The birth of Orange Krate...

[Orange Krate]

It started off well. I got up at 2:45 AM and got dressed and headed to Santa Monica in my Beetle. It was blowing 50 mph and raining cats and dogs. My assignment was to take my crew and setup our Mobile Medical System ("MoMS") aka mobile field hospital, for use at the LA Marathon. I arrived early and met my crew who had slept in the big rig sleepers and also at a local hotel. With the rain coming to Santa Monica we made quick record time setting up this beast (1 hr 45 mins).

As the weather deteriorated in Santa Monica, the rain slammed into the venue with high winds, blinding horizontal sheet rain and temperature drops. There were 25,000 crazed runners trying to get warm and dry after their run. There were hypothermia cases everywhere. At last count there were over 300 seen in just one area. I am not aware of any major injuries. However there were multiple treament sites along the route and ours was at the very end of the course. Staff from UCLA staffed the MoMS.

Other than tearing a hamstring from a slight slip on a slick sidewalk, it was a great day. DOH! At least I got to take home the special IDs. With budgets the way they are in California, it is anyone's guess as to whether we will do this again next year. But my crew and I had a great time despite the long hours. I just wish the weather was warm and dry and Orange Krate could have gone and parked and sat there looking dapper at the Santa Monica beach side.

(Images have been modified for privacy reasons)

[blade_ss]

Originally Posted by Orange Krate

It started off well. I got up at 2:45 AM and got dressed and headed to Santa Monica in my Beetle. It was blowing 50 mph and raining cats and dogs. My assignment was to take my crew and setup our Mobile Medical System ("MoMS") aka mobile field hospital, for use at the LA Marathon. I arrived early and met my crew who had slept in the big rig sleepers and also at a local hotel. With the rain coming to Santa Monica we made quick record time setting up this beast (1 hr 45 mins).

As the weather deteriorated in Santa Monica, the rain slammed into the venue with high winds, blinding horizontal sheet rain and temperature drops. There were 25,000 crazed runners trying to get warm and dry after their run. There were hypothermia cases everywhere. At last count there were over 300 seen in just one area. I am not aware of any major injuries. However there were multiple treament sites along the route and ours was at the very end of the course. Staff from UCLA staffed the MoMS.

Other than tearing a hamstring from a slight slip on a slick sidewalk, it was a great day. DOH! At least I got to take home the special IDs. With budgets the way they are in California, it is anyone's guess as to whether we will do this again next year. But my crew and I had a great time despite the long hours. I just wish the weather was warm and dry and Orange Krate could have gone and parked and sat there looking dapper at the Santa Monica beach side.

(Images have been modified for privacy reasons)

You are crazy for playing in the rain all day. I was indoors at work watching it all unfold outside. it was fun watching it and i am glad i didnt have to go out in it.

[Orange Krate]

I bought this T-shirt with an Orange Krate bicycle printed on it. It was for sale on EBay. When it arrived I had the Orange Krate letters and Camaro5.com script added to it at my local T-Shirt shop. I am looking for an orange windbreaker next. I also have the orange Chevy Camaro shirts, baseball hat and an orange pull over sweatshirt. I guess orange is my new color.

PS - Prescription glasses and tennis shoes also a must.

[Orange Krate]

You ever have one of those unplanned days when the world seems to just freeze in time.... no cares, no TV, no worries? Yesterday was one of those days.

I slept in and got up late and my wife Erica, who is a dental hygienist, calls me and says there is an opening in her schedule...come on down and you get your teeth polished!

I see this as an opportunity in the making...

I fire up Orange Krate and off to the dentist office we go. Since my wife is my hygienist it is a great thing but... I definately don't want to tick her off before I go!

Afterwards I run a few minor errands and then go out for lunch and I drive her around town in Orange Krate just taking in all the post rainy day skies.

We come home and she goes into the kitchen. It is right as the sun is setting and the light is peeking in the kitchen window (which faces west). I am messing around with the new Iphone camera (5 megapixel) and see a shot in the making. The light is just right but I do not have time to grab my Nikon out of the closet. I snapped the Iphone shutter and captured a soft, warm moment of Erica. After being married to this gal for almost 24 years I still find her captivating. I love to take Erica for rides in Orange Krate all over Southern California because it is a great car for doing just that... no cares, no worries!

(Thanks Oshawa for this fine car too!)

[speedster]

That is awesome O.K. !! And your wife is very beautiful and looks so tranquil in that pic.

I know what you mean about the weather. I was out there for business Mon/Tues/Wed. We flew in Monday morning and it was raining cats and dogs. There was anywhere from 8" to a foot of standing water on the roads between the airport and the rental cars. Yuk !

One of our clients is right in Simi Valley so we were there too. We went across and west on the highway to Simi Valley Town Center and had a late breakfast at the Corner Bakery Cafe. I love the banana oatmeal they make there. Yum.

Glad you had a great 'unplanned' day.

Originally Posted by Orange Krate

You ever have one of those unplanned days when the world seems to just freeze in time.... no cares, no TV, no worries? Yesterday was one of those days.

I slept in and got up late and my wife Erica, who is a dental hygienist, calls me and says there is an opening in her schedule...come on down and you get your teeth polished!

I see this as an opportunity in the making...

I fire up Orange Krate and off to the dentist office we go. Since my wife is my hygienist it is a great thing but... I definately don't want to tick her off before I go!

Afterwards I run a few minor errands and then go out for lunch and I drive her around town in Orange Krate just taking in all the post rainy day skies.

We come home and she goes into the kitchen. It is right as the sun is setting and the light is peeking in the kitchen window (which faces west). I am messing around with the new Iphone camera (5 megapixel) and see a shot in the making. The light is just right but I do not have time to grab my Nikon out of the closet. I snapped the Iphone shutter and captured a soft, warm moment of Erica. After being married to this gal for almost 24 years I still find her captivating. I love to take Erica for rides in Orange Krate all over Southern California because it is a great car for doing just that... no cares, no worries!

(Thanks Oshawa for this fine car too!)

[SSE 4 2SS]

Originally Posted by Orange Krate

You ever have one of those unplanned days when the world seems to just freeze in time.... no cares, no TV, no worries? Yesterday was one of those days.

I slept in and got up late and my wife Erica, who is a dental hygienist, calls me and says there is an opening in her schedule...come on down and you get your teeth polished!

I see this as an opportunity in the making...

I fire up Orange Krate and off to the dentist office we go. Since my wife is my hygienist it is a great thing but... I definately don't want to tick her off before I go!

Afterwards I run a few minor errands and then go out for lunch and I drive her around town in Orange Krate just taking in all the post rainy day skies.

We come home and she goes into the kitchen. It is right as the sun is setting and the light is peeking in the kitchen window (which faces west). I am messing around with the new Iphone camera (5 megapixel) and see a shot in the making. The light is just right but I do not have time to grab my Nikon out of the closet. I snapped the Iphone shutter and captured a soft, warm moment of Erica. After being married to this gal for almost 24 years I still find her captivating. I love to take Erica for rides in Orange Krate all over Southern California because it is a great car for doing just that... no cares, no worries!

(Thanks Oshawa for this fine car too!)

Stunning, and what amazing quality of light from a cell phone camera..

Glad you two got to enjoy the weather... My wife Debbie and I have a blast on carefree days just designed to piddle around...No responsibilities, and worries...

[SSE 4 2SS]

Originally Posted by 2Unique4U

Look forward to seeing Orange Krate very soon! My Camaro is in need of a desperate wash. We keep getting dirty rain . I keep telling myself it'll be okay. It's working so far..

Blake, I laughed when I saw your avatar picture, I have one almost just like that... I was at the dealership three days straight waiting for my car to arrive...

[DerbyChamp06]

Originally Posted by Orange Krate

. I also have the orange Chevy Camaro shirts, baseball hat and an orange pull over sweatshirt. I guess orange is my new color.

PS - Prescription glasses and tennis shoes also a must.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

Shirt looks Great Jim! And a very beautiful wife you have!

Yep, you definitely have to get some orange shades (preferably wayfarers..lol) Here's my recently acquired Blue Challenger-matching Ray Ban Clubmasters! (unfortunately not avail in orange-but they make a very cool Clubmaster "Catty" for women in orange that your wife might like! See link-http://www.ray-ban.com/usa/sunglasses/rb4132/763-51

Regarding baseball hat, Lids stores offer custom embroidery. You can also do your own online thru their site http://lids.com though its more limited than going to the store (ie. can't outline text with different color) I have a few on order with horse image and Barbaro in text, the nickname of my car. (I'm really becoming quite the "hat guy" now, as sadly I went from full head of hair to completely bald in 8 month period of 09':() The lids online site may reject any "trademark" names, such as Kentucky Derby which I wasn't allowed to use after placing order....I would guess at the store they'd be more likely to do something for you, trademarked or not??

Glad you're having fun with your's so far. I'm really enjoying get outfitted properly for mine (also pic of my official shoes-Same color-combo worn by jockey who rode Barbaro to victory in Derby)

PS-Lids has an ongoing, "buy one, get second one half price sale"....So you can get 2 really nice custom hats for around 40.00!

[DerbyChamp06]

Jim, here's a quick work up I did on the lids site. "100% juice" is on some vintage OJ-brand bright orange skateboard wheels I have!

[Orange Krate]

Originally Posted by speedster

That is awesome O.K. !! And your wife is very beautiful and looks so tranquil in that pic.

I know what you mean about the weather. I was out there for business Mon/Tues/Wed. We flew in Monday morning and it was raining cats and dogs. There was anywhere from 8" to a foot of standing water on the roads between the airport and the rental cars. Yuk !

One of our clients is right in Simi Valley so we were there too. We went across and west on the highway to Simi Valley Town Center and had a late breakfast at the Corner Bakery Cafe. I love the banana oatmeal they make there. Yum. Glad you had a great 'unplanned' day.

Speedster thank you! My wife has found the fountain of youth! For being mid 40's she gets accused of being a sister to my 22 year old all the time! She is as sweet as she is pretty. If you are in Simi feel free to drop a line and hook up. Love to break bread with you and buy you a pint o' the ol' ale!

Originally Posted by SSE 4 2SS

Stunning, and what amazing quality of light from a cell phone camera.. Glad you two got to enjoy the weather... My wife Debbie and I have a blast on carefree days just designed to piddle around...No responsibilities, and worries...

Thanks Robert. I got lucky with the sun. As they say...photos are half luck, half lighting and composition and a little bit of help from the camera. I hope you and Debbie can one day meet my wife and I together. Unfortunately my wife is teaching on CamFest weekend so she is not able to attend. Unless something crazy happens with mother nature or ??? I am making all attempts to be there. I just found out that one of my best friends based in Phoenix is getting divorced after 30 years so I won't be able to stay with him. Ugly story for sure. UGH! :(

Originally Posted by DerbyChamp06

Shirt looks Great Jim! And a very beautiful wife you have! Yep, you definitely have to get some orange shades (preferably wayfarers..lol) Here's my recently acquired Blue Challenger-matching Ray Ban Clubmasters! (unfortunately not avail in orange-but they make a very cool Clubmaster "Catty" for women in orange that your wife might like!

Regarding baseball hat, Lids stores offer custom embroidery. You can also do your own online thru their site though its more limited than going to the store...

PS-Lids has an ongoing, "buy one, get second one half price sale"....So you can get 2 really nice custom hats for around 40.00!

Jim, here's a quick work up I did on the lids site. "100% juice" is on some vintage OJ-brand bright orange skateboard wheels I have!

Derby thank you for your compliment of my extraordinary wife. I met her in June 1985 when I was looking for a new dentist office and she was the office manager/dental assistant (3 person office). It was love at first sight. Our first date was on New Year's Eve 1986; we were married a year later. I actually found my wife in the Yellow Pages as the story goes. I was on a paramedic shift and during some downtime opened the Yellow Pages to "Dentists"... closed my eyes, pointed to a dentist, opened my eyes and called what turned out to be her office. True luck of the draw!

As for T-Shirts and Hats... I am going to explore the options you presented! I tried to get the orange Ray Bans but the local opthamologist that sells them was less than helpful so I will look more online. I am also looking for a lightweight ORANGE windbreaker! Its all good as they say!

[OrangeVert]

Nice pics, O.K.! Dec 31, 1985 - I remember that night, was enlisted at Myrtle Beach AFB and rented a hotel room on the beach at the Holiday Inn with 3 other AF guys. It was off-base, so a big deal. We watched the ball drop in the hotel bar, seems like yesterday.

I ordered my 2011 IOM/IO vert last night, thanks for your inspiration and advice! Time to start the journal/blog. I want to make it a testimony to the hard work and talent of the people at the Oshawa plant, and add to the positive energy here on Camaro5!

[Orange Krate]

The wife and I made a power run over the hill to the San Fernando Valley lastnight (Friday) and headed down to Northridge to do a cruise through the Bob's Big Boy parking lot to see if anyone was meeting there. Much to my surprise it was packed! I saw a couple of new Gen 5's come and go but they didn't stick around long enough for me to get over and introduce myself. There were lots of old and new iron alike. I did make friends with two gentlemen that had multiple cars in their collection. "Larry" was driving his red 1969 Camaro SS and he parked next to me when he arrived. Larry is a great guy. He goes way back to the early days of cruising (just like me) Van Nuys Blvd in its glory. It was great chatting with him. Larry told me he has 20 cars he maintains. I have a hard enough time with 5! I hope to meet more "Larrys" along the way. Orange Krate is making that possible.

Just before we were leaving I ran into a gentleman who was driving a burgundy metallic 1965 Corvette Stingray custom. It had a Riviera grill and custom wheel flares and tail end. It resembled a Vette prototype but this guy did the work himself, and it was excellent craftsmanship. He too has multiple cars and is currently building a stainless steel T-Bucket. That should be interesting.

One unique sight was a 1964 Superior Cadillac Ambulance. Being an old paramedic who actually worked in a Cadillac ambulance a few times, I find these vehicles to be very fun and nostalgic. The owner of "INFEKTD" has added a few extra charming graphics to it! It was a good night and my wife and I enjoyed getting away for the evening.

Unfortunately I didn't have my good camera with me so I captured these on my Iphone. Next time I will be better prepared.



.

[shl4Z28]

Hey Orange Krate,

What a fun read. I'm sitting here in the San Fernando Valley IMpatiently waiting for the ZL1. I hope to have as much fun as you did waiting for my baby to get here!

Seems like you had a good experience with your dealer. Do you recommend them?

[Orange Krate]

Originally Posted by shl4Z28

Hey Orange Krate,

What a fun read. I'm sitting here in the San Fernando Valley IMpatiently waiting for the ZL1. I hope to have as much fun as you did waiting for my baby to get here!

Seems like you had a good experience with your dealer. Do you recommend them?

shl4Z28... Thanks for stopping into the official Orange Krate thread! It has been a fun ride. Its funny you should ask about the dealer (Wm. L. Morris - Simi Valley) I bought my car from as I just came from there and they have 7 brand new Camaros, of different flavors, parked out front and apparently 20 more on the way according to their CFO that I talked with. I can tell you without a doubt my salesman went out of his way to help make my car a reality. They kept me informed and they delivered the car at the lowest price of the 13 different dealerships I went to. Dealing with them is an option, however you can also consider using any of the Cam5.com sponsors that also sell Camaros. They are all a bunch of good folks from what I can tell. I will PM you some additional information. Thanks again and hope to see you in person in a ZL1 soon!