powerful mach I?

still being kept from lifting anything more than what seems like a toothbrush. yes, my better half is very diligent about sticking with doctor's orders. i feel fine, and he says he wants to keep me that way.

so, in spite of ruby's show going on this evening, the most he would offer is to let me follow him around and watch him take pictures. i countered with, he could be my camera boy, and carry the tripod around, and set it up for me, and just let me focus and push the button. pfft. stalemate.

i've decided recovering from surgery is like going to a very loud concert, where your ears ring for days afterward. go to too many and you damage your hearing. then one day you wake up, you're all fine. so, i guess my ears are still ringing. but it was just one concert, i mean surgery, so i'll be ok, right?

but it's ok for me to work late. just slaving away in front of hot computer is ok. then i needed to eat dinner, so i went to disneyland. day before labor day weekend, and an hour and half before closing, not really that many people there. ate clam chowder overlooking the water in DCA, and left just as the color sprinkler show was starting.

then drove out of the parking structure just as fireworks were starting. why is it people in cars always act like they've never seen them, and randomly stop on the road to look up. hey, i'm driving here...move it.

hey ace, this one's for you. didn't quite catch the pearlized paint job, but i guess it's ok as is.

dia de los thunderbird

yes, it's a real eye-catcher. kinda ugly, but outstanding pinstriping and airbrushing job. i like the skulls pinstriped inside, out, and on top.

weren't too many of the pimped out low riders at the show this year in whittier—apparently they're still pissed off by their exclusion last year. i've heard that the idiot that vetoed them last year is no longer on the committee, but his asshole-edness has continuing repurcussions. thanks dickwad. eh, excuse my french, or something.

tail dragger

another of the early arrivals at the whittier show. location would have been perfect, if the neon theatre lights were still on.

i think it's a ford. didn't have the entry form on the window this early, and forgot to check it later. what do they call this finish...brushed metal? twisted steel & sex appeal? nah, not twisted, that'd be me. sex appeal, i guess it's interesting enough.

hora lay

ok, i'm going to try and post this from my ipad, since i've got the time now and was too tired last night to post it.

waiting to meet up with family to take by son out for his birthday. where does the time go? as it is, it's more and more difficult to get an hour of his time as he's been a bit busy lately. when your kids grow up, you take the crumbs they throw at you and tell youself that's plenty. my daughter is a whole other adventure, and being in another state, an even rarer occasion.

as i said, starting to get to the shows again. tried to hit up one that still shows on the schedule yesterday, but when i got there, the parking lot was spectacularly empty, as was the restaurant associated with it. not even sure it was even open for business anymore.

i digress. found this lovely tbird at the broiler. again, i think perhaps i need to stay later to see if many more cars eventually show up. there was some sort of award on the dashboard, and i can't read it from this angle. i suppose it says something to the effect of, "you have a really nice car."

and while i'm pondering life and everything, can someone tell me why "old guys rule?" i can think of lots of ways they might be good for something, but an equal number, if not more, of reasons why it blows to be an old guy. how my mind wanders...

times are changing

as i've been saying, my life has been getting very busy. not clearly an absolute yet, but i may soon also be packing all my worldly possessions up and stuffing it into storage. nah, i'm not going anywhere else, everything's fine. change of environment, sort of.

had hoped to get some pictures yesterday at fuddrucker's in el toro, and drove over there, but since the weather has been overcast and sprinkly, there was just a couple of newer corvettes and a 1930's ford. didn't get out of the car.

today i intended to try a new sunset show in laguna niguel, but figured since you really couldn't see the sun, and would have been colder near the coast, figured it wasn't worth the drive yet.

so, i'm really hoping the sun is out on friday for the first ruby's show of the season this friday. i'll be there, won't you?

_____

found this one from the easter show over at fuddrucker's in lakewood. i think i've mentioned in another post, that there wasn't much at this show because of the holiday. i'll have to go back again soon on a typical sunday. i've heard it can be a very busy show, and more cars equals more to choose from. lots of practice, only makes you better, and i've been out of practice. 

how was your day?

so i haven't been posting as often as i think about posting. my life is a bit busy right now, as i've been saying previously. and it will continue to be so for at least the next month.

today, i intended to get to a car show before a baseball game. i didn't quite get out of the house as early as i had thought i would, but i did manage to make it to original mike's for about 20 minutes before i had to scram.

got there almost an hour after it started. probably a good three-fourths of the cars had their hoods up, but it was a decent turn out, at least compared to the last few times i'd been there. i didn't have time to find owners and look longingly at their pretty beasts until they got the clue, so i shot about a dozen others that were ready to go.

this one had the door open, but i haven't seen one of these before, and it didn't bother me as much as an open hood would have. not sure if that's the owner there. i think he threw something into the car, but people throw flyers and stuff into cars all the time. he wouldn't get out of the shot no matter how much i stared, so there he is.

and of course, as soon as i called it a day, packed up and about to close the trunk of my car, in drives an oh so bitchin old mercury, clean, low, pinstriped...perfect. pulled into a parking space, sat for a minute, then backed up and left. why, oh why...followed it down the street a ways until i had to turn left, and he turned right...

fine day

in spite of being unable to get out to all the shows i'd like, my kid has been kicking ass in baseball. in fact, today, he went to bat five times: 3 singles, 1 double with an rbi, and one intentional walk. ya, i missed the game because of work today. sucks.

found this one out in riverside. got there early because the show started only an hour before the game was to start. kinda stalker like. was waiting for something interesting to drive up. several plain, but very nice old cars, but i wasn't interested in shooting them. but since i'd already spent a while here, and time to leave was looming, i figured i might as well get the camera and shoot at least one.

i did end up taking shots of about 5 cars before it got too late. nothing special, but i'm just making a record that i was there.

bird's eye

quick post again. tired. too many late nights starts to catch up eventually.

here's another from sunday's fuddruckers show in lakewood. don't believe the owner ever was around. maybe he/she/they were inside overdosing on burgers and fries.

not completely happy with tbirds, but slim pickens' at this show. and it was so nice and shiny.

easter egg

my better half had to work all weekend. he's still there now. happy easter. pfft.

vacuumed the house, stopped by my parents' house to say howdy, then thought i'd get off my butt and get back in the saddle. surprisingly, i saw there were several shows listed for today, and thought i'd see what might show up on a holiday. i figured anyone with kids wouldn't be able to get away...kind of a requirement to be there. i expected to find old guys, single guys, and couples with no kids.

i skipped a show near my mom's, since it was about time for it to be over, and the good ones don't hang around for the end. instead, i drove up to the show at fuddrucker's in lakewood. i've seen it on the list for a while, and figured without going to one of the big parks and bothering picnicing car clubs, it was the best bet to see a few cars.

there were actually more than i expected, but not as many as there must usually show up. and in spite of not getting out to the shows much, my shyness was not allowed to reclaim me – almost as soon as i arrived an old navy guy came over and started chatting me up as i started to shoot this old ford.

wasn't his, but someone else he was hanging with. said he had one, but either a year earlier or a year later, and not at the show. told a long story about how much it costs to get these cars up to par and the hunt for parts. he'd had his ford at some shop that kept putting him off, asking for more money for this and that, and after it got to $27,000 and no actual work being completed on his car, he pulled it from that shop and shipped it out to arizona, where they were progressing nicely for much less. said he was going to sue the original shop...oh yeah i listen to these stories, and if i post the picture soon enough, i remember more details than i should. i blame you guys that want to tell me all this stuff...and this wasn't even his car. it's all right. he was entertaining, the sun wasn't going down, and it gave time for more cars to show up.

anyway, he knew all about this car, and several other old cars that pulled in. he walked me around this one pointing out parts and asking me to guess how much it was for a replacement part. he said the owner claims to have never washed this car, and only wipes it down to clean it. all i wanted to know is why they painted this such a shiny black, then airbrushed some funky looking flames there on the running boards, which just look like fallen leaves from this angle.

oh ya, i'm doing a trial thing for ordering prints. click on that button down at the bottom on the right. haven't posted many, and if you're interested and don't see yours there, shoot me an email, and i'll upload it for ordering. figured it would be easier, since my better half says i'm kinda scary at car shows...i'd prefer focused...and usually when someone does ask what sizes/what prices, i can't remember them off the top of my head. so give it a peek anyway.

be mine

quick post, since it is that over-wrought hallmark holiday after all.

my better half says it's valentines day every day, but then he also says it's his birthday, so he celebrates every day. these things usually said while he looks into my eyes. may you all be so lucky...