Today was a day I am unlikely to experience again anytime soon: I spent the morning at Susan Ciminelli, in the penthouse of Bergdorf's (!), getting a Swedish massage, then I went over to CompUSA and bought a brand new laptop. Something strange happens in the area surrounding Bergdorf's: cheekbones become much more pronounced. They jut angularly and bronzed off the faces of fabulously slim women with cascading tumbles of glossy hair and the kind of perfectly-fitting jeans that make women weep with envy. I was decidedly out of my element.

But I refused to succumb to insecurity. I breezed through the revolving door of that luxury goods mecca like an obscure construction materials heiress, asked for the elevator to the 9th Floor, and got my massage, dammit! And it was gooood. Her website makes reference to the "Susan Ciminelli Glow," which sounds like marketing baloney, but I'll be damned if my skin wasn't giving off 100 watts when I went to go take a shower afterwards. It was truly amazing. I've never seen my skin looking so good. Thanks to my mom for the gift certificate that made it all possible - please do not hesitate to repeat that kindly act of birthday generosity again in the future!

I then floated across 57th St (where I was seduced by the Rizzoli bookstore - see below) and into CompUSA where I picked up a brand-new HP laptop. After 6 years of loyal service and grave neglect on my part, my old pal Compaq finally gave up. It is absolutely amazing to turn on my computer and not have it take 10 minutes to boot up. I'm amazed I never threw that thing out the window in frustration in the last few months.

Tomorrow the deluge is upon NYC. Looks like a rainy day spent indoors acquainting myself with the HP.