what's up?

i don't know jack

all work and no play make jack a dull boy. all work and no play make jack a dull boy. all work and no play make jack a dull boy.

all work and no play make jack a dull boy. all work and no play make jack a dull boy. all work and no play make jack a dull boy. all work and no play make jack a dull boy. all work and no play make jack a dull boy. all work and no play make jack a dull boy.

all work and no play make jack a dull boy.

all work and no play make jack a dull boy. all work and no play make jack a dull boy.

yes, i’ve been working too much lately. better half needed a ride to whittier yesterday for some business. just coincided with the car show at ruby’s this time.

i had taken the day off, because we had originally planned to be up that way all weekend. but, his work had too many people out on vacation, so he had to get back home to make up some time.

i could have just worked, but, pfft, i needed a break. feeling a bit like a functional zombie, everyday the same, so stopping to snap some pictures was something i’d been missing.

it wasn’t too hot, but i still turned red. wasn’t as many cars as i remember it used to have, but probably just the typical turnout for end of summer, and fairly early.

i briefly thought of stopping at another show heading home, but i was already tired. how did i used to three or four shows on the way home when we lived in whittier? those were the days…

got a lot going on recently, so i keep being unable to get back to posting. rinse and repeat. maybe this space has outlived it’s usefulness, since it’s being neglected. i don’t know. i am distracted. i’ll think about it.

missing shows due to other things popping up, keeping me from them. woe is me.

there were only a few cars i liked from ruby’s yesterday. this zephyr was very nice.

new beginning

i’m in a mood. things on my mind. gloomy outside. change is in the air.

starting with a new camera and lens. the brownie points program at work has informed us that we were going to have to use it or lose it, as it’s being revamped. they use this instead of just handing out cash when you get commended for working hard.

well, i’d saved up quite a large number of points, and wasn’t about to get screwed over that way, so finally was forced to get something. most of the stuff up for offer is crap, but they do have some slightly out of date camera gear. so i picked up a sony a7r iii body. really not my fave, but sony seems to be moving to this smaller size thing.

then, my birthday was a week ago, so my better half got me a new wide angle lens.

took this set up out for a test drive this past friday, out to ruby’s, since the season has started.

the main feature i hate is the screen doesn’t flip and twist like my old cameras. so when i set it up high on my tripod, i really need to stand on tip toes or a curb to see the screen somewhat. or just shoot blind.

still not too sure about the lens. going to have to shoot some more, and get a bit more pissed at it. at least, my better half says that’s what happens every time i get new equipment.

i think i need to tweak the settings as well. some images came out fairly in focus, and others just missed it. makes me want to bust out the other camera i have in the bag, but i need to break this thing in, while i can still return it.

and the files are so big, i’m going to need a bigger boat, err, hard drive/more back up drives.

i dunno. it didn’t seem to like being pointed into the sunset, as you can see. the lens distorts a bit, so will have to go find a lens profile for it.

next up, in the summer of fun, will be finishing packing, and moving soon. not too far.

one thing at a time. one thing at a time.

labor day weekend

computer still down, but just as well—hanging out at the hospital anyway. mother-in-law took a ride in an ambulance last night.

relatives in town with a little kid, so i guess we will be taking turns watching the kid vs grannie. kid not coming to hospital. fun times.

needless to say, no car shows, no new pics this weekend.

at least my car seems to be working. if the light comes on again, they say the part is four hundred bucks to replace.

——

saw this car at my one visit at ruby’s friday night last month. wasn’t really much there, and was able to get around the cars easily for the most part.

your phaet in my hands

sticking to cars this time. boring everyone with tales from vacation the last few posts.

i shot this car previously at the uptown whittier carshow, on one of the side streets, on a corner. pretty sure there’s a blog post about it, i just have’t looked it up to link it...i’m sure it’d show up on the search page.

here it was at ruby’s friday evening cruise. had a nice chat with the owner, who hadn’t been around at the uptown show, but had seen my pic on instagram or wherever. very nice guy. my memory is short nowadays, but i want to say he’d put new wheels or hubcaps on it, since the previous pic.

countdown

i’m officially on vacation time, but still in town. already had a call from work yesterday, after one coworker realized i was still around. last minute edit to a poster needed yesterday evening. i was busy at the time, and had no access to work files, so got her to contact another designer, who lives closer to the office anyway. problem was solved, tragedy avoided. lol.

really, though, a few more days, and i’m gone, and really on vacation. i’ll be enjoying france and italy, while my better half stays behind with his mother. sucks. at least his niece and nephew will be coming down one weekend, to give him a short break from the monotony.

and for the new readers, no, i’m not planning trips without my better half; i sort of fell into it, taking the place of someone who cancelled on my kid. pretty sure i explained in some other post.

not sure what my connectivity will be over there, so i may not post anything until next month, not like i’m posting daily anymore anyway. i guess i really do need a reason to slow down and sniff the roses right now.

my dad has been in the hospital now, for two weeks, and about to get released to a nursing home for another week or two. pretty sure he will be mostly bedridden for the rest of his life, if he doesn’t partake of physical therapy this time, and really try to get off his ass more. hoping he’s around when i get back from vacation. mom has already said if something happens, it happens, no rush to get back. really.

another story i heard at work the other day:

coworkers were sitting outside at tables, eating their lunch. some guy, with an armload of packages, trips on the sidewalk in front of them. boxes pop open, contents fly everywhere.

turns out it was food.

the guy spends ten minutes scooping stuff back into the boxes with his bare hands, cleaning things up. he goes quickly back to his car with the boxes.

they go back to eating their lunch.

they see him again, this time carrying one of those food service delivery bags on his shoulder. hmm. they say.

he continues into the building. a few minutes later, they see the guy head back to the car with an empty bag, who gets in his car, and drives away.

a few ticks later, the male coworker, thinks, “hmm, did he just make a food delivery? of that food he just dropped?? OMG!!!”

they inquired at the receptionist of our company, when lunch was over, if there had been a delivery, and told the story of what they suspected happened. no one in our office. there are several businesses in our building, so security made some calls.

i think they figured out where it went, and security has footage of the whole food scooping incident, since he tripped right in front of one of the security cameras.

i’m gone from the office now, so won’t learn the rest of the story until i get back, if i even do then, since it was another company. hoping the people in that meeting noticed the extra grit in their meal and stopped eating it.

here’s a studebaker i saw about a month ago at ruby’s on a friday evening. i think i’ve only been there twice this season, and this particular evening was a piss-poor turnout. compared to previous years, there was hardly anything. don’t think there was a holiday, so i don’t know what was going on.

the front of these cars always look like they are smiling, so that’s the way i like to shoot them.

gotta get packing. i don’t know italian. i don’t know french. to quote my better half, who probably stole it from a movie, “i don’t speak french, i only kiss that way.”

one of those weeks

ever feel like you've just gotten through a week, and get shook up and dumped out onto the weekend? but you made it?

ya, that's the one.

getting spread a bit thin, pulled here and there. getting worn, but no where as tired as my better half.

dad was in the hospital again, to start the week off. busy at work. kid had a perfectly timed meltdown when i had the least inclination to deal that hot ball of fun.

my other kid has plans to go to europe, with the wifey, his dad, and her mom. sounds like his dad is going to drop out. he's asking if i want to take a free trip. i dunno. a vacation would be nice, but can i be gone that long? i just don't know. offered up my brother, but they kinda aren't into taking him.

so i'll keep thinking about it, until his dad makes a decision.

at least i've got a wall back up in the kitchen. just no cabinets. or sink.

labor day weekend. maybe i can sneak off to a show or two, get my ya yas out.

------

talked to the owner of this car for a bit. nice convo. he was heading south to la vuelta in san diego the next day. sounded like fun, i'd have gone if i was able.

liked the airbrushing of the gas can, which he was particularly proud of, as it had just been done.

where is everybody?

decided to break up the monotony that is going on for the time being, flitting back and forth between my parents' and whittier, then a few days at my house moving boxes around, and cleaning carpets.

i'd taken my camera with me on friday morning, so that i could hit a show on the way home in the evening. of the three i could pass by on the way, i decided to go to ruby's in whittier. hadn't been there since last summer.

i do realize it would be lightly attended, compared to the first and last show of the season, but i'd never ever seen it so sparse, though i arrived around five pm. of the two aisles that they had blocked off, there were only a few cars parked within. at least for about an hour. it never really did get full like previous years, but that did allow me some ability to get shots i wouldn't have had there been cars crammed together, and a zillion people in the way.

more of the type of cars that i liked did show up eventually, but at the beginning, i wandered around up near the ruby's building.

saw this chevy over by the raffle table. didn't quite get low enough to hide the car next to it, but it is still ok. decided not to just shoot a typical angle, as these bel airs get a little boring after a while.

cinco de mayo

the annual season opening cruise night at ruby's in whittier fell on cinco de mayo this year.

first and last shows here are usually overflowing with goodness on wheels. being that it was a 'holiday' or excuse for a lot of people to get more drunk than usual on a friday night, it did not get as busy as i would have wished.

being that our family member was still in the hospital in the middle of los angeles at the time, i chose not to endure that traffic, and spent the day at home alone, cleaning, working, and running laundry in anticipation of the patient's return.

end of the day, decided to get out of the house, and headed over. i didn't really hit this show that much last year, and figured it would get a few cars i'd like to shoot, in spite of the party day.

i took some pictures, chatted with a few people i hadn't seen in forever (hey dave), and shook the cobwebs from my head.

got home, downloaded the pics, and promptly forgot about them for a couple of weeks. figured i should post one, for the hell of it at this late date.

i mostly have gotten over fifty-seven chevys, as they are quite numerous, but i still love to shoot the fins. didn't do it this time, since i was trying to get the building sign in the shot. that, and the speaker there was a bit loud on the eardrums to stand there for very long.

it was slightly hot out that evening, i started having a hot flash, and my head got swimmy, so i packed it up after about an hour and a half.

rain delay

raining most of this week, so i've been staying at my parents' house, since it's closer to work. the drive is infinitely easier than the drive down the five from whittier any day.

hence, far from my computer, i can't work on new pictures, and must choose from a couple of slightly stale pictures squirreled away just for a rainy day.

this back end will do. fin-like bits and lots of chrome all up in your face. ya, that's the ticket.

hoping the rain really does stay away for the weekend; thinking i'll go shoot some cars at pomona.

bee

1950 oldsmobile

i made it out to ruby's for the first time this season, this weekend as well. happened to have friday afternoon off for a change, so waited to see if my better half to get home, to see if he wanted to join me.

dude needs to get his air conditioning fixed in his car. after his hellish drive home, with the trapped heat of the day and warm wind blowing in through the windows, he was in no mood to go back out. completely understandable. i hate friday evening traffic more than anything—well only slightly more than evening traffic any other day of the week.

anyway, it was about as expected, a month into the season. there were cars. just not a lot of what i like to shoot. there were a few of the old regulars, and a few old regulars, that were not there...hopefully, just because they didn't go that evening, but you never know...

i'd heard the first couple shows of the season had been jammed with cars i'd love, but i just couldn't work them into my schedule. now this thin showing i was experiencing was no suprise to me, and it was fine. i'm still kicking the tires on these new camera bodies, making sure they are working well enough.

in the few lanes of cars, were some cars i'd never seen before, so i started with them. this bright yellow olds, is one of those. well, i just don't see too many oldsmobiles, actually, and i don't recall seeing one of this model.

curiousity brought out one of the owners...the lady of the couple, of course...to ask about my photography. she was delightful, and we had a quick chat. told her i'd post a picture, so here you go.

as she walked away, she brushed a bee off the hood. i hadn't noticed it before, but there it is on the hood in the picture. i'd have shot a close up of it, but too late, it was gone.