At the far end of the Seal Beach Pier, is the All-American Ruby's Diner. Ruby's sign serves as a neon beacon to a fleet of boats transporting workers to and from the coastal oil derricks. My walks along the pier are choreographed to arrive as the Capt T. Le docks alongside the wooden deck. I'm lured by the low rumble of its engine from deep within the bowel of the boat, reminiscent of an American-made V-8. And for the short while it takes the passengers to unload, I'm thousands of miles away in the solitude of a fog shrouded Maine coastal village-the muffled growl of lobster trawlers echoing from one coast to another.