miss her.
    Mariel's Domain--An elegant site devoted to Erik, the Phantom of the Opera; Sherlock Holmes; Arsene Lupin and others. The girl has taste!

Krista in Greek

Bookworms Rule the World

    I am a great lover of books. I have a library of about 1000 volumes on every imaginable topic, it sometimes seems. Visit my lair and behold the books spilling all over the shelves in my room. Yes, I'm a bookworm, there's no hope of getting me away from a book! One of these days, B&N and Amazon will give me a Lifetime Achievement Award, I promise you. In the meantime, let me tip you off to some great reads:

    • Two words: Harry Potter. Harry Potter. Do I even need to explain myself at this point?
    • Anything by Terry Pratchett! He's a fantasy author, but trust me, even if the idea of books with elves, trolls, witches, and wizards in the stories frightens you, you MUST read Pratchett! You won't find a funnier author in any genre of fiction, I assure you. Pratchett is a great storyteller with a fabulous sense of humor.
    • "The Secret History," by Donna Tartt. One of my favorite books, Tartt's novel brings the ancient myths into modern life. She also writes about a group of classical students whose background describes my own Honors program closely (minus the incest and other classical amusements....I think). In the midst of this, she draws some powerful characters, including the (sob) wonderful Henry. One of my fantasies is to step into the realm of fiction and marry Henry.
    • "The Phantom of the Opera" (Gaston Leroux) and "Phantom" by Susan Kay. Did you ever know heartbreak, rejection, hate, love, awe of the extraordinary beauty of the arts? Then you, my friend, are a Phantom fan in the making. Read the original by Leroux, or go for the modern, more humanistic "Phantom" of Susan Kay. See also my reviews on my Phantom Books site.
    • "Gone With the Wind," by Margaret Mitchell. Scarlett was an airhead, but she was also loyal, driven, and exceedingly competent. Rhett beats her out for my favorite character in the book; who can resist that image of him crushing his hands into fists of frustration in his pockets as Scarlett begs him for the tax money?
    • "The Once and Future King," by T.H. White and Mary Stewart's "Merlin" series. My blood thrills to stories of knights gallant and the ladies for whom they fought. What girl wouldn't love both great-hearted Arthur and the noble Lancelot? Some day, I shall post a picture of my castle for you to see where my heart is while I read these stories.
    • The Merlin books by Mary Stewart. Stewart's cycle seems to deteriorate in quality in the last books, at least to me--but that may be because I can't bear to read of the end of Camelot, or the end of the Stewart cycle. I can speak without such hesitation about the first books, though, especially "The Crystal Cave." Stewart's books are highly researched, poetically written, and, as though enchanted by Merlin himself, magical in their ability to sweep you away from the present.
Krista in Greek

An Apple a Day...

    I'm in love. Nope, not with Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love). Well....But to get to the point--I'm in love with a computer known as the Macintosh. I was reared in the land of the IBM/PC, I've worked on all platforms, and you know what? I couldn't be happier with the Macintosh. It makes every job easy, intuitive, and fun. Plus, the Mac has a style and character I've yet to find on any of the PCs I've worked upon. And now we have the glory of the iMac, the Internet in a box, as well! If you are thinking about purchasing a computer, for quality, simplicity, and utility, take it from this delighted student and GO MAC!
Krista in Greek

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