Things to hate in New York in the summer ...

The bad smells. For some reason, the heat and humidity in New York in the summer exacerbate any and all nasty odors.

Times Square serendipity ...

Recently, on the way to work in my office in Times Square, I spotted a man dressed like a lot of men, including myself, in what's come to be called "smart casual" (cotton slacks, button-down shirt, no tie). And, like a lot of folks, he had a laptop bag hanging off his shoulder.

But what distinguished this man was the flute he held to his lips and played as he crossed Broadway and headed east on 42nd Street (The Pied Piper of Times Square?).

In an increasingly time-constrained world, perhaps he was squeezing in some practice.

Turn of phrase ...

As I was walking north up Seventh Avenue this morning, I saw a group of four female medical workers, dressed in blue scrubs and apparently headed for work.

What do you call a group of nurses, I wondered. It's a "flock of birds," a "pod of whales" or "a murder of crows."

Suddenly, it hit me: a ward of nurses.

Facebooked

I've taken the plunge into social networking and have gotten a Facebook account. It's addictive and fun.

Saw this while visiting Annapolis

Another blogger in the family ...

My wife, Diane, has just become a pro blogger. She's writing a weekly blog for the magazine where she's a copy editor, Woman's Day, about life as a woman over 40.

Her first post is here.

She's enjoying it a lot. And I'm very happy and proud for her.

Apologies for the long absence. It's been a combination of not much to say and not a lot of time in which to say it.

The Tailor

This statue of a Jewish tailor in Midtown Manhattan's Fashion District recognizes the contribution that immigrants made -- and still make -- to New York's "rag trade." I pass it on the walk from Penn Station to work in Times Square.