what's up?

a smattering

just gonna throw some random pics up here from the other day. basically straight from the camera, one-offs, hand-held. perhaps i should post more of these random shots i take, to get a better feel of a show, usually from staging or roll-in, early before the people get there.

what i usually observe is controlled chaos. at santa anita, it seemed a bit more tightly set, so the horses' safety. don't want to spook them with loud music, sirens or engines.

up through the tunnel, came the gladiators, er, i mean the cars. hoping to win the three-hundred dollar top prize, but most just there for the fun of it.

i gotta go

one of the many things i hate about this old place we live in, is that there is only one bathroom. my sister-in-law just got in for a shower. i just woke up. i gotta pee something fierce. lol. not thinking about it while i type here. the sound of that running water tho...

one of the many things i like about this old chevy is that tattered old window shade. this looks like they just pulled it out of some grandpa's garage after fifty years. i like that it has dents and crusty windows, aged with perfection.

i'd be worried about the suitcase flying off on the freeway, but i'm sure that bracket is holding firmly against that back skirt--it ain't going anywhere.

and neither am i. staying in whittier for fourth of july, though there is a perfectly good fireworks show fairly close to my place in the oc. better half is here, the only reason i am too.

...gotta go...the shower just stopped...

at the races

bomb club finally got their day at the track, to make up for the rain cancellation from cinco de mayo.

i hadn't been to santa anita in years, and though i drove as far around the lot as i could when i arrived, until i came up to some cones blocking the way, i could not find any classic cars.

i was there early, but got out and walked past the empty 626 night market, down to where a security guard told me to go out, and follow the green line to gate six, further than i had gone before. basically, the opposite side of the park.

this time, i was able to keep going, since the cones had been moved. found the cars, parked up close. took a few pictures and a few videos before they said i could go down into the tunnel to the infield too.

was great to see all the cars in a new venue. same cars, different place. perfectly fine day, even if it did get hot and sunny fairly early.

i'll post a few, though i know most people don't bother reading this, and stick to the pretty pretty pictures on instagram, without the extraneous blather.

i almost didn't go either. had a backache all day, the day before. sat around and did nothing all day, and it still hurt. got up when the alarm went off, and it still hurt, but figured, maybe if i got up and moved around at a show, it would go away, and i'd be distracted. it worked, as usual. i did feel it, but was able to ignore it, and focus on the cars, and only had to worry about getting water, and taking breaks in the shade. thank goodness there was a cool breeze.

sultry

during the course of the two hours i was at the anti-bomb show, i felt welcomed, both personally and as a photographer. the people that know me, greeted me with hugs, the others were very friendly.

i, of course, was slowly dying from the heat, and bartering in my mind how long i could stay, vs how red i was willing to let my skin get. top it off with a hot flash while standing in the shade, and an instant slick of sweat on my face, and that feeling of that one drip sliding down my spine, pretty much sealed the deal, and had me considering buying an ice cream from the little ice cream cart vendor.

i wanted an ice cream sandwich, but those get too messy with the chocolate on the fingers, so then decided on a bomb pop. nope, he didn't have the one i wanted, so passed on the ice cream.

was heading over to the hosts' door, where everyone seemed to be hanging out, to buy a bottle of water, when my friend from the veteranos offered me one. that guy saves me every time. gotta pay him back with a case and a print of his car one of these days.

this car is simple and clean. i just like the angle in this shot, not too distorted by the lens.

melting

nice to look at pictures from the winter months, and think how cold it was, or the rain and the clouds, on a sweltering day like today.

really hate summer. in whittier. no air conditioning in this house. fuck.

i like how this picture turned out. i want those clouds in the sky. not just for the added drama, but simply because california blue skies are boring.

was sitting in traffic on the way home today, listening to the news on the radio about how the latest way state government is trying to twist the truth and bend taxpayers over a barrel—squeal like a pig, boy. wheeeeeeee! started thinking where else would i move, if i ever decided to leave this place. not really sure.

figured i'd have to schedule some reconnaissance vacation time in various cities, at different times of year. don't want to end up in florida like my brothers, and then act all surprised by the weather and hurricanes and bugs and gators.

i'm thinking someplace cold. just walk out into the snow and disappear. maybe not into a little cabin, typing out my silly manifestos here. i ain't that crazy.

rain is nice too. barefoot in the mud.

maybe i just have a travel bug without the funds or the better half to cure it.

drop off

did anyone even notice i haven't been out and about much lately? not posting as much? well, maybe not. it's sort of an out of sight, out of mind relationship, right?

i have posted from elsewhere when i'm out of town, like a squirrel with pictures squirreled away for those days.

the usual song and dance: been busy, tired, sick, burned out, taking care of our healing resident patient, some cooking, some cleaning, some baking. just not a whole lot of photography going on here. just busy living life, or just vegging out...in some semblance of balanced way.

do i miss it? yes. can i live without it? reluctantly. there are priorities, right? but it is one of the few ways i get any exercise, so it's bad for my health not to get my ass out of bed and out to a show. i see a few coming up, that i very much look forward to each year. i've already missed a few, so will really try and go, if possible.

anyway, all i've done so far today is to get out and drop off my entries for the oc fair and walk around the swap meet there. better half was able to escape the house for a couple of hours, before his mother woke up, and his sister was left to take care of any immediate need. rare treat for him to get out, and also not to drive—simply being a passenger is nice sometimes; the ability to just take in the sights you can't pay attention to while being the driver, should not be overlooked.

time for chatting, just us, which has been in short supply for a while. not quite a date, but still time spent together lately is rare.

shot the back end of this impala, only because it belonged to tudy's friend. they'd stopped by and said hi earlier, just down the street from here. the friend asked if i'd shot it yet? no, didn't think so. told him i'd go check it out, which i did right away, before i forgot about it.

found the car, with the hood up. umm. bugger. decided it's the back end that has the identity anyway, so took this shot, just so i could say yes, yes i did, if i ran into the guy again.

went back past it later in the afternoon, before i went to find lunch, but the guy was no where around, and the hood was still up, so, oh well.

rimshot

here's ron's 'burban again. pretty sure i've posted one or two others over the years. i've noticed little tweaks to it each time i see it.

these rims aren't entirely new, and i've seen them on it before, but not sure if i've posted it with them. so simple and clean, with minimal color-coordinated pinstriping.

last couple of times i've seen him out at shows, he's been driving his beauteous fifty-nine impala. and i admit, i am more partial to that than this car, but this is nice too. sort of sounds like someone saying the big girl has a nice personality, when you think about it, in a twisty sort of way. might just be me.

lost weekend

clean truck from the uptown show. not the first time i've shot it, but this is definitely one of my favs. shiny like candy.

mostly been sitting in the house, avoiding the sun, helping my better half help his mom. did not go to any car shows. i've seen pictures from one of the shows i might have gone to, and am only slightly bummed i missed it.

i have walked uptown a couple of times, driven my car once, that's about the extent of escaping for short periods of time. so hot outside, makes me feel like my head is on fire when i have a hot flash on top of that...maybe it's time to cut my hair.

i hear my sister-in-law is about to be a gramma for the third time, today, so maybe she'll come back here in a day or two. crossing my fingers. really hate working from home, when i actually have work i need to do...the connection to the office is sooooo slooooowwww, and only sees one of my screens, so i have to work on everything in small windows. PITA.

probably won't go see my dad today, father's day, since that would take me out of the house for a minimum of three hours. i took him out to eat last week, and i'll see him in a few days, when i am free to go back to the office too. happy father's day, dad, whenever you happen to lurk here.

found a picture from when i was a kid, on an old computer. i think i used it as a wallpaper at one time, before they put a standard wallpaper on the computers at work.

there's my little bro and his friend, skippy, holding a big damn bullfrog that i found in a swamp, under a board. they caught it, and brought it home for my mom to take a picture. all the guts, all the glory, but i think i was mad, since i had found it in the first place.

look, look, i had a pissed off face even then, so don't take it personally, ok?

if

i'm helping my better half this weekend, taking care of his mother. not sure if i'll get to any shows. might be a long night.

it's possible i may if i go to the closest show—foursquare church—and if i go first thing, before she wakes up. we'll see. i may get there, only to have to turn around quickly and head back home.

i still have plenty of pics from the uptown show i haven't had a chance to consider.

like this one. was parked in staging, waiting for them to let the cars in. took a set of pics before this shot, just a normal stance. then the owner, i think that guy there, stepped in to the frame, and dropped the car down like this.

it did look better this way, thanks.

adult beverages

i was heading back to the house when i noticed the bridgetown guys parked over on bailey street, near the barber shop, the one with the motorcycle in the window. it was getting pretty warm by then, so i was taking a break in the shade, leaning on the wall.

couple of the guys noticed, and offered me an adult beverage. no thanks, don't drink. another guy offered water, but i was ok, almost home, so declined.

asked if they were going to pomona the next day, as i know from experience, they are usually the first club there by the grandstands every time.

they laughed, and said that some of the guys would be there, but doubted they themselves would make it, at least first thing. by then, one of the guys seemed to recognize me, another asked for a card.

anyway, thanks for offering the drink(s); if i was going to keep going, i would have taken you up on it.

pretty sure i've shot this fleetmaster elsewhere, but thank you sir, may i have another?