I LOVE Classic Car Shows.. And its two for one Saturday!

Two Saturdays ago there were two car shows happening. So I jumped from one show in the morning to the next one in the afternoon. And when I say car show, I mean a Customs, Classics and Hot Rods car show! Non of that new car stuff for me. I'm talking about the Age of Motoring. When cars were works of art and labors, love and made out of steel. Ya' just can't beat that good 'ol Detroit Iron. The first car show was in Old Town La Verne. It was from 9am until 3pm and is an annual fundraiser. The streets were closes and I'll bet there were at least two hundred cars there to admire. The cool thing is, that the owners are all ready and willing to talk to you all about their car and the stories behind them. That makes them just that much more interesting. And some of these guys were real characters.

The second car show was in Old Town Claremont and is a little looser set up than La Verne. Its a once a month thing on the 2nd Saturday of the month from 4pm to 8pm and the streets are open. Old town Claremont is a very popular place, especially on the weekends. There are about two dozen restaurants, some small shops and stores and a lot of traffic down the main drag with everyone looking for a parking spot. So car owners just keep going around the block in wait for a diner to pull out and then get their spot on the street. Some of the owners get there by 2pm JUST to make sure they grab a certain section or corner of the main drag, and they are Always there in the Same Spots...Cool! A D.J. plays oldies and surf tunes and all is well in the world. I shot a video of the car show, but it was Way Too Big for this site to upload. I tried it several times, but no luck. So I did a slide show with music instead. So turn on your audio too. I'm bummed, because it was the best video I have done and no one in the blogosphere will see it. But, if you love Classics Cars, here's some Really sweet shots to look at. I grew up riding in, working on and owning a few of these steel sleds over the years and now wish I had never sold them. So enjoy these rolling beauties of yesterday. And talking about old cars, if you haven't yet, check out my 'Woody Show' blog a few postings below this one.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

If you have ever watched the food channel, you know about the Triple D (Diners Drive-ins and Dives. The host, Guy Fieri, who is a real character in his own right, goes all around the country looking for the Mom n Pop and small owner operated restaurants and food stands. All that have an outstanding specialty or two, or just a Great menu. You know, stuff you don't get at Denny's. I record all the new episodes so, anytime they feature a place in the So. Cal area, I take down the name, look it up and we take a Saturday afternoon and go for a ride to get something to eat. So far, we have been to two places. One in Manhattan Beach called; The North End Cafe. The specialty there was Kalua Pork Monte Cristo Egg Rolls with a specially made dipping sauce.Damn they were really good! While we were their in line, we started talking to another couple that was there for the same reason and for the same dish. We even shared an outdoor table with them and we both talked and eat Monte Cristo egg rolls. Pretty cool day. This place was just a little corner dive with almost No atmosphere except that it was by the beach. But, like they said..the food was 'off the Hook' ! Sorry, I forgot my camera that day, so no pics on the North End Cafe.
The next place we went to was in Eagle Rock and is an place where they make fast food...Better!
The place is called; the Oinkster. They have a delicious menu of all 'made on the premises' food. They roast their own pulled pork, for 12 hours at a time, make their own sauces and cook everything to perfection. They brine their own pastrami for days. And I do have to say, the Best Pastrami sandwich I have ever eaten. Very tasty, moist and full of flavor. On the weekends, the line goes out the door all day long. The reason? Its well worth the wait!
In the pics I posted, you'll see the lines out the door and people waiting to eat as well as the pastrami sandwich I had. Pati had the pulled pork and couldn't believe how good that was either. I did take a bit...Yum! Oh, and the Fries. Or should I say, Belgium Fries! Ya, twice cooked to golden brown perfection. Crunchy on the outside and soft and tasty on the inside. Outstanding fries. Look out Micky D. (McDs fries are pretty good) If your ever in the Eagle Rock area, make a lunch stop at Oinksters! And the outside patio is nice. We have a couple of other places on our list too. Its fun to have the destination and your going to eat anyway. And so far we've found a couple of other cool place to stop at on our way back too.
GALCO'S in Highland Park on York Ave. (Google it) If you want to find any kind of soda or candy that you used to love when you were growing up, this is the place to go. Just walking through the store and seeing Bubble UP soda, RC Cola, or Granny Goose Chips, brought back a few memories. We have fun with our mini road trips...So, Headin' out for more Diners Drive-ins N Dives. Happy eating!

Memorial Day Angel? or... You can' t judge a book by its cover

This past Memorial Day weekend. I took an extra couple of days vacation and went to Vegas, where my family all live. If you have read my blogs before, you know I go there about every 6 weeks or so to visit my mom and my sister and her family. The last time I was there, was about two months earlier and I had not visited my father's grave site to pay my respects to him, for an even longer time before that. He was a WWII and Korean War Veteran and a Very Proud American who passed away about ten years ago and is buried at the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City Nevada. Months back, I had made a promise to him and to myself that I would go there on Memorial Day. After all, that is the day that we honor and remember all the veterans who are no longer with us...Memorial Day. (Oh how we all forget what our National Holidays are really all about). Well, for all intents and purposes, I forgot! I forgot my promise and just sort of felt, nobody cared anyway. So, that Monday (Memorial Day), I decided to go to the mall and see if I could take advantage of the 'deals' being offered. And... I did. Bought a couple of nice shirts at a good price and I was happy about it.
That's the set up. Now, for the rest of the story.
As I was wondering around the mall, I almost brushed up against some guy as we passed by, turned to look at him and made a comment about his beard, which caught my eye. Thought it looked pretty cool and told him so. Like me, he had a salt n pepper goatee, but his, was about 7 inches longer. He was wearing a baseball type hat with a flattened brim, bent up in front and sunglasses placed on top of the brim and a serious look on his face. In short, the guy looked 'Tough' Not someone you would want to cross because he could knuckle your head in a heartbeat. Well, my comment started a little conversation and as it turned out. This guy was one of the nicest, coolest people you would ever want to meet. His name is Rick Morgan and he handed me his card. He makes custom die cast models and displays of classic cars, custom painting and such. On the side, he also works at a local church with teens, to do his best to keep them out of trouble and on the right path. A tough looking character for sure, with a real heart inside as well. (Can't tell a book by its cover)...lesson learned.

Ok, a quick reminder, its Memorial Day, right? So, he then asked me, if I was a Veteran. I said that I was. A combat veteran from a long forgotten war, that tore our country apart and one that didn't get the public support for our soldiers like today. It was Vietnam. We were looked down upon with disfavor  and even split at when our military service was revealed. We were Not appreciated to say the least. Anyway, Rick reached out his hand and with a nice strong grip, shook mine and said " thank you for your service. I appreciate everyone that has served our country. Thank you very much". I said thank you, and was really touched! Its been more than 30 years since I carried a rifle and that was the first time anyone had ever said that to me. At that moment I was appreciative and very quickly enlightened. It was like an angel tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me of my promise to my father and to myself that was made so many months ago. We ended our conversation, went our own ways and even though it was late in the afternoon, I still had time. I headed to the parking lot. Got in my car and drove to the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery to keep that promise. Sometimes God works through others with out them even knowing it. And you never know the effect you have on others with what you say or do. So speak carefully and act with thought. Now... since he set me straight, I have got to give him a plug. Its: Rick Morgan Design 702-595-7064.
Thanks Rick