Thursday, 22 September 2005 | Dog-sitter

My friend Eric is dog-sitting half a block from my apartment. When he first told me the news, I thought he was staying in the fancy condos that I can gaze (glare?) upon from my living room window, but it turns out he's staying in the fancy condos on the opposite side of the street. We discovered my error while on the phone with each other: "I'm leaning out my window." "I'm standing on the porch." "But I don't see you." "I don't see you either."

He's supposed to be settled into his new apartment in Bushwick by now (he just moved here from Chicago, which is fantastic), but his broker rented out his place right underneath him, granting it to a friend for a 'personal favor.' It's only for a month, and then Eric gets his place back, but it's still pretty ridiculous, and also kind of funny. This month is exactly the first month Eric is a legitimate lawyer, and during that time he's crashing on couches and walking Craigslist dogs.

I haven't seen him yet, but ever since I've known about his presence in the neighborhood, I've been looking at the place in a new light. For example, on my walk home today, I took notice of the gauntlet of trash that forever hugs the fence beneath the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, and a filthy newsprint page even blew right into my legs as I walked. I'm sure Eric is impressed! Somehow I've developed such an affection for this place that I guess I ignore the ugly parts.