When I call and ask if they ever had a pet, Gene says, "No."

I say, "How can you say no? Didn't you grow up on a farm?"

He says he left the farm. He says, "Do you want to have coffee?" He says, "It's nice to hear your voice."

I say, "How could you raise three kids and never have a pet? Didn't they ever win a fish or something?"

"No. Well, once someone left a bird with us. One of those little ones. But after a few days it attacked me so I killed it."

"That's great. You'll be perfect for Tano's project," I say. I tell Gene about Tano's project, but only in a vague, this-is-art-for-art's-sake kind of way. Nothing about how Tano will use tough questions and bad lighting and Gene will be horrified when he sees himself at the Guggenheim. I ask, "Will Blanche do it too?"

He asks her. He reminds her about the bird. I hear him in the background asking if she remembers what kind of bird it was. He comes back to the phone, "Well," he says, "she didn't get angry, so I think she'll do it." Gene asks when he will see me.

I say I'll meet him after Tano makes his videotape. I say Tano will call him to set something up. Gene says it's good to talk to me. I think he's getting very old.

I call Tano. I am very excited that Gene will do it. I am excited that I helped Tano. I am excited because Tano will be excited and the only thing that excites him is having someone to videotape.

Tano says, "Sony Online. This is Tano."

I say, "I'm so excited."

He says, "Can this wait? I'm really busy."

I say, "Yeah," and I slam down the phone. His work is not so huge that he doesn't have two minutes. If he's picking up his phone then he is not in a meeting and not leaving his office so he is not too busy to talk. Two minutes. He could have listened to me for two minutes. I can tell he's one of those people who is overwhelmed by whatever amount of work he has and always loses all perspective. I hate people like that.