September 12, 2002 | 10:41 AM

Eric is coming up to visit and stay with me for three days. I haven�t seen him since New Years Eve of 2000, when he told me he was very angry with me for neglecting him and our friendship. My reaction was to get blind drunk, cry, and ruin everyone�s night. At the end of that evening John and I missed the bus out of Sullivan Square. A nice man who worked at the T said he would commission a special bus to take us home, since the next one wouldn�t be coming for another hour and it was cold out and we were obviously trashed.

What a nice man.

But I, drunk as a skunk, threw a huge tantrum and screamed that the man at the T must be lying because

Everyone lies in the end and it�s all dick and people say things they don�t mean because everyone turns out to be a fucking asshole.

John just held my hand and kept telling me he loved me very much and was so glad we were spending New Years together, to which of course I said something like,

You�re lying. You don�t really love me. Blah blah blah...

Ladies and Gentlemen, not my finest hour.

Poor John.

When I look back and think about moments like that I want to kick myself in the face.

Anyway though�

Eric is coming to stay with me until Sunday. We�ve been talking a lot on the phone and writing letters recently. He was in Prague teaching English for awhile. Now he�s living in northern Jersey and has a thriving interior design/carpentry business where he remodels the homes of the rich and famous. One of his current clients happens to be a favorite actor of mine. Eric says the actor is really sweet and fun to talk to�very unassuming, which doesn�t surprise me. But that his wife is a psycho hose beast from hell-- that she�s impossible to deal with and screams at her husband and her staff in front of Eric. The actor�s wife is not famous and is apparently quite a starfucker.

I can�t wait to get more ridiculous inconsequential gossip from him when he arrives.

Eric makes life feel like the Algonquin Round table at all times. There is no one smarter, funnier, more acerbic, more charming, more handsome, or with better manners. He dresses impeccably, has read every great classic book ever written, has a masters degree, drinks like a fish, acts, writes poetry, and is absolutely 100% unsentimental. He is generous and kind but very very cutting to people he doesn�t like. When I first met him I thought he was the most intimidating person I had ever come into contact with. Eric is absolutely ungodly talented. Unlike most young artist types who behave arrogantly but aren�t really anything special, Eric has a mind blowing intellect. And he is truly one of the most outstanding writers and actors I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

And he makes the best damned bloody marys I have ever tasted.

Eric and Angus were roommates and best friends in college. Which means that one night at least will have to be spent with Angus over dinner and drinks. I�m not dreading it though because Eric sharpens Angus up and doesn�t let him play victim. Eric tends to bring out the best in Angus�his wit and intelligence. Eric would be disgusted if ANgus pulled his, �look at me I�m a drunken greaser� act. He�d cut him into small bite sized pieces, chew him up, and spit him out.

Gosh I am so excited. I can�t wait �til he gets here.

(Triva�Eric and Suki went to high school together. Small world, huh? It�s an odd feeling when you realize that two of your favorite people, whom you know independently of one another, are connected in such a way)