No sales tax at Pearl today!

[avram]

Another workout day today. Grunt, gasp, sweat. Moved up to heavier weights for some of the routines. Still weigh 280.5, dammit. I’ve gotten used to the elliptical cross-trainer, I can do 25 minutes on it now. I think I’ll go in for 40 minutes of treadmilling tomorrow, and read another Ted Chiang story while I’m at it.

After the gym (and showering, and dressing, and eating) I headed over to Canal Street to see what Pearl Paint was charging for staplers (Utrecht had ’em for like thirty bucks!), and to see one or two other things. Turns out Pearl wasn’t charging sales tax today. Cool! I got some markers, an extra-fine-point Grumbacher drawing pen, a Moleskine pocket-sized sketchbook (I’d been lusting after the ones I’d seen at NY Central, but been unwilling to pony up $13 for one. Pearl had them for $8 and change!), some brushes, some acrylic paints, a book, a pad of disposable paper palettes, and an $8 stapler.

I’d planned to walk back home over the Manhattan Bridge, stopping off to draw on the way, but I was too damn tired.

Later: It wasn’t just Pearl. There was apparently a tax-free day below Houston Street for everything but gas and cigarettes. There’ll be another one tomorrow.