ruggednraw

[ruggednraw]

Friday November 1st, 2024.

The Dodgers had just beat the New York Yankees and won the World Series a few days prior.. A parade was set for that day and the whole city was going to be there. Dodger legend and baseball icon Fernando Valenzuela had passed away the week prior and it just so happened to also be his birthday that day. It was a day full of excitement but also bittersweet as his passing was still fresh in the hearts of us Dodger fans. My sister had bought a plane ticket last minute and flew into town so we were set to meet somewhere amongst the hundreds of thousands of fans. I failed to plan ahead. I was sleep-deprived from the night before (Halloween) so it took me a while to get up in the morning. The parade itself was set to commence sometime around 11 a.m in downtown and then it would finish off at Dodger stadium. Driving to downtown was an option most chose not to take as the metro lines were absolutely flooded with first time riders. I left Harbor Gateway station in the South Bay around 9 a.m and it was all downhill after that. What would’ve normally taken me about thirty minutes any other day of the week, took almost two hours. I should’ve known better. I opted to take the A Line train to downtown which was a huge mistake because the train stopped in the middle of the track close to Vernon station. Being that we were all packed tighter than a can of sardines, as soon as the conductor announced the train was stalled, someone yelled “Fuck this shit!” and pulled the emergency lever for the doors to open. Monkey-see, Monkey-do I guess as we all collectively jumped off the train and onto the track. It was now 10:45 and I was still a long way from the parade. I kind of felt bad for everyone else because they all looked lost and utterly clueless as to what to do next but I had to think fast. Taking a Lyft or an Uber was out of the question. I ran eastbound on Vernon and then power-walked and then ran again nonstop for fifteen minutes until I reached the 60 bus route in the city of Vernon. The 60 wouldn’t take me directly to the parade but I knew it would get me pretty close. As soon as it reached Skid Row, traffic was at a standstill so I got off and continued to make it to the tail end of the parade route. My sister had texted me that the parade had just started so I knew I was lagging it but I pressed on. I wanted to shoot the parade in color but I had a few exposures of black and white Ilford HP5 left in my camera so I was just shooting away and walking as fast as I could so that I could be done with the roll. I finally reached Pershing Square at 11:40 and I take the last shot. I could hear the cheers getting closer and louder. I’m crouched down in the middle of the street loading a fresh roll of Portra 160 into my Contax all the while there’s a 360 degree of chaos around me. I run up 5th street to get as close as I can but then immediately realize I’m way too late and there’s just no way I’m going to get any flicks of the parade bus. I snap a few shots and then book it towards the subway. I get to Chinatown station around 12:10 and then I run and then walk fast and then run again over the 110 freeway bridge and then up that steep hill that enters Dodger stadium. The sun is beaming on me hard as I’m now completely drenched in sweat and out of breath but I’m more determined than ever to get there as if my life depended on it. I could hear Ice Cube performing off in the distance and hearing “It Was A Good Day” gave me another boost of energy. My sister and I meet out front. As we get inside the players were already making their way in so we rushed to the pavilion section and just soak it all in. I missed the parade but I made it to the end of the line at Dodger Stadium just barely on time (story of my life).

I posted the photos in the chronological order that I took them. All in all, it really was a good day….one I’ll never forget.

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A stroll down Chinatown and MacArthur Park 11/24

Contax RX shot on Portra 160

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Los Angeles CA 2024

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Ohtani bobble-head night

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Game 1 of the 2024 World Series is hands down the best baseball game I’ve ever watched and probably the 2nd best Dodger walk-off in franchise history. I still can’t believe it.

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Forever in the trenches.

Los Angeles 2023/2024

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Random iPhone shots 2023/2024

1) New Mexico, 2) Echo Park, L.A, 3) Skid Row, L.A

4) Zona Norte, Tijuana México, 5) Col. Roma, CDMX,

6) Col. Vallejo, CDMX, 7)DTLA, 8)Zócalo, CDMX

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Skid Row, Downtown L.A 2023

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Los Angeles at night 2023/2024

Shot on 35mm/Cinestill 800T

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L.A 1//23

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What makes you happy? And what are you most proud of?

Live music. Road trips. An intimate meal outdoors. Comfortable silence in the car with someone whom I vibe with. Reading a book alone inside of a coffee shop. The act of taking a photo that’s actually decent. Coming home to an overly excited dog that whimpers and wags it’s tail endlessly at the mere sight of you. Being out in nature. Deep and meaningful conversations. Looking into the eyes of someone that’s madly in love with you. Seeing the sun come up after a long night out.

I’m proud that I haven’t given up and that I’m still in the fight. Not sure if proud is the correct word here, but I’m glad that I know the path I must take in life.

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11/14/21 Boyle Heights

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Me gusta la comida buena y la vida mala

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What do you think happens after death?

I know there’s more to life than this. There has to be a place that our soul arrives to the moment after our death. I don’t have any memories of anything specific from past lives, but there are things that seem extremely familiar to me in this life.

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“As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster.”

Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese, 1990)

[ruggednraw]

you’re quite the writer there i see.

Well if isn’t one of my favorite souls:) Can I write about some of our shenanigans?