Reservoir, Dawgs

Before we begin, let me just address the title of this post. I know it is incredibly cheesy and a bad pun (or is it a play on words? Who was I just talking to about this?), but I fucking love it and so it stays. I also fucking love the Silverlake Reservoir and I am excited to tell you all (Mom) about it. Yes, I had to Google this body of water to confirm it is, in fact, called the Silverlake Reservoir (my friend Kyle tells a really fun story about how I called that little pond in Echo Park near the Echoplex "the reservoir" for two years), but that doesn't change the fact that the place is great and gorgeous and I have walked or ran around it almost everyday since I moved to this neck of the woods. BEHOLD:



The first time I walked the reservoir, it was with my friend Emily. A little bit about this chick because she deserves RECOGNITION. Emily Moffet is a self-described giant, gay, black man inside a pretty, white (even though she looks ever-so-slightly Inuit) girl's body. Emily loves dancing, chili and reality television in that order. She is also a genius who went to Northwestern and has a FREAKISHLY good memory. Although she's from LA, Emily recently moved to Silverlake too (okay, she was here FIRST and I followed her) and her apartment is just a stumble away from mine. I love her. She lives with her friend from high school Alison, whom I have also forced to become my friend by just going over there all the time to gossip and steal diet root beer (best drink ever). Alison is getting her PHD in cinema studies (I know, these two girls are clearly IDIOTS) so she can throw down about Japanese movies and sometimes I come over and she's applying glass tears to look like a Man Ray photo for a Surrealist dinner party, but she also enjoys the keyboard-playing cat on youtube and can indulge me in my silliness. Anyway, my time in Silverlake wouldn't be the same without Em and Al, and there's nothing better than walking around the reservoir with them on a Saturday afternoon.

The second time I walked the reservoir, I went by myself. This was a mistake. Firstly, the dog park is really intimidating. You walk by it and there are all these cool people with their cool dogs staring at me because I am the only person in a five mile radius wearing Nike athletic shorts. Don't say that's me being paranoid (Mom); they were totally looking at me with judge-y faces. Also I am sort of afraid of dogs (Anna, one of my bestest friends who lives very far away in Beverly Hills, will happily tell you about the time I ran from two chihuahuas screaming "They're not on a LEASH!!!"). Secondly, the whole point of working out by the RES is so that you can go to LAMILL after. LAMILL (I don't know how to write it any other way, it's in caps on the sign and I don't want to misinform people about the name) is this really fancy coffee shop on Silverlake Blvd. that has this INSANE drink that is called a Mojito but is really just green tea with like, muddled limes and mint leaves in it. This drink is honestly so good and refreshing it's like taking a shower in a waterfall with a beautiful naked man sponging your body gently. Unfortunately, LAMILL is SUCH a swanky little outfit that I am terrified to go in alone. The people that work there sort of ignore you, at least for five minutes or so, if you're not wearing a Steven Alan top or APC jeans. So yeah, I can't go in if I am walking ALONE.  Oh, here are some fun pics of LAMILL from their SUPERCHIC website:

http://www.lamillcoffee.com/experience/lamill-coffee-boutique-silverlake/gallery.html

Thirdly, and the most important reason I should not have walked the reservoir alone, is that I have no sense of direction and managed to get completely lost while never leaving the water's edge and eventually had to call Noelia at work for directions.  What I ended up realizing was that I walked around the reservoir TWICE. Like, I am THAT stupid. I was all "Oh cool! There are two dog parks and two basketball courts and two twin preschools on either side of the water!".  I can't believe I am even typing this it is so goddamn dumb. I was actually sore for like five days after that. The next time I walked the res with Em and Alpal (she might hate this nickname; let's test the waters), a pair of old ladies stopped us and asked how far you've gone if you walk all the way around. I told them five miles and commended them for being so spry. Emily googled it and was like, "Daph, it's 2.3 miles. You lie to old people. Shame on you." Then I had to admit it was because I accidentally went around the water twice and that's why I thought it was such a long freaking walk. But the reservoir really is pretty, there are lovely houses to look at as you stroll, and it's just awesome to be outside.

Oh, one more thing about the Silverlake Reservoir: they just opened up this big field next to the water that they have been growing (cultivating? gardening?) all year and you can go with your friends to lie in the grass or drink wine or throw a football or whatever it is you like to in fields. I love it. I also think I saw Garrett Hedlund there yesterday (I am telling you, rent Country Strong; you won't be sorry) and it was sexy.  And on that note, I think it's time for a walk...