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1948 chevy fleetline

today, i'm waiting for my car, getting an oil change and tire rotation. hoping they don't find some other thing wrong with it, which seems to happen every time. sometime during the past week, while driving with the little maintenance light on, and the service message showing, my car hit two-hundred thousand miles, and passed it. i do a lot of driving, but not bad for a ten-year old car, right?

kept my last car for more than thirteen years, until every service was costing me close to a thousand every time. even after one of their guys fucked up and dropped a bolt somewhere in the engine and killed it. they gutted it, and had to put in a whole new engine. idiots.

that car went to my ex for a while, and now it sits mostly unloved in my parents' driveway.

my better half likes to talk about a thirty-nine master deluxe he saw for sale once at a car show. owner had fixed it up for his then wife, put automatic transmission in it, power steering, air conditioning, stereo system, etc.--it was modernized, with a beautiful shell outside. he was upset, because she had changed her mind, and didn't want to drive it. he was having a hard time selling it, since it wasn't original anymore.

sometimes, i think i would enjoy something like that, a hybrid, with the classic look. i hear the old cars are hard to drive, since they don't have power steering. i will need another car eventually, so i half keep an eye open when i'm at shows or the swap meet.

meanwhile, i wait to hear what the damage is with this car. also hoping they run it through a car wash. they remodeled, made the waiting area less comfortable, and management changed not too long ago, so maybe they got rid of that perk.

this car seems to have been waiting on tap here for a while, so i'll post it now. i've been so busy with my work / life lately, i've had little time for my pictures. so far behind doing anything with the last few shows' worth of shots, and hoping they don't join the many years' worth of pictures that will never see the light of day, because there is never enough time, and never will be.

between a master deluxe and a fleetline, i think i'd go with the fleetline every time. i just like the lines and curves of the car more. ask me tomorrow and i may say the same about the other.

saw this one at the crossing foursquare show last month. been there a few times; never sure which clubs will show up, or where they will park. these guys got the back yard. thought i heard someone say they were going to put dukes back there, but i never saw any while i was there.

there were some pesky port-a-potties, that are always fun to shoot around. they add so much to a picture. not. this shot, one was to the right, out of the shot, but still found it's way into the picture in the reflection. just ignore it, now that i've pointed it out.

what are you gonna do? when you gotta go, you gotta go.

especially deluxe: la green eyes

1942 chevrolet special deluxe

sitting uptown in a small eating establishment. no one dining here except me for a long while. i guess since the college kids are gone for the summer... now if they would just turn on the air conditioner, i'd be extra happy. its late enough, just having the front and back doors open, is bringing in a cool enough breeze--as long as i sit still.

better half is at home taking a nap. he's had an exceptionally busy week at work, and had expected to stay late tonight. he said the team he was waiting on said work from took off to treat themselves to dinner, and didn't invite him. they never do; easy to forget the lackey producing all the artwork when he sits on a different floor--out of sight, out of mind. so he promptly said forget you, and came home. he'll do it tomorrow, or at worst work from home.

sorry, no time for a long story. this evening. unless you want to hear about how many biscuits it takes a dog to eat before it blows...and my kid sends a snarky text message thanking me for having to clean up after it at four in the morning...nah. i didn't think so.

seriously, there were several shows advertised last weekend, but the one sponsored by bombs magazine, was the one we went to...they had me at bombs...

got there early, but still too late when the sun seems to be rising at five-fifteenish in the summer. was a hell of a hot day to spend on blacktop. my better half gave out before i did, but no shocker there. i was having fun, even toward the end, but those last couple of rows really tested my endurance. thanks to 39jimbo for that bottle of ice cold water, or i think i would really have had a heatstroke. got to the end of the last row, stood in the shade for a few minutes, and used up the last bit of energy i had before i melted, to get back to where my better half was waiting.

sorry if i took even less time to chat or say hello. i was overheating quickly. maybe i'll just break down and wear shorts for a change. just more skin to burn, but cooler.

still, the sun high in the sky does make cars glow just so, when the light hits them right. saw this fleetline on the way out, and quickly took this shot of it. just, a beauty...

owner says he bought 'la green eyes' in 2014, delivered in 2015 after new years. out for a face lift and back just in time for this show at chicano park in 2016.

welcome to the jungle

1953 chevy bel air

this started off as a completely different write up, but then i read it, and it just sounded lame. well, the usual amount of lameness. so i dumped it.

so i thought, instead of a usual rundown of a car show, i'll pretend i'm marlin perkins, and this is the mutual of omaha's wild kingdom. starring as the poor sidekick that always did the actual animal wrangling, my better half.

sunday. just after sun up, we headed out into the wild lands of industry hills. shhh, be verwy verwy quiet. we're hunting wabbits. no, we're looking for some larger beasts.

told my sidekick, it will be hot, so we will probably leave pretty early. brought my safari hat, so i might be better prepared to hide from the golden orb in the sky. its etched with magical ancient runes, to ward off evil beasts with gaping mouths. i raise my fists in defiance, yelling, or more, thinking, in my head, "bite me, go get your two scoops and leave me alone!"

one of the game wardens at the gate, sent us up a hill, to a distant hunting ground. we unpacked our gear, and heard the roars of the giants in the distance. we walked past some kind of shelters for ye olde fashioned horsepower, and a building that may or may not be used to race some two wheeled variety of animal around in circles.

as we rounded the building, and got our first glimpse of the valley below, i may or may not have heard my better half whisper to himself, "i'm fucked." he really did have other things he needed to do that day, but seeing the bounty spread out below, he knew we might be there a wee bit longer than i said.

side note: at the gate, my better half inquired how much the entry fee was. the woman directing traffic behind us overheard, but slightly wrong. she said, "one-hundred and twenty-five! each!" i forget what incredulous remark he may have said, but he was ready to leave. i shook my head no, and the girl in front of us, holding the cash box kinda shrugged awkwardly. another woman came out from behind a curtain, saying "no, no, no! twelve dollars, each."

better half figured out later, that the big number was what they charged vendors, that the girl didn't know what was what at that point in the day...we were a bit early, before official open time...and the other lady was spot on with the spectator fee.

we thought it was funny. anyway, we got our black bracelets, and felt like tagged animals...easing back into character here...

we decided to split up, better to encircle the unsuspecting prey. it became apparent, that it was the other way around—we were surrounded. beast were lounging everywhere, in the shade, in the sun, many being rubbed, err soothed by smaller species.

the small animals seemed keen on attracting attention. they are known to sometimes collect shiny objects, to attract the females' attention. the females may pretend not to notice, but they do. they do.

we began shooting, almost immediately, but the beasts have surprisingly thick, tough skins, and it was if they did not even notice or feel our presence. they stay where we shot them. there were so many, we had to move quickly.

occasionally, one would rumble past, causing us to jump out of the way, but really more of a threat posture than an actual threat.

the sun was going higher in the sky, some of the beasts had strong odors, hot metallic smells, animals dying a slow death. they needed a cool drink, or else other larger beasts would come and drag them away.

the herds were clumped in packs, with sometimes a lone animal nearby.

i spied this brightly colored animal, with it's pack, on the far side of the field. it reclined under this feeble tree, in a futile attempt to stay cool. it just sat there, and i shot it. i shot it several times. and i would do it again...

join us again, next time. for another edition of the mutual of omaha's wild kingdom.

ok. that was kinda stupid, but i dont feel like starting over. thank you for your patience.

no pressure or nothin’

chopped mercury

a while back i mentioned that they asked me at work, if i would be able to consult or maybe even shoot portraits of management types at the office. and then it never happened. next big event, they hired the outside guy to shoot it. fine by me; didn't want to deal with that many big cheeses from all over the states, in one setting, much less one after another. that would be dealing with a lot of people and my little introverted circuits would be overloaded pretty quickly. and i shoot cars, not people.

well, i guess the usual guy that shoots quick and dirty stuff is out of the office this week. says he has an ulcer. that didn't take long; he's only been there a year or two. j/k. sucks.

so the public relations girl asks if i might be able to take a picture of someone who is visiting the office tomorrow, if i could bring in my camera...not sure where the company camera is, but most likely its a canon or nikon, and i'd be pretty dumb using it, not knowing my way around either one. her existing picture is fuzzy/blurry. i have a kick-ass hundred millimeter macro, so i think i can do better.

i've had to go back and review all the class notes and the book i studied on doing portraits, and did a crash sitting with my better half being my test subject. i think it'll be ok. only thing to worry about really is that the room they'll have me shoot in has windows on two sides and an obnoxious orange wall on the other. hoping they know where the green screen might be hiding.

i could take her outside, in natural light. just pretend she's a car, and aim for her headlights, i mean her eyes, not her hooters.

speaking of green, this car was pretty bright. i wonder if i could use it to strip in other backgrounds, like the memes have been doing with the queen elizabeth birthday pictures and that bright green suit she was wearing.

i thought the shot straight from the camera was pretty clean, so i only kicked the pixels a little bit.

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.

schwetty

1950 chevy deluxe

i know, i know. i owe some people pictures of their cars from the last few shows. patience grasshoppa.

got up early and headed over to the car show at the crossing / four square church. roll in wasn't until eight, but i was there at seven. hoped to at least shoot the host clubs' cars. was there early, also, hoping to get in and out before the temperatures rose too high. 

well, being a bright and mostly cloud free day, it was already warm at seven, and quickly heated up. quite a change from last weekend. i'll take overcast any day. 

i'm curious how this show is run. they said it was their tenth annual show. it's near home, so easy to leave and go back, if i fill up my memory cards.

i've been to at least three, and i think a different club has hosted each year. this year was hosted by kustom oldies. they seemed efficient enough, but while i was only there until about ten thirty, and the lot did mostly fill up, it lacked a lot of the cars and clubs that i'd expect to be there.

i wrote it off to people being at the la roadster show at pomona, or one of the other nearby shows. i briefly thought about going to one in la habra, then after chugging a bottle of water in the shade where my car was parked, called my better half, instead, to see if he'd been called in to work—no—and if he wanted to go get lunch. so i did that instead.

i went round the parking lot four or five times, following the changing light and shooting new arrivals.

saw this chevy there. loved the color. the owners stopped me for a moment, wondering what i do with the pictures. the wife seemed interested in getting a t-shirt or something with a picture on it. sure i know a vendor that does shirts, mugs, stamps, lots of junk. as usual, told them to wait and see if they like the picture first. i liked this one best.

oh, better half reminded that i should mention that i got another five pictures in the oc fair again. two cars, a hood ornament, a portrait, and a landscape. i try to mix it up sometimes. and again, he says, i'm already a winner, just to have something to hang at the fair; a ribbon is just icing.

fine

1963 chevy impala

i'm back. i did finally leave the house, and go to my mom's.

better half started blasting the room i was in with lysol, while i was trying to eat dinner. sense of smell is intricately locked in with sense of taste, and since i think lysol reeks of vomit, it was going to ruin my dinner, that he had so graciously walked uptown to get me. i was afraid the next step was that he was going to go stand behind his mother's wheelchair, with her in it, and draw a circle of salt around them, and start shouting, "thou shall not pass!"

seems the only thing we ever have difficulty with is coping with germs around his mother when we're ill and who would kick the other's ass—underdog vs mighty mouse.

everyone's fine, btw.

loved the color of this car, and how the light was hitting it.

countdown

ford hot rod

saw a couple of these hot rods down the street earlier. the lady directing staging made them move before i could set up a shot, then they moved again.

found them here on my way back up the street. not my typical car to shoot, but sometimes, i just do. maybe it was just the light.

do you think this looks ok? i think the last few pictures might need to be reworked. i've been experimenting with my process, and they've been a little too dark for my taste. pushed this one more toward what i used to do, and i like it a bit better.

less than an hour until game of thrones...eeeeee!

i wandered uptown to get lunch. figured if i got too out of it, i could just uber back the few blocks to the house. i was ok. hardly coughed at all. sun came out on the way back, so had to take off my jacket.

figured i'd get the work out before i play. got something ready for work, washed some laundry. watched some videos...educational, and youtube...wasting time. better half and his mom got home.

better half treating me like i'm deathly ill, but i feel fine, just sound like i'm possessed just a tad. now i'm slathered with icky sticky vicks goo. smells great, but it makes you chilly, like a cool breeze blowing across my chest, and my shirt is stuck to me. so gross.

sick

1936 oldsmobile

ugh. perfect weekend overcast, lots of car shows running today, and here i sit, coughing up a lung. oh well.

better half took his mom out to downtown disney. don't have passes anymore, but it has been a long time for a disney fan to be away, and she wanted to go shopping. probably better to keep her away from me. lol.

i'm hungry, so i'll probably put on a jacket and zombie walk uptown to find something to eat. don't feel like calling dominos or cooking whatever might be in the fridge or pantry.

feels better to sit up rather than lay down, so i'll probably type up notes from my classes or work on some more pictures. take a wild guess what i'll probably do...killing time until game of thrones is on...

this pic has been sitting here for a while, so i'll just post it now, then get back to the whittier car show shots.

chicano park show, barrio logan. should they just call it the pachuco car club show? the last few years, they seem to line up all of their cars down this side of the street. it's their hood. they can.

©2025 kathy gonzalez