Day 49: The Childhood Friend

Photo of the Day: Sun In Her Hair

One of the hardest things about today was having to sit inside my corporate cubicle all day long while the weather was absolute perfection. This afternoon was cool, bright, and beautiful, and I was getting so restless staring at a laptop screen all day knowing the sun was beckoning me out to play. By the time quitting time rolled around, I was more than ready to be back out in fresh air. The contrast is especially sharp compared with last year, when all my work, rain or shine, was done outside. Now I think I may actually prefer the dreary days more because at least then I don't feel like I'm missing out on wonderful outdoor opportunities when I'm stuck in the office. Thank God it's the weekend!

This has been a crazy month for visitors. Today, one of my oldest friends came to visit New York. Stephanie and I first met on the playground in second grade, and we've been good pals ever since, through middle school dances and high school study groups. She now attends law school in Washington, D.C., but she lived in the Big Apple last year while serving with AmeriCorps VISTA (just like me!). Steph brought me to one of her favorite restaurants, a Lebanese cafe in Hell's Kitchen called Gazala Place. We had a delectable vegetarian feast that included a falafel platter with babaganush and tabouli; a mankosha, or baked pita pastry, stuffed with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes; and foule moudammas, a spread of fava beans, lemon, and a lot of garlic. It was heavenly, and popping out to meet an out-of-town friend was the perfect excuse to take a long lunch and escape my cubicle.

Friday fellowship at Boon Church was an encouragement as always. We did a study on 1 Corinthians 4 and analyzed the difference between pride and confidence. It was a lively discussion, and in our breakout groups we talked about how we can keep each other accountable in the tricky area of sinful pride, which is something I'd appreciate in my own life.

Stephanie admires the Lebanese feast at Gazala Place.

Falafel, perfectly crispy and flavorful, with tahini sauce.

The mankosha, or baked pita pastry stuffed with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes and topped with sesame seeds and a hard-boiled egg.

There are light bulbs overheads...does Stephanie have a good idea?

I love these random art pieces that were in the windows of the Worldwide Plaza at West 50th Street and 8th Avenue.

Another random but beautiful piece of window art at Worldwide Plaza featuring New York's bridges.

Where the 7 trains go to sleep.

Subway trains parked at the rail yard in the shadow of the Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.