JUST LUIS.

A BLOG DEDICATED TO MY THOUGHTS, IDEAS, LIFE, INTERESTS AND ANYTHING I FEEL LIKE SHARING. 

[luisromines]

Blog Post 3

April 19, 2020. 8:47pm. 

Well, well, well. What a past few weeks it has been, right? COVID-19 has presented itself with many different problems outside of itself.

There can be a lot of negative energy out there in the world right now, however I think we should focus more on the positive. It is so easy to get wrapped up in all the down, negative information. So, what do we do? Where do we go from here?

I think we should all focus more on ourselves and our own mental health.

Some of us are not health professionals, but we can all do our part in slowing the spread of this horrible virus.

I have been inside my home and just around my neighborhood since St. Patrick’s Day, minus the occasional grocery store run. It has been a very surreal experience. We are so used to having our freedom and being able to go wherever we want, whenever we want. It is a weird feeling having that taken away from us.

I have been spending my time taking care of myself. I think that is so important.

I have gotten to take baths, saunas and lots of quiet time to myself. I lead such a fast-paced life and it has been nice slowing down and taking a breath for myself.

I have been doing lots of reading and I will talk about the books I have read so far. I am currently on “The Next Person You Meet in Heaven” by Mitch Albom. It is the sequel to “The Five People You Meet in Heaven.” It explains the life of a girl who played an intricate, important role in the first book. I love it! Albom has such a way of telling stories and the way he writes is beautiful. He always ties statements together with such wonderful detail.

I also have time to catch up on all the movies and television shows that I have neglected to see.

If you have not seen Tiger King, GO WATCH IT! That television show is filled with the most insane people I have ever seen. It will entertain you for a few plus hours and it will open you up to a whole new world of these memes on the internet about the infamous Carole Baskin, who fed her husband to the tigers. The show is truly crazy!

I also have had time to catch up with my favorite and only reality television that I watch, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It is fabulous! That show is definitely right up my alley.

My favorite woman on the show is the always stylish, queen of diamonds, Lisa Vanderpump.

I think the reason that I like her so much is because she is truly an embodiment of what I want to be, minus the gender. She is a fabulous personality and restaurateur.

Vanderpump has owned over 30 restaurants or bars in her lifetime alongside her husband, Ken Todd.

Unfortunately, Vanderpump is not a cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills this season. She quit last year due to the amount of scrutiny she got from her other cast mates.

However, I am sure Vanderpump is quarantining in style at her beautiful Beverly Hills home, Villa Rosa.

I hope all of you are taking care of yourselves during this time. Be safe and do not be afraid to reach out to your friends, old friends and all of your family.

Best wishes and warmest regards.

XO, Luis.

[luisromines]

Blog Post 2

March 15, 2020. 10:32am. 

Hello to all my readers out there, all three of you! My name is Luis and I want to tell you a little about my spring break trip to Miami Beach, Florida. It is a fabulous place. I have always wanted to go there, and I finally had the chance to, thanks to my mom, a couple of weeks ago.

It was a short little trip that was full of excitement from start to finish. We stayed in the art deco part of south beach in The Carlyle. If you are unfamiliar with The Carlyle, you might recognize it by another name, “The Birdcage.”

They filmed “The Birdcage” in the same building we stayed in. The movie follows the classic story of the French movie “La Cage aux Folles.” It is about two men, Armand Goldman (Robin Williams), who owns a drag club and his partner, Albert (Nathan Lane), who embark on a rollercoaster ride of sorts when they meet their soon to be daughter-in-law’s parents. It all comes to a head when her father, Republican Senator Kevin Keeley and his wife Louise come over for dinner. If you get the chance to see it, I promise you will not be disappointed. It is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. In my top five for sure. It was so cool. My mother and I were freaking out the whole time! It was so surreal to be staying in the actual building where all those funny memories were made.

While we were there, we did all kinds of shopping. We went from the art fair going on along Ocean Drive to Miami’s high-end Design District. The art fair was especially fun to attend. There were so many people selling their handmade jewelry, paintings, art, food and drinks from all over the world. It was just fabulous! I acquired some jewelry that fits my personality like nothing else you would find anywhere. I love supporting small businesses and who would not love to walk down Lummus Park and Ocean Drive and shop at the same time?

While I love small businesses and supporting people’s passions, I have a love for designer. If you are ever going to do some big shopping in Miami, you have got to go to the Design District. They have everything from Balenciaga to Versace and all the other letters in between.

In the town of Versace, I thought it was only fitting to add to my sunglasses collection. One of my many passions in life. Gianni Versace’s legacy will always be remembered in South Beach. He was an amazing man and, in my opinion, an amazing designer. I love his clothes and his outlook on life. Gianni Versace was gunned down on July 15, 1997 on the steps in front of his Miami villa. They have since turned his beautiful 40-million-dollar property into a restaurant and boutique hotel. We had the opportunity to dine at the onsite restaurant, Gianni’s. It was more than I could imagine. His home still represents everything he was and all the creativity that was prospering inside of him.

I look forward to going back to Miami, especially South Beach, and I hope you all get the chance to visit this wonderful city. It truly is like nowhere else in the world.

[luisromines]

Blog Post One

January 19, 2020. 5:32pm. 

Hello to all my readers out there. My name is Luis. Just Luis, and this is a little about my life, interests and anything I feel like sharing.

I have a fascination with people who go by one name. Cher, Madonna and Oprah just to name a few. I relate with strong women. Women who are able to stand up for themselves and others. These women that I have just mentioned have always had a knack in them to speak up and speak out. I like that about them. They remind me of my mother.

Now, if you know me, you definitely know that I am a momma’s boy. My mother has always been my biggest supporter – my greatest advocate, advisor and influencer. She has given me a fabulous life that I could have easily not had. My parents were my messiah. 

I was adopted when I was 8 months old. My parents used to read me a book, “Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale,” by Karen Katz. A book that I still read on occasion. In the first part of the book, it explains that adoption is just meant to be. My parents have always told me that I was meant to be their child and there was no if, ands or buts about it. They said that they got a calling from God and He told them that their son was in Guatemala. So, they went. 

I was a late Christmas gift. My “gotcha” day, a day that my parents finally got their hands on me, was January 25, 2000. They brought me home to the small town of Georgetown, Indiana and the rest was history.

What has my life played out so far, you ask? Well, I now go to university at Ball State and I am studying Public Relations with a concentration in event planning and management as well as earning my minor in communication studies. This is all nice but not really exciting news, right? Let me tell you about my real interests instead.

I am a passionate reader. Shocked? So am I.

I wasn’t born the reading type. When I was growing up through school, I was not fascinated by books at all. I thought they were a waste of time. I could be doing other amusing things like hanging out with friends, watching my favorite show trying to get through all the episodes, going out to eat and maybe some partying. You would find me doing anything else but reading a book. I just didn’t do it. It wasn’t my thing.

My, my how the times have changed. I cannot get enough reading in. I love books. I think they are brilliant. Books are the best way to share meaning, feelings, ideas and opinions because it is just you, your head and the little words on a piece of paper all working together to open your eyes. I am very passionate about reading.

Dr. Seuss once wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

Here’s to the journey.