Mini bike races in a top secret location in SF. My photos are admittedly not my best. Fast bikes, slow lenses, and an entry level DLSR. Pair that with a dark night, reflective racing gear, a little rain, and by less than professional photography skills. Regardless, I had fun, my jacket still smells like exhaust and burnt rubber, and my brother won first place in the Sportsman category. He was also wearing a dress the entire time. So proud!
The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium
I have never really traveled outside of California. I had planned a trip to Portland Oregon a few years ago in support of being more adventurous and it never came to fruition until, on a whim, I decided to go. My friend Creepy Uncle Andy agreed to join me since, well, I have only been on an airplane three times and he is a seasoned traveler and always up for an adventure. On my list of places that I wanted to see was the Freakybuttrue Peculiarium. I would imagine this museum to be more a road side attraction type of place yet located in an urban environment. It did not disappoint. Its a little smelly, a little all over the place, and a lot of wonderful. I was completely enamored (read: totally creeped out) by the doll house of horrors that depicted the most horrific of murders, a suicide and an alien in a bathtub. The trip was great, I will return for the Voo Doo donuts and Powell’s Books, maybe pass on Starks Vacuum Museum next time, and will defiantly return to the Peculiarium. By the way Portland, you may consider yourself “weird” but you can’t shake a stick at San Francisco in that department.
West Coast Goldfish Palooza !
Photograph what you are passionate about. I read that in a photography book once. Definitely sound advice advice and it is no secret to people that know me (including being shamed, ridiculed, teased, and judged) that I love fancy goldfish. I have kept goldfish since I was little, have them tattooed on me, and my Pisces soul simply loves them. The Goldfish Council, which is a newer organization that started in 2016 and is “dedicated to the education and research of goldfish,” hosted their second annual West Coast Goldfish Palooza on June 30th, 2018 in San Jose California and, being my first goldfish event, had to photograph it. I didn't really know what to expect and I had really hoped that I would find my in-person tribe (vs the Instragram and goldfish forum communities) , other fancy goldfish fanatics, that I could exchange phone numbers with and make plans to have coffee and discuss husbandry techniques, similar to what my former knitting club used to do for my social life. I did not find that. I did eat a taco standing up in the parking lot and made small talk with a koi keeper but I sort of got the vibe he was mistaking my friendliness for flirting and I was most definitely not doing that. However, I did find some beautiful goldfish for sale (I, with the utmost of restraint did not buy the speckled fish that felt like it was my destiny) and took some really nice photos. I also got to meet Gary Hater, who is a bit famous in the goldfish keeping circles, and watched a presentation on disease and treatment and how to keep the best goldfish first aid kit. I had a hard time culling my photos for this collection and it feels a bit over loaded but I can't help bust share.
Lucha Libre
This was a fun day. Luchadores at a beer garden, friends I have known since I was sixteen, and tacos. The event reminded me of the mid-nineties incredibly Strange Wresting that was so much fun. If you remember those days, I am sure you briefly thought about having to pick the flying dried tortillas out of your hair.