A really cool thing happened to me at the LG the other day. A regular customer, an older guy who doesn't say much but usually cracks wise when he does, came in looking for some cheese. This is a man who never, ever needs my help, but whom I ask, every time I see him, how he is doing and whether I can help him find anything. So on this day, I ask, and he smiles, and he says no, but then he realizes he can't find the Rochetta. I point it out to him, and he picks up a wheel, looking as if he is trying to make a decision.
"Do you want me to cut it for you?", I asked him. It isn't a large wheel, but it is a very rich (and delicious, and decadent) cheese.
He paused for a moment.
"Could you? I usually buy the whole thing, but I-"
"Of course I can. No trouble at all. Surely some one", I said, referring to myself, "will want the other half."
"Are you sure? I mean, you don't have to-"
I ripped the wrapper off, smiling, and told him that it was really no big deal, and that I would be taking home the other half, and that it would not go to waste. I wrapped it up, thanking him for helping me to justify my inner glutton, and he took it and went away.
A few minutes later, he appeared again on the other side of the counter.
"Do you mind if I switch halves with you?"
"Not at all," I said, not thinking about why or caring much. They were virtually identical. I took the half from him and handed him the other. Then I turned around to put it back in the cooler and realized that it had a PAID sticker on it. I looked back at him, starting to protest, but he winked, waved, and walked off.

I know I have been home from New York for quite some time now, but I am not nearly through talking about that trip yet. Or rather, I don't have a lot to say, but there are still a number of pictures i think you might enjoy. So here are a few more:

These are, obviously, taken in Grand Central. The one of the ceiling is difficult to see, but there are celestial images painted on it, which apparently were only (fairly) recently discovered during a cleaning. There are two very small spots where the ceiling was left as it was before the cleaning, I assume to demonstrate just how bad the staining was from decades of tobacco smoke. No photo of that spot, I'm afraid. My camera wasn't up to the job.








And, the outside:






This is a picture of the best cup of coffee I had the whole trip. Why? Because I can.




The rest of these are just random architecture and street art. There was an indescribable amount of this stuff. I loved it.