I worked my butt off today driving from point to point — but still barely made a dent in my L.A. area list. I’m going to have to get realistic in about a week and figure out what part of the trip gets the axe. Most likely it’ll be Northern & maybe some central CA since I can probably make up for some of that in the Fall. But I don’t want to skip Reno.

Riverside really got me frustrated. Horrid traffic going into that town; within that town; as well as getting out. I did get some good stuff while there but hardly worth the effort. I must’ve been stuck in the area for a good three hours. Part of it was construction, part of it was school traffic (parents picking up kids; buses with those red stop signs), and part of it unknown. Even on the highway there were TONS of cars — 3pm on a Thursday. What-ever. So it threw my schedule even more off-track.

I short-changed the dogs on exercise a bit but they didn’t mind too much. One really good run in the morning for Nik in a park with those “dogs must be on-leash signs”. I justify that since no one was there and he was under complete control (following commands from 150 feet away) it didn’t count. And after a manic 20 minute all-out exercise session, he seemed pretty quiet and happy for awhile. The other dogs got exercise from barking from inside the van: pissed that he got to be out while they didn’t.

Some Anaheim signs — all adapted and deteriorated. The Sandman sign really makes me sad.

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These old Fotomat kiosks are really a rarity now. A key shop seems like a perfect re-use:

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A crappy picture but I’ll include it anyway. Shot from a distance, through the windshield. Feeling lazy and pressed for time. I have only seen these advertising people with giant arrows since I’ve been in California. They spin these giant signs in circles and it’s very eye-catching. I really loved this guy’s contrasting boots with the Statue of Liberty costume.

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I thought this was an amusing car wash design. Most likely adapted from the mid-century fins (http://flickr.com/photos/mister_goleta/1394756962/) or something similar. But I could be wrong — maybe they were always lamps.

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Isn’t it always the way? You get yourself set up in the best spot, trying to avoid the sun, the power lines, the cars… and they you raise the camera and some idiot pulls in and parks and ruins everything. Well, I’d been meaning to photo these giant food on trucks things. So this will have to be my old school / new school comparison shot. The market letters here are all outlined in neon.

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At a mini golf in Riverside today, I had to pass through an arcade and this game caught my eye. I don’t know if the object of the game is to save or sink the Titanic. But there were all kinds of lights and I was almost tempted to play it. But I’m sure I would’ve sucked as I know nothing about how to play these things. And my lists beckoned.

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In Banning, a very sweet, well-kept courtyard motor inn with private garages:

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Also in Banning, a nicely painted tribute to Pat Siva. I can’t find anything about her at Google, other than that she is a real estate agent and the Stagecaosh Days’ parade Grand Marshall. So maybe that’s not her after all doing the bareback trick.