We got back from New York yesterday from the Millionaire taping, and I won't have to go back. I got to tape relatively early (second of my group of nine, with two holdovers from the day before going first) and was done by 4 pm.

Of course, I can't say how I did. I will say that we at least broke even, which is a good thing given the various costs involved. Not surprisingly, perhaps, most of the contestants in my group were from New York or New Jersey, or had a connection in the area. We did have one guy who came in from Las Vegas.

Overall, it was a great group of people. I'd feared that we'd all be too nervous or competitive to talk much, but it worked out.

Which was a good thing, as "contestant isolation" meant not having anything to read, listen to, or otherwise occupy one's brain from the time we got there to the time we left. I'd half-thought about bringing a book but didn't.

The show staff was great, from the PAs who were with us in the green room all the way up to Meredith, who was very sweet and (for lack of a better word) genuine. We chatted a little bit during breaks (on how I was doing, where Sarah and I went on honeymoon, etc.). She's tinier than we expected, but TV does make things look bigger (good for the studio, which is small; bad for me, who is not).

After taping we went back to the hotel (the Lucerne at 79th and Amsterdam, nicely appointed and well-staffed) and walked over a couple blocks to Luzia's, a family-run Portuguese restaurant, for dinner. Should you find yourself near 81st and Amsterdam any time soon, you should eat there. I had what was to me an unusual dish of cod, eggs, potatoes, and olives which actually worked quite well.

After that we went back to the hotel, had a sangria-induced nap, and wound up visiting with Boggie and his wife Jenny, who spent the previous four hours at a premiere for Henry IV parts one and two. Leaving Jenny at home (work in the morning), the three of us visited some local hang-outs and wound up in Times Square at 2 am, where it was bright as day and almost as busy.

All in all, a fun trip. One of these days we'll have to go to New York just to sightsee.