Looking back....2010

So...2010 is winding down, Christmas is approaching fast & the new year is right round the corner.

Its been an interesting year......

Went to some show's I hadn't been to before...Got to see Chuck Berry perform live in Las Vegas....had a sick wife for 5 moths, but she's doing a lot better now.

We also have a new puppy....

Looking forward to April 2011, we are going to Texas for The Lone Star Roundup.

Thats it, short & sweet...take it easy folks, and like they say where I come from....

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!

Vegas was a blast.....

Almost 2 weeks ago now, and I'm still sunburned!!

PICS HERE

Viva Las Vegas....

Is 2 days away, I am headed out early Thursday morning for the 9 hour (or so) road trip.

Can't wait to get out there & catch up with my Road devil Brothers who will be flying & driving in from (literally) all around the world...we have one coming from Brunei, another couple from Germany & the rest from all over the United States.

We will be displaying a nostalgia Front Engined Dragster in our area of the showground, it WILL be fired up several times throughout the day, so if your there, follow the rumbling!

If your in Vegas for the weekender, come by The Road Devils area & say Hi....I'll be the English one, with the camera.

Check out www.vivalasvegas.net for show info.

Viva las Vegas Weekender Ticket Needed....

So, I am in need of a ticket for VLV...if you have one & are looking to offload it, please let me know asap.

Thanks kids

Review of the year pt 5...I think...

Aug 15/16 Pebble Beach

The pictures speak for themselves

Saturday HERE

Sunday HERE

THE finest automobile show in the world


Sept 2 Flat Tracker meet

Spent an enjoyable evening at a local motorcycle machine shop near San Jose airport for their annual Flat Track Vintage bike meet, awesome turnout of cool old British & a few American racing bikes.

Check them out HERE

Review of the year part 4??

It was the worst few days of the year, having to take our big orange cat to the vet as he wasn’t eating too well for a week or so…The vet did some blood work & on August 6th; we had the phone call...

Our beloved Jesse James was suffering from total kidney failure, and we had to make the decision to have him put to sleep…Jesse fell asleep at 3.31pm….he was a pain in the butt for the most part, but we loved him…in fact, I still get choked up thinking about that day, he was almost 6 years old….

The only saving grace was that he wasn’t in any pain leading up to that day, he was a happy kitty right to the end.

There are some more pictures HERE

Review of the year Pt 3....

July 12 Strangers Car Club BBQ/Car Show.

The summer season kicks into high gear in early July round here, following the Road Zombies BBQ comes the local highlight, The Strangers Car Club BBQ. Held for the past several years at San Jose’s History Park. Have a look through the set of pictures HERE

July 26 Cad/LaSalle show/Car Club's shoot

Just before I went to work, I headed to Cupertino for the Annual Cadillac/LaSalle owners club show…Some lovely classic's, have a look if you feel inclined, they can be found HERE

Later the same day I got to snapping some way cool Caddy’s against the backdrop of some trees at the venue the LaSalle show was being held at, I was very pleased with the results…have a look HERE for the complete set.

2010...here we come....

Wishing you all the very best in 2010.

Review of 2009 Pt 2

March thru early June were very quiet, until the 13th of June when we hit the Road Zombies Annual Car Show & BBQ. This was, as always, a very fun day out. The guys & girls from the club put on a fun, relaxing afternoon of music & food, combined with some cool cars, in a wonderful setting. It’s held at The Elks Lodge in Santa Clara Check out the pictures HERE

Our friends Paul & Hazel arrived on the 25th for a much deserved vacation, they flew in from England, Paul & I have know each other since we were 17 and went to College together. Sadly due to my work schedule, we only got to spend 3 whole days together, but we had a blast. We went to Santa Cruz to check out the Woodies on the Wharf show, again, a great time was had by all, pictures HERE

Christmas shopping....

I ventured out this morning to get my darling wife a few little things for Christmas.

In all it was an OK experience, until I got to Target.......

I was upstairs, near the stockroom exit, and there was a group of about 15-20 women 'lurking' near it....Suddenly the door opened, and before the clerk could even take 2 steps, the pack descended upon the cart & started yelling & pushing & shoving...I got the hell outta there pretty quick!

I have NO idea what was on the cart, but I really wouldn't wanna be the clerk.

This year, we are donating money to the ASPCA in place of gifts that we would normally give people.

Think before you spend...and do a good deed this Christmas.

Fun day out.....

The Strangers Car Club arranges a few of these "Drive Em Dammit" car runs throughout the year, this one however was a little different, we all donated toys for kids for Christmas before setting off on a run from Santa Clara, via some wonderful roads down to Hollister CA.



Click below for a slideshow of the day...

SLIDESHOW

The review of the year…..Part 1

January was very quiet, but in early February, myself & my friend Shane headed to Sacramento for the 59th Autorama, the main feature of the show was a gathering of historic Mercury's, this was put together by Alex & Celeste Izardi in a very short period of time...The Mercury Room was worth the 2 hour drive each way alone.


So onward to the show pictures, click HERE for the slideshow

And so....a Monday review...

After returning from the Physical Therapy session this morning, I met up with our new Road Devils Club Brother Steve.

Steve has been a 'friend of the club' for as long as I have known him, he has a club elegible car & seemed a natural choice for full membership, we voted him in last weekend.

We went & had lunch & then went to visit Alex Gambino at Gambino Customs in San Jose, Alex is a real talent, and has been lucky to work with some of the worlds top car guys.

We returned home & just hung out here for a few hours & then Steve headed home.

All in all, a very pleasant day.

Planning on attending the Strangers CC Toy Drive this weekend also.

Happy Monday....

So we start the week before Christmas faced with clouds & rain, its been very dry for the best part of the year, but we really need the rain.

I am having my 11th Physical Therapy (physiotherapy for the UK mob) session this morning, following my shoulder injury back in September, caused when a kid ran across the tracks in front of my train & I had to jam the brakes on & wrenched my shoulder. Its been a long & painful journey.

This weekend we have been invited to participate in a Toy Drive & lunch run with The Strangers Car Club here in San Jose, it was scheduled for yesterday, but the torrential rain kinda put a stop to it!

Heres hoping you all have a very Happy Christmas (none of that PC Happy Holidays nonsense here) and a very safe & prosperous 2010.

Just realised.....

Its been almost 3 years to the day from when I stopped posting stuff on here in 2006, to when I started up again the other day!

Penelope the Pontiac

Our 1951 Pontiac Chieftain. We acquired her late 2008 from a car collector in Morgan Hill.

She is stock for now, but over the winter we plan on doing a 12v conversion (currently 6v), flipping the front & rear bumpers & removing the over riders and bumper extensions to smooth the front & rear ends out. Lowering a few inches all round & replacing all the rubber components in the front suspension that have perished over the last 58 years & hopefully metalflaking the roof.

Its a REAL train....

Sadly last night, one of my workmates was involved in a car vs train accident, he was driving the train.

The car ran a red light at a freeway exit near The Great Mall in Milpitas & was struck by the train & dragged almost 400 feet. The car drived was killed as a result of a moments stupidy, and only 2 weeks before Christmas.

This is a fairly common occurrence with cars in the San Jose area.

Please people...think...for just a moment before saying..It's just a Light Rail train, they aren't "REAL" trains...

The sad reality is these things weigh 50 tons, and are solid steel....and do a lot of damage when they hit cars

Tiger Woods.....

People...unless it has a direct impact on you, our family, job or life....

WHO REALLY GIVES A DAMM????

That is all

Work/life etc...

So today was the start of the quarterly "sign up" at the company I work for...we are all given the chance to choose our work for the next quarter....its all based on length of service, so I don't get much choice when everyone else has chosen.

However, there are the old guard who have had the pick of the bunch for many years...and today, the #1 guy caused an upset, he was moaning about how "HIS job" had been changed, he had been picking the same run every sign up for the last 5 years..so its understandable the anguish it was causing...

However, this guy has been with the company 30+ years, and is more than eligible for retirement.....but do you think he does....HELL NO...

Another guy asked to be relieved from the train to do his biding...they told him they didn't have enough service in.........

Thats it for now...hopefully in the coming weeks & months I can get back into this blog thing....

New job....new outlook....

So, I have a new job.

Nothing gave me greater pleasure than telling them at Costco to go stick it....what a WONDERFUL day that was....

Course, I had to go back to pick up my final check, aparrently 2 weeks wasn't enough time to calculate it....

Still, onward & upward eh?

I am now driving a bus for VTA here in San Jose....and I love it