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.

victory

victory motorcycle

went uptown to see doctor strange first thing this morning. not my better half's kind of flick, so went and sat in the theatre with the other five people that were there to see it, with a big bucket of popcorn and big coke. tomorrow. tomorrow, i'll stop drinking the stuff. that's what i'll say until it actually happens.

after, got a refill of popcorn for my mother-in-law, and beat the rain home. must have been quite the sight waddling past the restaurant, with all the cowboys fanboys standing outside, with my giant popcorn in one hand and giant coke in the other. ended up dumping the drink soon after getting home, so one less drink for the day.

xmas tree has big balls. and small balls. no sign of elves yet, but have no fear, they will invade the tree shortly.

relatives are getting ready to leave soon. i've tempted the baby girl with homemade chocolate chip cookies the last couple of evenings. she's loud, but shy. we bonded yesterday, and she'd take them; today, she really wanted one, but wouldn't take one from me, and instead went and got her mama to get it for her. i think i'll send them home with them. no one here will eat them, except me. i only wanted the cookie dough. i guess i'll foist them on my coworkers tomorrow.

saw this bike yesterday at danny boy's fundraiser at big boy. they were collecting money and toys to help out one of their kids with cancer, and to send toys to the hospital, for kids that have to spend the holidays there. they all gathered for announcements, and one of the biggest prayer circles i've seen at a show.

took this shot before they did all that. i was shooting a car nearby, and the owner revved his bike engine. thought he was taking off, but no, just wanted the attention. seemed to be a solo driver, and i haven't seen a victory bike in a while, so i took a few pictures.

he seemed happy to have been noticed.

it's a harley, dahlink

harley davidson

away from home tonight, so i'll just put this one up.

took several angles of this bike, which are all just fine, but i thought this angle was just more interesting. not an extraordinary bike, but it was clean, and sitting off mostly by itself momentarily. not long after, the owner moved it in with the crowd of cars, where i never would have bothered shooting it then.

been busy as usual at work. i've been trying to squeeze in a walk before work, or climbing nine flights of stairs if i can. my legs hurt from sitting all day; i should get out for an afternoon walk like i used to, just block out some time on the work calendar and go.

really need to try an experiment and go cold turkey on the coke and/or pepsi. i like my caffiene bubbly and on ice, but it comes with a lot of sugar, which my body is apparently just converting into ass, boobs and belly. i could say i let myself go, out of some bizarre curiosity to see what i'd look like "with a little meat on my bones," same way i'd just see how long my hair would grow, but that would just be an excuse.

better half isn't complaining, but i'd like to be able to bust a lot of my old clothes out of storage, if i lost a few inches.

i spent a good part of a year working in what we called the dungeon, at a previous employer. was a huge project, with multiple companies working together, day and night. they kept a steady supply of snacks and soda, to keep the captives, er, employees, happy and working.

i used to joke, that i could just sit and mainline/iv drip the coke twenty-four/seven. was easier then; i was only a hundred pounds and burned those junk food calories without even trying.

i will miss it. i will be tempted every day, and it's just so easy to get my hands on the stuff.

gonna change to water. but it has to be ice water, to top off the ice water in my veins.

says the girl who chugged a coke whilest typing this missive...

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...

waiting is the hardest part

harley davidson softail

harley harley harley. not sure why i shot this bike versus any of the other bikes at legg lake last month. maybe i just liked the rolled up serapes, with it's colors.

both my brothers live in florida. hurricane matthew is barreling toward one of them now. the other is further south, and out of town for work; his wife is staying with her dad, but she says so far, nothing happening where she is staying.

i think my brother who is in the direct path, is far enough inland, he'll be ok. he moved there from cali only a few months ago, so this is his first time dealing with real weather since we were kids in virginia.

his house came with window coverings just for the purpose of protection from hurricanes, but they weren't marked which went with which window. should have just nailed up some boards.

pretty sure he is shitting bricks about now. his wife would take an earthquake over this any day.

being overly dramatic last night, he said he was exhausted, but ready to face the storm like lieutenant dan tied to the mast in forrest gump.

Update

on 2016-10-08 05:24 by kathy

p.s. hurricane missed both brothers' houses, just got a lot of wind and rain. they lucked out this time.

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.