In britain, perhaps working, pgr must have moved. Had a team meeting previously, sobum was managing us now and mentioned that this had been a hard difficult year. I recall feeling good connecting and chatting with him. We were doing some weird team building exercise that involved some mimeing; I remember being prompted to act like i was sprinkling something in my eyes.

We watched a movie with Megans group. We were at anias apartment in nyc though. A slight shift in setting, the movie came alive and the actors were performing amidst the doors and halls of my grandmothers apartment. One was from downton abbey who played the head butler. The other I dont know. I asked someone else watching if they were in show business because they were very good. They mentioned the man was, and I felt dumb for asking, of course, I must have forgotten after a nap.

Went to get lunch. My brother picked up a ham sandwich but it was hot, steaming hot under the togo plate. It looked good I got one too. I also asked for a macchiato from the barista. I dont know why, probably because it seems the most sophisticated to me, but I love all types of espresso.

Long line to pay. One brit asks about my credit card about foreign transaction fees; I tell him not my credit card. We move along the line. We’re heading up the stairs but it’s the stairs from the laundry room in my childhood housing complex; ramps on the side with steps cut in the center. I’m standing in the ramps and lose my balance, struggling to remain upright, until I remember the steps cut in the center.

Before I can get to the window to pay (which is a circular booth with the attendant inside behind a window), the person before me (a boy, a young man) is arguing with her. Apparently he has brought money but it is insufficient to cover his debt.

He is walking away, with a stunned expression on his face, others remarking how stunned he looks, pitying him. I offer to pay his way, he gets back in line behind me. When we get to pay, I tell the cashier I will settle his debts, and that I got a ham sandwich with a macchiato. It’s a complete mess for some reason fallen all apart in the bag as the attendant scoops it all together in a pile before handing it back to me.

I notice the boy has a crumpled faded check made out to some large sum of money in the hundreds of dollars. This alarms me and I ask the attendant how much his debt is — $1300 she says. Thats more than I was expecting, I thought he was just trying to get a meal like the rest of us. I ask her what the minimum was we could settle today — she said $300. I said to the young man, I’ll do $600 for you. He was upset because id said id settle his debt but begrudgingly accepted. I paid the sum.

It sounded like a social situation, like the place is also a charity organization and they were giving reduced housing or something like that it wasnt clear.