1937 chevrolet
and so it goes…
i went out to the dia de los muertos show in whittier. safe. familiar. we used to live down the street. better half had been gone three weeks by then.
we also used to go uptown at five in the morning, and find at least a few cars to shoot, people organizing things, etc.
so i park in the public garage just after five, and pull my bag out of the trunk. walking over to greenleaf, nothing there. the street cleaner, spinning his bristles, cruising up and down slowly.
i walk down towards the theater and rick’s. still nothing. now i’m starting to get creeped out. fortunately, the starbucks was open, and let me hang out in there for an hour sipping a bottle of water. not a coffee drinker, so it was a trade-off being cold and leaving vs smelling the coffee fumes.
eventually, i’m wearing out my welcome, and seeing some people starting to head out from casita del pueblo (the host). out in the street, vendors are arriving, but still no cars. i know that rick’s is open now, so i walk down there to have a breakfast i wasn’t hungry for.
eventually, i left to walk back uptown, hoping maybe something has shown up, or i’d be heading home. there are only memories in this town anymore, and it feels strange every time i come back.
luckily, i spied a handful of cars up by the winchell’s. they kept me occupied until others started showing up.
found the bomb club setting up cars on philadelphia, in front of the tarot card reader’s now shutdown shop. i wonder if the old woman that used to sit in the window knew she’d be out of business? always used to joke with my better half that she knew we’d never stop in, as we went to get a slice of pizza from marco polo.
they have a bunch of cars i like to shoot. this one was lovely. i was trying to stay out of everyone’s way, as they set up their ofrendas, as i was super early.
the cameras haven’t been used in a while, and though they aren’t that old, my main camera was acting a little screwy. hoping it isn’t the camera itself, and just some wonky knock off battery issue. they really are if you don’t use them, you lose them, in terms of holding a charge.
anyway, i don’t think as many cars as in the past showed up. the day stayed relatively cool, so i managed to stay long enough to shoot all that i wanted. still, i had been awake since threeish, so by eleven, i was done.
hoping i’ll still have the nerve and desire to continue doing this. it’s just harder and different without my better half by my side. still missing him, and mad at him at the same time, but that’s another story i’ll probably not tell.