In a somewhat bougie neighborhood of Oakland, a 62-year-old man named Gordon walks his pit bull Ajax when it suddenly lunges at a neighbor's shih tzu. The owner of the Shih Tzu emails the rest of the neighborhood, cautioning them against the pit bull and alienating Gordon.

Gordon recalls how he got to this neighborhood. He rents the property of his former guardian, Iris Blessing, who has stayed in the neighborhood much longer than her neighbors. Gordon came to live with Iris after his mom left him to be a dancer in France. Iris had wanted to be a dancer, too, but instead, she became a pet groomer and worked until her allergies forced her to retire.

Gordon, who has had two marriages and is now divorced, is unsure what step to take next. The pit bull's owner, his stepdaughter, didn't clarify when she'd return to retrieve her dog, so now he's stuck with it.

The owner of the shih tzu protests and confronts Gordon about the dog with apparent condescension. Gordon tells Iris about his troubles, and she advises him to ignore the problem, just like he does with all his other issues.