Good Riddance, 2008!

It's Christmas day and I'm just about to get ready to go to Hollywood to hang with my family, keeping the 20-some year tradition of an overwhelming day of gluttony of food, presents, and hopefully alcoholic beverages. I guess this is where I am supposed to reflect on 2008 and make some promises of change for 2009.
But instead, I'd rather go through my top 10 moments of 2008, whether funny, random, ridiculous, or all of the above. In no particular order:
1. The day I watched the sun come up at a random house in downtown, and realized I was stranded. It must have been around 9am, and the only thing I knew to do was to call Paige. Considering I had NO money and NO car, Paige came to save the day. She told me to call a cab, and she went to the ATM, got out some money for me, and I was dropped off looking way worse than I probably felt, at the Sagamore, where Paige was working at the time. I got out of the cab, still in my heels and made the walk of shame to the pool deck where Paige was already sipping a bloody mary. Those were the days. I'm 100% positive we went out that night, too.
2. Telluride summer trip. I went on a private plane to Telluride, Colorado, where I spent 4 days with my best friend J. We went to a bluegrass festival, got drunk pretty much all day every day, and managed to come out of that trip closer than ever, after a few ups and downs. There is no place in the world I love more than Telluride, and no one I love more than my J! So it was a pretty sick trip, seeing the small town GREEN instead of snow-covered, as I'm used to.
3. The Chromeo show at the Fifth, South Beach. All of my friends from the grove, and the party kids were all in one place rocking out to one of my favorite live shows of the year. That same week, I'm pretty sure we saw Girl Talk at The Rat, too, so I just remember (barely) being really happy that I finally had all of my friends at the same venue with great music and lots of over-priced drinks! Whiz, Jennifer and I got pretty fucked up. That's always good.
4. LANGERADO! It was my first Music Festival ever, and though the trip to Big Cypress took longer than expected after Jennifer and I passed the exit 10 fold without realizing it, I still had one of the best weekends of my life. We saw some amazing shows, met some crazy-ass hippies, and finally on the last day (because of the shitty cell phone reception) we finally found Whit and Amanda, who were just as exhausted but content as we were. My favorite of the shows, which most of my friends know, was the nighttime Ghostland Observatory show, which featured the sexiest man alive, Aaron Behrens, a laser light show, and some sweaty dancing, while simultaneously getting pregnant watching Aaron sing. (no, really, just looking at him gets your eggo preggo.)
5. My 21st birthday. Just epic. I went to the Vagabond that Thursday night for an awesome celebration and countdown til midnight. I had a chocolate penis-shaped cake baked by the lovely Fiorella, and enough free drinks to make me feel really special, considering the majority of the hipsters I know are the cheapest human beings alive. Hey-- I'm not hating. It's true and you all know it :) Then I hopped on a plane to NEW YORK CITY, where I got in the day of my birthday to Greenpoint. It was rainy and cold, but nothing could stop Paige, Tiffany and I from having a fucking amazing night. We met up with Ryan and Jake at some swanky sushi restaurant, and I had so much fun that weekend, that I made a video of it, which I'm sure I've made most of you watch over and over. I explored the city with Jake, had brunch with Pagina and Jones, and had so much fun that I decided to move there for (the majority of) the summer. My friends really made my birthday epic.
6. Alexi's First McCarren Park Pool Party. Holy shat!!! It was amazing! Cold War Kids were playing, the sky unleashed its wrath upon hundreds of sweaty hipsters, I played on a giant slip n slide, got really fucking wasted, and partied afterwards on the coolest rooftop in Brooklyn! It was one of the first few days I was "living," in New York and it really set the tone for the rest of the summer. I really had never been so happy in my life than being able to dress like a fool, dance like a 6 year old on acid, and drink beers like I stole 'em! I think I may have actually stolen 'em. I dunno.
7. Camping in Key West! This was an excellent weekend. After having run 9 miles in the wee hours of the morning, I went over to Jonas's house, where we loaded the kayaks on to the car, packed up, and drove all the way down to mile marker 30 to do a little fishing, kayaking, and drinking. It was SO MUCH FUN. We met up with the rest of the crew, Whit, Monte and some fucking insane Aussies, and played Wizards (after every can of beer, you tape one to the next trying to eventually surpass your own height in beers.) It was a retarded night of singing, cooking, and playing on the beach. Jonas and I took some time to drunkenly explore the area of Bahia Honda, found some secret fishing spots, and really had a great time. I'm dying to go camping again!!!
8. Jaelyn coming home to Miami! We had way too much time apart and honestly, I'll never forget the look on her face when I showed up at the airport to get her while she was waiting for baggage claim. I NEVER park and go in and she always asks me to, so I decided I wanted to surprise her, and we made the HUGEST SCENE ever in the Miami airport. Then I took my princess in my magical carriage (Ok, fine, my beat up VW Golf) and we drank 2 really expensive bottles of wine that were hidden in her moms house, and later on in the weekend we brought the camera and went to South Beach and took some really amazing photos. It just felt awesome having my Jalie back in Miami!!!
9. Morning coffees with Whiz. Even though this isn't ONE exact day, it was really something special that we had going basically this entire semester. Every Tuesday and Thursday, I would go to my 8am class (bleh) and at 9:15am I'd cruise over to Whits, drink some coffee, have a smoke, and watch Golden Girls before she had to get ready for work. I guess I should probably talk about how amazing our Project Runway/Family Dinner nights were too, considering I'm on the topic of fun times in the grove house. My master chef Whiz would prepare a delicious dinner while we watched the previous week's PR for either the 2nd or 3rd time, and then when the new episode was on, me, Whit, Christian and Dax would all bring our dinner into the living room, smoke some pot and watch and critique the episode together. Yeah-- We were INTENSE!! hahahah!
10. Definitely have to add something in there about the huge commitment I've made to this half marathon training group. Giving up my Friday nights, and pretty much my Saturdays to devote to running this race has been probably the best thing that I've decided to do this year. As you can tell from all the other fun times that I've listed above, most of them have been pretty fucking wild. And FUN they were. But with this commitment I've made to basically change my life, I really am a lot happier than I was before. Yes- when my alarm goes off at 4:45am to wake up to run 11 miles, I sometimes question WHYYYY AM I DOING THISSSSS!!! But the best feeling I've had this whole year has been how much better my life has become with this change of pace. Absolutely everything is going amazing in my life right now, with school, work, friends, family, and I'm in the best shape I've been in since--- ever? Oh-- and I have a pretty awesome guy in that mix too. :)

GOOD BYE 2008!!!! IT'S BEEN FUN.... but I'm over it.

-a

Sweat Break-in and Other f.u.s.

What the fuck... who would break into a record store that has done nothing but supplied the music-conscious city of Miami with obscure music and organic coffee? This wasn't a Spec's or a Best Buy, this was a shop that has so much heart. Sweat Records, to me, is a place that when I venture over there, I find myself lost in music that I'd never find in a typical cd shop. I find toys, art, and meet people that appreciate things that most people don't. It's heart breaking to know that people scoped this shop out, and decided it'd make a good target to steal from and vandalize. My best wishes are with Lolo, Jason, and the rest of the Sweat family.

Ugh.

So tonight was cool. I went to Monte's house with Whit where they prepared a spicy Stir Fry dinner we watched some Monday Night Football. I hope someday when I have my own place I can learn how to cook like Whiz. Always a thoughtful preparation of crazy ingredients that somehow end up being awesome! French fries cooked with melted cheese, bacon and jalapenos? Just another night with my favorite couple ever!

Anyway, I made a venture out to the White Room tonight, completely randomly, and had a great time. Started out sitting by myself at the bar listening to some great indie rock selections, then ran into the usual suspects and spent a bit too much money and got a little drunker than I expected. Who am I kidding... I know the way these random nights always end up playing out! Rafael spun the best set through the time I was there, banging out the electro dance music that made the underaged hipsters twirl around and spend money on over-priced booze. Props to Andrews and crew for a sweet dance party on a Monday night. Only in Miami can you pack a (small, but who cares?) venue on a Monday night, dancing, drinking, and rocking out. Sweet.

Then I attended a private acoustic concert which made my night! Great thoughtful songs, and awesome company.

Now I'm back at home, wondering how the time passed so quickly, and trying to figure out how I had the audacity to do something like this on a Monday. Eh, whatever. Ya only live once.

Last night, by the way, I watched the Labyrinth and the Goonies, by request of Whiz and they were both amazing! Watched the Labyrinth first, and it only escalated my love for Jim Hensen, David Bowie, and goblins. The Goonies was like nothing I've ever watched before... I'd describe it as a bunch of smart-mouthed kids risking their lives to find One-Eyed Willy's hidden treasure, while somehow making me wish I lived in the 80's for more than just 3 years. Great movies, I highly suggest them to anyone that's at least half as cool as I am. Think about it.




Ha!
Leaving with something Whiz told me I should watch... pretty fucking hysterical:

Weekend's Over- BOOOO!

So this weekend was pretty awesome. After some movie nights and fun stuff like that, Whiz and I were ready to party. We went on Saturday night to a house party in the grove, where we played some fucking awesome rounds of pool beer pong on a floating table that the very talented (and very cute) Sam made! The house is huge, the pool is fun, and as soon as we got an ipod going, the party went from quiet and sober to rowdy and drunk... At least for Whiz, Sam and I! I wish I would have had some pics to show off, because
a. Whiz and I won almost every game we played
b. we were definitely THE party of the party
c. the table was at boob-level so it didn't take much to distract the opponents considering there was a waterfall running down two scantily clad chicks' chests.
d. We drank an insane amount of Yeungling + Chlorinated water
--- Which brings me to my next point of waking up with the worst fucking stomach ache ever because of all the pool water I drank. Picture this.... ball in pool, floating beer pong table, drunken splashing.... consumed. YUCK! No wonder, right?

After drinking a half of a bottle of Pepto Bismal, I was ready to celebrate the long weekend with my buddies at Bed on the beach. Yeah I know what you're thinking, but it was actually a lot of fun. Monte just got back in town, so the usual suspects piled into his car, we drank a bit at One Miami, then took a cab to the beach, which I'm really happy about.

Oh, did I mention we were already pretty obliterated by the time we got to Bed, and there was an open bar? Oh, and a bottle. Sorta like old times, I guess. Drunky-monkeys continued to drink and dance and sweat (obvs) and after the beach, Christian and I went on some brilliant adventures with the rest of the grove kids that included intoxicated skateboarding, sand bar (?), and getting kicked out of flannigans? What? I still don't really get that, but whatever.

Poor Matt just wanted his sandwich. :)

I'll skip a few hours that are probably better off staying in my fuzzy memory bank I call a brain, and here I am, still in bed, on my 2nd movie, drinking high volumes of fluids, talking to some buddies, and sorta useless. But that's ok. Tomorrow starts real life (as real as being a student can be) and lots of responsibility. Like for example, TWELVE HOURS OF BEING ON CAMPUS. Aghhh! Terrifying, I know.

Anyway, here are some pictures that I FINALLY got developed from when Jake was in Miami, and he, Christian and I went on a few adventures around the grove! Enjoy:
Photo by Jake... I'll call it... "I'm fucking exhausted... I love you but do we have to go out AGAIN?"

This is the pathway to my house... Not sure who took this though... If it's cool, probably Jake.

RIP little one:

Christian and his baby boy, Kilo

Jake smoking a joint with strawberry flavored rolling paper:

Baked. As. Hell.

The walk into the grove:

I don't know, really...

Baby Ki and my sweet kicks!

Johnny Rockets tastes sooo good after a delicious joint:

Christian is my FAVORITEEEEEEEE!!!! I love you my mexican pizza

oh and ps. JAKE IN MIAMI ROUND 2 COMING IN OCTOBER!!!!!!

Monster Trucks!

Yeah, the four of us, Whitney, Christian, Dakota, and I, went to a Monster Truck show in Ft. Lauderdale. And if you think we're lame, you obviously have never been to a Monster Truck show. We originally thought we were going to fit in perfectly, dressed as trashy, rednecked-out as possible, showing up completely belligerent from Miller High Life, wearing cut up clothing and obnoxious attitudes. With the help of the lovely, but MIA, Pagina, I got dressed up in white Daisy Duke-esque shorts, a harley davidson cut off tank, boots, and a fanny pack. Of course, the first suggestion when I ask how a trashy redneck dresses was "Flannel and cutoffs?" SEE PIC AT TOP OF PAGE FOR A GOOD LAUGH.

However, when we got there, we quickly realized that we were the ones that looked completely out of place because it turned out to be a relatively normal family event (how the fuck were we supposed to know normal people went to Monster Truck shows??) and we stuck out like sore thumbs, reeking of booze, cigarettes, and dressed like total poons.

It actually turned out to be a blast! Christian and I bet Whitney and Dakota that the GRAVEDIGGER would win the tournament, and they were huge fans of Batman! It turned out, obviously, the cooler truck won, and Christian and I won ourselves a round of Bud Lights, and of course rubbed it in Whiz and Dakota's faces at every opportunity.

And of course, there were the classic moments of Whiz and I flirting with the Motocross bikers, Monster Truck drivers, and of course, the digger disc promo dude. And let's not forget the world famous, and very classic "Air BJ Signal," to one of the referees. He ran over to his other referee friends and giggled like a school boy while trying to hide his boner. Yeah I said it.

Here are some shots from the show!
Sick Son-a-Bitches!






After the show, we decided our night was not over, and we proceeded to drink another pitcher of Bud Light at Flannigan's, still dressed like fucking idiots, ate gross greasy food, and chatted it up with Scott, the 38 year old waiter that had a 15 year old son, and has been sexually active for longer than I've been alive, but he still managed to hit on Whit and I. Oh-- and my AMAZING FRIEND WHIZ decided to leave him MY REAL PHONE NUMBER on the receipt. Thanks, Whiz, you're quite the special friend!!

A Conversation

Meet my bestie, Whiz. Her and I do basically everything together all day everyday. We live less than a mile apart, and not only is she one of the coolest people you'll ever meet, but she's become quite the gourmet chef in the past few months, using me and her roomie Christian as guinea pigs, which makes all of us quite happy!


Things we do range from hanging out at the Standard pool, go to public libraries, rage out on Saturday nights, dress each other in outrageous outfits, talk about boys and their dependance on women, cause trouble during classes at UM that are WAY too early anyway, and watch Project Runway and Weeds like its the fucking televised version of the bible.

Basically we are goofballs with attitude, modern feminist go-getters, Bowie-worshipping-present-day 80's princesses that like to listen to music on vinyl, drink cheap sparkling wine, and smoke the occasional hippie lettuce together. Here is one of our conversations that I stumbled upon in the amazing moleskin book she gave to me before I left for New York:

Whiz: Yo I can't find my phone. Can you call it?
Lex: Sure. Wait, I can't find mine.
Whiz: Oh, I found mine.
Lex: Oh, me too. It was under my bag.
Whiz: Stoners.

But our conversations are not always this silly. And the things we do together sometimes bring me to thinking more about life, art, music, and personalities.

We went on Art Walk a few weeks ago and as we went through the different galleries sipping whatever free booze our thirsty hands landed upon, we stumbled upon this quote:

"I was running a great race before you tripped me."

And at that moment in time, that was a great quote for my life post-New York. I turned that into:

"I was running a great race before... you inspired me. And now my head's right and my writing hand is back and I'm ready to take your bullshit. Wearing clothes that aren't mine, the world is a vampire. Breathe when you think you're suffocating, in the damp heat, don't gasp, breathe normally because it's not as bad as you have it imagined in your head. Yet I still believe that I cannot be saved...With Cobain singing to me in the car on the way to the key, cold-plunged the negativity away, life's toxins released with the shock of the ice cold water."

Written after a day at the Standard spa and pool, where these pics were taken:





So that's my homegirl! The classy piss-drunk, the talented, artsy stoner, the skinny gourmet chef, the outdoorsy girly girl, the home away from home!