runnin’ with the devil

ok, enough of a break. this blog thing's ramblings are mostly a journal of randomness, or an ongoing convo with my better half. not many people read it anyway, so what i say doesn't matter.

i'm sitting in a cafe, on one of many days i'm being made to take off before the end of the year, to burn off all the exceeding the limit of allowable vacation time, that will not roll over into next year. did that sentence make sense? sounds strange.

i didn't catch the usual week-long cold, that typically follows a vacation, or otherwise take a lot of time off at work. i'm always busy, running on deadlines, and i mostly just really like what i do. so now i have to use those extra hours, or lose them. still have deadlines, so i'll have to share work with our other equally busy designers, or work later when i get back to the office.

they tell me they will be hiring a junior person in the new year, but we've heard that for several years. and who will have the time to train them? already get the most interesting files from our agencies, which show how little their junior people understand the software.

even my better half has mentioned the lack of practical understanding one of his coworkers has, in spite of an overpriced education at that unnamed art school in valencia.

i'm sure no one cares to hear the problems in designer world. i assume it's the same for any profession, when the shiny new graduates start their careers.

where was i? yes, sitting here, nothing to do today. maybe i'll drive out and have lunch with my better half. just hate the traffic, but what can you do anywhere in cali, without sitting on the freeway somewhere?

i was out earlier, and really just wanted to keep driving. to anywhwere. solvang. san fran. monterrey. canada. or to a train station, and hop on. with no luggage. just take off.

but then, i'd miss the car show tomorrow at st hilarys. and my better half is at work. and it's always more funner when he's with me.

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got this shot of mr. 666 at mooneyes open house. usually see it around, and mostly don't shoot it. it's not my favorite car, and if you ignore the details and painted on sayings, it's a pretty dull car.

but, i think this time, the location and light was right, so i took the shot. check it off the list, probably won't bother with it again.

hot chocolate

been a hell of a week at work. but now i have to go. a week away from computers, work, and worry. i am tired. and my side hurts off and on. still cannot contemplate how i cracked a rib. so bizarre.

i am sorry to have to miss a few car shows. i did want to go to the bomb club show, but i'll be on a plane while they roll in. maybe next year.

saw this brown car, on a particularly hot day at mooneyes open house. the warm, rich color just makes me think of chocolate. milk chocolate. not that bitter dark stuff. ick.

a family

i was minding my own business, walking through the park at point fermin, looking for something interesting to shoot. cars were moving in by this point, and being directed left or right when they reached the lighthouse.

queue the random guy to come over and tell me to take pictures of his family's cars. all of them together, then individually. like i'm there taking orders. sure, i'll take them, gave me something to do. kinda doubt he'll buy prints; most guys like that just don't.

i could be totally wrong, but that's just how it came across.

nice set of chevys, then he said the ford at the end was also part of the group. they had that pop up over the truck, until the guy told the other guys to move it back. didn't ask what was so special about that one in particular.

anyway, did as i was told/asked, and got on with my life.

mooneyes

busy weekend. mooneyes saturday; imperials show sunday. all i can say is, wow. more than enough cars to get my yayas out. i'm sooo tired...too much sun, i guess. after a week of cooler temps, the weekend had to heat up, which seems to be the one thing that forces me to leave early--from the house, and later from the show. sucks.

people have told me i need to go to mooneyes. i think they mean the xmas show, but open house gave a good idea of what shows up at xmas. might have to make the trip this year, wherever it might end up...didn't they close irwindale speedway?

anyway, made my way down one side of the street, through several small parking lots of cars and people, crossed the street and back up toward mooneyes, itself. always a challenge shooting in crowds, and next to a busy street, with traffic in the background. depends on my attitude that day whether i give a shit if there are people milling around a car, or a blur of traffic in the background--either can be fine, especially if no fucks are given about what's going on...focus on the car. ahem, i ramble...

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i am a fan of pinstripes. sometimes shoot a car just for the pinstriping, even when the hood is up ;) saw this car near the street, but more away from the main crowd. not so many people in the way. interesting colors and liked the flames. owner came over and introduced himself. i think he said he was a student at cerritos college, and that he'd done the paint and pinstriping himself. nice job!

mach 1

ok, this isn't one i usually shoot. sometimes i see stuff that i know some of my flickr buds like, and i'll shoot it and post one once in a while. i like to think they do the same for me...mostly hood ornaments. i know i'm imagining it, but that's what i like to think.

so i'm throwing this one up for my flickr bud, stuart. he posts a lot of muscle cars, but i don't think i've seen him post a funky green one like this. for that matter, i can't say i've ever seen any mustang painted this color. so, vomit. i like this green, but i don't think it's great for this car. i don't know why.

ford

another pic i told the owner i'd post for them. was either this, or a sideview. since i just posted one of those for the other guy, putting this one up. shiny, shiny car. for whatever reason, didn't see it in the parking lot, so didn't shoot more of it.

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woke up with a headache, so skipped going to pomona this morning. maybe next month. now if i can just make this headache stop, i could go for a walk. late for lunch...i'm sure that's not helping.

dud

purposely drove out to the broiler yesterday. i'm in the mood to shoot, and was hoping there would be some cars in downey to help me with that.

i go there rarely anymore, mostly because i have farther to go after work, and just can't bear to sit in traffic that much longer. and the last four or five times i have decided to go, disappointed by how few cars are there. it used to be so packed, even the back lot was full, even when i got there early.

well last night, got there about five-thirty. only a handful of cars there for the "show." small group of regulars, and i wandered over to the few i've met before. they joked that they didn't remember my name, where have i been, etc.

they talked about another show going on at the same time. mentioned that at the show i used to go to off alondra, they had torn down the building and were putting in an in-n-out or something.

anyway, i give up. this show is off my list, not worth the stress of the traffic. i liked the cars that were there, but too far for too few. sorry.

spent an hour with what there was and bid it goodbye for wednesday night shows.

wishing this woodie wasn't next to the t-bird, but apparently the owners are buds, so oh well.

looking back

i've been out for a few walks this weekend, but otherwise, have stayed in the house. worked on stuff for the office most of the day yesterday, except for a couple of hours spent watching game of thrones and walking uptown for dinner with my better half.

being that i use my old computer when i have to connect to the office, i left it hooked up after finishing work last night. figured today, i'd have a look around on the hard drive for any interesting old shots stored there, before getting back to work again.

found this old ford made new again. it's an ok shot. the car is damn near too perfectly polished that it's almost boring. but i liked the lens flares catching the light of the sunset, and bouncing it around on the camera sensor. photography purists may say this is a throw away, but some of my favorite shots are sprinkled in flares.

now, off to work toward a deadline...

taxi

saw this taxi recently, when it drove past the window. i usually hear cars before i see them, and know to stand up and take a peek. some days i've seen a dozen old cars of all types drive by, which sends me for a walk uptown to see what's going on...where are they going?

anyway, as i was saying...i happened to be watching a hummingbird that sometimes sits on a tree outside, and saw this car drive past. not quite as fast as the ice cream truck...how the heck are kids supposed to catch that guy?

i've never seen the taxi before. told my better half to look out the front window, but he was deep in conversation with his mom, and didn't quite hear me. it was gone by the time he figured out what i said.

few days later, here it was at founder's day. owner was a youngish guy. i want to say he was telling the group around him he was recently home from the military, but i might be remembering another group of guys and another car.

he seemed nice. i think he was telling everyone about the guys that helped get the car done. looks nice.

chop chop

looks fast just sitting still, no?

not quite sure why it was sitting all alone in this parking lot, here in chino, on the edge of a very big car show, but i took full advantage of it. no people, nicely framed by the trees, i like this shot the best.

i did notice later on, that other cars moved in next to it, so i just got lucky, i guess.