SG just played a Pride Festival in Santa Barbara the weekend before Gus slipped loose the mortal coil. It was a wonderful time. We played first, which was a bit annoying because we had played late the night before in LA, and then had to wake up at an impossible hour to arrive on time. The show was wonderful, our second show playing with Drummer Alexa. She was very spot on, as were the rest of us. had there been more people around at the time we played the show would have been near perfect.
After the show we had occasion to wander around the grounds and get acquainted with folks from Santa Barbara, which in my opinion were not all that easy to get acquainted with, a prevailing snobbishness being on the surface so common. I like this photo of Coco, standing by her special ladies room drinking beer while listening to the sounds of DJ Billdup!
Amy found it shocking that this bench was dedicated to Happy & Pill!
After wandering todder and frodder in the festival grounds, Amy, Marc and I decided to get a break from being so queer and walk over to the pier. It was much further than we thought, so we all got in a long line in the shade of a Palm tree and took respite from the toils of our gay. On the way back we happened to spot this woman. Her jacket says "Swine are Fine"
Our accommodations for the weekend were provided by Billdup and Theo. This is their computer work station area, which is pictured here because this very chair in this very corner was filled by Billdup when he was creating his fabulous remixes which grace Sidesaddle Sweet Talk. They had a rad upstairs apartment right near the beach and bars. After the festival we all sat out on their balcony and slowly chugged Bud Light & Corona like it was going out of style. After while everyone else wandered inside to take showers & harass the cats, I sat out on the balcony having a moment with myself. I pondered the flight of seagulls. I gazed at the mountains which separate Santa Barbara Valley from the Santa Ynez Valley. I could be wrong on the actual geography/topography of the area, but at the time that is what I was thinking, and since it was my moment even if I'm wrong I'd just as soon preserve it the way it was that day. It was a very special few minutes. When traveling in a group one often prizes a few moments spent alone. 
Our nightlife began at a place called "Couchez". Billdup was spinning and we were all ready for drinking. We were lucky then to be joined by a special odd human Bett, who is always a bundle of fun. Growing tired of Chouchez; Bett, Amy and I finally made it to the end of the pier which had seemed so much further away in the harsh light of day. At the end Amy and Bett posed for this picture.
Evening turned into night and we continued to walk, stopping by the odd bar here and there but most often finding ourselves going back to the roots of what is apparently a
historic fig tree. Bett, a Santa Barbara native brought us much laughter with the passing on of a quaint upper crust Santa Barbara bogey-man; apparently bad children were led to behave by being told that if they were not careful, they would end up living under a fig tree. Those of you too lazy to click the fig tree link need be informed that apparently the fig tree has in times past been a very popular bed of the homeless.
The next morning I awoke on the floor, happy to have slept in a place that didn't have a number in the title. slowly our band of "mary" travelers found our way washed and fresher to the annual French Festival. We enjoyed a very delicious crepe breakfast, and took in a few of the Poodles, who no doubt starred later in the Poodle Parade which we missed. After breakfast, Devin, Dylan & Marc hit the beach. Amy and I instead skipped across town to the
Kalyra Tasting Room, where our wonderful host Billdup proceeded to take us on a journey through the wonderful wine of the Kalyra collection. It was all SO good. I had never been able to get into desert wine until Bill introduced us to their Orange & Black Muscats and the Tawny Port. My Lord. Heaven. We left with a bottle of 99' Australian Shiraz that I am so excited to enjoy with a nice steak or lasagna. Bill was just wonderful to talk with all weekend, but when he's holding these special bottles of wine he is just dandy and half.
We spent the rest of Bill's shift at the Tasting Room, then decided to repay his grace with a bit of food at a place across the street which I think was called enterprise fish company (I can't be arsed into finding the link since they were ever so busy as it was). Bill entertained us with deep see fishing stories, and a fun little tale about a deposition. Always fun to talk and drink and eat.
We ended the evening in Santa Barbara back at Couchez, finally getting out of town around 11pm. It was by far the best time I've ever had in Santa Barbara.
From the wiki:
Santa Barbara's Moreton Bay Fig Tree
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Santa Barbara's Moreton Bay Fig Tree located in Santa Barbara, California is believed to be the largest Ficus macrophylla in the country[1]. It is believed the Moreton Bay Fig Tree came to Santa Barbara via ship from the Moreton Bay region of eastern Australia.
Originally planted between State and Montecito Streets, the tree was transplanted, by Hannah Crabb and her daughter Adeline, when it was "as tall as a walking stick"[1].
In July 1997 the circumference of the tree at 4-1/2 feet above ground was 498 inches (41-1/2 feet). The average crown spread was 176 feet and the total height was 80 feet. Measured in November 1991, the branch spread was 167 feet with a total height of 76 feet. The trunk diameter above the buttress roots is 12.5 feet[2].
This past week I've been stealing little bits of time to take in a movie called "Stone Reader". It's a documentary, and since it's about a book, and reading books, it's a difficult film to get many people involved in. The pacing is also not up to the moments attention span, which is to say it's actually a really great film to watch. 
As I was crawling into bed last night I made to move one of Amy's numerous journals, it happened to be open, and since Amy is a very public journalist, I read what was on the page. I was suprised to find a poem, relating to the title of the SG album, Free Alongside Ship. I thought that I photographe it in entirety, but I see now that I only got the first half. So here, for your pleasure, more from Amy on what the title might mean.
After about 3 episodes our wine supply dwindled, so we took a short jaunt up the street to Golden Rule Liquor, where we drink unto others, as you would have them drink unto you. I make it a point now to go to Golden Rule Liquor, because they sell Vampire wine and because their staff is fun in a creepy sort of way. I don't even have the luxary of choosing Golden Rule Liquor by virtue of name alone, as the other option is Liquor Time Liqour, How can I be so lucky as to live betwix two of the greatest named liqour stores of all time? It's not that I don't enjoy the staff at LTL, because believe me I do, once an old man was kicked out of the store for accusing me of cutting in line, cause they know I'm a great customer and a balanced human being. Forgive me, I have run on. One other great thing about GRL is that they face the wonderfully bad mural portraits of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean that you see in the background of the photo. 
Arriving home I was taking notice of the room around me, then I took a photo of the room around me, so I could share that with my future self, and you dear reader. 
After the show we had occasion to wander around the grounds and get acquainted with folks from Santa Barbara, which in my opinion were not all that easy to get acquainted with, a prevailing snobbishness being on the surface so common. I like this photo of Coco, standing by her special ladies room drinking beer while listening to the sounds of DJ Billdup!
This is a picture of wine with Katherine Hepburn.
This is me, on the other side of that there camera/phone.
