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got some new prescription contact lenses on my eyeballs today. haven’t worn contacts since the ninties. didn’t realize my better half had never known me without glasses...time flies.

got one eye tuned in for closeup stuff, the other for distance. guessing this must be equivalent to that corrective surgery they do for vision. my sight is pretty critical to my work, and my photography, so i’m a little paranoid to ever want to do that surgery. former sister-in-law went that route, and is basically blind today. others, still need to wear reading glasses, so what was the point?

my glasses have been bugging me lately, just a dead weight on my face, so i thought i’d try something different. probably should just pick different frames, but that doesn’t help when you want to wear sunglasses too. limited selection of styles with magnetic or attachable sunglasses. color changing lenses i think would affect how i see color on-screen at work too much, so no to those coatings.

anyway, my reason for mentioning this at all, is i‘m out, walking uptown today, and it’s really weird.

ever see those cartoons, where the characters are real small, in the driver’s seat of a robot’s head? shifting gears, pushing buttons, while looking at big screen tvs of the surroundings?

well, i’m sort of feeling like that. feel like i’m inside a ten-foot tall being, driving it down the sidewalk.

kind of like an avatar, only i’m not blue. maybe i am. really weird and disconnected from my self. the doctor said the different prescriptions in each eye would take my brain some getting used to, but damn.

thinking about going to a car show, but can’t today. apart from the dealings with elder care and exhausted spouse at home, i don’t see how i would be able to see in focus or tell if my picture was in focus with these eyes yet.

maybe tomorrow. weather is perfect mix of cold and overcast this weekend. my favorite. ya, maybe tomorrow. other than that, i have plenty of pictures waiting to see the light of day...

——-

here’s a pontiac from chicano park last month. love them and their hood ornaments. really didn’t care for the big, flaccid bow on the front of this one. wondered if it was left over from easter, but mostly wished it gone. unfortunately, i am not a magical being, and the owner wasn’t around to attempt some yoda-like mind suggestions on, so i left it be, and took it as i saw it.

and so it begins...

my dad is having surgery in the morning. valve replacement...one try or goodbye. hoping they don't have to crack his chest. going to be a long weekend.

hope everyone had a good thanksgiving and were grateful for those you were with.

i'll be away from my computer for a while, but i do have a relatively large number of pictures i can post here, if i have any more news or observations from a hospital room.

if you follow my instagram, you've already seen this pontiac. still a fav, and owned by the best people you could hope to know.

shot at the trunk n treat show at frisco's last month. parking lot was sooooo full, and he got there late, so i caught him parked by the hardware store. i liked the lighting, it's a bit different.

i should have done a one-eighty shot, of the two cop cars parked and watching the crowd. the dj was warning people to behave and park in designated spaces, so they don't get shut down...again.

party was still going, and more cars were arriving when i left, soon after i took this picture.

hhheeeyyyy!!!

owner of this pontiac always greets everyone with an enthusiastic "hey!"

as part of the host club's membership, he was busy running around, directing cars, and making sure everything was good. there was no worry there, things seemed to be very well organized, and parking was better than the year before.

i really like this picture. the car balances out the building behind, and all of the angles and perspective. could just be that i like the car.

on a streak

randomness:

women who can't walk in high heels. sort of just stomping their feet up and down instead of normal steps. they sound like horses walking across the marble lobby floor. but they look good.
two weeks / three doctors: latest guess is that i have a sinus infection with none of the standard symptoms. still look like i got slapped in the face without the red hand mark. yet another med to throw at it, and the side effects... oh and the male receptionist looked just like the weeknd...i so wanted to tell him, 🎶 "i can't feel my face when i'm with you..." 🎶
dad made his decision for surgery, now just has to schedule it.
one brother in the path of hurricane irma but hoa won't let him shutter windows until last minute--likely to pull a leiutenant dan to get it done; other one thinks it will miss him, so goes diving...logic?

smokey

woke up this morning around three am. windows are open, cool breeze, and an overwhelming smell of smoke. being near the hills of whittier, had to get up and see if the hills were glowing nearby.

nope, but worrisome enough, breathing that strong smoke, that i couldn't get back to sleep.

alarm went off at four. so about five hours of sleep. going to be a long day.

dressed quickly, hoping to get out of town, on my way to work and away from the smoke. hungry too.

fifty miles away, still smokey. turns out camp pendleton/san clemente had a fire going too.

anyway, two more days to a four-day weekend, and i have no plans. one or two car shows, and backing up files i guess. kid wants to go see that aliens covenant movie that all but disappeared quickly. did it suck?

hoping the smoke keeps the temps down, but doesn't force cancellation of the bomb club show at santa anita for a second time.

nice green pontiac found at slick's anti bomb show. i had the cars here all to myself for the couple of hours i was there--everyone else in long beach at the bombs magazine show.

got there at start time, after driving up from orange county. brief stop in tustin, to see if anything was at the biweekly show at enderle center. hadn't been there in a couple of years, being that it's more out of my way since spending more time in whittier.

was busy, but on a quick look around, only saw a couple i would really shoot, so didn't pull my camera bag out of the car, and left quickly, hoping for stuff i like out in montclair.

driving into the lot at slicks, almost thought it had been cancelled or i had the date wrong. there were just four or five old chevys parked, and a tent setup but not much, compared to the memo ortega show there earlier in the month.

parked in the shade, unloaded my bag and was about to go see what was going on or not, when one of the guys asked if i could move my car around the corner, as they were expecting more cars. bag back in the car, move to another shady spot under a tree. he starts taping off the show area.

about that time i hear a siren, as the veteranos club shows up, and some other cars. so, ya, i had enough to shoot and keep me happy, until i couldn't take the heat anymore.

water dance

i arrived way early for the anniversary show at friscos, hoping to catch whichever club was there to set things up. sprinkled the whole way there from whittier.

got there about nine-forty-five. absolutely nothing and nobody. fine. killed almost an hour wandering around in home depot. looked at the crap flooring and carpeting options. looked at doors and locks. out to the garden area, to peek through the fence for any cars arriving. nope.

wandered the back wall, found an air filter that i needed for my house, and then had something to carry around, so as not to look so conspicuous. traveled to the other end, the wood pile. cut cedar wafted about, i thought of xmas trees.

finally paid for my little filter, and headed out to the car.

happily, people had arrived, and were setting up. my car had been made inside the bounds of the show tapes. chucked the filter in the trunk, and moved my car further down the parking lot.

first club there was the los angeles bombs. so i shot a bunch of pics of those cars. then it started to sprinkle. so i headed to the overhang by a closed store, and hung out with the guys. had a nice chat with a guy about his son and photography.

finally, more cars showed up, in spite of the light rain, which eventually let up.

repeated the taking of pictures and the retreat to the overhang quite a few times. camera body is water-resistant, but not my lens, and i can't afford to replace them, so priorities.

anyway, i did take many pictures that i really like. so closed my eyes, and threw a theoretical dart at the screen, and here is a pontiac. guessing it's a thirty-nine. i've seen one other, but not in green.

pretty, isn't it?

rain delay

raining most of this week, so i've been staying at my parents' house, since it's closer to work. the drive is infinitely easier than the drive down the five from whittier any day.

hence, far from my computer, i can't work on new pictures, and must choose from a couple of slightly stale pictures squirreled away just for a rainy day.

this back end will do. fin-like bits and lots of chrome all up in your face. ya, that's the ticket.

hoping the rain really does stay away for the weekend; thinking i'll go shoot some cars at pomona.

floppy

1947 pontiac

pontiac from the fundraiser at the broiler. looking for something different to shoot. had this one ready to post, so it'll do, this fine, rainy monday. pretty sure i'd find it in my files from other shows, if i searched.

out of the office for an appointment. there's a potluck and i'm not in the mood to participate. just want to do my time and go home.

stopped for something to eat on the way back, since my stomach was growling about all the water i'd been drinking, and not enough food. ordered a combo burrito. was given the most flaccid burrito i've been served in my life. wasn't wrapped tightly, and pretty sure it was just really watery beans and cheese with no meat at all. maybe all the beef had drowned and was resting peacefully at the bottom of the tortilla, beneath the refried porridge. felt like i was holding a warm, loaded diaper. yum.

guess i'll head back to the office. i've taken an early lunch, and will skip the potluck.

the kid

1939 pontiac

i made it out to both car shows yesterday. skipped the evening trunk n treat—by then i wasn't feeling well. probably had too much sun. or yesterday's carnitas got their revenge. maybe i should just not eat them anymore.

i shot a lot of pictures. so now i am behind about four shows in the last couple of weeks, for anyone looking for their car. again, if i promised to put yours up, send me an email, because i am starting to forget.

this one is from the second show, at the whittier elks lodge. the veteranos were the host club, and i got a hug from one disguised/acting as security at the gate. he even gave me an ice cold water, which i really appreciated.

near the entrance, the originals club had their cars lined up behind their pop up, which kind of sucks, because there's the tent, which i hate, but whatever. my friend armando, who i've run into off and on for what he says is four years now, was there, and seeing the other guy get a hug, wanted one too. introduced me to his youngest daughter, who was spending time with dad at a car show. chatted with him for a while, then went and got started shooting cars.

when the pavement got too hot, i went back and caught some shade and probably talked to him for over a half an hour. he's a new dad. suprised the wife let him go out and play, but i'm sure he'll make it up to her somehow.

at some point, he asked me to take a picture of his car with his daughter. she seemed pretty shy, and didn't know what she should do, and i was all awkward because i don't usually shoot people...wait, that sounded weird...take pictures of people.

this one turned out ok, and caught her looking at me, instead of her dad, who really should have jumped in with his kid for a picture.

chief on the field

pontiac

hood ornament

saw this purple pontiac at the oldies san fernando show this past summer. first time i've seen it out. since then, been seeing pics of it all over instagram.

its different, that's fer sure. at least the hood ornament seems to be original, and not painted over.

looking forward to sunday, being back home in time for the día de los muertos car show/art show. was more carshow than art show last year, so i can only hope there are more cars this year. just down the street from the house, couldn't get much better than that.

better half is out washing his clothes at a random laundromat in the gaslamp, and i'm kicking back, watching forrest gump on tv. i slightly over-packed; he planned on underpacking and just washing clothes to get through the week.

started the day driving out to a shoe store in encinitas. better half has big feet...

anyway, he needed new shoes that wouldn't hurt. we're doing a bit more walking than we do at home, and his old shoes were hurting him. sales guy was very helpful, and he's hopeful the new pair will help.

turned out we were only three minutes from the house of an old friend, and former boss of mine. would have been nice to see her, but we had other plans, and figured she'd be busy working. hey carol -- miss you!

from the shoe store, it was either go to a museum at miramar afb or take a tour of the taylor guitar factory on the way back to the hotel. we did the guitar tour, since we both own one; i have their smallest model; he has a couple of bigger, nicer guitars. it was interesting to see how they make the guitars. really wish i could learn to play mine, more than a few random songs plucked out badly on the strings, since it has such a good tone, but i'm more of a piano kid, thanks to my mom.

guess i'll get ready for dinner. better half is almost done with his clothes, and jumanji is starting on tv now.