A pleasant sidebar to this trip has been the opportunity to see so many of my former students making a living in the big city. In fact, I saw four of my former students during the trip which was quite fun.

Tonight I met up with former 2005-2006 newspaper editors-in-chief Kate Swarbrick and Stuart McWhirter and their right-hand woman from that year, Katie Osborne. Kate and Stuart spent a year as NBC pages and are now employed by the company in different roles. Katie is new to the big city, trying her hand at marketing and continuing her modeling career.

Add to this Max Newman, the former staff funnyman who I watched perform stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club last week and you have a class of students who are doing big things.

Seeing the kids, now adults, enjoy success makes me a proud papa! More to come. Much more.

I made it to the Today show by 6:15 a.m., and thanks to former newspaper editor-in-chief and now NBC employee, Kate Swarbrick, I received a VIP pass and was able to get pretty close to the action. Blake Shelton did some warm-ups at about 6:45, which amused me because the crowd acted like they were live and kept waving to cameras that weren't on.

David Gregory was in for Matt Lauer, and provided much of my entertainment as he sang and danced to Shelton's music. Good Morning America featured Shelton's wife, Miranda Lambert at the same time making for an interesting morning in that family.

Donald Trump, Jr. was hanging in the crowd during the performance looking casual. Also a note about TV trickery: the Shelton performance during the third hour of Today was taped earlier and played as though it was live. Shame shame! I was back at my hotel to see myself on TV! (To be fair, when at Good Morning America once they showed a three-week old Kelly Clarkson performance like it was live... it was not).

More to come.

Since I arrived in NYC many friends have asked, "could you live there?" And the answer is...

First, today was filled with a return trip to Macy's in Herald Square. Visited eight of the nine floors and stopped for a refreshing drink at the McDonald's on level seven. You can put a McDonald's pretty much anywhere and guess what? It's a McDonalds.

Spent the evening shopping like a tourist in Times Square. One can own only so many Statue of Liberty tchotchkes, but what the heck. I picked up an Empire State Building, too.

Lunch was a tasty tasty burger at Shake Shack. I skipped the shake but had an Arnold Palmer and a double cheeseburger. Two thumbs up. Waited in line a good 15 minutes, but the time was well worth the taste.

Because I have a great former student who works in NYC I will be attending the Blake "Don't Call Me Keith" Shelton concert in the Today Show plaza tomorrow a.m. I slept until almost 10 a.m. today, 5 a.m. tomorrow will be quite a thrill!

So, could I live in NYC? Absolutely! More to come.

My trip to Harlem today had me trying to figure out where Arnold and Willis Jackson resided before moving to Park Avenue. I don't know if I picked the right spot, but settled on one high-rise as the appropriate home.

Enough with the nonsense. Despite the hot sun beating down on me, I enjoyed my first extended trip to Harlem. Even with people walking up and down the streets, there is certainly a difference between Midtown and the Upper East Side. There is a peacefulness up in Harlem—less traffic, more trees and unique stores and restaurants that seem more local than what one will find in Midtown.

Finding the Apollo and Cotton Club were highlights of this adventure, which turned in to a walk down Broadway to find Columbia University. Every March Columbia is home to the CSPA spring convention, which I have spoken at the last five or so years, but those trips to Columbia have always been via the subway. Taking a long walk in the hot sun to Columbia had me a bit tired, and drinking my Harlem-purchased Hawaii Punch too fast made the school the perfect spot for a rest.

Good adventure today. This trip is nearing its end, so

I'm certainly starting to get used to the big city. As I begin my 10th day in the city (and wow have the first nine zipped by), I've decided a trip to the Big Apple should become an annual summer adventure. Maybe not 17 days, four would be good, but I'm enjoying going to shows and that's something just a few years ago I wouldn't have imagined me saying.

Extended time here has caused me to become a bit short-tempered. Standing behind people at a crosswalk when the walking man is moving yet the folks in front of me aren't is a tad maddening. Why any good New Yorker knows you start crossing the street a bit prior to the walking man appearing!

I've yet to make a repeat appearance at any restaurant. And likely I will be safe. I am staying near dozens of restaurants that all look tasty.

Time to decide for tonight: "Spiderman," "How to Succeed in Business" or "Rock of Ages." More to come.

It's been go-go-go since my last entry. Two Broadway shows, the Fourth of July and a whole lot more. I'm worn out, and only half way through my time here. At left you'll notice a bunch of photos I have uploaded. The majority of these photos are from Central Park, Times Square and a Staten Island Ferry ride. Now on to business.

When I was here last March on St. Patrick's Day I was amazed and the number of people clad in green and a few sheets to the wind. Today was much more family-oriented, though most of the families I noticed where not from this country. Good to see people from around the world helping us celebrate our independence. I even had shepherds pie for lunch, a tip of the hat to the British.

Quite impressive to visit Ground Zero and for the first time see some impressive new buildings rising from the ashes of the World Trade Center. I look forward to seeing the progress here.

Seemed fitting to see the Statue of Liberty on the Fourth of July. Sat next to some loud French folk on the ferry, but let their behavior slide since the statue was a

Times Square at night continues to be a dazzling treat for the eyes I can't seem to tire of. Though I am trying very hard not to be perceived as a tourist, the bright lights of Times Square bring out the worst in me.

Saw both "Memphis" and "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" this weekend. Thumbs up to both, though both very different. I imagine I'll add another show or two to the list before I return to Indy.

Lots to do this week. Harlem is on the schedule soon. More to come.

Today I got a little off the beaten path and traveled around Hell's Kitchen a bit. One just need head west of Times Square a few blocks and you are smack in the middle of a part of town that almost resembles a normal neighborhood. I had a good time going into a small grocery market on this adventure. I finally figured where and how people who live in the city get their groceries. My favorite part was the refrigerated section—a large room that was rather cold that displayed the cold items on shelves just like everything else in the store.

I had lunch from Burgers & Cupcakes, a combination that is well past its time. The burger was quite tasty as was the cupcake. This spot might get a repeat visit before I leave town.

Big decisions to be made tomorrow. The Fourth of July is Monday and there are options of watching the fireworks from a cruise ship or the observation deck of the Empire State Building. The downside, these things cost about $100, bu

Since I arrived in NYC on Sunday I've given much thought to our Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. Odd?

Well, back when "my man" Mitch was pushing for Indiana to adopt a time zone and change with it, he pushed for Eastern time as that would put us in business with NYC. I would have preferred Central time—and still do—but it is what it is.

What's strange is that's where our admiration of New York stops and the fact we are behind-the-times begins.

Restaurants, bars, restaurants and parks are all smoke free here in the city. The governor just signed into law same-sex marriage.

All I can think of is some small bar owner in Indiana complaining about their business dwindling if such a law were enacted. Sigh.

In Indiana we are progressive with our choice of time, and very little else. More to come.

I believe this to be my seventh time in the Big Apple, though never have I stayed more than three or four days. With two weeks to go, it is sinking in that I am sort of a here for the long haul.

I am fascinated at how people live here—not in the bad way, but in the wow-there-is-a-lot-going-on-here way. Indianapolis is a decent-sized city, but obviously much different than Manhattan. I woke up this morning, a bit later than I anticipated, to realize Alicia Keys was performing smack dab in the middle of Times Square, just a few blocks from my hotel. If only I planned ahead I would have hopped over there for the show. I'll try to do better for Beyonce in Central Park on Friday.

Time to get back out there. More to come.

One of the first things I wanted to do once I arrived in the Big Apple was to master a walk that let others know I wasn't just some tourist gawking at everything I saw, but rather a person who belonged in the big city. After a day-and-a-half the mission has been accomplished.

More than just the walk, I have also mastered the art of ignoring the traffic signal's walking man and when traffic stops coming, you move. And after my walk last night from 40th to 23rd and back, I only once was a bit too premature in my crossing. Oops.

That walk last night took me to the Gotham Comedy Club where I watched my former student, Max Newman, perform at the club's new talent showcase. He was by far one of the funniest of what seemed like a never-ending stream of would-be comics, interrupted by a surprise set from Bob and Tom/Comedy Central regular Jim Gaffigan. Fun evening for sure.

The trouble with all this walking? I'm sore. More to come.