what's up?

post thanksgiving

here’s a majestics’ car from this past summer. a latin gents show out in cypress. don’t see too many yellow impalas. maybe i just don’t notice them.

thinking about this latin gents show, makes me wonder how ernie is doing…he had some news that day. been too busy to get out to any of their shows since then, so haven’t heard from him since.

i did not go into a turkey coma yesterday. my sister bought a full dinner from gelson’s or some such whoop-di-doo market. mom has had enough to deal with lately, so giving her a break from cooking the traditional dinner. pretty sure her time for cooking the big family meal is done, and future holidays will either be bought or i will have to volunteer to do it.

i sort of half assed said i’d do it, but was happy my sister just picked one up.

i’ve cooked a turkey before, but i’m not all about the bird, so i guess it turned out ok. i want to say that was decades ago, for my ex and his parents. gosh, my daughter was probably only a year old…time flies. i get no joy from cooking, and avoid it when i can. anyway, they always dumped hot sauce on anything i cooked, so, i just didn’t bother the next holiday. they are happier with tamales anyway.

this year, as usual, better half stayed home with his mom; he sent me to my parents house…”never know how many more holidays you’ll have with them.” my bro showed up; wife and daughter stayed up in los angeles with their friends. dad initially wasn’t feeling well and wasn’t going to join us, but he did come down the stairs just as we were sitting down to eat.

the company was good, but the food was unremarkable. only a few bites of turkey, and the pathetic mashed potatoes. i’d brought a cherry pie, but it sort of tasted like they’d given me a sugar free version, so disappointed.

bro is in town without a return ticket home. they’re looking for a house, and he is spending time with mom and dad. wife and kid going home sunday. they wanted to go to disneyland today, but pretty sure they bailed on that black friday hell.

i drove home this morning, expecting to see store parking lots full, but noticed them to be only part full. did people go shopping at midnight? was happy to find no one at in-n-out, and no one in the drive thru, so went there and grabbed some burgers for my better half and myself.

have otherwise, not done anything or left the house today. hoping to sift through the nine-thousand plus photos from my trip this weekend.

i’m blathering, so i’ll just stop.

not a rainy day

1939 chevy master deluxe

at my mom's tonight, after a long day. was so tired when i got here, took a three hour nap, and only woke up because the obnoxious house phone rang.

this picture has just been sitting here, waiting in post purgatory; might as well put it up. definitely, not another dramatic sky...

from the new year's day show at the dam, just another fine master deluxe, under a blue, california sky.

probably going to miss pomona this weekend. other plans keeping us busy.

been gone, and it's late

ever feel like you've been running non-stop for days on end? not sustainable, but i'm not seeing any relief in sight.

planning on getting home tomorrow--been gone since monday. rain will probably ruin any aspirations for a car show or two this weekend.

i'm just gonna post this for now, as i gotta get at least a few hours of sleep, before getting up and doing it all over again.

pinks

1962 chevrolet impala

looking at my project for work. i don't want to do it, but i really should. will just hurt less on monday, if i get it out of the way today.

i could still make it to the car show. get my better half to drop me off. think we're going to walk uptown for bfast now, so maybe later...

impala from the new year's show at the dam. sparkly. caught my eye. one of the few low riders i shot that day. just love the details these guys add to the cars—really remarkable artistry. i think maybe this one is right on the cusp of doing too much of a good thing.

to the point

it's valentine's y'all. go spend it with someone you love. my lil blog will be here for you tomorrow.

flat top, four door

i was told that this is a rare impala; that it was engineered to be a convertible, by just removing the roof; that somehow this one was ordered, and then no one picked it up, so the roof was never removed. and rarer still, that it has four doors.

i like the back window that curves around to be the side windows. and the fins. always the fins.

take me back

i got new glasses. always love getting a new pair of glasses. each year, you realize your eyes are going a little bit at a time. anyway, shiny, shiny new glasses, and the world is a little clearer today. spent the last year hating my frames; i don't hate these new frames yet...maybe i won't.

i've seen this one a few times over the years. posted it a couple times too...here and here.

it's a beautiful car, and you don't see them very often, unless, of course, you go to a lot of car shows.

there were a lot of photographers gathered around it, probably all day. while i was there, there was at least one guy that follows me, and i follow on instagram. wasn't quite sure it was him at the time...wasn't until later the next day, that he wrote that i didn't say much to him. sorry about that, i never met you in person before, and i'm a social moron.

way to start the year

back home, but to compromise, i am mostly wearing a face mask. feeling like a strange tourist in this place, in time. so, fun times. better half follows me making darth vader breathing noises. i'm tired, cough mostly at night.

feck it, says i. i walked uptown to get lunch. without the mask. quietly sat and watched an episode of breaking bad on my phone, while munching a slice of pizza. wasn't hungry, but just enjoying the time out. sun was out, sky was overcast, it was cool enough to wear the big, baggy pepperdine sweatshirt my new daughter-in-law bought me for xmas.

and after a cold to start the new year, better half's uncle died yesterday. not unexpected. it was a mercy. i only met him once. nice man. the family is mourning.

saw this car sitting by my friends from the old times car club at the new year's show. waved at them, but didn't go over to chat. probably saved them from catching this cold.

i'm pretty sure i've shot this one before. i like the rough edges, the unfinished feel. that visor is kind of killing it though. probably the bright primer.

the few, the proud...

continuing on with the majestics pics...i've been to this show for the last three years, at least.

the first year, i was overwhelmed by the sheer number of cars, as well as the heat, leaving before i could get through all the parking lots. there were so many, an excellent assortment to choose from, i hated to leave so soon.

the next year, pretty much the same, though i think i managed to stay a bit longer. better half ran out of steam before i did. i think maybe he got bored, but followed me around anyway.

this year, the weather was perfect: freeze your ass cold in the early morning, and cooling to a nice, comfortable level by mid-morning. i ditched my coat fairly early, after wandering through the first lot. most people had their jackets on, but between any hot flashes i was having and carrying the tripod around, as long as i was moving and not in the shade, i was quite happy with just a t-shirt and jeans.

we found not so many of the old cars i prefer this time. considering it is hosted by the majestics, it does not surprise that the majority of cars were from the sixties and seventies. while they are interesting to look at, and i sometimes do shoot the few that catch my eye, they are not what i'm looking for.

still, there were some few older cars sprinkled about; just had to slog on through the lots to find them. pointedly criss-crossed the main road all day.

found this one on the other side, the owner watching the parade of cars cruising past. he did stop long enough to ask about who i was shooting for...myself. told him i'd post it if i got a decent one, so i hope this will suffice.

was told there was also a viejitos show going on the same time, same day. perhaps, next year, i'll go there, just for a change.

light it up

went out to the dam today. probably a bit earlier then needed to — probably there about five-thirty am. parked further away then we've had to before. someone said they wouldn't even open the gate until six-thirty. so, as usual, we got out and took advantage of the cars and bikes just sitting there in the dark.

better half had me shoot using different settings than i usually use, just because it was so dark. i don't think it would have mattered, since there weren't many people around cars i did shoot. not so sure i like them as much. a lot of detail is lost in the dark, but i guess in past years, when i went to evening shows, the results were negligably better.

posting this one, because the owner came over to chat, and because he casually walked over and flicked the lights on for me. pretty cool lighting, contrasting the yellowing street light.

i know i saw the bike cruise by later in the day, but it was far less interesting, and way more a typical harley that i wouldn't have shot otherwise.

i've got more pictures to post for a few people, and more to say, but i'm dead tired now, so i think i'll call it a night.