Gift-a-Portrait No. 1

The very first Gift-a-Portrait recipients: Adorable, Fun and Silly... yes, all three adjectives beginning with capital letters, because shooting with them was a Blast!

Leah and Giselle were such cuties. They were both silly in a good and fun way. Enjoy.

Coffee and Cars - December 2012

Houston Coffee and Cars

December 1, 2012

Vintage Park, Houston, TX

I have finally gotten the chance to go through my December C&C photos, and actually got the motivation to edit them. The last meet of the year proved to be a big one in terms of car and spectator attendance. While there were a lot of frequent attendees, there were some that I have just seen this month (completely relying on my faltering memory).

The number of cars were at a record high, but I was not too impressed with the type and quality of cars that I saw. Although I might just have been at the wrong area at the wrong time. Having said that, some cars caught my attention, and they have been duly rewarded with a snap or two, or many.

This month's coverage would include a vicious domestic muscle mutant, a raw hot rod, and three Japanese oldies but goodies (including an international favorite off-road vehicle).

New Fixie

As you might have known, my first mountain bike was stolen. It was heart breaking to say the least... considering how patient I was on holding off on buying a bike, and adding to that how excited I was when I finally got the opportunity to actually buy one. The Marin that I eventually got was a pretty good deal - an intermediate bike that was substantially discounted to reach the price point of a beginner bike. 

I waited for a few months before finally deciding on which type of bike to get as a replacement. Once again, I found a good deal, online on Black Friday. The buying experience was better and more exciting this time around; mainly because my wife bought it for me as an early Christmas gift, and because I did not know which color combination of bike I was getting (mystery bike deal).

Enter the Phantom 2.0 from State Bicycle Co. The bicycle has a fixed gear, with a flip-flop hub for free-wheel. It looks stunning, and the ride is awesome. Today was the first time I took it out on the bike trail, and I logged 9.8 "sMILES" (smile + miles).

The weather was perfect, and the sunset was breath-taking. I'm hoping to keeping this bike for as long as I can ride, and maybe upgrading it along the way. More sMILES to come.

NOTE: Please excuse the usage of a rock to prop the bicycle up.

Coffee and Cars - November 2012

Houston Coffee and Cars

November 3, 2012

Vintage Park, Houston, TX

There is no better gathering of cars than Coffee and Cars. The amount and quality of these rolling machines is just incomparable to other meets, even including paid car shows. There is just a slew of amazing cars from the classics to the latest in the industry. It would be pretty safe to say that one could place these cars in their specific time in history and create a timeline of the automotive world. Possibly.

The Celica and The Bluebird

The cars that really caught my interest were these two - a Toyota Celica 2200 GT (RA24), and a Datsun Bluebird (P312). It is obvious, and I admit it, that I am a sucker for early model cars. It seems like those older cars were done right, maybe because things were simpler back then. These two cars are testaments of the simpler, yet effective and beautiful design cues devoid of electronic evilness.

Import Face-Off 2012: The Lot

 October 28, 2012

Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX

Watching drag races could get monotonous and boring, but that is not to say that there aren't any exciting occurrences. For sure, there are - like this one Civic that crashed right after passing the finish line, and clocking in a 9.0 second at 158 mph run. Unfortunately, we missed that.

The parking lot of the racing complex was reserved for a few events, and a car show. The very first car that caught my attention was this pristine 1976 Toyota Celica 2200 GT (RA24). It was immaculately clean and properly restored, or pampered. [More photos of the car in a separate post]

Import Face-Off 2012: The Strip

October 28, 2012

Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX

This would be our first time attending an Import Face-Off . We got there fashionably late, which meant the race has already started, and most of the games and events were about to wrap up; although awarding would happen later on that day.

[Drive Log] Oklahoma City - Day 2

October 21, 2012

Houston, TX - Oklahoma City, OK - Houston, TX

Miles logged: 1036.9

Oklahoma City has a unique vibe - somewhat of a small town pace in a big old-city setting. The city also feels very "western," especially with the US Team Roping Championships going on during our visit. The city is historically famous as a major stop on Route 66, as well as its major stockyards. Nowadays, their economy is mainly driven by big energy companies. 

[Drive Log] Oklahoma City - Day 1

October 20, 2012

Houston, TX - Oklahoma City, OK

Miles logged: 1036.9

Oklahoma City would be our first destination that is not east of Texas. This was somewhat of a "business" trip, since the main reason was for my wife's passport renewal. Nevertheless, we made it feel like a leisure trip, because we acted like tourists most of the time.

Coffee and Cars - October 2012

Just a quick post of photos from the October 2012 Houston Coffee and Cars, before the start of the November gathering in a few hours. Hopefully we get there on time later.

Fairlady Z

A newer Fairlady... the 240Z, that is.

Final

September 30, 2012

Palmer Events Center

Austin, TX

This should be the last entry for wekfesttx 2012. I know this has been a long time coming, but hopefully this will make for a good close to the coverage of an awesome show. Here are more photos of some of the amazing rides present.

Part Four

September 30, 2012

Palmer Events Center

Austin, TX

Fourth part now... and more photos.

Part Three

September 30, 2012

Palmer Events Center

Austin, TX

Here's the third part. No more words.. just photos. Enjoy!

Part Two

September 30, 2012

Palmer Events Center

Austin, TX

Part One

September 30, 2012

Palmer Events Center

Austin, TX

Houston Food Trucks

The Mobile Food Unit of Houston just held its awareness event and food truck festival yesterday from 4PM to 10PM. We dropped by the area at around 7PM, and we were greeted with limited parking space, and a horde of people falling in line to order from the various food trucks in attendance. We were mainly there to support the MFUH's proposed changes to the city's mobile food ordinance, and to enjoy one of the city's sources of great food. The MFUH had a booth where supporters can sign the petition for the proposed changes.

This QR code might work. I haven't tried it though, but here's their website .

There were numerous food truck vendors in attendance...

... including non-food related truck vendors, like the one above-right, and the one below.

It was beautiful outside, despite having above-than-normal temperatures earlier in the day. The light was pretty as well - soft and warm. After going around checking what the food trucks had on their menu, we decided on getting grub from this school bus, Bernie's Burger Bus (I'm pretty sure my brother would have loved this bus).

I have always envied Austin's food tucks, with their own little customer-friendly spots. Hopefully Houston's food trucks will be allowed to set-up in a common area on a regular basis, complete with tables and chairs for customers to dine. Good luck to the MFUH guys on their efforts to improve the city's food truck scene. 

Sightseeing