aware

1947 chevy fleetmaster

i think i’m trying to block the sadness i’m feeling from losing my brother with something that makes me happy—going to cars shows and posting pictures again. it’s a nice distraction. i’ve missed it. i don’t miss the heat.

i am supposed to be scanning old family slide carousels to digital, but the little scanner my older brother loaned to my mom sort of sucks. fifty slides in, i decided to check the quality. i’m not liking the color. i guess i’ll reset the little scanner to the defaults, and just be done with it. but i’d rather work on my cars…

this week, better half and i decided to go to the latin gents’ cancer awareness cruise. forgot to bring my hat, but i did smear sunblock on before we left the house. i am aware that my pale skin and genetics will predispose me to a lovely sunburn, at the very least.

better half had to be out until about one in the morning, so we both slept in a bit later than we otherwise would have liked. we didn’t arrive until after ten, and the sun was cooking already.

we spent about an hour, shooting just two aisles of cars, before i needed a break from the sun. we went into carl’s jr for about another hour, having a burger and chugging some water. figured the light wasn’t going to change much in the middle of the day to make a difference in the pictures anyway.

only spent another hour and a half after that, and i’d had enough sun for the time being.

this is one of the latin gents’ club’s cars. i don’t remember a red fleetmaster from anywhere, but i haven’t been going out much the last couple of years, so that doesn’t mean anything.

silly us, after this show, we decided we’d drive out to legg lake, and check out the bbq show going on there. another forty minute drive, we could cool off in the air conditioned car, and be ready to take more pics.

well, we drove to the gate on rosemead boulevard, which was closed, but had a sign to take the freeway one exit to another gate. this allowed us to pass by where the cars should’ve been. well, by about two pm, there really wasn’t too much there to justify paying the entrance fee, so we skipped it. headed back to our old hood in uptown whittier, and better half picked up some overly zealously garliced chicken and some sides at the chicken koop. it’s currently stinking up the refrigerator. he says it’s very good, but i haven’t ever tried it. maybe another day.

headed home after, and we both took naps for a few hours.

thinking about hitting up huffarama next weekend, if the fires in the area are out…

change of plans

View fullsize

1939 chevy master deluxe

pretty sure this picture is from the azaelia festival show, because i've been to very few shows this year that had the cars parked on grass. thirty-nines are one of my favorites, after fleetlines. the sun is bit high for my taste, but i still like the shot.

-------- 

i was showered and ready to pack up my gear for a show when i noticed i had missed a phone call.

was my kid, no message. so i called back and he said, "wassup?"  i said, "i dunno, you called me, or was it a butt dial?" i can hear he's in his car, and the signal isn't the best. 

apparently, he woke up this morning, and just had a thought that he wanted to take his wifey wine tasting. she likes it, he doesn't particularly, but he likes to keep her happy.  solvang is one of her favorite places, so he booked a room.

they usually take her mum and/or sisters, but they were all working. so he had called me, knowing how much i like roadtrips, and to mention they had the dog with them. i guess they had hoped i'd say i wanted to go, and they would have swung by to pick me up, but by the time i'd called back they were already to calabassas.

my mind was ready for a car show, but my heart put the kibosh on those plans, to spend the rare opportunity to travel a little with my boy and his little family. threw some clothes in a bag, better half cleaned the windows on my car (thanks d!), and i hit the road. sad part was driving off, waving bye to him. one of these days he will travel again, but he can't right now.

and it was really a perfect perfect day, weather-wise for a car show. overcast, and in the seventies. damnnit. there will be other shows... 

so here i am in solvang, sitting in the dark and typing on my ipad. had expected to be sitting in my own room with the dog, while they stayed out late at a wine bar or the beer garden. after a late dinner, they were both very tired, and decided to call it a night. 

beer garden is open until midnight, and is pet friendly, so they could change their mind, but i'll be asleep. 

i could have still taken the dog, but then i'd have to get up and walk him in the middle of the night and in the morning, so nah. and i'm in a hotel down the street from them, so if he got too hyper, i'd have to walk a block in the dark. 

going to meet them after checkout, for lunch, then pick up some fresh pastries for my mother-in-law, then head home. 

only brought one camera, no tripod, so even though i know of a few car shows on the way back to whittier, i won't be stopping. 

it's going to be a weird week at work, so i guess i started it off weird too.