Victoria Court

My new home is Victoria Court. I am lucky. If you haven't seen Victoria court, let me describe it to you.


You know those homeless folks? The lady that digs through the courtyard garbage can and then rinses off in the fountain? The guy in the evening that has a snappy comment, occasionally the same one as the last time or the time before, that has given up on asking for change and sits outside of the post office just chatting away? The drunk dude that might just be following you if he wasn't too drunk to make out shapes and directions? I see them almost every day.

You know Alexander Rose Antiques and Fine Art? Alex owns it, he's a mac guy. They have carpets, track lights, a piano, furniture some vases and some old paintings that were illustrations for wine ads on the walls. Gallery Ocho opened around the same time two doors down.

You know that place Cafe Bianco? Some days I can't remember the owner's name. He commutes from Ventura every day. He goes to the casino to help with rent. Their quiche is good, Anna thinks it might err on the salty side. He's got all his buddies working for him, buncha dudes. One dude sits by the side door and plays guitar for the rest of the dudes cleaning up when they close. There are always some crooked pieces of art hanging on his walls for bargain prices (no offense if they're yours, just use a level). I am right next door to that place. Wait, he's outside right now and I said, "Whats up Leo?"

You know Video Schmideo (sp?)? Whoever thought a local video store could stay afloat in these days of Blockbusters and Netflixs and DVDs at Starbucks? I heard Jonathan Winters named the place and actually owed part of it at one point. Ocho is kind of behind Video Schmideo (sp?), around a corner, down a few steps, past Bianco and on your left.

You know that restaurant in Santa Barbara called Soho where a lot of average musicians play (no offense if you love every act )? The place where occasionally they hang okay paintings that are better than the ones at Bianco but not as interesting as the ones at the antique shop? I spend most of my days downstairs from there. Actually the Bad plus played there and we hung out in the Gallery listening to them, they are not average.

You know the Tortoise and the Hare? They cut kid hair. They have a bunch of those crazy colorful-haired pot-bellied rubber troll dolls lined up in their window. Sammie likes to stare in the window forever at those troll dolls. They sell kid sunglasses. They have some new guy in there, Hispanic, sees a lot of sun, chews a lot of gum. He just came into the gallery and handed me his card, "Alberto owner, Alberto's Beauty Salon Unisex." Totally reminds me of an Inwood person. Gallery Ocho is across the courtyard from that joint.

You know Arigato Sushi Bar? Their employees cut through the courtyard in front of Gallery Ocho. They drag their trash cans past my window at night while some average musician is playing up at Soho. They sit at the table outside my window and eat Mexican food or sushi before they get busy in there. I'm not much on sushi. I liked it in Japan. Its pricey, padded with rice and cold. I think of it as a snack. I know many people that love it and I don't want to have an argument. I just never start jumping up and down for sushi.


You know those local artists in the plein aire genre or whatever? The ones that don't happen to have anything made after 2003? The ones that would love to just set up a display in the corner of the gallery and not be in the way, have a huge solo show or just sell their art for real cheap somewhere besides their usual beach venue? They walk in with what looks like a huge high school binder of slides or a digital clock soldered onto a crooked Eiffel tower when you're on the phone, talking to clients or just busy. Ocho gets these visitors all the time.


You know the Santa Barbara Gift Baskets? It is owned by some wonderful friends of mine, has lots of great wine, chocolate, salsa and anything a two year old would ever want to grab and run around with? The place that makes Victoria Court seem a little bit legitimate. Gallery Ocho is three doors down.

Get the picture?