Business recently took me to my favorite city for a couple of days -- The Big Apple -- NYC. It was the first time I'd been there since about 1999 or 2000. I'd been scheduled to go there on September 12, 2001 but, of course, that trip never happened.

A few observations from this trip ...

It was very cold there. The tall buildings create canyons that wind can come roaring down through. Wind chill was in the single digits much of the time I was there.

The Times Square area is starting to look like Downtown Disney. Many brand names and chain operations have locations there now. I guess I don't see it as a real problem but it does change things. All in all, it is good.

The hotel I stayed at has definitely gone downhill in recent years. Called The Paramount, I first stayed there when it was The Century Paramount. A major remodel occurred when it changed names, trying to turn it into a place that was hip and swank even though it still had very small rooms. Now it looks like a place that was once hip and swank but is now run down and still has very small rooms.

I am not sure but I think they have installed faster elevators at the Marriott Marquis. I didn't see near the backup of people trying to get on them that I have seen in the past.

The new Times Square TKTS half-price theatre tickets location is finally being built. Until it is complete, tickets are being sold outside the Marriott which really didn't work too badly.

They may be closing some Starbucks but there are still plenty around. My favorite coffee place in Times Square is now a popcorn store.

The downtown HoJo restaurant is now a hole in the ground. It was one place you could always depend upon for cheap food.

There is a new place in the Times Square area called Junior's that looks like it has replaced HoJo's.

There are more restaurants before on the 46th Street "Restaurant Row" between 8th and 9th avenues.

I saw a play called The Seafarer which is by an Irish playwright. I have seen one of his previous plays, The Weir. Both are very good.

I also saw a musical called Spring Awakening which won the 2007 Tony for best new musical. It was one of the stranger things I have ever seen on Broadway or Off-Broadway. And that is putting it mildly. The lead actor spit a lot. Sitting in the third row, I never got hit but I sure got to see him shower on his fellow actors a lot. At one point he was even drooling. I am sure that, as an actor, you do not want to have a dry mouth but he might want to consider seeing if there is anything that can be done for his issue. He did a great job acting and singing though and, in the end, it was sort of a fun show ... just very very strange.

I had my wildest cab ride ever going back out to LaGuardia to fly home. I think he made it in about 20 minutes which just doesn't seem possible. Sometimes in wild cab rides I just close my eyes and try to sleep. That wasn't an option with this guy.

I came home with a play in mind that I would like to write. I always do that though. But, maybe, just maybe, it could happen this time.