Tag / my faves

by Lexine

40 Of My Favorite Things: #20

The next few entries will be TV-themed, and I’ll start off with my favoritest (I know it’s not a word) show of them all: Married With Children!

It was the first sitcom I watched, although I didn’t watch it for the laughs but for Bud Bundy. David Faustino was my first ever Hollywood crush. As I got older, I started getting its snarky, self-deprecating humor, but little did I know that its brand of funny would not be for the delicate types. I first learned curse words thanks to that show. (Just “ass” and “bitch”, if you were wondering. It was on network TV, after all.) I learned how to clap back thanks to that show. And I also learned to never ever be a shoe salesman in my life. 😆 In a way, MWC “ruined” me for other sitcoms; I tried watching Friends but couldn’t find it funny. I watched a bit of Seinfeld and didn’t find it funny. The Office comes close but I wish they kept Steve Carrell for its entire run; it’s like getting rid of Ed O’Neil (Al Bundy) for the last two seasons–it makes no damn sense!

In my house, MWC remains the GOAT of sitcoms.

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

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: #30

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!)