My Furry Friend

NEW YORK – January 18, 2010 – My furry little friend has taken up temporary residence in New Jersey. And I miss her.

Bekka’s charming habit of howling when she wants attention was not sitting well with Ari, the guy I’m sharing this apartment with. And peeing on the kitchen floor did not further endear her to him. I mean, it’s his apartment so I need to do what I can to maintain peace in this somewhat Oscar-and-Felix pairing.

But I have options. I am most fortunate that for the first time in about 30 years, I’m in the same area with my younger sister Dixie and her husband Richard. More like 30 or 40 years really. Since San Francisco in the 70s. They have a dog and a house with a fenced yard. They agreed to take Bekka for a week to try her out.

First thing, she left a welcome offering on the rug, despite the fact that I’d just walked her. Drat! My fallback position is to buy a $258 roundtrip plane ticket to Nashville and take her as carry-on. I’ll get a small case that fits under the seat. Much cheaper than hiring someone to transport her. But I hope I don’t have to. I’m hoping to have my own place within six weeks and she and I can both howl as much as we want.

Well, within limits. There are neighbors to contend with.

We walked in the mist last night down to Penn Station to catch a train to New Jersey, her inside a shoulder bag with her little grey schnauzer head sticking out. She was so charming! Strangers smiled at us. Well, at her actually. I don't think they noticed me. And despite the new and strange mix of sounds and aromas inside Penn Station, she was a good little trooper.

Once aboard the New Jersey Transit train to Elizabeth, Bekka was the highlight of our car. A working-class lady from Colombia chatted with me in Spanish about my “amorcito” (little love). Interesting that my nascent knowledge of Spanish is growing. And having a charming little dog stimulates conversations with strangers.

This whole area is such a wonderful mix of ethnicities. I went to church yesterday at Times Square Church and the huge choir had a dozen different races and colors and nationalities. The murmurs around me were in a UN-style of languages. Delightful.

The church meets inside a former Broadway Theater, the Mark Hellinger. Interesting setting.

I met a very nice lady there. About my age. A little younger. She’s lived in The City for 24 years. And her apartment is only a block from mine. Lunch and a long, lively chat at an Afghan restaurant on 9th Avenue. She knows someone at ABC Sports who is well connected. Interesting coincidences are coming into play. I guess that’s what “networking” is about, though I never really set out with that in mind. But if there’s an opportunity, why run from it?

Not really feeling inspired this morning. Words are dribbling from my fingers with little impact. As Linda Ellerbee used to say at the end of a poignant story, “And so it goes.”

Copyright 2010 James C. Lewis