what's up?

sucks

we just got back from a walk uptown. passed the whittier community association office, where they post flyers for all the local activities going on, up on their windows.

this year, the annual uptown car show has been moved up from mid august to june fourth.

in a normal world, i'd have said that's great, since it's always hotter than hell in august. but it's not perfect, and my world has been a bit of a crazy whirlwind lately. so, checking my calendar, i've just noticed that i have to catch a train to san diego that same day. perfect.

i can make it work, though, since the show is physically, just up the street. i'll just have to be sure to be all packed and ready to go the night before.

we're usually up and out by five-thirty in the morning anyway. organizers are up and telling vendors where to set up, and cars are stuck in purgatory, i mean, staging.

we'll just get up and out, shoot the cars for a few hours, as usual, but then i'll go home, download the pictures, and head to the station, instead of back to the show. just sucks that i won't be able to do anything with them until i get back a week later.

------

shot this car before, at a different show, from the back end. even sold the file for cheap, to an unnamed shop not too far away, with their idea of putting it on tshirts. perhaps they didn't have a shop to do it, or the cost prevented it.

i suspect, the more likely scenario is that they just gave the owner a nice print of the car. enjoy, i guess.

doña rosa

two hour drive home. wanted to go to frisco's, but i see they already got shut down on that one. damn. briefly considered heading to whittier blvd, or, just going uptown and waiting to see if anyone drives by the theatre.

nah, might to the whittier community car show in the morning, and i gotta get some sleep. not seeing any other show going on at the same time, or i'd probably go somewhere else for a change. also think i have to work all weekend to meet an arbitrary deadline, on a job that has been repeatedly pushed aside.

another car from last month at pomona. nice car, not overdone. almost thought it was a merc, but the chrome is all ford. nice chop job.

chopper

motorcycle

when i was a kid, there was a cartoon on after school, with a bunch of talking motorcycles. i was kinda stupid, but i watched it anyway. sort of was like the fat albert show, but with cycles. the sterotyical personalities of the group were predictable, so i'd have to say this one would be the cool guy.

saw the owner drive up and park, at the front of the show, near the datsun squad that we were busy passing by, so i took a few shots, just because it was different than the usual harleys. also because a crowd hadn't gathered around it.

dude didn't stay too long, i watched him drive away.

enchilada

i have a craving. chocolate chip cookie dough. and i'm going to go mix some up right after i post this. probably should eat dinner first, but i don't know what to have for that. but i'm sure i want cookie dough.

i've put a few other pics up on instagram today. i'll post them here eventually. when i have something to say. tired of writing about a cold that's almost gone.

i like the curves of fleetlines. this nice, round booty, makes me happy. the paint job is a bit over the top, but it's masterfully done. better half called this one an enchilada car. he just clarified it is only because of the colors, the colors of the ingredients of an enchilada. not the first thing that jumped into my mind, but yes, it does remind me of cheese enchiladas.

the backstory

my parents have been getting phone calls over the past few years from people trying to trick them into sending money. you know, bottom scum trying to rip off the elderly.

first time it happened they almost fell for it. a guy called pretending to be a relative traveling in mexico, needed money to pay the federales to let him go. they stressed out about it for a bit, but then checked with the relative's family on his whereabouts. he happened to be home, happy as can be.

well someone called again yesterday; my mom answered. claimed to be my nephew, though didn't really mention a name.

actually, she was expecting a call from one of my nephews, who will be coming to visit next week. besides that, neither parent hears that well, so any guy sounds like they could be any of the nephews on the phone.

the guy chit chatted a bit, speaking of things in general. then got to the point: he and his girlfriend were in some trouble in mexico (why is it always there?). they had wrecked a rental car in an accident, but they were ok. they were at the counselate and just needed nine hundred dollars to take care of the car and get home.

since it had already taken a familiar turn, my mom had been playing along, throwing out random untrue info, giving a random name for the girlfriend, just to have the guy take them and run with them.

i guess the guy finally figured out she knew he was full of crap, and hung up.

my better half would have had a field day with this guy, just as he does with any telemarketer. depending on his mood, he might just tell him to hold on while he got his checkbook and just putting the phone down for a long time, to blowing an airhorn into the phone.

not sure which way i would have run with it. maybe an excited omg, stay where you are, what's the address, i'm on my way...nah, not gonna get excited about a jerk like that.

wonder if they hacked the aarp database, and just start calling random geezers, knowing they'll find a few suckers to send cash.

love the curve of a good back end. dressed in black, with just a touch of decoupage.

end of the road

back to reality. technically, i'm still on vacation until monday. should be a shock to the system, after being out of the office for two weeks. and the other designers will be off, leaving me there to fend for myself...back into the frying pan, as if i'd never left. really hate taking time off, just because it sucks so bad going back.

figured this was a fitting car to post, being as it has the story of a roadtrip, down route sixty-six down both sides. this is really a lot to look at on one car, but very skillfully and playfully done.

if you squint your eyes and see past the paint, the car is really in good condition.

my favorite part is the shark faces painted on the front bullets.

p.s. — merry xmas, or whatever you may or may not celebrate on tomorrow's over commercialized holiday.

fellas

been a busy weekend and have't had much time to even turn my ipad on. solo road trip up the coast and back with my son's wedding in the middle.

i have a beautiful new daughter-in-law, and a wonderful family--her parents, sisters and brother--can't get better than that. to make it perfect, my daughter and her boyfriend were able to be there...a rare treat to have both of my kids in the same place.

also lucked out and had perfect weather, between storms.

also, a long story short, i did not take any of my own pics of the wedding. last minute rushing around plus teetering on high high heels after marching to hell and back the day before, made me a bit wobbly, and i decided to be safe and leave the gear in the room. there was a photographer and videographer there anyway.

and when i tried to take a shot with my phone, it seized up and died on me. i guess i was meant to just enjoy the day.

san luis obispo for a night, then a few in san fran. currently in monterey, then on the road again tomorrow. i'll be home wednesday, i think. missing my better half. at least work is keeping him busy with a crap ton of overtime.

saw these guys' cars before out in riverside, and here, again, at huffarama. actually spoke with one of the guys from fellas car club...can't remember just now if he owned that purple truck, or another that i've shot from a previous show.

he was quite nice, and i think, really, the only person that did say anything to me at that show. i was probably wearing a scary face as usual. sorry...

“love you so”

saw this beauty drive in to the lot, and followed it here. didn't even wait for the dude to get out before i started shooting it from the other side, fearing he'd jump out and open the hood.

he didn't, do i came around to the sunny side.

says "love you so" on the back fenders on both sides.

anyone else bothered by the overly done light display at dunkel brothers, on the south side of the five freeway? the garish blinking stops traffic on my drive both ways each day; really surprised that it doesn't cause epilectic seizures from passerbys.

can say i don't mind the old car they have put out for the past several years.

huffarama

quick post. better half needed me to rip my computer apart to make room for xmas decorations and rearranging furniture. had this pic ready to go when he asked. probably be down for a couple of hours.

i'll write more when i get the puter running again...made it out to the bo huff show yesterday...it was a good show...dead sled guys--thanks for letting me in early!

og cruzn

i haven't pulled my cameras out of the bag in a few weeks. been resting my side, like the doctor said. still hurts, so waiting on results of xrays. maybe monday.

got the batteries charged, getting up early for a show tomorrow. always somewhat nervous about going out after not shooting in a while. shouldn't be; it is sort of like riding a bike, and it doesn't take long to get back into a groove.

at least it will be cooler than the last few shows i went to, now that winter is moving in. weather people keep flip flopping on whether it will rain or not. now they've settled on a ten percent chance, so very doubtful.

so, old memories, we will be there early early. hoping for a decent parking place again.

saw this impala at the uptown show back in august. i like the back ends, with the wingspan out to there. didn't care much for the color and glitter, but it isn't my car to stare at all day, every day.

shot early, still in the staging area...can tell because of location and how they are not parked in the spaces; just sitting in the middle of the street.