RICK CASTRO: DIARY- 4/14/2020

So This Is How The World Will End: by Rick Castro 4/14/2020

I never knew there was a Lake Los Angeles? In the middle of the desert, close to Bee’s cabin, (in relative comparison) there is a Lake Los Angeles. I know because I went there. It was a day of things starting out as one thing and becoming something else. My original plan was to go to my new PO box for the first time and pick up my first mail. That was the plan… The mail wasn’t there. Well, there was one package, but I was expecting more… I was expecting $….That wasn’t there. 

Then I decided to make a hardware store run, specifically to ask the post-grunge manager if he knew someone who could fix Bee’s 1970 Sears washing machine that I broke. Its worked since 1970, I’ve been here a month and I broke it. Then my plan was to drive to the end of Sheep Creek Road and check out my old fave shooting location, El Mirage Lake.  Location of my fave images like, Spread Eagle, and my video, 45 Minutes of Bondage, (1993). 

rick castro- spread eagle 1992- location: el mirage lake

There’s also numerous famous shoots created here that I was a part of thru proxy, like this one-

I wasn’t there in person, but Tony Ward was the star of my film Huslter White, and booked the gig while we were in London with the film during 1996. Of course it’s based on the Russ Myers classic, Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!, (1965) also shot at El Mirage Lake.

Long story, short, I couldn’t find it.. The area has changed a bit, and I guess me memory is not as good as I think. So then my plan was to follow Palmdale Road and head on back to Bee’s cabin… Thats when I stumbled upon Lake Los Angeles. 

Oh yah, first I must mention, while still in the town of El Mirage, (consists of ghost park, gas station and liquor store) I found a liquor store, (as I said) and decided it would be the perfect place for me to acquire a bottle of Makers Mark Whiskey for Saturday’s virtual Happy Hour!. I’d been craving whiskey… 

Ok, back to me travels, there was a crow on the road sign. She looked so inviting. It was in the opposite direction I needed to go, 

but a lake in the middle of the desert, named after my hometown. I became the curious cat. 

The sign read LAKE LOS ANGELES 3 MILES. I went thru a cute, but sad, little town, assuming was the town of LOS ANGELES? 
Then kept going for well over three miles… Feeling this was fruitless I finally pull over and check mapquest. First time today I did so.

Lake Los Angeles, I had passed it… that was the town… Ok… wait a minute. I ask Google a question; Does Lake Los Angeles have a lake? Answer: Lake Los Angeles does not have a lake. Only in the desert would they name something that doesn’t exist, Like the time I was in the remote part of Arizona, and went to a town called SALOME, as in “ I will kiss thy mouth John the Baptist,” and they spelled and pronounced it SALOMIE. 

Now that I’m in the wonder of Lake Los Angeles, I decide to make the best of it. There looms a Metro PCS, (my carrier) store all on it’s lonesome, so figure, ok good opportunity to have them fix my Instagram glitch. I enter all masked & gloved, (in black) and there sitting behind a clear plastic partition is a cute boy with the name tag Brian also masked & gloved, but in blue.

“Hi, I say, excited to see a real person, who’s also a cutie, can you help me? I have what would be considered a dumb problem. 

You know how on Instagram there’s the feature to download images from your gallery to Stories?”  “yah," Brian politely replies, “well somehow this feature is no longer there. Could you help me get it back?”

“Oh sure, Brian eagerly replies, no problem.” I’m probably the first customer he’s had in a week. He’s probably excited to see a living person who isn’t a family member of Lake Los Angeles.”  “You just need to uninstall the app, then reinstall, on yourPlayStore…ummm…. where is  you PlayStore?’ “he asks. “Ummm I dunno, I never use apps.” I feebly respond.  ‘Well, you have to have them in order to install Instagram. How did you originally install?” “when I bought the phone, the MetroPCS clerk installed it for me.” 

“Do you mind if I touch your phone? Brian sweetly asks.” “Sure go ahead I have sanitizer,” (We are living in such strange times) Brian fumbles around for a bit, somehow finds the app, uninstalls, then reinstalls and it won’t… install… nothing happens. It just doesn’t install. “Hmmm.. that’s strange, it usually just installs. Look man I don’t know what to tell you… that’s why I have an iPhone, I never have problems like this.” Brian says defensively. “Oh please, I retort, iPhone has its own list of problems, It is not god.” Don't get me started on Apple.

“Well, it’s just easier,” He replies. I thank Brian, even though all he did was completely loose Instagram for me, but he tried and was sweet and cute, and I leave… Lake Los Angeles.

Stressed and tense as you can imagine, I return home to Bee’s cabin. I have a four o’clock appointment for my second virtual photoshoot! This one with another cute boy I’ve never met in real time from Phoenix, Arizona. He turns out to be punctual, sweet as pie, even cuter than Brian,(and more eager)  and a great model!… Let’s put it this way… we both relieved our stress.

After that respite, I re-tackle the issue of no Instagram. I call MetroPCS, which is an ordeal unto itself with all the robo-operators, who do their best to not allow you to speak to a real person. I get thru, to a sweet Filipino boy who helps me, I’m not being racist, all MetroPCS support is in different countries, never, ever have I spoken to an agent who is based in the US. This save MetroPCS from paying a living wage, no federal tax for employees… no benefits, no health insurance, and takes  jobs from US citizens… as always corporate Amerikkka… “America first.”

I digress, which is easy for me. Huwan gets me back my Instagram account,  I log in with all the numerous passwords, D.O.B. and everything they need to microchip you in the near future, and I have an Instagram account. a new one!…. I am locked out of my old account.. Instagram doesn’t recognize my passwords, and they won’t give me access to my email accounts, stating, “this account is used by someone else”… YES! ME!

I now have an Instagram account with no profile and zero followers… I decide to make a shot of the beautiful wildflower bloom of Lake Los Angeles my new profile pic. 

You’re welcome to be my first friend- here- 

So this is how the world will end.

copyright-rick castro- 4/2020

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