alexpgp | Manhattan...

Everything went pretty much according to plan today, especially the part where we left the house at about 5:50 am and drove down to the LIE and then toward town, getting off at Junction Boulevard and parking not far from the #7 elevated. We eventually got to where we needed to be a few minutes before the designated time, whereupon I went off on foot for a little walkabout of midtown.

I walked "randomly," though explicitly avoiding backtracking or walking down the same block twice. My walk took me from (roughly) the NY Public Library down to Herald Square, then meanderingly up to 58th Street to the Apple Store, then over to Lexington, followed by a right turn back to 39th Street.

I am happy to report that the number of Starbucks coffee shops is stable, averaging about one shop every 50 feet, or so it seems. The lines inside were sufficient to deter me repeatedly. These shops must mint money for the corporation.

I stopped by a Barnes & Noble to pick up The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. I read some of it on the subway ride back out to Queens and was repeatedly struck by the thought that my tribulations don't amount to spit as compared to those of some people. My eyes also welled up a few times during the first several chapters.

The liveried doorman at the St. Regis greeted me with a hearty "Good morning, sir!" as I moseyed past, despite the fact I was not passing through his doors, nor was I particularly well attired. I therefore conclude that either (a) my magnetic personality and overall demeanor did the trick, or (b) the guy's just a natural born optimist and all-around nice guy, despite the green suit. Take your pick.

The Apple Store was not the easiest place to find unless you know what to look for. I finally tumbled to the location when I noticed the silver logo hanging inside what amounts to a large Plexiglas cube parked outside of FAO Schwartz, and which otherwise overly resembles the entrance to a subway station. (I mean, there were enough people going in and out to support that illusion.)

Once inside, I took a look at the iTouch iPod and the iPhone. The former impressed me; the latter, not so much, though I would not, to twist the expression around, refuse one as a gift (which is not a hint, for those inclined to look for any such). The new Shuffle is cute, but I have no use for it.

I also took a look at the Macbook Air, which is certainly lightweight, but that's how it also felt for the few minutes during which I fired up Word and typed a few lines: the feeling I was dealing with something of great fragility was foremost in my mind as I depressed the keys.

We got back around 2 pm, and I napped until 4 pm, despite the banging and sawing in the kitchen, where the old linoleum floor had been removed (along with the plywood underneath) and hardwood was being installed.

Cheers...