I've been staying with my old friend B in Park Slope on some of my trips East, including this one. B and I met almost 18 years ago when we both lived in the Slope; we've remained friends through the years. B is planning to move out of the city in 2006; these plans add a special fillip to staying at her house, a house I knew as well as my own for such a long time. The house has been cleaned up for sale, with many things packed away, but it still has an ambiance I remember from long ago. It's a good feeling to revisit the house before B moves on; the park is unchanged, the procession of dog owners walking their pets to and from the park, the rows of brownstones and the leaf-swept streets leading to the train.