what's up?

alex

out to st hilary's very early this morning, before the sun came up. watched a few cars head in before i got outta the car. so by the time i was shooting my first car, the sun was peaking out already.

got through two batteries before i got to this car. either they're going bad or i haven't been using them enough. more like the latter.

told him i'd post a picture of his car. he said he'd painted it himself, and knew it wasn't quite perfect. so it is good enough, your car doesn't have to be pristine to get a picture.

i used to help my dad sand his car every year when i was a kid. he always painted it some sort of steel blue, using some giant compressor he got from the navy scrapyard or something. not shiny, but did the trick.

owner of this car apparently has seen my pictures before, and probably reads this here blog, as he offered me a water pretty quickly. it was a hot day, and i was about ready to go find one and/or head out to eat. that helped a lot, i was getting pretty shaky about then.

so thanks for the water, alex. nice to meet you.

piece by piece

so i went out to this show last weekend, after not having been out anywhere for a month. it was good, i had fun. i also did something to my knee.

don't think it's a sprain, more of a strain. i felt it when it happened...not a snap, more like a slip of something, when i was standing back up from a crouch on a low shot. i can still walk and stuff, but if i bend it too far, or have to get on the floor to look in a low cabinet or what have you, oh that does not feel good.

hoping to get to two local shows this weekend, one being just up the street. perhaps it means no low angles, but as long as it doesn't get in the way of pulling my gear. not even going to think about my arms and their inexplicable soreness. maybe i'm getting arthritis, but happening suddenly, over the last few weeks, i doubt it.

saw this car, just as the sun was trying to burn through the clouds. no idea if it was found this way, or was 'aged' for advertising purposes. still sort of cool as it is.

stylish

this car has an interesting color combo; it really stands out. hope the judges came round to the back lot to inspect all of the cars hiding back here.

i really have nothing to say just now. or rather, i could, but you don't want to hear it.

took a quick walk uptown with my better half and his mother...she actually wanted to get out of the house today. so uptown in her wheelchair she goes, with us tagging along behind her.

stopped in the little old bookstore, or whatever they call it now—they're moving out of town in a week, books are on sale; they both spent half an hour looking through the books. i got tired and sat down.

then they kept rolling further uptown, but didn't get very far. she wanted to go into the not ninety-nine cent store to look around. i was feeling a bit off and knew that was going to take a while...she has to look at every little thing...so took my better half's keys and went home. he'll call when they need to get in the house.

they're still not back. my head hurts, so i'm glad i left. i'm happy she's out and about though, and her back is currently not hurting. weather is perfect, and life is short. enjoy it.

got out

went out to the old memories show this morning. close enough, so that if i didn't feel good, i could get home quickly. on my own, i waited until the sun was already coming up, as it was overcast and there wasn't going to be any dramatic lighting happening.

this one was down the street on the corner, and i wasn't sure if it was going to be moved later, so i walked over and shot it first. love me a master deluxe. this one is a beauty.

i did manage to stay and shoot pictures for about three hours, with a break after a couple. the sun came out, and i started to overheat. sat in the auditorium to cool off. really wanted a water, but didn't want to buy a ticket, i assumed for the entire breakfast, which i didn't want.

the front lot got too packed, and so many people in the way, so i made my way to the back parking lot. veteranos parked back there, and no people in the way after they all went off to eat.

i was done after that, and packed it up and called it a day. went home and took a nap.

rag-ged

back at work, and had to do a photoshoot today of some exec types. so out of practice, and had to think for a minute on how i set up lights before. had to use a different room, but that worked out ok too.

they were nervous, i was nervous, but i got a few decent shots of each person anyway.

my face still hurts but doesn't look any worse than i normally do. coping with it, mostly trying not to think about it.

have my cameras with me; maybe i'll stop by bob's big boy after work. might be too early for anyone to be there though, so maybe not.

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saw this chevy at the front street show. i sort of like catching the cars before the show, when they're still being polished and buffed. something about the imperfections probably. this car was pretty much ready, but then they forgot to pack up the rag.

get out from behind

still feel like i've been smacked by a baseball bat in the face, but don't look as much as if i did today. seriously thinking of going to legg lake and seeing what's up. >>update: went to legg lake, scoped out all different lots, both sides of freeway--no good times being had. too tired to drive over to lincoln park, so my weekend is done before it begun. shoulda gone out yesterday. 😞<<

wondering if my arms will work, and let me pull my bag and carry the tripod from one end to the other, and have the energy to make it back to the car. seriously. wtf is wrong with me?

i'm supposed to take a portrait of an exec at work this week, and i'm outta practice on taking any type of picture.

but the sun is soooo bright in my eyes, and it's hard to focus with sun glasses on. at least the weather is perfect.

lately, i've gone uptown about once a day or so, to get lunch or dinner, but mostly to scope out any old cars that may be parked there. if i can't get to a show, i go look for any that may come to me. there are the usual few, belonging to people who work uptown, and then there are always classic cars and harleys that drive through daily. shoot em with my phone, and post on instagram...better than nothing.

saw a poster yesterday for the annual dia de los muertos show uptown. last year was more car show than art show. hoping for the same this year. at least it's down the street and i can go home if i don't feel good.

i've shot this car before. friendly father and son usually go along with it, but didn't see them this day, at the uptown show. it's an unusual car, and i can't recall seeing another one like it, so i always take a shot of it when i see it. such a nice back end.

shit happens

i haven't posted much or been out to shows the last few weeks. got a lot going on at home with family and health issues.

heard last night that my daughter had been in a car accident in oregon. she was driving back to washington, it started pouring rain, her car and others started hydroplaning. guess she slid/spun out into a guard rail, crunching the front of her car. said a semi truck came close to smashing into her car, but stopped a few feet short of it.

she and the three friends with her all had seat belts on, and were all bruised but otherwise not broken. she had one of her dobermans in there too, and while not belted down, he mostly bounced and seems ok too.

they had to stay overnight in a hotel, and get the car towed home today. last i heard she was waiting for he boyfriend to get home from work and take her in to a doctor to be sure she didn't have a concussion or anything else.

trying not to worry when your kid is so far away, and you're helpless to do anything is not that easy. someone will let me know if i need to jump on a plane, right?

in addition to that, my younger brother was in the emergency room last night, about the same time. his issue was a kidney stone. they sent me a video clip...he's high as fuck on the morphine or whatever they use for that. i guess he passed/birthed that stone and got sent home this morning.

then his kids had to go to urgent care. both have sinus infections, one has bronchitis and laryngitis. all because they evacuated florida to stay with relatives, who i guess gave them their colds. awesome tradeoff.

for myself, went back to the doc today, got more blood tests, because i'm "a mystery." this one is guessing an allergy, like the first two did. anyway, this is not a good look, but mostly my big frame glasses hide the obvious swelling.

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saw this ford at the sonic show a few weeks ago. about the most interesting part of this car is the grille, and the reflection across the hood. wasn't much there to shoot, so was trying to be open minded to these types of not quite so classic cars. not feeling the love i have for a fleetline, but more about practicing photography i guess. i'm so out of practice now...

hellbound

i must say, life keeps on keeping on. car shows come and gone, and i missed them, and it doesn't matter. got other things on my mind, and there's always another show, another year.

mother-in-law in, then out, then in the hospital again. supposed to get out later today. guess that's how it's gonna be for a while. that's what we all have to look forward to, if we're lucky enough to live that long. my dad is up to bat next, just needs to get that scheduled.

myself, got stuck for lab tests today. annual physical coming up anyway, and to see if there's something i might be allergic to, though that has never been an issue, like, ever. [say it like a teenage girrrrl]

anyway, things may be going to hell in a handbasket, but i got my hairs done red again. kept that appointment; if anything happens, it doesn't matter if i was there or not.

so i'm gonna look good for about twenty-four hours, then i'll just go back to shabby old me, but with red hair. sometimes i wish i was good at girling...make-up and hair...but i just can't. i'll just keep looking like a pudgy long-haired version of my brother.

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hoping to head back to whittier tonight, and post more pictures. that i can do.

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here's a shot of something different from my usual. need to clear my head. fugly, but interesting at the same time, these beaters are distinctly unique [redundant?], and can be slightly challenging to frame up or find which point to focus interest on.

sprinkles

shot this earlier in the year at frisco's anniversary show. overcast skies and random rain showers. alternated between shooting pictures and hiding from the rain under building overhangs.

gave the owner a print of this one...he always gives me cold water when i am in most need of one. thanks so much!

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busy night last night. no sleep until four in the morning.

started off unable to sleep...because of the heat, or more likely the two hour siesta my body decided to make me take earlier in the day.

tossed and turned, punched the pillows, rambled expletives about this house and this bed, whose mattress seems to hold the heat while it molds to your body...sucks. wanted to sleep, couldn't.

about twelve-thirty in the morning, i'd just stood up and had my phone in my hand, looking at the time, when my better half opens the door and says an ambulance is on the way for his mom. went through this before, probably around the same time this picture above was taken.

i get dressed and wait by the door for the fireboys. they'd just arrived. some of them had been here before not too many weeks before.

ever watch sleepless in seattle? that babysitter just walking around 'helping' to find the kid--randomly walking around saying, "jonah?" ya, i felt like that dork, walking around this house, getting in the way.

enjoyed sitting like a zombie in the emergency room, between a woman who seemed intent on coughing up a lung [note to self: do not take up smoking] and someone who only knew how to grunt and moan. knowing i was running on empty, decided to head home around three-thirty in the morning, to catch a few hours of sleep, which i could definitely do by then. sister-in-law stayed behind to handle admitting paperwork.

my question, as i drove home on deserted streets, is who the hell is washing their car at the coin wash at that time in the morning? and getting "chatted" up by the overdressed "lady"...interesting neighborhood.

when i woke up a few hours later, had to contact coworkers to get them to turn on my puter so i could connect remotely, mostly to set up my out of office greeting. ended up working half a day, while i waited for fedex deliveries for my better half and for his sister.

actually sprinkled outside for about five minutes. that cooled things down, but the clouds went away, and someone turned the sun up to full blast, so yucky hot quickly.

better half came home for a snooze and a shower, so i went to the hospital, to take my turn, and so his sister could go home for some sleep too.

better half showed up soon after, but i stayed there until evening. he'll stay the night...doesn't trust the nurses to care for his mom like he does.

so, anyway. i feel like crap. doing laundry at eight at night, and now i'm amped up on orange juice. i was thirsty. it was cold. oh well.

it's the medicine

i've decided that i feel like shit because of the meds i've been taking for the past week. three more days to go. because if it's not that, then there's something else, that i will not want to deal with, things being so beyond my control just now.

my dad says his one doctor is recommending that he opt for open heart surgery vs the up the leg bit that he'd settled on. i know he has more appointments scheduled to discuss it with several docs this week, so we shall see what happens.

we had been talking our tenth anniversary/vacation just a couple of weeks ago, but that is totally on the shelf now. life happens. as my better half says, it's the tenth year all year, so we can go some other time.

still hoping to squeeze in some car shows when i can, when i feel better, when it's not so hot out. i still have time to get over to legg lake, if i just feel a bit more myself. i'll think about it. batteries charging, just in case.

saw this car out at the bomb club show at santa anita. here it is, sitting out in the parking lot, waiting for them to open the tunnel to the infield. interesting paint job. color coordinated hood ornament. nice car, overall.