what's up?

off to a start...

new year. new day.

started well so far. for some bizarre reason, i thought i had january second off, same as we had the day after xmas off the week before. and i was enjoying it; slept in until nine, had breakfast, watched some inane youtube videos, and was about to start working on some pictures.

then i went back to the bedroom to get my ipad and phone. picking up the phone, noticed i'd missed an hour old text message from one of my coworkers asking if i was ok. wtf?

texted her back asking what/why? ten minutes later she responded asking if i was coming in or taking the day off. i'd missed a telecon, and no one had heard from me.

so after pleading idiocy, told her i'd be there by noon. first time i'd ever ever screwed up like that in all the years i've been working.

then i get to the office, and by one o'clock, i'm being asked/told i need to do a photo-shoot of someone for a press release—and they'll be there at two.

i haven't touched a camera in three months. hadn't set up the lighting equipment in three months or more. my brain is not thinking clearly. i looked at some old notes, then texted my better half for what camera settings i should use because he is a tech and camera geek, and dragged the equipment out of the closet.

asked if the other designer could come help me set up. he usually does the videos, and had used everything recently. he was out to lunch, but would be there soon.

so i set stuff up from memory, and it was mostly fine. only the camera was set up for video, and i had to surf through the menus, to make sure everything was good for a portrait. but it was still set for video, blinking standby.

the other guy shows up, i explain it isn't doing what i want, and that i haven't touched a camera for a while, and i'm sort of already having a weird day. he walks over and turns the dial on the camera from movie to manual. omg. duh, so basic.

manual setting wasn't working for me, lights weren't bright enough, didn't want to crank up the iso and add noise. flipped to aperture, like i'm used to shooting cars.

by then, i realize i've left my ipad in my car, because my day is already screwed up, and i have ten minutes before the person is supposed to be there. got there and back with a few minutes to spare. and i have to pee. no time, don't think about it.

then, i hadn't had lunch, so i start feeling dizzy. i think now, it was mostly nerves. suck it up, it will be over soon.

next, i hear the guy will be half an hour late. whew. more time to worry, but at least i can go take a leak.

when they finally do show up, it takes all of five minutes, got the shot, and they were gone. all that for a quick shot. and it turned out all right. i even managed to seem cheerful, to undercut how uncomfortable i was with humor. told them about my day so far, and got a smile from them, so it worked. i'm an idiot, nice to meet you.

so i guess, when i do go out to a car show again, i will be ok. muscle memory will kick in, not to worry. just got to get my eyes refocused, and get my head back in the game.

shot this bike in late november, at the latin gents/dukes toy drive. i think it might be with the majestics club, or maybe it was just parked near their pop-up. mostly, i think i liked the paint job, as it was otherwise, just a harley.

psyclero

there's a car show going on right now at slick's customs. goes until ten p.m. i've been to a couple of shows there, and they usually have a good turnout, and people i know.

just not feeling it today. still feeling like crap. and my face, though not puffed up like last week, hurts. ya, take that joke and run with it.

tomorrow is the belmont shore show. i've never been. kinda interested in going for a change, but being that my better half can't go, and lately, i'm always afraid i'm going to faint, i just don't want to go by myself.

there's a picnic at legg lake—that's closer, and easier for me. if i go out, i'll probably go there.

saw this bike a couple months ago now, at the viejitos show. i think it belonged to one of the vendors. really incredible engraving on the chrome.

btw, both of my brothers finally had to evacuate their homes in florida. they are safely out of the way, but one of them has a kid who decided to become a cop. guess who is required to stay behind? no worries, right. i feel for them.

evil mistress

saw this great bike the other day at the imperials show. might have belonged to one of the vendors, but so what. it was named the evil mistress.

lots of great details, with skulls and bones hidden here and there. airbrushed women in dia de los muertos face paint and fancy ostrich skin seat. a gun and an oversize bullet there too. i'll have to add a few detail shots when i have time. totally forgot, and i'm sitting at my desk typing before i'm on the clock at six. enjoying the air conditioning, ya know?

stumbled down the hall in the dark this morning, just before four, to take a shower. it was warm last night, so i was just wearing my underwear. figured my mother-in-law was asleep, so she wouldn't notice as i walked past her door, and i know my better half wouldn't have minded, had he been awake...he'd have been up... anyway covered my boobs with my hands, just on the off chance she woke up.

in the bathroom, shut the door, turn on the light, start the shower. have seat on the porcelain throne, cuz, ya know, my eyes are floatin'. on the floor in front of me, is a foot bath and a scale, both leaning up against the wall. my tired eyes see a momentary movement, something dark. not getting the total heebie jeebies, i figured it was just another cockroach, courtesy of our neighbors, but a mighty big one.

in a split second the damn thing ran toward me, along the baseboard, and literally ran over my foot, and behind the toilet. i made a stifled squeal, because, ick, and also i didn't want to wake everyone up.

but then the thing, ran out, and across to the towel cabinet, and back along the tub.

it wasn't a cockroach. it was a fricking big brown mouse. not a rat, didn't have the creepy tail. but still.

so i'm sitting there with my feet up, watching this thing do a few circuits around the room, before disappearing under the sink cabinet. finally put my feet down, wiped (yes, let's not forget to do that) and flushed, then out, closed the door. standing in my panties, topless, tapping my better half on the butt. he rolls over and says hi.

told him there's a mouse in the bathroom, be the man.

while he's waking up, i went back, peeked in the door. didn't see it, so jumped into the shower--i gotta go to work, and i've only so much time to get ready.

better half shows up with a broom and a dust pan. i guess his intent was to crush and carry. he poked all the corners, then looked where i'd last seen it.

there's a one-inch gap, with a void to under the cabinet, hidden behind the shower curtain. ya, that's where it went. no idea if it was still under there, or if it leads to a space between us and the neighbors', but that would explain one way for the roaches to get in.

anyway, that's my morning so far...

waiting

...waiting on the world to change.

my turn to sit my watch at the hospital. better half gone home to take a break and eat i suppose.

really i have nuthin' to say, much less think. things are looking up, but we're all very sleep deprived.

had this bike mostly ready, so since i took five minutes to check my email earlier, thought i'd put it out there. i don't think it's one of my best, but it appealed to my mood just now.

congrats to my son, he's a shiny new uncle as of yesterday.

bummed

harley davidson softail

not really in a mood to do anything today. heard some stupid crap news yesterday about my younger brother. and it's fucked, and not fair. and i want to smash things. he was already dealing with a health issue, and now it's double fucked and i want to scream, and cry.

i sat for a long time this morning. doing nothing. finally decided i'd go uptown to find a couple of xmas gifts for people i know will get me something, no matter how much i tell them not to get me anything. found one item, that will undoubtedly be tossed aside the next day. looked around. thought about lunch, but nothing around was tempting me.

so i stomped home. sat a bit longer. then decided i would drive out to the con stilo toy drive in montebello, to see what might be there. then would think about lunch after.

i went through the motions, but wasn't really feeling it, but did shoot most of the cars there.

this bike was sitting behind the mayor's car. couldn't get a decent angle on the car, so shot the bike instead. pretty sure it was the owner who watched what i was doing, then asked about it. introduced himself, shook my hand. gave him the cliff notes explanation and a card.

sorry it's a bit funky colored, but i was shooting into the sun, and the sensor misbehaved a little. i banged on the pixels a little, which are a little better, but i'm just gonna let them slide this time.

engraved hog

harley davidson deluxe

i watched the owner move this bike forward, out of the shade. thought he was going to take off. no, he moved it for another photographer. then he left it there. had to shoot it, sun hit the engraved chrome just so.

finally got my car back from the shop. glad their insurance covered it; was quite expensive for just a couple of crunches in a fender.

i guess while taking the door apart, they had to unplug the battery, so now there are things that don't quite work right. the radio didn't come on...had to punch in a code. the alarm seems a bit whack, so i need to look up how to reset that. and the check engine light is on, so i am assuming the sensor needs to reset. the shop is closed on weekends, so i can't call and ask them, but the timing makes sense, and it seems to be running fine.

they gave me a hundai sonata as a rental car to drive all week. who's the genius that designed the car with the emergency brake positioned down by your left ankle? not only is it uncomfortable to rest your foot down there, or stretch, i kept thinking if there was an accident, i'd get hobbled or amputated instantly. really stupid. other than that, the car wasn't that bad.

didn't like that all the doors unlock when you turn it off. made me paranoid at the gas station that someone could jump in and snag my purse. i read the news too much.

end rental car review...

still not home

harley davidson

i hear my mother-in-law closely avoided a trip to the emergency room, having borderline pneumonia. she seems to be responding to the same type of meds my doctor gave me, so i'm hoping to go home tomorrow. i'm a little tired and dizzy, but i'm on the mend.

ventura nationals was today. i've never been, but i'm seeing some remarkable pics other photographers are putting up.

again, an old pic, from a whittier uptown show a year or two back. a harley is a harley, but some catch my eye more than others.

better leather

harley davidson heritage softail

ahem. let's get to last week's whirlwind through the whittier uptown carshow. i've got several to prepare for those few people who asked me to post pictures of their cars.

as i mentioned before, i only had six hours out there, and i still didn't get around to everything. had to get to the train station, and i've been gone most of the week.

it seemed mostly organized this year, though i don't remember checking what time they started rolling the cars in from staging. i was busy, going from flower to flower to flower...i mean car to car to car, trying to shoot as many as i could in my short amount of time.

was out there at five-thirtyish a.m. where were you?

found this motorcycle down in the rick's parking lot, the owner nearby keeping an eye on his bike. he offered to move it, nah, i'd find it later for other shots. this is how i found it, so leave it be.

there was so much detail on this bike, that it seems to be less about the harley itself—which is pretty nice, shiny and pinstriped—and more about the leather.

everything decorated in an aztec theme, with the usual characters and patterns you'd expect. skillfully done and fitted, i asked the owner about it.

he said he'd save himself a buttload (he didn't exactly use that word, my edit) of cash by taking it down to mexico himself versus paying a guy here, to basically do the same thing.

he had to point out that there was a little felix the cat medal/figure on the side. probably thought i'd appreciate that since i was wearing my felix the cat chevrolet shirt. if he hadn't mentioned it, i wouldn't have noticed it, it was low, on the side next to the wall, and there was so much other detail to look at.

anyway, really nice work here.

l-e-d, you and me

harley davidson heritage softail

haven't decided if these lights on bikes add or subtract from the overall look of the bike. this one is already blinged out with etched chrome and airbrushing.

i shot it earlier, just after we arrived. the owners moved out of the shot then. i like those shots, with the clouds in the sky, from a low angle.

i found it again, just before i packed up my gear, in the evening, sun setting, sky colors changing. mostly it was the sky i wanted. i guess the red glow is ok.

i guess the owner was too tired by then to move his chair this time, as well as there being other bikes in the same space. also, there were more people crowded around to look at the bikes this late, making it more difficult to find a good angle to shoot my longer exposures, and not get them smearing through the shots.

party time

harley davidson

niece is having her first birthday party behind me. so i guess it's time to go eat cake.

posting this quickly from last sunday's unidos show at walnut high school. i'll write more tomorrow.

hope it was a good friday for everyone.

Update

on 2016-03-27 00:21 by kathy

we bailed out of the azalea festival show, just after noon, just before the sun came out. better half wanted to get lunch and maybe check on his mom. he worries when we leave her alone, before the sun comes up, and she's still asleep.

i offered to drop him off, that i was going to stop briefly over at the unidos show in walnut. he compromised by giving his mom a phone call, and we stopped for lunch first, at the subway near the show, where we usually go after.

i think this was the fourth year i'd been to this show. not sure my better half went last year.

sun was out in full force, and it had really heated up. really sucks, being that this show is on the pavement in the high school parking lot. i was not prepared, no hat, no sunblock.

better half wandered through the cars at the front, i headed to the back lot, and worked my way back. i did end up skipping a few rows...just didn't see anything i wanted to shoot, and i was in a race with myself...how long i could stand the heat.

finally packed it in, when i started feeling my skin tingle with that feeling like bacon frying in a hot pan. i was only slightly pink, but it felt worse.

shot a few bicycles, lots of the old chevys and buicks, but only this one motorcycle at this show. i think the color and the light just caught my eye.