dreams expose area man's New York City lifestyle-based concerns

Ari convinces me to visit the gourmet grocery near my house. I am bowled over by their selection--fresh neem leaves! fresh lemon thyme off the branch!--at prices that are well below those of the regular supermarket, also near my house. This visit somehow meshes with one I am taking with Joel, Amber and one other. Amber and I connect when we realize we are both singing along under our breaths to Built to Spill's Perfect From Now On, playing over the PA system. From here we head to an acquaintance's new digs in Bed Stuy. It's a houseful of seven women, one of whom is Seung. The house is enormous and modern. We are first agog at its size and the claim that it is cheap (quick mental math in my head says $700 a head), and then bowled over by the presence of a) a hot tub; and b) a full-sized swimming pool. I cannot believe this much sprawling real estate exists in Bed Stuy. From here, my hosts turn into Jodie and her husband, who lead me toward the next door neighbor's house. Someone feeds me a treat as a clue to the neighbor's identity. I correctly guess that he is the heir of the Skor chocolate bar empire. His digs are also lavish, and he and his twin brother are goofy guys who make some sort of movies about their lives. Later, Ari and I go to an cocktail event at a dinner club and are persuaded to stay at least through the cake. Naomi joins us as we sit on the large balcony and dig in. It is the best cake I have ever eaten. Creamy, not too sweet. Naomi is equally impressed. We were going to get dinner elsewhere, but now I want to eat there. I check out the menu: each dish is at least $58. We cannot stay. I wonder how they made this cake.

Later still, my roommates and some jobless, maybe homeless folks are being picked up by a bus to head to an event. Karen has spent the morning in the bathroom while I have had to make small talk with a boring planner person who wonders aloud why the Simpsons have never done a plotline about waterfront redevelopment. I have seven minutes in which to get ready, and entering the bathroom, realize that Karen has scrubbed the floor aggressively, and there is beautiful chartreuse detailing in the tile that I've never seen before. It is a revelation.