It's Kind of a Long Story... about SKYWALKER

Wookiee veggies are chewy

Hey Drama Goblins,

I learned last week that an acquaintance of mine, a member of the school community when Max was growing up, passed away unexpectedly. I didn't know him well, and hadn’t seen him in years, but he made a very cool thing happen for me.

I’m honoring his memory by telling this story, and also celebrating interactions in our lives that we may forget about soon after they happen, but make a lasting impression on someone else.

I’ve had people tell me about things I’ve done that mattered to them that I have no memory of. I have to remind myself to tell other people when they have done or said something that made an impression on me. My hope is if I do it enough, it will become as reflexive as saying please and thank you.

Of course, it’s not only our kindnesses that land hard and deep, but our thoughtlessness, selfishness, dismissiveness and shortness. There are words that have been ringing in my ears for decades. Things I can never unhear. Actions that can’t be taken back. It’s not as easy to tell people when what they have done or said has made that kind of an impression on me, but I’m getting better at it.

I’m so glad you’re here,

Lara

We Have a Situation

Short Story

I was invited to serve dishes from a cookbook I wrote to the staff at Skywalker Ranch, including George Lucas. He loved my “potato” salad.

Long Story

In the 90s I worked for a small, scrappy publisher in Berkeley. It wasn’t uncommon for the staff to write and/or contribute to the books we published. Equal parts challenged and encouraged by Brenda, our Director of Sales, my co-worker Nina and I collaborated on The Party Girl Cookbook. I thought, “It’s a lark. My mom’ll buy a copy and maybe a few friends will too.” But no lie, the thing sold 30,000 copies and is still in print! It was sold at Target and featured in Modern Bride Magazine. I was flown to Florida for a TV appearance, and Nina and I spent two days in Toronto with our Canadian publisher doing TV, radio, newspaper and magazine interviews. Crazy!

Postcard was def. a holdover from the 20th century, we had email in 2001

About to do a live appearance on Canada AM, breast pump in tow

The book came out in October 1999, the same month and year as my son, Max. I even did a newspaper interview from my hospital bed. It had been scheduled before I went into labor, and when the time came, I figured, “I’m just laying here, I can do it.”

There must have been a catch to my voice because the reporter asked me if I was OK. I said, “I’m OK, but I just had a baby.”

“Oh really, when?”

“About 6 hours ago.”

Did I mention it was an emergency C-section after an induced labor?

I’ve thrown that story in the face of authors I’ve put on tour, “Oh yeah? You don’t want to take a 7:00 am flight? Well, let me tell you about the time I did an interview for my book within 24 hours of giving birth!”

A few years later, it was that combination of work ethic and insanity that made Brenda think I could take on another cookbook project. There was a title, an outline, and a few recipes, but the author had some life shizz come up and couldn’t finish it on time. Could I step in and do it? In six weeks?

Only a crazy person would say yes. I said yes.

The Frugal Foodie Cookbook came out in 2009. I’m super proud of it! It’s got lots of fun and delicious recipes, money-saving tips, quotes and quips. I threw myself a launch party and posted about it on Facebook, and a dad in the school community who was a chef, Steve Simmons, invited me to be part of his cookbook series. On summer Fridays, he invited cookbook authors to come to sign and sell books and he made lunch from their recipes on the outside patio, which just happened to be at… SKYWALKER RANCH! Yes, that Skywalker Ranch.

The specter of George Lucas looms large in Marin County. There’s a statue of Yoda and Indiana Jones in the park he paid for. Folks have neighbors with Academy Awards on their bookshelves from having worked on Lucasfilm films. George is often spotted at a diner or movie theater.

But to get to go to The Ranch? That doesn’t happen every day!

Skywalker Ranch is, coincidentally, at the end of Lucas Valley Road. Suburban Eichler homes give way to rolling hills, and a few miles past the Big Rock, is the entrance to the ranch.

I wish I could say a Storm Trooper was working the guard station, but he was just a regular security guard. I drove passed the Skywalker Fire Department, an honor system veggie stand, hills with grazing Kobe cows (which will become Kobe beef) vineyards (which will become Skywalker wine) and occasional barns and buildings.

I met Steve at The Main House, a Cape Cod-y mansion that like everything on the property, looks like it’s been there for a hundred years. Ever the master storyteller, George Lucas meticulously designed the ranch with a backstory to every building. Everything is intentional. Steve said George once looked out of the window of his office, didn’t like the placement of a large tree, and had it moved.

The Big House is chock-full of movie memorabilia. Light sabers, Indiana Jones’ hat and whip, posters. And also, oddly and sweetly, a large collection of Norman Rockwells.

Steve gave me a tour that included George’s office and the library. The library! It was like something out of Beauty and the Beast! Two floors lined with tall bookshelves, gleaming carved woodwork, a spiral staircase, a huge librarian’s desk where the artists and writers could get help with research for whatever they were working on. There was a copy of the $6,000 Taschen book GOAT about Mohammad Ali that was so big and heavy, it was on it’s own table/stand. I had read about it when it came out and never thought I’d see one. Everything about the library was magnificent.

We sat down in the cafeteria to go over the menu. We decided to make the pizzas on the outside grill, and a couple of sides, then Steve honed in on the recipe for “potato salad” that the original author had insisted stay in the book. It was a weird depression-era dish that substituted saltine crackers for potatoes. I thought it was grody, and not even that frugal (are crackers cheaper than potatoes?) but Steve thought it was hilarious and potentially delicious, “Let’s use Ritz crackers. I love Ritz crackers.”

On the day of the lunch, I got a call from Steve early in the morning. He said, “Lara, we have a situation.”

“What’s up?”

“George will be here today.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you can’t geek out. He pays for his own lunch and carries his own tray and doesn’t want to be gawked at or treated special.”

“No problem!”

I’ve met and seen a lot of celebrities, and liked Star Wars as much as then next guy, but wasn’t a particular fan, so it would be easy for me to keep my cool in the presence of Mr. Lucas.

The lunch was a hit! Steve and his team made my recipes the best they’d ever been. The staff was friendly and welcoming, congratulating me on my book, buying copies and asking me to sign them.

And indeed, I saw George Lucas walk by with his own tray.

Toward the end of the day, Steve asked me to sign two copies for George and his secretary. George had enjoyed his lunch and particularly liked the “potato salad.” I had to laugh. You can take the boy out of Modesto, but you can’t take Modesto out of the boy.

I wish I had photos from this adventure, but there’s a rule at Skywalker Ranch that you can only take photos that you are in. They were into selfies before selfies were cool, and I didn’t have a camera phone back then. I did buy a bag of veggies from the produce stand on my way out, prompting my friend Beth to quip, “Wookiee vegetables are chewy!”

I’m so grateful to Steve for making that experience happen for me. From the outpouring of love and stories I’ve heard since he passed away, he made a lot of magic happen for a lot of people.

May his memory be a blessing.

Lara Sez…

Listen!

80s Deep Cut of the Week! I think of Big Audio Dynamite as “collage” music. A mix of styles and overlapping sounds and clips and samples.

Read!

I read Truman Captote’s In Cold Blood after reading The Swans of Fifth Avenue and was unprepared for how beautiful and effecting it would be. The story is horrific, but told with such insightful observation and compassion. The contrast between the world of the Midwestern murderers in which Tru immersed me as a reader, and the world of high society New York in which he immersed himself is mind-boggling. What a complex, tragic genius.

Eat!

I’m not going to pretend it’s as good as Ben & Jerry’s, but if you’re lookin’ for a sweet treat without a lot of calories, you could do worse than Nick’s. And if you find it for $3 a pint at Gross Out like I did, even better.

Before I let you go…

Win a notebook with the Drama Goblin Urban Dictionary entry:

“Someone who gleefully and unashamedly welcomes and shares (relatively) harmless gossip.”

I ordered ‘em by accident - my good can be your gain!

Two ways to win!

1. Comment below or reply to the email with a thought, suggestion, or words of encouragement.

2. Share this post with someone you think would dig it. Either hit the green button or forward the email and “cc” me: lara@larastarr.com