Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The "Glendora Garage"

[Dan in Pasadena]

First, Merry Christmas to you and all those following this thread. [except for the naughty ones - you know who you are] I have yet to go back through all of the pages and pictures, but your recent comment is something I identified with: "I suppose there was a time in my life I'd have wanted a LOT of cars like this but not anymore." At this point in my life [turned 74 last month] I'd trade my 911 for a truck just like your '55. Exquisite example.

Ha! ...and I did that very thing. I bought a '76 9111S in very poor condition and redid it completely then later sold it to buy a truck. It was the wrong truck for me - a 1946 Chevy that someone had already installed a 350/350TH in with Jaguar IFS and IRS. I completely rewired it before deciding it wasn't really exactly what I'd always wanted: a '55 Chevy big window. So I sold the '46 and bought my '55 as a derelict. Then got completely carried away redoing it til it became what it is now. Some days I wish I'd been able to afford to keep my mid year 911 though......and the '46 truck too!
A bad picture of my 911 after it was done. I guess because it was yellow women really seemed to like it.


My '46 Chevy truck:

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Merry Christmas all you guys and Kay of course too. I hope you had a wonderful day with friends or family or both!

Christmas Eve w/family was interrupted by power going out last night about 8:30pm. As I type this over 24 hrs later it is still out! We spent most of today at my daughter's house expecting to come home to the power being back but no luck. Southern California Edison (SCE) keeps sending texts advising when the service will be back. Last night they said by 3am. Then on and on to 6am, 830am, noon, 3pm, yada yada.

The Main Street behind us is closed and a huge crane and utility workers are absolutely RAKING in the cash on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in overtime. I worked for Edison many years ago and they used to talk about things called "Evergreen Time" and "Goldenrod Time". No idea if that still exists but it used to mean triple time and even quadruple time if over 60 hrs on a timesheet and on a holiday.

Anyway, street was closed but I drove as close as I could. I can see large items on the pavement to the left and a guy in the crane basket but can't tell what's going on. If power's still off in the AM I'll go for ice to save milk, eggs, etc and then fire up the RV generator for ice cream.....if it's not mush by then!

 

[PugetDude]

Merry Christmas all you guys and Kay of course too. I hope you had a wonderful day with friends or family or both!

Christmas Eve w/family was interrupted by power going out last night about 8:30pm. As I type this over 24 hrs later it is still out! We spent most of today at my daughter's house expecting to come home to the power being back but no luck. Southern California Edison (SCE) keeps sending texts advising when the service will be back. Last night they said by 3am. Then on and on to 6am, 830am, noon, 3pm, yada yada.

The Main Street behind us is closed and a huge crane and utility workers are absolutely RAKING in the cash on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in overtime. I worked for Edison many years ago and they used to talk about things called "Evergreen Time" and "Goldenrod Time". No idea if that still exists but it used to mean triple time and even quadruple time if over 60 hrs on a timesheet and on a holiday.

Anyway, street was closed but I drove as close as I could. I can see large items on the pavement to the left and a guy in the crane basket but can't tell what's going on. If power's still off in the AM I'll go for ice to save milk, eggs, etc and then fire up the RV generator for ice cream.....if it's not mush by then!

First rule of a power outage is to eat the ice cream first, Dan.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Glad you had a good holiday, despite SCEd pooching things a bit.
I imagine it was a holiday drunk that cut your power.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

First rule of a power outage is to eat the ice cream first, Dan.

We would have but - per SCE - power was SUPPOSED to come back by 3am the first night. We didn't want to open the freezer as Lulu's brother had brought a bunch of delicious food over so we sat with our camping lanterns and blabbed away. No "It's a Wonderful Life" on tv, no fire because our fireplace is one of those automatic things that lights electrically. Still, we had a good time laughing about stuff.

Glad you had a good holiday, despite SCEd pooching things a bit.
I imagine it was a holiday drunk that cut your power.

Thanks Kay. I hope you and your "boys" are warm, well and happy. Today I'll walk my pups around the block to where the power work was going on last night and I'll see if I can tell what happened or maybe just what equipment or lines look new.

All you folks: Watch out during the holidays. Hell, ALL the damn time for the friggin' nut jobs out there. I told PD elsewhere but locally a 67 year old grandmother was T-boned and killed on Christmas Eve by a worthless excuse for a man running from the police because he had stolen Legos from a grocery store!! He was loaded and would be prosecuted for his third felony "strike". Such tragedy over such a STOOPID crime. And don't even get me started on the police being ***** to high speed chase ANY one for ANY thing. In this case they were told it was a shop lifting suspect when it started. Watch your back and your sides too.

 

[zanyad]

Merry Christmas, hope power is back already!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Merry Christmas, hope power is back already!

Power came back at 11pm last night. Other than the ice in the ice maker fusing into one giant block there doesnt seem to be any damage.

Walked the dogs around the corner to see what happened. Couldn't tell a thing really. No obviously newer looking equipment, no obvious replacement wood power pole. The only thing was yellow caution tape where a pickup crashed last night but no visible damage there either. Oh well.

This photo from a neighborhood watch type sharing site we belong to.

 

[PugetDude]

This photo from a neighborhood watch type sharing site we belong to.

The "Glendora Gawkers"? I think I may have heard about them...

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Really IS an accurate description. There were two break-ins during the summer and it caused the neighborhood to be up in arms. A Neighborhood Watch party was called. Yada, yada, an agreement was struck to buy three professional quality surveillance cameras and have them installed at the three ingress/egress points to the neighborhood. Neighbors were asked to pitch in for them.

And then a neighborhood group was formed on an app called "GroupMe". Now when anyone hears a mouse fart someone posts about it. Since the power outage only affected half the neighborhood that became the topic of discussion for a couple days....so far.

 

[rharman]

Wow, sorry about your power outage.

We had an outage at 2:00pm Christmas Eve. Transformer at a local substation blew up. We still had power but the city lost water pressure as the pumps were without power. Also took out Spectrum internet which we use for landline as well.

I'm posting more in the "Pull up a chair..." thread. We ended up losing cell service and, in the evening, had a 1-1/2 hour power loss.

Jeesh....

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Wow, sorry about your power outage.

We had an outage at 2:00pm Christmas Eve. Transformer at a local substation blew up. We still had power but the city lost water pressure as the pumps were without power. Also took out Spectrum internet which we use for landline as well.

I'm posting more in the "Pull up a chair..." thread. We ended up losing cell service and, in the evening, had a 1-1/2 hour power loss.

Jeesh....

Yeah, it was a good reminder just how much we take utilities for granted.

Too few batteries, no new "D" cells for the large flashlights and camping lanterns. As it went longer we realized we were going to lose a lot of food too. Luckily that didn't happen. Since we live pretty close to a very large wild area I'm reminded to think over what we'd need to do/take if we are ever required to evacuate for a wildfire.

 

[rharman]

30+ years ago, I worked for Fedco, the department store chain, which I'm sure you remember over on Colorado Blvd. I used my employee discount to buy a Coleman 1500w generator. It's still going strong.

I've used it when SCE was doing high-voltage line upgrades, pole replacements, transformer outages, etc. So far, fingers crossed, we've never lost any food. It lets out a groan when I use it to power the fridge but chugs right along. I usually run it for an hour or so every 4-6 hours during an outage. Extension cords run through the doggie door.

 

[PugetDude]

Glad to hear things got better for your sister at least.

Recently learned that a fellow GJ member is her new husband's business partner...
So, she's got that going for her...

 

[DeeDubz]

Really IS an accurate description. There were two break-ins during the summer and it caused the neighborhood to be up in arms. A Neighborhood Watch party was called. Yada, yada, an agreement was struck to buy three professional quality surveillance cameras and have them installed at the three ingress/egress points to the neighborhood. Neighbors were asked to pitch in for them.

And then a neighborhood group was formed on an app called "GroupMe". Now when anyone hears a mouse fart someone posts about it. Since the power outage only affected half the neighborhood that became the topic of discussion for a couple days....so far.

Sorta like the Nextdoor app or the ring app. Thats good that you guys did something. Petty crime and break ins are pretty common these days days in ca... sadly. Hopefully that changes with Prop 36. Bummer about the power Dan. Hope you and your family had a Merry Christmas.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Recently learned that a fellow GJ member is her new husband's business partner...
So, she's got that going for her...

Well then the husband can't be that bad if he lets a GJ'er into his business!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Sorta like the Nextdoor app or the ring app. Thats good that you guys did something. Petty crime and break ins are pretty common these days days in ca... sadly. Hopefully that changes with Prop 36. Bummer about the power Dan. Hope you and your family had a Merry Christmas.

One of the neighbors in the months since the summer break in noticed a couple guys - that don't live in the neighborhood as far as any could tell - stop around the corner then walk in tossing a football to each other as they "over threw" it into someone's driveway or yard thereby moving through the neighborhood.

Pretty obvious that they were trying to seem harmless while scanning houses for what might be easy pickings, the absence of surveillance cameras, etc. Police were notified but the guys never acted on what they may have found. I don't know if that is good or not good. Hopefully, "the other shoe" has not dropped yet.

 

[kaymccampbell]

One of the neighbors in the months since the summer break in noticed a couple guys - that don't live in the neighborhood as far as any could tell - stop around the corner then walk in tossing a football to each other as they "over threw" it into someone's driveway or yard thereby moving through the neighborhood.

Pretty obvious that they were trying to seem harmless while scanning houses for what might be easy pickings, the absence of surveillance cameras, etc. Police were notified but the guys never acted on what they may have found. I don't know if that is good or not good. Hopefully, "the other shoe" has not dropped yet.

In my neighborhood, slow moving cars or unknowns get blocked in and offered help.

 

[captain14]

In my neighborhood, slow moving cars or unknowns get blocked in and offered help.

That’s the neighborly way to help out.

 

[PugetDude]

We have a retired Brooklyn cop in our little community who likes to walk and is always packing. Head on a swivel...

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

We have a retired Brooklyn cop in our little community who likes to walk and is always packing. Head on a swivel...

My next door neighbor is a recently retired San Bernardino County Deputy Sheriff. Nice guy. He was decorated for bravery in a shoot out. After a couple more years he decided to retire even though he was in his late 40's since he'd joined the Department right out of high school. He's got all sorts of surveillance cameras at his place and is in constant watchful mode.....I hope.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Took the '55 out for a ride this afternoon. Near us is an area called "Blue Bird Hill". The gates are rarely open so I figured I'd go take a look. I needed a couple new pic's of her anyway.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

One of my New Years resolutions is to try to drive her more. The more I drive it the more small glitches I identify & fix.
Brought her home and put her on ramps for an oil change. Incredibly, the truck only has 575 miles since it was completed in 2017. I was told back then to break it in for 500 miles then change the oil. So I am. It just took a helluva long time....it's been 7 years. EEK!!
Yes, I KNOW...it should have been done long long ago. Oxidation, etc from sitting too much. It was not bored when it was "rebuilt". Instead we just put in all new bearings. The cylinders were honed and new rings were installed but the engine only had 81,000 miles on it when the Isuzu N Series delivery truck it came from was totaled. Nothing but a fluid change was done to the trans. Because it came out of a commercial truck it had a 4l85e which I am told is a more durable transmission.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

BIG winds in SoCal forecasted for today, tomorrow and Thursday. I woke up to find the shade sails over the pool broke another cable so I took them down.
It's 8:30pm and the fire in Pacific Palisades looks severe. Winds are so high no aircraft can be used. News says there are "hurricane force" winds at altitude. Water is short from trying to fight so many areas so they're having to just let it burn - tragic.
Now it was just announced that Eaton Canyon in Altadena is burning FAST. That is literally just up the road from our old house when I was really Dan "IN" Pasadena!
We are a block from undeveloped mountains in Glendora so wildfires are always a concern. We were just discussing what we'd grab to evacuate. Not much is the answer. The dogs & their supplies, meds, passports, very few photos and only enough clothes to be covered for a week or so. I guess we'd drive away in the RV - so we'd have something to live in and one of my trucks. I guess the red '55. The Silverado can be easily replaced. But the '55 could never be.

Forgot this tidbit that is of likely GJ interest: Palisades resident were told to get out NOW! The streets became gridlocked so police told people to leave their cars and walk if they wanted to live! I guess memories of Lahaina? Then the cars blocked fire truck access so they brought in bulldozers and just shoved the cars aside destroying many of them. Yikes.

 

[PugetDude]

Hoping you and yours stay safe in this, Dan. Looks pretty ominous from what I have seen. Firestorms are unpredictable and fast moving, experienced one in Spokane in 1991.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hoping you and yours stay safe in this, Dan. Looks pretty ominous from what I have seen. Firestorms are unpredictable and fast moving, experienced one in Spokane in 1991.

Thanks! (Fingers crossed) So far there's nothing close. During day hour we see helicopters periodically during the day scanning for fire.

But yeah, the wind is blowing embers literally everywhere. Where do the firemen start? There are simply too many fire locations, not enough firemen, low water pressure a lot of places, no planes or helicopters. I have a feeling this is gonna be really really bad.

 

[gilr]

Dan, if you are in a safe place, can you update us, praying for your safety and that of your family.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hello everyone, Thanks for asking - we’re fine though without power and barely internet access for 30+ hours. Last night we started the RV generator and watched tv as we have a satellite dish on it.

My daughter had to evacuate. They’re on the LA/Glendale border which isn’t close to the Eaton Canyon Fire but embers were blowing so severely ANYwhere within miles was under threat. They had to go all the way to Newport Beaxh (Orange Co.) to find a hotel with space!

A relative house in Altadena burnt to the ground. She’s elderly & ill and has a 90 year old husband too. Ugh.

Southern California Edison notified us power MAY come on in the next 8 hours. So who knows.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I WAS in the middle of prepping for wall cabinets in my sister’s condo garage. Cleared wall space - a lot of shelves screwed to wall with old & damaged slotted screws - tedious. Then painted part of the wall that will be visible after the cabinets are installed. The fire, power outage, etc interrupted that. Now the wind has stopped so I will head over and complete () that today.

 

[gilr]

Glad to hear you are safe, what a disaster! I feel for those who have lost everything. Those Santa Ana winds are just insane when mixed with fire.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

This time was well beyond the Santa Ana winds we've gotten every year my entire life and I'm 70. I remember how bad it was and it was never ever like this. We had a severe wind storm (Really? A hurricane without rain) back in 2011. A 6 ft. block wall at our Pasadena house blew over! I’ve seen the same here as I drive around. News back then claimed one gust up to 85-90 mph was recorded. In this storm gusts were recorded over 100mph several times. Crazy!

Glad to hear you are safe, what a disaster! I feel for those who have lost everything. Those Santa Ana winds are just insane when mixed with fire.

 

[nicholam77]

Glad to hear you're safe for now (knowing it's not over)! That would be very stressful to be without power / internet during that time. I lived in LA for 4 yrs during college and still have some friends there, with their bags packed and ready to get out if needed. I remember one time camping in Malibu w/~65mph Santa Ana winds... couldn't get my tent staked down and stayed up all night. It's hard to even fathom 100mph mixed with fire. Some of the videos I've been watching are almost incomprehensible, it's all very sad. Anyways, good luck and stay safe!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

^^^ Thanks for your concern.

It's not over but an even bigger concern is that another and another and another fire can start and spread at any moment. A new Santa Ana wind event is forecasted for Monday and Tuesday though in the 30 to 40 mph range rather than the over-the-top winds of up to 100mph the last few days. We can only hope that no new ones start or if they do they are suppressed immediately.

 

[Bob Heine]

Dan, growing up on Long Island in the 1950s there was a lot of undeveloped land in the Eastern half where my uncle lived. He was the captain of the Holbrook volunteer fire department from 1953-55. He was an officer in World War II in charge of clearing land mines in France and Germany. The department web site described him perfectly:

"1953-1955 Chief Harvey Heine – Tall, quiet Harvey was the architect and engineer of our second fire headquarters. Harvey was a great diplomat and pacifier. His ability to stay calm, cool and collected was a tremendous asset."

Brush fires were common in the area, in addition to the Thanksgiving and Christmas house fires (candles on the tree????). As a little kid in September 1953 my parents drove the 20 miles from North Babylon to help with a crisis my uncle was dealing with. That night I witnessed a brush fire leap across a 4-lane divided highway that had fifty feet of cleared shoulders. Mom helped feed the firefighters and my father strapped on a fire backpack to put out flying embers. Once all the visible flames were out, my uncle knew he'd be back because those fires continued to burn the roots underground and would pop up again a hundred yards from the edge of the original fire. I didn't know it at the time but there was a very busy arsonist that year:

"September of 1953 was an extremely busy month for the department. Earlier in the year the Town of Islip Police Department put out the word that there would be a reward for the arrest of any person starting a brush fire. But that fall, an arsonist was at work in the district. In the first week of September alone, there were sixteen separate brush fires. Five of them occurred on the 6th of September. In all, there were thirty-one activities for the month. All but seven of them were brush fires."

For me, what your part of California is going through made those memories come back to life. The fires on Long Island made their own wind but nothing compared to this year's Apocalyptic assist from the Santa Ana winds.

Stay safe, save yourselves and keep your memories alive even if you have to abandon the things that made those memories.

If you need someone to move your '55 out of harm's way I'm pretty sure I still have some Delta Frequent Flyer miles in my account.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hi Bob!
I hope you and Liane are doing well. I've decided if it all goes to hell here I'll save the '55.

 

[PugetDude]

Hi Bob!
I hope you and Liane are doing well. I've decided if it all goes to hell here I'll save the '55.

You can bring it over here until things settle down, Dan.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Ha ha, that would by far be the longest it's ever been driven since I built it. Finished it (as it were) in 2017 and it has about 575 miles TOTAL since then. Mostly around town driving though a couple times to my sister's in Orange Country maybe 20 miles one way! Yeah, I KNOW!

 

[PugetDude]

Ha ha, that would by far be the longest it's ever been driven since I built it. Finished it (as it were) in 2017 and it has about 575 miles TOTAL since then. Mostly around town driving though a couple times to my sister's in Orange Country maybe 20 miles one way! Yeah, I KNOW!

@LXCam has a car trailer...

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Back on to garage stuff.

My sister needed storage in her new single garage. So I ordered 5 lightweight cabinets and installed them this week (while worrying about the fires).

Bit by bit I'll improve this neglected garage. I removed a bunch of ugly mismatched shelves on cheap brackets with PITA damaged slotted screws. I almost never use an ordinary screwdriver anymore, ha ha. Then I painted the wall, assembled Chinese cabinets, used my Ramset to mount a 2x to raise them off the floor and anchored them at the top to the studs. Unfortunately I didn't take Before or During pictures.

Later this week I'll keep removing old ****, spackling holes and painting the whole garage. Eventually she will be able to get her car in it!

That back wall may be next. PS: Yeah, those black anchor straps on top bump off my OCD so I'll have to paint them.

 

[LeonardY]

Yeah, those black anchor straps on top bump off my OCD so I'll have to paint them.

And yet you allow a penguin to be sitting on it's head...

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

That's temporarily until she starts loading stuff into the cabinets. Because those (and other) things are too long to fit in the cabinets she's going to have to store them on top.
Overhead storage would be better but it's already full. Another possibility is I'll add on to that kinda sketchy overhead storage the prior owner put in. I've already scoped it for needing some bolts to strengthen it. UGH, I don't like that but it's her garage so ........ not up to me.