Gonna celebrate like Samantha Jones on this International Childfree Day today (aka JD Vance’s least favorite day of the year 😆)
Author / Lexine
Happy Birthday, Playgirl
The three faces of my first book, changed in the span of a few months. 😆
I published my first-ever novel a year ago on this day, and it’s been an interesting first year for The Playgirl, to say the least! I went through three book cover images. I accidentally uploaded the wrong manuscript to the first cover. I marketed it under the wrong genre. I used a promo service that I thought was legit until I found out the hard way that any “promo service” from IG should NOT be trusted. (Those accounts that DM you on your IG bump your follower count and do some promo after you pay them, but they’re not and will never be BookBub or any of these legit promo companies. At least I got some nice bots following me.) And, outside of mentioning it here and there, I’ve gotten lazy in promoting my book at the moment, which can explain its current sale rankings on Amazon, I know. (In fairness, other things outside of my control are keeping me from promoting it some more *cough*💰*cough*)
I definitely learned some things in my first year of being a self-published novelist, and I do wish my book’s debut and rollout went more smoothly than how it did. (I also wish I had more money for a proper editor/proofreader (best I could get was ProWritingAid lol), and I would have that if I didn’t have a little minor thing called “bills” to pay.) I still have hopes for my book in the long run, but as long as I can get some readers to enjoy the story for what it stands for (women proud to be strong-minded and owning their sexuality and refusing to submit to the patriarchy), then I’ve done my job.
Happy birthday to my “first-born”! 🥳🎉And give her a read on her special day!
Quotes Of The Moment (7.21.24)
Proud to have stuck with Biden even when his opposition kept growing.
Never will be proud over all the media outlets and so-called “liberal” celebs/figures that pressured him to drop out because of trifling reasons while turning a blind eye to all the horrid things involving that convicted felon.
But will be proud to support Kamala all the way! May I not ever again see a repeat of 2016 (or this generation’s version of 1968, for that matter).
Scenes From The Willie Mays Tribute
I would’ve posted this on my socials yesterday, but various things kept me from doing that. Plus, I keep losing followers on IG/the bird app (was it something I said?), so looks like I’ll be posting exclusives here first, haha. (I also happen to be gaining followers here, much to my surprise.)
From the Willie Mays Experience pop-up museum, across the ballpark. Went there before heading over to the event.
Outside Oracle Park. The event was free to the public.
Turnout was decent, though I expected more fans. This is Willie Mays we’re paying tribute here! Probably the Monday afternoon start time kept some people away from the event. (It was also an off-day for the Giants.) The second pic is one of the many tributes to the GOAT around the park, as well as a tribute to another Giants great, Orlando Cepeda, who passed away a week after Mays. (Side note: go after the evil ones instead of the good guy legends, Grim Reaper!)
Some of the guests at the tribute. I didn’t expect to see former President Bill Clinton (1st pic), Spike Lee (4th pic), and members of the championship teams like Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, and Sergio Romo (all not pictured) there. Jumbotron pics are of (from left to right) Michael Mays (Willie’s son), Barry Bonds, and Juan Marichal (2nd pic), and former President Barack Obama (3rd pic).
Michael Mays, giving the last speech of the tribute to his dad.
You’ll be forever in our hearts and forever missed, Mr. Mays! 🧡🖤
This Poem Of Mine (7.4.24)
I’ve been writing poems for almost all of my 200 39 years on this earth and have had a few of my pieces get published to newspapers and poetry anthologies. I have a Google Doc that holds all of the poems I’ve written since 2011 (none of them have been published elsewhere), and I’d like to share this poem I wrote two years ago today. It’s succinct and I think its message suits how I feel about this year as well. Share it if you like.
Message of the Day 7.3.24
It’s from me, by the way.
I may not be famous, but I still have a voice (for now) and I’m using it today to get any American of voting age who has stumbled upon this post to please VOTE this November! Scared of Project 2025? And what the conservative loons of our Supreme Court will do next? And if we’ll still have a democracy and a livable planet next year and beyond? Don’t complain or pout and definitely don’t skip the election this time around. VOTE!
Register at: vote.org
Sick Girl Summer
With the way I’ve been living lately (if you follow me on Twitter or IG, you’d know), this was bound to happen one way or another. 😖😩 Made it 4 1/2 years without officially catching it.
This result was from last night, and I had what felt like really awful allergies since Wednesday night. Nose running more than usual, feeling slightly more fatigued than normal (despite being jacked up on caffeine), and more coughing–something I don’t experience when I get regular allergies. I know what I’ve done lately, but I also work closely with clients one-on-one at my day job. And all these clients no longer mask, with some coming in with something gnarly, so who knows where I actually picked up that shit. (Yes, I keep my mask on with these clients.)
A silver lining? So far, I can still smell and taste things as normal. Also, no nausea, no brain fog, and, most importantly, no worries about being unvaccinated because I got all my shots and boosters. If this happened four years ago, I’d be screwed screwed. I hate being sick in the first place, and I’m keeping that mask on from now on until there’s official news on Covid finally being an endemic. (Maybe? Possibly?)
Covid ain’t over, but vaccines remain real. Get your shots and stay safe, people!
Summer Road Trippin’
There was more to my LA vacay than a fabulous music festival and seeing one of my idols in person. More images from another fun road trip!
I’ve longed to visit this place! And when I finally arrived on a hot May day…
There are not enough😆s for this. I missed out on the poppies, but, nonetheless, I still made the most out of my visit. It’s quite fascinating to see desert land and Joshua trees up close. (Just don’t touch their tips.)
I had quite the day in the Lancaster/Palmdale region. I’d never visited the area before, and I wasn’t surprised to see some MAGA folk running around. (Bumper stickers tell all.) I’m sure they were feeling fine that day as that Thursday was the very same day their dear leader became a convicted felon. (There are not enough😆s for that, either.)
Wild how it was so hot during the day, but when the sun started to set, the winds picked up. I definitely felt them when I took this pic at a vista point near the mountains.
More pics after the cut…
Scenes From Outloud/WeHo Pride 2024
I posted some pics and clips of my glorious time from this year’s Outloud Music Festival at WeHo Pride on my SM, and here’s more!
You’re officially at a Pride festival when you see rainbows and Kylie imagery.
Did Karl The Fog also take a trip to LA, too?
The crowd during the free Friday show. The barrier in the back separates the General Admission crowd from the VIPs (which I was a part of, TYVM).
Drag queens and dicks out on the stage!
Adam Lambert and Kesha command the crowd. I was so damn happy to see Kesha thriving and happy again, after all she’s gone through. ❤️
Did I really pay $18.50 for a small plastic cup of Kylie’s Sparkling Rose?
Yup, I did. Don’t be surprised. I ended up buying a bottle of water to save the leftover rose. I still have it! 😛
I had the VIP Weekend Pass, but personal commitments kept me away from the Saturday night show, which is why I have no pics of Janelle Monae (who was Saturday’s headliner–I heard Queen Latifah also joined her on stage that night, so yes it sucks to have missed out on that!).
Nothing would keep me away from the Sunday show, however, since that was the day I’d finally see thee Kylie perform! Before I get to that, I must say that the festival should’ve expanded their Summertramp Stage area. (It was across the street from the main stage.) I say that because some of us (olds) also wanted to see 90s dance legend Crystal Waters live (she performed a couple hours before Kylie came on). Instead, I and many others got turned away due to “capacity” issues. Bruh.
This ended up being my view of the Crystal show.😆 I still heard her, but maaaannnn…
Thankfully, I was a lot luckier when I finally got to see HER.
Also glad to have a good zoom on the camera on my phone, because I was, I dunno, 100 deep into the crowd? Her audience looked like it could’ve easily filled Staples Center (I know it’s not called that anymore, but I still call it that!).
The joy on Kylie’s face when she was rewarded with that sign and the WeHo mayor proclaiming that day to be Kylie Minogue Day!
And these clips I personally took…
Fireworks to cap off a night to remember!
I overheard someone in the crowd saying Kylie’s WeHo show was “better than Vegas”. I can’t speak on that, but I planned on going to one of her Vegas shows a couple months ago until I heard she was going to headline this music festival that was closer to home and cheaper to attend. Sure I’d spend $250+ for standing room only tix to her Vegas show, but, for a few bucks more, I got VIP passes and all-weekend access to see Kylie and many other great artists perform.
Now THAT’S a shirt!
Happy Pride!
Just being my usual Biconic self on this start of Pride Month. (Although I’ve been Biconic since 2006 😉) 🩷💜💙
That shirt, if my fellow Bi-peeps are interested, came from this Etsy shop (and they have other shirts reppin other sexual identities, too).
Lex Writes On 