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.)
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.)
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.
The works of Dorothy Parker!
Poetry may be one of my faves, but Dorothy’s work is definitely one of my faves! Her simplicity, snark, wit, and wisdom sings to me. She speaks volumes while not having to write so much.
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).
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. ❤️
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!
Since this favorite is NSFW, find out what it is after the jump!
The month of October!
Out of all the months in the year, October is the best-ever month. Bay Area weather is near-perfect, Halloween at the end, holiday gifts and decorations hitting the shelves, the start of the NHL and NBA seasons, playoff baseball and the WNBA Playoffs, pumpkin spice everything, and the national holiday that is my birthday!!!!
(PS: I’m very aware that song has nothing to do with the month of October but I still like to play it at the start of the best-ever month!)
Having a place all to myself!
(Pictured: NOT my apartment. My unit doesn’t have a dishwasher.)
This may be embarrassing to admit, but to put this fave in perspective: the time I’ve spent living with either family members or roommates has been longer than the time I’ve lived on my own. It’s tough to get an affordable place on your own, let alone in the area where I live (East Bay Area), so I REJOICED when I found out I got an apartment five years ago. (Praise affordable housing!) My space may be a small studio apartment, but I have it all to myself and the rent is decent, given where I live and that I’m also on the top floor where I get some lovely views of Mt. Diablo. Best of all, no more having to put up with other people’s crap, whether it’s them playing the TV so loud in their room or taking their sweet-ass time in the shared bathroom.
Lex Writes On 