what's up?

floppy

1947 pontiac

pontiac from the fundraiser at the broiler. looking for something different to shoot. had this one ready to post, so it'll do, this fine, rainy monday. pretty sure i'd find it in my files from other shows, if i searched.

out of the office for an appointment. there's a potluck and i'm not in the mood to participate. just want to do my time and go home.

stopped for something to eat on the way back, since my stomach was growling about all the water i'd been drinking, and not enough food. ordered a combo burrito. was given the most flaccid burrito i've been served in my life. wasn't wrapped tightly, and pretty sure it was just really watery beans and cheese with no meat at all. maybe all the beef had drowned and was resting peacefully at the bottom of the tortilla, beneath the refried porridge. felt like i was holding a warm, loaded diaper. yum.

guess i'll head back to the office. i've taken an early lunch, and will skip the potluck.

victory

victory motorcycle

went uptown to see doctor strange first thing this morning. not my better half's kind of flick, so went and sat in the theatre with the other five people that were there to see it, with a big bucket of popcorn and big coke. tomorrow. tomorrow, i'll stop drinking the stuff. that's what i'll say until it actually happens.

after, got a refill of popcorn for my mother-in-law, and beat the rain home. must have been quite the sight waddling past the restaurant, with all the cowboys fanboys standing outside, with my giant popcorn in one hand and giant coke in the other. ended up dumping the drink soon after getting home, so one less drink for the day.

xmas tree has big balls. and small balls. no sign of elves yet, but have no fear, they will invade the tree shortly.

relatives are getting ready to leave soon. i've tempted the baby girl with homemade chocolate chip cookies the last couple of evenings. she's loud, but shy. we bonded yesterday, and she'd take them; today, she really wanted one, but wouldn't take one from me, and instead went and got her mama to get it for her. i think i'll send them home with them. no one here will eat them, except me. i only wanted the cookie dough. i guess i'll foist them on my coworkers tomorrow.

saw this bike yesterday at danny boy's fundraiser at big boy. they were collecting money and toys to help out one of their kids with cancer, and to send toys to the hospital, for kids that have to spend the holidays there. they all gathered for announcements, and one of the biggest prayer circles i've seen at a show.

took this shot before they did all that. i was shooting a car nearby, and the owner revved his bike engine. thought he was taking off, but no, just wanted the attention. seemed to be a solo driver, and i haven't seen a victory bike in a while, so i took a few pictures.

he seemed happy to have been noticed.

there’s a line

1939 chevy master deluxe

so, here's the thing: i go to the shows to take pictures of the cars, meet people, and have fun. been going out there for more than five years now, so i'm slowly becoming acquainted with a lot of the owners and photographers.

as i've mentioned before, there are a few that just have that personality and i'm comfortable getting/giving a hug, or shaking hands when i see them. one hug is normal, is good, i don't mind.

i do mind the dude who came around for a second hug yesterday, initially, thinking it just a joke, because i'd run into you again, but ending with 'accidently' brushing/cupping my ass with your hand, and kissing my hair, that was just rude.

then later, calling me over, in front of your club members and saying what you said, i could take it one of two ways: one, a stupid, but innocent joke, poorly delivered; the other prettily put in it's crudeness, and not as a joke. i think i know which you meant, and no thanks. do lines like that really work in real life? holy crap, if they do.

it was not funny, and your boys did not laugh, though i'm sure they heard. i hope they gave you shit for it afterwards, and not high fives. i do not deserve that disrespect from anyone at a show, much less from someone i've run into many times over the years.

perhaps you were drunk, that early in the morning, but you didn't smell of beer. don't do it again. in fact, just stay away from me. you know better, and you know my better half would have no problem having a chat with you.

i chose to just walk away, because i don't like to make a scene, and if it was a reaction you wanted, wasn't going to give it to you, at least not then. no drama.

thought about it all night though, and just needed to vent here, so there's your reaction. hope you recognize yourself, and apologize. all i have to say to you in the future is nothing, if i even bother to go anywhere near you or your club's cars.

i choose to have fun and keep shooting pictures. i choose to throw you in that box with richard, and not think of you at all.

thanks for the flyer, but no, i will not be attending the classic dreams' toys for kids cruise.

beautiful day, otherwise, yesterday for shooting. made it to two shows: duke's la habra toy drive, and the danny boy fundraiser at bob's big boy.

sky was full of passing clouds. supposed to rain sunday and monday; so, happy about that. made for more interesting pictures.

first saw this car back in 2013. chilo's car, i think, probably still is. the story i remember hearing was that it was a family project car; time spent sanding and sanding, using flour to find the blems, and more sanding, before all the coats of paint. nice to see it's still around.

baby blu

chevy truck

two hours into my friday trek home, and i had to stop to peeeeee. the daily drive is getting ridiculous, but i do not know what can be done about it, except to look for a new job and/or work from home, stay at my mom's more often or kick my kid and his wife outta my condo. and then, there's my better half, who is the whole reason i make the trip anyway. god damn, i must really like him, to put myself through the drive.

sitting in a random pizza joint, already off the soda wagon after two days, drowning my sorrows, after relieving my kidneys.

supposed to rain this weekend. really hope it does. thinking i need to upgrade my website to a newer version of service...already a couple versions behind. not looking to redesign it, just to catch up with the customer support, and editing and statistics apps. just will take time that i don't want to spend to figure it out and do it. probably would be required to use the platform's template vs my design. maybe it's a good time to tweak tweakedpixels anyway.

i've seen this truck many times before. liked it sitting here, in the shade, while the owner chatted nearby with his friends.

it's a harley, dahlink

harley davidson

away from home tonight, so i'll just put this one up.

took several angles of this bike, which are all just fine, but i thought this angle was just more interesting. not an extraordinary bike, but it was clean, and sitting off mostly by itself momentarily. not long after, the owner moved it in with the crowd of cars, where i never would have bothered shooting it then.

been busy as usual at work. i've been trying to squeeze in a walk before work, or climbing nine flights of stairs if i can. my legs hurt from sitting all day; i should get out for an afternoon walk like i used to, just block out some time on the work calendar and go.

really need to try an experiment and go cold turkey on the coke and/or pepsi. i like my caffiene bubbly and on ice, but it comes with a lot of sugar, which my body is apparently just converting into ass, boobs and belly. i could say i let myself go, out of some bizarre curiosity to see what i'd look like "with a little meat on my bones," same way i'd just see how long my hair would grow, but that would just be an excuse.

better half isn't complaining, but i'd like to be able to bust a lot of my old clothes out of storage, if i lost a few inches.

i spent a good part of a year working in what we called the dungeon, at a previous employer. was a huge project, with multiple companies working together, day and night. they kept a steady supply of snacks and soda, to keep the captives, er, employees, happy and working.

i used to joke, that i could just sit and mainline/iv drip the coke twenty-four/seven. was easier then; i was only a hundred pounds and burned those junk food calories without even trying.

i will miss it. i will be tempted every day, and it's just so easy to get my hands on the stuff.

gonna change to water. but it has to be ice water, to top off the ice water in my veins.

says the girl who chugged a coke whilest typing this missive...

toy drove

1954 chevy bel air

i wasn't feeling up to it, but i went anyway. whittier narrows isn't far from home, so i figured if i got too wobbly, i could just head out. better half had stuff to do around the house, so he didn't go. waited until one to head over, hoping to miss the worst of midday heat. cool enough in the shade.

many times, if i just get out of the house i do perk up. tell myself just go with it, and i'll be ok. and so i was. vague stomach ache, but i ignored it.

brought a toy for the donation pile. looked like they had a good haul. wasn't hungry, so skipped the free meal they were trading for it.

saw a few guys i've gotten to know a little over the last few years. one offered me a fresh cooked hamburger, but wasn't brave enough to attempt a hamburger yet.

one wandered over and asked when i was going to send him pictures from some past show i'd promised to send him. he said the whittier evening cruise, which i argued i'd never been to. i run into him often, so i'll have to look through other whittier shows to see if it will jog my memory. would help a lot if he would just send me an email.

speaking of email...i've responded to several emails lately, and never hear back. guessing they're going to junk mail. i always answer, one way or another, so please do look there.

the turnout was fine, but the location was sort of dusty. nearby fields, especially where i parked were really very dusty, not good on a windy day for cameras. i feel like i have a fine layer of dirt all in my pores.

i took a bunch of pictures. still missed some, due to people being in the way, or too tightly parked or just a bad angle in relation to the sun. that's ok, i've seen many of them before, and hopefully will again.

when i was about done, went out to the street, to shoot this car and the fleetline in front of it. had to wait for a group of kids to move, or actually be told to get out of the way.

couple of guys nearby. one says he's seen my pictures before online, thinks they're great—thanks! other guy was the owner of this bel air. said it was rare because the spare wheel and cover were real original to the car, and that most are recent additions. he's owned this since ninteen ninety seven, i think he said.

he asked the usual questions, including when they might be posted. he asked, so i told him i'd post his tonight. promise kept...what do you think?

good day, sunshine

chevy truck

another early morning shot from the showlows show at st hilarys. i think this is a dukes' truck, at least it was parked near a bunch of their cars. decided i liked this one better than the shot with the sun's rays glaring into the lens this time—the lens flares were going straight down the middle, and not that interesting.

queue the violins...

i've done nothing so far this weekend. yesterday all i did was sleep and deal with stomach issues. i don't know what it is that i get through the work week just feeling meh, only to get to saturday, and feel ick.

i had plans. i had wanted to go to the latin gents/dukes toy drive. it was wonderfully overcast here by the house, and assumed it might have been in cypress as well. the show was from one to seven in the evening, which would have been nice for a change.

instead, i watched the awesome sunset from the couch, and wished i had just gone anyway. oh well. judging from only one photographer's pics posted on instagram, looked like it was a good show, and that they had collected lots of toys.

only left the house once yesterday, for a late lunch. walked uptown. sometimes if i just get out and walk, whatever it is goes away. not this time. was tempted to call my better half to come get me, but i toughed it out, and walked back home, but not very quickly.

not feeling one hundred percent today. but i am hoping to go to the viejitos show over by legg lake—at least that is only fifteen minutes from home vs half an hour+ to cypress, if i start feeling queasy.

hump day

1947 chevy fleetline

happy hump day. weekend is coming, but not soon enough.

another from the dia de los muertos show. a viejitos car, i think; not sure which chapter. i wouldn't mind driving one of these, if only it would fit in the garage.

like the reflection of the car next to it too.

so begins toy drive season. i have mixed feelings. i've grown into a real grinch at xmas time over the last dozen years, bitching and moaning about the overflowing decorations around this house, and how early the stores start each year. one year, when i still lived in my condo, everyone just left me alone, i didn't buy anything, and woke up xmas morning when i felt like it...and i was perfectly happy about it.

i had even put up a small, live tree carcass and threw decorations on it, from when my kids were little, from a time long ago and far away, and no one ever even saw it except me, not even my better half. i do like the scent of the trees, and it reminds me of growing up back east; missing the forests.

i go to the toy drives to shoot the cars as usual, but i'm not going to bring a gift; i only grudgingly and with much difficulty shop for my own family...i hate shopping...but i will donate cash. i have to trust that the clubs do use it for a good cause and not just a round of beer for everybody.

how'd that happen?

crown imperial

if you think i'm gonna talk politics here, that'd be a yah, nah.

i was just thinking of one of my better half's tales from car shows. my better half usually will tell a story reinacting the situation or imitating people if they're memorable. this was several years ago, when people did not know us from any other person visiting a show.

one of his favorites involves him chatting with a car owner about random things, photography, the weather, whatever, and me, once the guy realizes he's my better half. as my better half tells it, in his best reinactment of a homie...he has it down pretty good, as his cousin used to try and act like a gang banger...he assumes the posture, uses the hand gestures, and says in a grizzly, hoarse voice, "oh, really? how'd that happen?" he swears he's not making it up, or any of the other stories he tells me.

i can look at the guy's comment in many different ways, each one funnier than the other.

anyway, it somehow relates to how the celebrities are reacting today. so stupid, as if i care. they wouldn't care what i think, why should i give a rat's ass about their opinion?

life gives you lemons...make lemonade. it's short, get on with it.

random hood ornament, from a random show we found on our travels...

flat

1959 chevy impala

had a hard time getting up and out of the house today. just feeling out of it. finally decided to get dressed around noon, and head down the street to the show at the high school, a fundraiser for the football team. it was poorly advertised, as school shows go. only noticed a couple of flyers taped to business windows uptown, in alcoves, not the best locations to be seen.

i hadn't been to a show at the high school for several years; that one had been for the baseball team, and had way more cars, and of the types i cared about, so i had high expectations for this show.

this show had a disappointing majority of muscle cars vs the bombs i look for, but since this was a football fundraiser, that would be the crowd i'd expect to find. seemed to have been a tent with someone signing autographs in the midst of the new model mustangs, but i have no idea who it may have been.

did enjoy watching some dude in a mustang not paying attention, while wanting all the attention, driving into the parking lot, and somehow managing to drive over a parking block with a bang. took a whole group of guys to help direct him off the thing without doing damage to his side panel.

there were a few cars from each of a few clubs we were familiar with, and my better half and i were greeted with "about time you showed up" from more than a few people. they're more used to seeing us at sunrise i guess.

spent about an hour and a half at the show, before i overheated and we'd shot most of the stuff we liked.

this little detail is from ronnie's fifty-nine impala. its late—i'll have to add a picture of the car some other time.

after the show, i had to go deal with a flat tire on my car. like, one thing has led to another since my car got hit last month. i don't know why. got it to the tire store, and they found a nail in it and patched it up, so i guess that will be good for a while.

then we went out to see about getting the alarm on the car working right again, but they were getting ready to close and aren't open tomorrow. so that may take another week before i get it fixed.

stopped by my parents' house the other day. they recently got a new used car to replace their old one that had been totaled in minor accident. had just gotten it registered, since the dmv had been downed by a hacker in their system, and they finally felt able to drive it.

apparently my dad was backing up in a parking lot, had looked once for anyone behind him, and started to back up. either he didn't see the other car coming up behind him, or they didn't notice him backing up, and now the new car is back in the same shop that totalled the other car.

my mom said he just wasn't used to the height of the brake pedal in the new car. i think it is more his reflexes are getting slower and he can't lift his leg so high or quickly. still can't talk him out of giving up driving; it's one of the last things he has that gets him out of the house. anyone that has ideas on how to convince an old person its time to give up driving, please let me know.