Get out of the shop!

Wow, has it really been a week since I last posted here?

I know I always say this, but it's really been busy at my shop lately. John Eugster is teaching a hand tool class twice a week at the school, and I've been working like a maniac trying to get one of my commissions finished. Working forty hours in just three days wiped me out, and the project is still not finished!

My buddy Dan took one look at me and suggested I needed to step away from the shop for a couple of hours. (I'm pretty sure that was his kind way of saying that I looked like crap.) He had the perfect destination in mind, and five minutes later, we were pulling into a car show that was being held right around the corner from the shop.

Now I'm not a car fanatic. Oh, I love my little sports car, but honestly, if I looked at two trucks, I couldn't tell you their make. Chevy? Ford? Who knows. When I was in high school, I had a friend whose father owned a body shop. She could look at any car and know the year and make of it - and she never got it wrong. (Guys loved that, BTW!) How the hell do people do that?

The car show was a nice little break from my work, but the more interesting aspect of the show was the crowd. Oh don't get me wrong, the cars and trucks were great.






This car wasn't really getting much attention,


probably because the owner put this sign in the window.


I think it just made people want to stay away. Douche!

But frankly - for me - human dynamic was even more interesting than the vehicles. I mean - who uses an antique doorknob as a shifter knob?


Or a piece of tin from a bait box as a plate on the engine firewall.

Fuzzy dice were everywhere.


And the sense of humor that everyone put into their cars - fabulous!






I don't even know what this thing is - it looked like a beer keg/tap to me, but it may have been a souped up car stereo. It contained an amazing amount of chrome and detail.


I asked the woman who was wearing this patch if I could shoot a picture of it. With a patch like this, I think it's wise to ask first.


The fellow she was with said his patch was better - and suggested I shoot it, too.




I'm starting a new commission later this week, after a few things get squared away and delivered. Meanwhile, if you're cooped up, I highly recommend getting out and doing something fun for a few hours. It did the trick for me.