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1939 chevrolet master deluxe

almost called this one big dukey, because of the big banner. then on second thought, definitely didn't think the alternative definition was what i wanted to associate with this car, because the car is gorgeous.

parked up front, near the dj booth and donation tent, i suppose it belongs to one of the club's upper echelon guys. i could be totally wrong, and one of the regular guys just has an awesome car. either way, nice car.

went to huffarama today. shot pics for about six hours. was cold at six in the morning--about forty-four degrees--but it didn't bother me. hot flashes are good for something after all. better half came along, but couldn't handle the cold, and was worried about his mom, so he left pretty quick, and went home.

anyway, hanging out in cucamonga for the night, thinking maybe about swinging by another show i read about tomorrow. it started raining about an hour ago, and will probably continue all night, so that may not happen.

so, plan b...

thanks

1951 chevy deluxe

owner of this car came over to say hi. inquired as to whether i had any interest and/or experience in shooting a car calendar. said he had seven cars and was interested in having a calendar done for his business.

i'm perfectly capable of laying out a calendar, was thinking about doing one anyway, but i suppose i didn't give him an affirmative, confident answer, so he went away. sounded like he wanted something more in-studio, and i don't do that.

thanksgiving. happy. everyone. no turkey here, just some ham. not even a formal dinner, which is nice for a change, and a lot less stressful.

i'm sure my mom went all out for my sister and her friend. leftovers for days, if that's your thing.

i stayed in whittier this year. i offered to make dinner, but better half said he was just going to order food like he does most years. it's just easier, and it was.

missed the stupid crap my dad says, his annual critques of my mom's turkey and the sides. as if he were a food expert, followed by my mom apologizing for everything not being better.

my better half and his mom went over there once for thanksgiving, and got to witness their annual parlay. my dad saying it was bit dry, my mom apologizing for the food dishes, meanwhile, both of them stuffing their faces and wondering what my parents were talking about...the food was delicious.

missed my sister and her friend and their chit chat. he always brings a bottle of wine, which i'll sometimes taste, just to reaffirm my belief that it tastes like piss, and i haven't been swayed otherwise yet. i see her twice a year probably...thanksgiving and xmas dinner, though they live not far, near the beach.

both brothers are with their families out on the east coast. missed my younger brother's stories most of all. he is so funny when he's on a roll, telling tales from his government job. he really should write a book or do stand up. he gets into the character and acts out the situations, which are many times so ridculous, they're hard to believe they're true. but they are.

hoping to see them both in april, when i travel for business.

got out of the house only to go for a walk, but it was late, and we only went as far as the movie theatre and back.

supposed to rain saturday and sunday. prime car show days, and kind of will ruin our plans. on the other hand, we can go to plan b, which will be pretty fun too. >:)

after eight

1936 packard eight

went uptown for dinner. traffic was slightly lighter today, even in spite of passing a rear-ender with ambulance on scene on the freeway—there was no backup of lookyloos for a change, everyone just kept on moving on. people must already be staying home and/or traveling for the holiday.

spent the evening with my better half, talking about his day, my day, this, that, and nothing.

back home, it's almost nine, and i haven't started playing with pictures yet, and not sure i want to stay up to work on one. i am waiting on some laundry, so maybe...

i've shot this packard most everytime i see it. i think this one is my favorite so far. probably just that sun flare that's doing it for me this time.

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.