No animals were harmed in the making of this blog. Mother Earth? Not so lucky.

Last week I received a chain email about ways to help out Mother Earth. One of the suggestions included in this made-for-TV special list was turn off your computer when you take lunch at work. Either this list was written in the 1950's or the author works for Uncle Sam (not you, Mrs. Murphy) where I believe the last eight hour, full benefits and kickin' pension exists. When I read this I thought but how will I get my work done? I couldn't tell you the last time I sat down, ate lunch, and talked to a human face to face. And no, Gchat does not count. Maybe elsewhere, but my office doesn't promote the wash-your-sandwich-down-with-a-cold-glass-of-mental-stability. But maybe that's just New York. After all, the only 9 to 5 in Manhattan nowadays will cost you a pretty penny.

Okay, buddy. Back to the picture.

The point of this post is talk about the fact that lunch was a positive part of my day. Granted, it was more like an early bird special since I didn't leave my desk until 4:00pm to search the Ugly streets of midtown for lunch. But what I did find might just be the my next big thing.

In search of falafel, I followed the suggestion of steadfast Midtown Lunch and checked out the street vendor at 54th and Park (one short block away from the Ugliness). Mind you, the lunch rush was over by now and I was scraping for the literal leftovers. Still at 4pm there I was third in line to order. I went with the falafel platter and I was excited with what I received. Foodie note - this was unreal.

Eight - count them - eight falafel balls. A little dry due to them sitting around for hours but otherwise delicious.

Spicy rice that lived up to its name.

Lettuce and tomato salad.

Some kind of spicy pickle and pepper concoction. Really nice.

Two grape leaves.

A dab of homemade hummus.

Warmed and chopped pita bread on top. ($0.50 extra)

If this was Price is Right, what would you guess? Try $5. Five bucks! Subway, please pack up your virtually meatless subs and scram.

So there you have it. After surviving most of the day on breakfast and probably artificial free coffee I ended the work day on a delicious note. I'll return to 54th/Park again soon with every intention of considering it round two of my "best of" review.

I'm going to have a field day with this place.

Something I miss about the non-urban life is one's ability to be in continuous contact with nature. Surprise, surprise - that relationship is forfeited once you move to the overdeveloped land that is New York. Fear not though, as I've found my newest new thing to do - join the community garden! The 6BC garden is named for its location; East 6th Street between Avenues B & C. Formally a free-for-all gardening plot styled space, 6BC became a botanical garden over time. The current members' efforts are obvious all around as one walks along the maze of brick pathways. It is truly a space that is loved and appreciated by both its members and neighbors, and I'm looking forward to putting in my dues (and then some) to keep the garden alive and well.

Tonight was the new member orientation meeting of which I will be, following a few hours of work on Sunday. I'm looking forward to earning a key to a sliver of urban paradise as well as my next photo obsession. Time to put the landscapin' skills to good use.

Rolling black outs here we come.

And I'm not talking about the 3:00am drinking kind. Perhaps the saying should be changed to April scorchers bring New Yorkers skin cancer. Today was the fifth day of out-of-season-but-in-a-good way warm temperatures. Where did spring go? Hopefully it'll be back before summer here is here for good. This picture was taken at 9:35pm, mind you.

For the record, I don't know what CNN and Fox are reporting, but I think the Little Miss Piggy thing going around is being blown out of proportion. Is it a highly contagious strain of the flu? Yes. Is it sweeping through the city's school system? Apparently. Is delicious bacon threatening our lives? No.

I have not seen a single person wearing a mask on the subways. So if you see CNN pictures of this, take them with a grain of salt. I bet the copyright date on the image is July 8, 2006; unrelated. The only thing subway riders are concerned about is standing clear of the closing doors.

Taxpayer money put to good use - someone should be fired for this.

And on the seventh day, Spider-man walked his dog.

I don't have much to say about this because what is there to say? Spider-man was walking his dog down College Avenue. Turns out his dog was Scooby Doo. Turns out Scooby Doo was a college kid. Weird.

State College returns to normalcy, at least for a day.

spent Saturday in Happy Valley for the annual Blue/White scrimmage. In case you were wondering (as I know you are), 76,500+ fans strolled in to Beaver Stadium to watch the White team defeat the Blue team 21-16. I'd say twice as many people flooded the cow fields to partake in Penn State's other favorite pastime; tailgating. Following the game four members of the Blue Band's drum line strolled past our tailgate en route to their Saturday night. For the bargain price of one beer a drummer they put on a show for all those in ear shot. Reason #4,902 to love this place.

Every college has a legend...

I'm en route to State College for the weekend, it's 73 degrees outside, and I have chills running down my body. Nothing gets me more excited, more emotional, or more in my blood than Penn State football. You know those crazies that paint themselves at Giants football games in the freezing months? I was that crazy and I still am less the paint. What started out as a way to spend Saturday afternoon with one's freshman friends became something to criticize, dissect, and praise 365 days a year. I'm looking forward to a great weekend under the sun. Big expectations.

A taste of things to come this weekend...get fired up!

Every college has a legend,
Passed on from year to year,
To which they pledge allegiance
And always cherish dear.
But of all the honored idols,
There's but one that stands the test
It's the stately Nittany Lion,
The symbol of our best.

Hail to the Lion, Loyal and True,
Hail Alma Mater, with your White and Blue,
Penn State forever, Moulder of men,
Fight for her honor, Fight, and Victory again.

Indiana has its Hoosiers,
Purdue its gold and black,
The Wildcats of Northwestern,
And Spartans on attack,
Ohio State has its buckeyes,
Up north the Wolverines,
But the mighty Nittany Lion's,
The best they've ever seen.

Hail to the Lion, Loyal and True,
Hail Alma Mater, with your White and Blue,
Penn State forever, Moulder of men,
Fight for her honor, Fight, and Victory again.

-By James A. Leyden '14

One down, one to go.

Yesterday's rains have moved out and the sun is shining; the first sign that this weekend is indeed going to be AWESOME. Two weekends of nice weather in a row? I'll take it.

Batteries sold separately.

It was pretty cool to see this car on Earth Day. I'm in western New York for the rest of the week before heading to the happiest place this weekend. Love your Mother (Earth) today, tomorrow and forever.

Dear Big 3 - please take note of the enclosed picture. I hope your scrap your current doomed-for-failure plan.