Haunted storm drains, veggie tacos, and the most beautiful disco ball in Los Angeles 🌕✨
Hey there, peoplefriends!
Look where we are, another whole month into summer.
Despite serving on a jury for alllllll of July, I've done a decent job of working my way through the bodies of water. Get in the ocean--check! Get in a swimming pool--check! Get in a hot tub--check!
And here's one that wasn't on the list: Get in a storm drain. Rushing with water.
Partway into the trial the judge gave us a four-day weekend, so I decided to drive down and visit my cousin Andy + fam in San Diego. Andy, who subscribes to this newsletter, was determined to expose me to water. We snorkled with sea lions. We paddle boarded. Lalala.
But what he was most excited to show me, at night, was this spooky storm drain that starts in a kind of gorge near his house and runs for a mile underground before emptying into a river. I think it empties into a river? We didn't get that far. You see, we went into this storm drain right after the "Super Historic" storm hit California, bombarding us with rain.
There was water rushing through the tunnel, only ankle deep at first, but swift. I had to take off my flip-flops or they would have been carried away.
The water got deeper as we walked, admiring the graffiti done (if I had to guess) mostly by skaters. There were many odes to drugs/ska.
Did I mention one of the flashlights was out? Just as we entered the tunnel, one of our two brand new flashlights flickered and went out. No amount of banging would rouse it. As we walked further and further into the tunnel, I kept trying to prepare myself for the second flashlight to fail us.
The water kept getting deeper. And swifter.
By the time we reached the midpoint, where the tunnel narrows from six or seven feet in diameter down to more like five, the water was splashing up past my knees. Outside, the rain had subsided, but water continued to pour down from drains on the street. When we looked back, we saw it coming in waves.Â
Andy said, "If you want to go back, we can."
I took that to mean, "HOLY SHIT WE SHOULD REALLY GO BACK"
We we went back.
The second flashlight died, I kid you not, just as we stepped out of the tunnel and started to scramble up the embankment.
*****
In 😎🚫💊 news, not only did I make the July 15 deadline for the Phosphate Prize, Melia and I workshopped the "finished" script, fleshed out a couple of key scenes, and as of yesterday evening we have a gorgeous new 89-page draft.
I'm feeling quite pleased with myself/us. (This feeling generally lasts approx 24 hrs.)
*****
This month in print: Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill. The first three pages confused me, but by page four I was riveted. It's a novel, sort of, but it's told in strange little snippets. The phrasing, the syntax, is so weird and so dead on. I finished the whole thing in like two hours, and felt very sad that it was over.
This month onscreen: Ricky has been out of town for weeks, so I've basically been watching TV from dinner until bedtime. Wow that sounds kinda pathetic when I read it back to myself. I do go out! Sometimes. But yeah, mostly I've been toggling between Parenthood (sappy but addictive) and Six Feet Under (MAN DOES THIS SHOW HOLD UP). If you've never watched Six Feet Under, DO IT DO IT DO IT. Non-holders of a coveted HBO GO password can find all five seasons on iTunes.
This month at the farmer's market: I'm still buying all my produce straight from the people who grew it (okay, except for maybe one avocado and a couple of bananas). And I've started buying dry goods at the farmer's market, too. Brown rice, lentils, chickpeas. Does this make me a total hippie or a yuppie or ... both? Anywhoozle, I made this spicy garlic chickpea recipe twice in four days. So good when you soak + cook em yourself, though I'll admit that's a lot of effort. I'm sure canned chickpeas would work fine.
This month in tacos: I have two vegetarian recommends. 1) The zucchini and cactus taco from Puesto in La Jolla, which is really all about the crispy melted cheese. Yum. 2) The potato taco from Taquerias El Atacor #11. Crispy corn shell, garnished with guac and (yep) melted cheese, and filled with just the right amount of melty potato.
Bonus: On your way out of El Atacor #11, duck into Footsie's and admire their vintage disco ball. All the fixtures in there are stellar, but that disco ball!! It's like laying your eyes on, I don't know, a Jaguar when you'd only ever seen Hyundais driving around town.
*****
xoxo,
Laramie
p.s. Who's got a good pickle recipe?
Â
Look where we are, another whole month into summer.
Despite serving on a jury for alllllll of July, I've done a decent job of working my way through the bodies of water. Get in the ocean--check! Get in a swimming pool--check! Get in a hot tub--check!
And here's one that wasn't on the list: Get in a storm drain. Rushing with water.
Partway into the trial the judge gave us a four-day weekend, so I decided to drive down and visit my cousin Andy + fam in San Diego. Andy, who subscribes to this newsletter, was determined to expose me to water. We snorkled with sea lions. We paddle boarded. Lalala.
But what he was most excited to show me, at night, was this spooky storm drain that starts in a kind of gorge near his house and runs for a mile underground before emptying into a river. I think it empties into a river? We didn't get that far. You see, we went into this storm drain right after the "Super Historic" storm hit California, bombarding us with rain.
There was water rushing through the tunnel, only ankle deep at first, but swift. I had to take off my flip-flops or they would have been carried away.
The water got deeper as we walked, admiring the graffiti done (if I had to guess) mostly by skaters. There were many odes to drugs/ska.
Did I mention one of the flashlights was out? Just as we entered the tunnel, one of our two brand new flashlights flickered and went out. No amount of banging would rouse it. As we walked further and further into the tunnel, I kept trying to prepare myself for the second flashlight to fail us.
The water kept getting deeper. And swifter.
By the time we reached the midpoint, where the tunnel narrows from six or seven feet in diameter down to more like five, the water was splashing up past my knees. Outside, the rain had subsided, but water continued to pour down from drains on the street. When we looked back, we saw it coming in waves.Â
Andy said, "If you want to go back, we can."
I took that to mean, "HOLY SHIT WE SHOULD REALLY GO BACK"
We we went back.
The second flashlight died, I kid you not, just as we stepped out of the tunnel and started to scramble up the embankment.
*****
In 😎🚫💊 news, not only did I make the July 15 deadline for the Phosphate Prize, Melia and I workshopped the "finished" script, fleshed out a couple of key scenes, and as of yesterday evening we have a gorgeous new 89-page draft.
I'm feeling quite pleased with myself/us. (This feeling generally lasts approx 24 hrs.)
*****
This month in print: Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill. The first three pages confused me, but by page four I was riveted. It's a novel, sort of, but it's told in strange little snippets. The phrasing, the syntax, is so weird and so dead on. I finished the whole thing in like two hours, and felt very sad that it was over.
This month onscreen: Ricky has been out of town for weeks, so I've basically been watching TV from dinner until bedtime. Wow that sounds kinda pathetic when I read it back to myself. I do go out! Sometimes. But yeah, mostly I've been toggling between Parenthood (sappy but addictive) and Six Feet Under (MAN DOES THIS SHOW HOLD UP). If you've never watched Six Feet Under, DO IT DO IT DO IT. Non-holders of a coveted HBO GO password can find all five seasons on iTunes.
This month at the farmer's market: I'm still buying all my produce straight from the people who grew it (okay, except for maybe one avocado and a couple of bananas). And I've started buying dry goods at the farmer's market, too. Brown rice, lentils, chickpeas. Does this make me a total hippie or a yuppie or ... both? Anywhoozle, I made this spicy garlic chickpea recipe twice in four days. So good when you soak + cook em yourself, though I'll admit that's a lot of effort. I'm sure canned chickpeas would work fine.
This month in tacos: I have two vegetarian recommends. 1) The zucchini and cactus taco from Puesto in La Jolla, which is really all about the crispy melted cheese. Yum. 2) The potato taco from Taquerias El Atacor #11. Crispy corn shell, garnished with guac and (yep) melted cheese, and filled with just the right amount of melty potato.
Bonus: On your way out of El Atacor #11, duck into Footsie's and admire their vintage disco ball. All the fixtures in there are stellar, but that disco ball!! It's like laying your eyes on, I don't know, a Jaguar when you'd only ever seen Hyundais driving around town.
*****
xoxo,
Laramie
p.s. Who's got a good pickle recipe?
Â
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