feed bag

my better half and i got a rare three-day weekend, where his sister is in town and able to watch their mom. we hastily made last minute plans, since we didn't have much pre-weekend notice. we tossed a few ideas around, found some places we wanted didn't have rooms available, so we went local thursday night, and then friday to where we are now, hanging out in long beach.

mostly we have done absolutely nothing, but enjoy the air conditioning and sleep, with an occasional foray into the world for food. sometimes that's all we need. we work too many hours, so just to be able hide away is a good break.
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better half is whining that he'd looked at this car, from the viejitos show, and had even taken some pictures of it, but that they didn't look anywhere as good as this. maybe it's his point of view--he's a foot taller--he needs to adjust the angle of that dangle, and really look at a car from all points. i whine because i'm not tall enough to get good shots of cars with lots of airbrushing on the roof. maybe i'm just trying to see a good shot and take it.

he says i'm obsessed, but maybe he's enabling the obsession...otherwise we wouldn't be staying in long beach, just to be closer to the car show by the sea, happening tomorrow in san pedro, now would we?

mutiny

got up early for the viejitos show over at st gregory the great. compared to last weekend, it was wonderfully overcast.

arrived to find them just setting up. and complaining loudly at each other. raynbow's guys were a grumbly bunch. half had been there at the agreed time, half got there when they got there. partied too much friday night or just slept in. he wasn't too happy about that, and went around letting them know it. doesn't make a good impression, and if you join a club, there are certain expectations. no one made you join.

anyway, they weren't the only club having issues with their members. heard quite a few guys getting reamed by other members. at least one guy got mad because they hadn't saved him a spot with his club. he got there late, and they don't save spots. he threw a hissy fit; they told him to just go home; so he did.

there was a decent turn out. got to pretty much all the cars i wanted before the sun came out, except for cars with the pop-ups or people in chairs in front of them. i had fun. my better half was able to go. he got to fart around with some of his different lenses.

here's raynbow's pontiac. hope his day got better than it started out.

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i've been busy at work as usual. then my dad had to go the hospital—just got out this evening. so, i've hardly had any time to be home and posting. i'm so behind on car shows, and yet i keep going out for more. better to have too many to choose from, and hopefully i'm getting better.

i don't have anything scheduled for tomorrow. i'm sleeping in. then maybe i'll go see how my dad is doing.

then there's this guy

went to the imperials show last sunday. wow. huge show. right up there with the legends' san pedro show. two baseball fields, plus in between, and a parking lot full of cars. a good amount of the stuff i like, so i was in chevy heaven.

hot day though, so took several more shade breaks than i normally would, which also cut back on how many cars i got to. big thanks to my friends, the latin gents and old times clubs for sharing their shade and the coldest damn bottles of water i've had since i went to canada, and brushed my teeth with water from a glacier.

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this guy, i see at a lot of car shows. drives a really nice '39 master deluxe. always calls me juera. i suppose that's better than gallina--my ex would tease me and say, "catalina, la gallina, puso un huevo in la cocina." he thought it was funny and our kids liked the rhyme.

saw him early at this show. took a few shots of his car before it got crowded in by other cars; but that's for another time, another post.

later in the day, i'm way over on the other side of the other field, and who comes strolling by? yup. says his friend has brought his car, i really should go check it out. won't see another like it, and it's back over next to his car. of course.

so last thing i do, while i still have enough energy to get there, and then get back to my car, is walk back over there.

he was there, with some friends. the car was pretty nice, with real wood panels, not just painted to look like wood. and a convertible, to boot. broke my own rule of not shooting cars with their hoods up, but since i'd walked all the way over, might as well.

and then he wants to pose for a picture with it...and it's not even his car. i guess he really liked it.

oh, and you can see the car without him in front of it, here.

damnit

another from the viejitos/pistoleros show. had it queued up, and apparently forgot to post it here.

i liked this car. the paint was dark and shiny enough to gather the reflections and make you want to fall into it at the same time.

really wishing that modern truck wasn't back-assed up against it and into my picture. but that's they way i found it, so there you go.

auto butchers

another from last weekend. there were a lot of really interesting cars, so deal with it.

these two are a little strange. works in progress. both are in the auto butchers car club.

i've run in to the owner of the orange '56 a couple of times in the last couple of weeks. said he'd recently had the chrome done; first time i saw it last year, at the usuals bbq, i guess the bumpers were a bit rusty.

purple car, i've never seen. not sure what that front grille is from—something being spliced and welded—but i'm almost imagining a couple of bolts on the sides and calling it frankenstein. maybe just frank.

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so, a few things happened today. had the day off as my memorial day, since i had to work on the actual holiday. you'd think, yay, three day weekend...get the hell out of town! right? right?

but no. family stuff going on, so not taking any long weekend trips for fun or vacation anytime soon, unless i go on my own. and just when work is telling me i have to take some time off...vacation balance is too high.

shit happens. we're dealing.

didn't go to any car shows today. could have. three or four, if i'd wanted. told myself, i'd get up real stupid early tomorrow, and drive out to one instead. hard drives are filling up anyway.

oh, bit of good news. found out i got five pictures in the oc fair. and realizing i should trust my first instinct when sifting through pictures. i usually pick too many, then ask my better half to help narrow down the selection.

he gives great critique, honest opinions. but there is always one or two i felt strongly about, that he wasn't quite sold on, that i enter anyway, and they've gotten in. same this year. he doesn't care, he's happy for me.

there was something else, but i can't remember what it was now. whatever.

one of these things is not...

this truck isn't particularly one i'd normally shoot. it's got a lot going on. it's not a classic classic that i prefer. the colors are kinda, shall i just say vomitous together, but that's just me. they go, but not my favorite design.

i thought it was the same truck i saw being pinstriped a couple of years ago. yes, it was; that was the only picture i entered in the fair last year that got a ribbon, even if it was only honorable mention. again. i recognized the pinstriping on the back end. nice to see the completed design. pinstriping is cool. that's why i shot it in the first place.

and interesting angry orchard beer pull for the stick shift.

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.

valspar

woke up early and headed to original mike's for the pistolero's / viejitos show. was wonderfully overcast the whole time i was there, so i'm hoping the pictures will be good.

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was a bit confusing, because when i got there, the lot was full of porsches, with the cars i was looking for sitting on the street. guys were saying they had double-booked shows.

perhaps it was just their regular saturday morning coffee meeting. if not, it was the weirdest show i've seen...none of them were out looking at each other's cars...they were all inside eating/meeting. it was like a damn porsche dealer lot; full of carreras. all the same, all different colors, all packed together.

i spent the time shooting what cars there were on the street. got some good pictures, up against the buildings, and the fire station.

whatever. my guys started moving into the lot about nine, more as the porsche party broke up and started to leave, one by one. i followed them in. shot them again...different location, different light. 

more cars showed up, plenty to keep me happy. cars reshuffled several times as spots opened up, and clubs parked together. shot them again.

only a couple of guys inquired about my pictures. so i'll start with them.

don't think i've seen this plymouth before. i liked it up against this paint building, the colors matching the car almost like they'd matched paint chips. what is that...PMS 188 or 201?

on my way out, this freaky monkey thing was at the entrance/exit, a bizzare greeting to all those that enter. certainly was creeping out a little girl, who did not want to pose with it for her mother.

calm before the storm

just before the rain. was starting to sprinkling lightly, and taking one more walk about, and found raynbow's pontiac. didn't see him.

last time i saw his car it was for sale. no sign this time, and the viejitos plaque was still in the back window, so i suppose he was there somewhere.

didn't notice that tudy had arrived with his '56 until after the rain got going and i was waiting up under the building entrance. next time, always a next time...

hamster

there's a speaker thingy from ye olde tymey drive-in theatres hanging on this perfectly fine packard. would there really have been a packard sitting at a drive-in with a speaker thingy hanging on the door? not even of the same era are they? hell, where's the food tray? i want popcorn.

i like the hood ornament and the coon tail.

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i've been letting my hair grow out for the last year, just to see how long it might get. it's getting a bit shaggy looking, so i was going to have the ends trimmed a bit. last time i wanted a cut and a color, it had been several months since i'd gone in, and the stylist i liked was no longer there. didn't even let me know. maybe she doesn't do hair anymore.

so this time, i was going to see my back up stylist, one that i'd gone to off and on for over a decade. called the salon, and the guy says she hasn't worked there for months. wtf. so now, i don't know where to go.

sure seeing another stylist besides your usual stylist is sort of like cheating, being double-dumped sucks. fine. i hate going in for a hair cut anyway. hate having to fake small talk with a practical stranger. it's like repeatedly going on awkward dates every once in a while.

and as long as i'm bitching about girl stuff. i hate shopping. i hate clothes shopping specifically. not a teeny bopper anymore, not that i ever was, and i'm not old enough for those polyester pants for the double-wide, though i'm starting to look like my mom more every day. can't stand any of the clothes in my closet, but can't seem to pick out anything at the store that fits or that i like, and doesn't feel like a cheap dishrag.

i guess i'm just in a mood. maybe i'll just try to sleep. hell of a week at work, and more coming. hamster on a wheel, man. hamster on a wheel.