The day began with a Diane von Furstenberg sample sale. My friend Kathi hadn’t seen the shopping twinkle in my eye (or is it more like a nutty adrenaline rush?) before and had a laugh. I made some very happy purchases and we headed in the direction of Bryant Park.

We were heading for The Reading Room, where Christopher Buckley was scheduled to talk about his memoir, Losing Mum and Pup. But first, our stomachs called. Mint lemonade and ricotta tartines with mission figs and honey at Le Pain Quotidien. Oh my.

Buckley, who was joined by New York Times writer John Tierney, was witty and entertaining in his storytelling. My favorite Buckley quip about the book: “Everyone dies in the end.”