My Week According to Instagram

This week has been a tough one- full of highs and lows.  The week started off like any other normal week.  I made some muffins because my mum gave me ripe bananas.

All week I was excited for the concert on Wednesday.  But then on Wednesday my mum called me to tell me she was taking her/our dog Harley (I grew up with him so even though he was technically hers, I loved him so) to the vet because he was still not acting like himself after a week or so.  I carried on with my day expecting her to call me, but she didn't for quite awhile.  So I phoned her and she was upset.  They were going to take Harley into emergency surgery because his spleen and liver were grossly enlarged.  The doctor said he might not make it.

I sped my way to the vet's and got to see Harley before they took him back for the procedure.  He got through the surgery fine, there were no tumors on the organs.  But they did a biopsy and were giving him a blood transfusion because he was severely anemic.  My mum got to take Harley home the following day, Thursday.

It was difficult but Mum and I went to the concert on Wednesday.  I told her I would go alone if she wasn't up to going.  She was very worried about Harley who had to stay overnight at the vet.  We went and had lots of craic.  It was good to get away and keep our minds busy.  The show was wonderful and meeting all of the fellas was beyond amazing.  For more about the concert, read my post here.

Then I got a phone call waking me up yesterday morning.  It was my mum phoning to say that Harley's condition was worse and that he had an incurable disease.  She was contemplating putting him down because his condition deteriorated overnight.  I went over straight away to spend time with them.  We talked about it and agreed that poor Harley shouldn't have to suffer.  We spent several hours with him before we took him to the vet and let him have his peace.

1. I made chocolate chip banana muffins for work.

2. This lot was for me.

3. Lovely lace sweetheart neck wedding gown

4. Getting excited for Celtic Thunder

5. Getting everything ready for Celtic Thunder.

6. Bought Keith Harkin's solo CD.

7. Really getting geared up for CT.

8. Harley on a walk when he was healthy.

9. Cuban heel back seam thigh high stockings.

10. All dressed up and ready to go!

11. & 12. Wednesday outfit photos.

13. Ready to see some Irishmen.

14. The truck that holds all of the stage equipment, etc.

15. The day is finally here!

16. The view from my seat.

17. The final song of the performance, "Caledonia".

18. My signed tour program by all of the members except Keith.

19. My signed CD of Keith's solo album.

20. Myself and Neil Byrne.

21. Myself and Ryan Kelly.

22. Myself and Colm Keegan.

23. Myself and George Donaldson.

24. Myself and Emmet Cahill (I was most excited to meet him!!!).

 25. It's officially fall- I broke out the hot chocolate.

26. Just finished reading this, it was quite good.

27. One of the last photos of my beloved Harley, before he passed away yesterday.

It's been hard, and it will be for quite some time.  It still doesn't feel real at all.  I just keep expecting it to be a dream.  And that the next time I go to my mum's house, there will be my dear ginger friend.  It's so difficult to lose a loved one.  At the time it feels like you will never recover from the loss.  But I'll just have to take one day at a time and leave it at that.

Celtic Thunder

I had good intentions of getting this post up on Thursday so it would be available the day after the concert, but obviously that hasn't happened.  Overall, it was an amazing night with only one little blip that dampened it a tad.

We arrived at the Hershey Theatre and I purchased a little bit of merchandise (It's Entertainment DVD, Voyage Part I DVD, and a program; my mum got me two shot glasses and a magnet) before heading to our seats.  I kept getting asked by people if I was in the show because of how I was dressed.  Probably speaking in an Irish accent might have given them the idea as well...

Their performance was just as amazing, as I expected it to be.  They sang some of my favourite songs...it was just perfect.  Here's the playlist in case you're curious:

Voyage (Ensemble)

The Island (Keith)

Buachaill ón Éirne (Colm)

Raggle Taggle Gypsy (Ensemble)

Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears (Emmet)

Maid of Culmore (Ensemble)

Black Velvet Band (Colm)

The Old Man (George)

Past the Point of Rescue (Neil)

Galway Girl (Ensemble)

Streets of New York (Ryan)

My Irish Molly (Emmet)

Noreen (Neil)

Ireland's Call (Ensemble)

Intermission

Dúlamán (Ensemble)

 Home (Colm)

Everybody's Talking at Me (Keith)

Song for the Mira (Ensemble)

Ride On (Ryan)

Always a Woman (Neil)

Cat's in the Cradle (George)

Don't Forget About Me (Keith)

Place in the Choir (Ensemble)

Whiskey in the Jar (Keith, Neil)

Friends in Low Places (Ryan)

Remember Me (Emmet)

500 Miles (George)

Seven Drunken Nights (Ensemble)

Appalachian Roundup (Band)

Caledonia (Ensemble)

 
After the show Keith was signing autographs but only on his new CD.  I had no delusions on how it would be to meet Keith Harkin.  But it was still disheartening for my intuition to be proven correct.  I believe it must be very overwhelming to have a queue of people (mostly women) waiting to get your CD signed, but one can still take a second to make someone feel special or even like they matter.  I was starstruck because he is ever-so handsome in person and that accent, those eyes, that voice, and those dimples...

But it was still a bit of a let down to be made to feel like a nuisance for getting a CD that you paid $20 for to get signed.  I'm sure he's tired of doing all of the press, etc. for the new CD but you can't let that show because that just dampens things for the fans.  We're the reason you are where you are...  And I even bought his CD twice because I originally purchased it when it came out Tuesday.  But being in a hurry, I forgot to bring it with me to the show.  And you weren't even allowed to take a photo with him on top of it.  Though I did get a hug, which by the time we came back to take a few more photos, they weren't even allowing hugs anymore.

When we left the venue, we saw crowds of people hanging out by the buses, and I got excited at the thought of possibly meeting Emmet.  I asked someone standing nearby if anyone was out and she told me that Neil was over in one area and that Ryan was just putting his suitcase on the bus before coming out.  I made my way to Neil Byrne.

He was so sweet.  Smiling, signing autographs, taking photos, chatting.  You could tell he really cared about the fans.  Whilst waiting to have my turn, Keith emerged from the theatre with a woman and went straight on the bus and wasn't seen from again.

Ryan Kelly was the next one I met.  He was also very caring and generous.

Then came my beloved Emmet Cahill.  While waiting for Ryan, Emmet came out of the bus and made his was over to another area so there wouldn't be huge crowds all in the same area.  I was beyond excited.  Emmet is my favourite (along with Keith, begrudgingly) and I couldn't wait to make my way over to him.  My heart was racing and my hands were shaking a wee bit.

Emmet was everything I dreamed him to be.  He was handsome, charming, funny.  His dimples, his eyes, his voice, his boyish smile...  It's enough to make a stronger woman than I swoon.  Plus he was taller than me with me wearing heels!  Now that's a dream man all wrapped into one real, live human being.  Gosh, I love me an Irish man.  I thanked Emmet for the photo and he said, "Not a'tall" with a wink and a boyish smile.  I nearly died.

Next was George Donaldson.  He was quite the hit with the ladies.  A lot of the people that went to the show were older people so they enjoyed him especially (but they still flocked to the young lads).  Hey, an Irishman is an Irishman.

 

Now for some more Emmet.  I couldn't keep myself away.  I was a moth to the flame.

Lastly was Colm Keegan, the newest member of the group.  He was also very sweet and adorable.

Overall, all the lads were exactly as I expected them to be, with Keith being the only one that is regrettable about.  Emmet, Neil, Ryan, and George were all so gracious and generous.  You could tell they really cared about their fans and giving them a wonderful end to their evening.

Have you had any experiences with anyone famous?  Were they good or bad?

Not all of the photos made it into this post...  Head over to Facebook to see the rest.