Anyway, I went food shopping. I'm staying in a suite with a complete kitchen and I needed a few basics to make the days run a bit more smoothly. The first rule of food shopping in the big city: never purchase more than you can comfortably carry home.

The alarm failed to go off this morning. It's set for 5:45am in order to allow for plenty of time to get up, shower, perhaps grab a quick snack, and make the 6:45 shuttle out front downtown to the Trade Center. Instead of waking up at 5:45 as I would have preferred, I instead was startled awake by the sight of 6:35 on the digital clock.

No time to shower, no time to eat, no time. I got dressed and ready in a huge panic. Five minutes later I was sitting on the bus out front waiting for it to begin rolling down seventh avenue.

So tonight at the market, I picked up two optional breakfast items. I threw a couple fresh bagels in the basket and a brick of cream cheese for those morning when the alarm works properly. (As a side note, I just got off the phone with the front desk. I have a wake up call for 6:00am). For those morning when I'm in a rush, charging out the door with my underwear still around my ankles, I dropped in a container of fresh rugalech.

Rugalech, for anyone who might not know, is basically a fruit-filled delicious rolled cookie. I figure on quick mornings, I can simply grab a few of them and toss them down my throat before I hit the street. The sugar should keep me awake until I make it to the coffee dispenser in the lobby on the 61st floor.

As for other essentials, I also bought a bottle of apple juice, a wedge of bleu cheese, a box of crackers and beer. The market itself occupied a surprisingly small space over on 8th avenue. The aisles were barely wide enough to let two people pass shoulder to shoulder. In the juice aisle, I actually had to turn sideways in order to pass an employee stocking a few shelves.

The store was only a few blocks away and, in accordance with rule number one, everything I bought fit easily into two plastic bags. It was a quick walk back to the hotel where, let me assure you, I took a moment to test the quality of the rugalech. They are, simply put, heavenly.