Author / Lexine

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Posts by Lexine

Published poet, short story writer, and now novelist! My 1st eBook The Playgirl is out now!
by Lexine

40 Of My Favorite Things: #21

Places With a View!

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Taken from the Getty Center back in June 2024. 

I think my love for places with a view started as a pre-teen. Having lived in the suburbs up until I graduated high school, the view from my home was boring, but I also lived right next to some hills. I was an adventurous kid so I’d sometimes take hikes up the hills. The views of my former hometown from hillside were fascinating. I don’t recall if I remember wanting to have a home with sweeping views of the city as a kid, but I know I wanted that when I was 19.

Twenty years ago, while on a Labor Day vacation in LA, I visited the Getty Center for the very first time. (Has it really been 20 years?) The views from there had me stunned! Panoramic views from downtown LA to the Pacific Ocean–the kind of views that anyone with money in LA get to have every day from their homes. I spent $10 for parking to experience those views for a few hours. (Admission was–and still is–free to the museum, by the way.) 

Where I live now is a place with a view. Top floor apartment with east-facing views, where I’m greeted daily by sunrise, sights of the Mt. Diablo mountain range, and the city I live in. (I’m also right above an alley, and I’ve seen some sketch things go down in that alley on occasions. Take the ugly with the beauty, I guess.) 

by Lexine

40 Of My Favorite Things: #22

Beaches!

Bird, boat, and sun watching at Manhattan Beach in LA, taken back in June 2024.

The one thing best enjoyed with pleasant weather. Although I’ve gone to beaches when the weather is cold, cloudy, and windy (welcome to summer in the Bay Area). Maybe it’s the tranquility of listening to crashing waves, the sunsets I see from them, or maybe it’s me being a water sign, but beaches will always attract me. (As long as they’re not crowded and the sand isn’t trashed with crap.)

by Lexine

40 Of My Favorite Things: #23

Pleasant Weather!

How I am under pleasant weather. And if I had a pool. 

Fitting that I write this as the Bay Area starts to get out of what will hopefully be the last heatwave of the year.

This may be my most basic-sounding fave, but weather that is not too cold, not hot as hell, not windy but with a gentle breeze, and sunny all the way with maybe a few light clouds can set the tone for my day. I enjoy my outdoor time when the weather is pleasant, and, when I don’t need to leave my home, at least I’m not sweltering or freezing or looking at sad conditions like heavy rain or smoke. My only gripe is I wish I can enjoy it longer in the autumn like I did during the spring and parts of summer.  (Damn these shorter days, longer nights.)

by Lexine

40 Of My Favorite Things: #24

Witty and Juicy Quotes! 

Back in high school, I bought a book featuring quotes on “witty women”. Teen me didn’t know it then, but the book introduced me to the art of wit and snark. Quotes from the women shown above and more were found in that book, and it make quite an impression. If I couldn’t get a guy for a date in high school, then I’ll be the single geek with a witty tongue. (I still am, by the way, except I’m a million times more content with it now.)

When I started reading celebrity mags and tabloids, my fix for witty and juicy quotes got fulfilled every month. This was during the 2000s, right before the social media era, so shit got said then. I still can’t forget J-Lo trashing almost every actress in her Movieline interview and Xtina saying “fuck the pretty” in her Rolling Stone cover story during her Dirrty era. Social media would’ve slaughtered them had it existed then, which could be why celebs these days aren’t so, well, witty and juicy in what they say. That said, what Sir Charles said about the LGBT+ community and this bit from Megan in a recent interview with Billboard gives me some life.

by Lexine

Thirty Days! And A Short Rant

Vote.gov, people! And vote.org too! (But not vote.com, for some odd reason.)

Speaking of voting, because I can be petty, to those in their late 30s, 40s and up admitting they “never voted” before but are “energized” to vote for Harris this year, thanks…for Trump, an ultra-conservative Supreme Court, the fall of Roe v Wade, and MAGA culture that would put a smile on Hitler’s face. You were better off keeping your selfish, brainless voter apathy to yourself instead of outing yourself as partly responsible for the ongoing mess that started the night of November 8, 2016 in an attempt to earn social media Likes/Reddit upvotes.

Sincerely (but still pissed off over 2016), an almost-40-year-old who’s never missed a Presidental election and been voting blue since 2002.

by Lexine

40 Of My Favorite Things: #26

Fancy Art Books! 

The first fancy art book I owned was a first edition of Phaidon’s The Fashion Book, 24 years ago. (I remember getting it on clearance at Crown Books–IYKYK.) I still have it and have since added many, many more fancy art books to my collection. I’m partial to anything on 20th century fashion, pop culture, and entertainment, as well as the tomes from Taschen Books (they have books from all genres, from high-end art to even adult content).

by Lexine

40 Of My Favorite Things: #27

The works of Jackie Collins!

Dangerous Kiss started it all. The book led me to Lucky, and I’ve been hooked on her books ever since. Even if JC was still alive, she would never know I exist, but I still want to thank her for her creativity, her drive to write smart and fierce female protagonists, not romanticizing abuse/DV, all the wild people/celebs she knew in real life (which she would write about in her stories, albeit with many things changed), and for Lucky Santangelo, my literary heroine! 

Happy posthumous birthday to Jackie. Still miss her. ❤️

 

by Lexine

40 Of My Favorite Things: #28

Hockey!

I’ve enjoyed the sport for 15 years and counting, and if you’d like to know why I got into it, blame the Pittsburgh Penguins.

During the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, I made an unserious $10 bet with my then-friends that the Penguins would win the Cup that year. The bet was made during the Eastern Finals, and I had been impressed with them after seeing them play for the first time against the Capitals in the Semifinals. (I had no clue how legendary that series would become over time. What an intro to hockey for me!)  After Game 5 of the Finals, I thought I would lose my $10 for good. All my other friends placed bets on the Red Wings to win, so during that Game 7, I was feeling both good and nervous. After that Game 7, I became $50 richer. 😊(And to think I was close on betting on the Sharks that year. They had the best record in the league but got bounced in the first round, proving the Presidents Trophy winner curse real again.)

I’ve stuck with the Pens since 2009; they’d become quite the winning team since then, with the exception of the last few years. Although the Sharks are second–you best believe I got FED during the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals. I’ve also enjoyed non-NHL games, such as the IIHF World Juniors and Winter Olympic hockey. Tomorrow marks the start of the NHL season and yours truly will be seated for it!