LIEBSTER AWARD PART TWO

A few weeks ago ,  I got nominated  for  the  Liebster  Award  by Anna from AnnasLittleThing.wordpress ,  and I hope you  all checked out her blog.

(Sportsandtravelblog.wordpress/2017/11/17/The – Liebster-Award)

I  just got nominated  again for another Liebster  Award  by Tashnee  from Tashnee . V.Mavee, so do follow  her blog as well.

Very inspiring  posts  on her blog.

Once again ,  the rules of  the  award  are this:

Thank the person who nominated  you  and link back to  their blog.

Give some info  about  yourself . 

Answer the questions  that  the blogger  who nominated  you  asked you.

Nominate 5-10 bloggers for this award  and  if they accept it, let them know about the award.

Ask your nominees five questions . 
What else can I  tell you about me that you don’t  already  know ? I’m  a fairly  good  cook, I  love to travel ,  I’m  sarcastic  as hell, I enjoy blogging ,  and the same way Beyonce Knowles  has her alter ego, “Sasha  Fierce”, I have my bitmoji alter ego, which many of you have seen  on my blog. Her name is Cece, the Sports Diva. I can talk about  sports 365 days a year, 366, if you count a leap year.
QUESTIONS FROM TASHNEE  

1. Besides Blogging ,  what do you do?

As I’m  retired ,  my day is free to do anything  I want to, which is sleeping ,  shopping ,  cooking ,  going for walks, getting ideas for my blog, and of course, going to as many baseball ,  hockey ,  and  basketball  games as the Good Lord allows me to.

2. If you could be the president  of  your country  for one day, what would  you  change and why?

I  would  make  sure that EVERYBODY  could  have affordable  Health  Care. I just don’t  understand  why  and how in one of  the  richest countries  in the world everyone  doesn’t  have this. It boggles my mind.

3. Name the three people  who inspired you when it comes to blogging.

There are more than three. I would say my late Aunt Ola, who was a teacher and told me to practice  writing. My teacher ,  Sister Eileen  Fitzmaurice, who actually  told me to combine my love of sports and my writing. Finally ,  I’m  inspired  by  the bloggers that I follow  and those that I DON’T  follow . You guys are wicked amazing and help me to step up  my blogging  game . 

4 Why did you start blogging ? 

I  love to write and many people ,  not just a friend, asked after you go to a sporting  event, “what do you do in the city after that?” Writing a blog was my way of getting that question  answered without  writing a travel guide or a book about it.

5. What is your favorite  gospel music ? 

Actually none, not really a fan of  it.
MY NOMINEES  

Fromatoq.wordpress

Scandilifestyleblog.wordpress

Travellingfoodie.net

Smalltimejetsetter.wordpress

Kulsy-a.com
QUESTIONS  FOR MY NOMINEES  

1. If you could win a free trip to  anywhere in the world ,  where would it be and why?

2. How did you come up  with  the  name of your blog ? 

3. What do you do when you aren’t  blogging ? 

4. What do you love about  blogging ?  

5. What is your  favorite  sport and team if you have one?
Thanks again to  Tashnee for nominating  me  for  this award.

I might sound like  a  wicked annoying  broken record, but I  can’t thank you all enough for reading, liking and commenting  on my little blog.

It means the world to me.

Thank you all and God Bless  You,
Sports  Diva64

SOME ADVICE FOR NEWBIE BLOGGERS

I just started blogging  for WordPress  in February  this year . 

Before that, I  had a blog on Tumblr.

I still do, but I  now just concentrate  on my blog on WordPress ,  because  nothing against  Tumblr, WordPress  is more professional  looking . 

I’m  not an expert  on  blogging  and God knows I have so much more   to learn  about  this blogging thingy.

What I can do though, is share some of  my  blogging knowledge  and offer up some pointers that I like to  call Blogging  101 and Blogging 102.

Before you decide  on that “knock it out of the ballpark  ” blog title ,  know what your blog is going to  be  all about.

Music, Beauty Tips, Travel ,  Technology , Business ,  Fashion  or even Sports, what are you going to blog about ? 

Don’t  pick a niche just because  everyone  else is blogging about it.

DO YOU  BOO!

If you want to  blog about politics  in your country, do it.

This is your blog, remember  that . 

Blog about something  that you’re  very passionate  about . 

Don’t  blog because  you want to make tons of  money  and you want to  go on a lot of  sponsored  trips . 

It’s  not going to  happen  when you first  start and if that’s  the main reason  for starting  your blog ,  stop it.

No, really  quit  blogging while you’re  ahead.

Blog not only because  you’re  passionate  about  your subject ,  but you love to write.

Don’t  stop blogging because you’re  bored and you stop after a few months . 

Be in it for the long haul . 

Where should  you write your posts?

Should  it be somewhere quiet? Or while you’re  waiting  for  public transportation ? 

How about on your lunch  break  if you’re  at work or school?

Write something ,  somewhere no matter where  it is.

Keep a little  notepad handy and write your ideas down in the memo section  of  your mobile device . 

Should  you listen to music while you’re  writing your blog?

Some people can work with  music, others like it quiet.

I’m  writing this post while listening  to  The Weekend  on my headphones . 

I’ve  also been known to write posts while listening  to  Kenny G, also, but that’s  just me.

Do what works for you . 

Most importantly ,  follow as many bloggers as you can, not just the ones in your niche.

You might get some idea for a post of your own.

That’s  right, I said a post of your own.

Don’t  copy their style and be sure to show them some love every now and then in your own  posts.

Be yourself  when you write.

You’ve  heard all the “blogging  experts” tell you how you should write your blog.

That’s  just it.

It’s  your blog, not a thesis on the Theory of  Relativity . 

But please, know your there ,  their,and they’re , just saying . 

Should  you write a post everyday?

You can if you want to, but if you don’t ,  it’s  not a blogging  sin.

Write as often as you can, leave some of those posts in draft if you have to, and publish them later . 

Don’t do a blog every three months or every year, that defeats the purpose  of  doing a blog and it’s  a waste of time.

Plus it shows that you really aren’t  really serious  about  blogging . 

Some bloggers  have a schedule  as to when their next blog post is going to be . 

As this doesn’t  work  for  me ,  I don’t  do it.

What blogging  website should  you go on?

Again, it’s  up to you.

Try GoDaddy.com, Bloglovin, Tumblr or Blogspot.

I like WordPress  myself, and I  find it very easy to use.

There’s  two versions  of  it, the free version ,  Wordpress . Com and what’s  called the “self  hosted ” one, WordPress . Org.

I use the first  version and I think my blog looks wicked awesome . 

Now, where do your original  ideas come from?

Anywhere and everywhere.

Depending  on your niche ,  it could  be something  that  you read in a newspaper or magazine  or something  you heard on the radio  or saw on television . 

The ideas on your post could even be in response  to  a  comment  made by a friend, relative ,  classmate or a colleague . 

Whatever it is, write that suckered down and work from there.

You might even get ideas while you’re  in bed.

Don’t  laugh ,  it has happened  and I’m  not the only blogger it’s  happened  to . 

Be sure to take pictures to put on your blog  or if you’re  very creative ,  draw pictures to put on there.

Show your creative  side on your blog.

You can invest in a good camera, but your camera phone can work just as well.

Another piece of  advice and many bloggers may or may not tell you this, but I am.

When a fellow blogger tells you that  they like your work, thank them .

Get their email addresses  and thank them for liking your blog as well as write a little  comment on their email.

The comment could say something  as simple as “thank you for following  my blog . ”

If you follow someone’s  blog, comment on their comment section.

Don’t  comment with the statement ,  “Follow  my blog  “, no really  comment  on it.

If another blogger  just says that they like your blog  but don’t  comment, try not to take it personally . 

Also if a blogger has a lot of likes and follows , way more than you have it’s  not the end of the world . 

It’s  not about the follows and the likes ,  don’t  get it twisted, you aren’t  in high school.

It’s  not a popularity  contest .

It’s  about your blog and getting it out there . 

Finally, speaking  about  your blog, don’t  be ashamed  to tell people  that  you have a blog . 

Tell everyone  about it and if you have business cards with the name of your blog on it, wicked awesome ! 

Share your blog posts with people  on Social  Media . 

Better yet ,  create  a page just for your blog on Facebook , Twitter,Instagram ,  Google  Plus, or Pinterest.

That’s  right, promote the heck out of  your blog ,  be proud of  it.

#thatsright,thismyblog
That’s  my advice for newbie  bloggers.

What advice would  you give?

Drop me a line in the comments  section  or on my email  address  sportsdiva63@gmail.com and let me know . 

As usual ,  thank you  for  following  and liking my blog.

GOOD EATING BEFORE A GAME IN NEWARK – MERCATO TOMATO PIE

If you happen  to  be  doing a 30 Plus  Teams  Tour  of  New  York  City  /New Jersey  and you’re  looking for a place to eat before you go to  a New Jersey  Devils  game at Prudential  Center ,  you have a couple  of  options . 

You could go to the Newark  branch of  Dinosaur  Barbecue , which some people  do.

You can’t  miss  it , it’s  right across  the  street  from the place affectionately  known by hockey fans in New York and  New Jersey as “The Rock “.

It’s  right in front of  the  huge grey statue  of a hockey player in Championship  Plaza.

There is however, another place to eat before a Devils  game, and this is the place where most of them go.

It’s  called Mercato Tomato Pie, and in spite of the huge wood fire ovens cooking pizza  non stop, you’ll  find more than pizza there . 

There’s  salads, mozzarella  sticks ,  chicken  wings, and some of the biggest and juiciest  looking hamburgers you’ve  ever seen . 

Now, if you’re  vegetarian or don’t  eat beef, they’ve  got you covered too with Veggie and Turkey burgers.

They also serve  fountain soda  drinks as well as alcohol, not to mention  those mouth watering  old fashioned  milk shakes.

The restaurant  is located at 212 Market  Street  in Downtown  Newark and it’s  open every day from 11 am until 10 pm.

It’s  a few blocks away  from Newark ‘ s Penn Station  and right around the  corner  from the arena.

If you walk to the exit door that’s  in the back of the restaurant ,  you’ll  see the parking  lot.

That building  right across the street  with the pictures of the hockey players on it, is the place you want to be if you’re  going to  see  New Jersey’s team.

There are tables and  chairs  plus booths to sit in, but wait for the host or hostess to seat you.

If you’re  lucky ,  one of  the  owners of this very friendly  establishment  will seat you himself.

The atmosphere  is very friendly  here and everyone  seems to know everyone . 

If you go to the restaurant  enough, the waitstaff will greet you by name and say hello  among other pleasantries . 

They’ll  even ask you if you want what you usually  order when you come to Mercato.

Prices are very reasonable ,  something  you don’t  see at some of  the restaurants or sports bars across the river in New York  City . 

Of course, since this is across the street  from a sports  arena, there are televisions  set to different  sporting events.

One word of warning though, if you go to Mercatos and the Devils are playing either  the Rangers, Pittsburgh  Penguins ,  Philadelphia  Flyers ,  New York  Islanders  or Boston  Bruins . 

PLEASE GET THERE EARLY!

You might be waiting  a long time to be seated anywhere in the restaurant . 

As I mentioned  before, if you’re  going to a game at the arena, or just happen  to  be in downtown  Newark and want a friendly ,  inexpensive  place to eat , get yourself  to Mercato  Tomato  Pie.

You’ll  definitely  come back again and again . 

Mercato  

Tomato  Pie

212 Market Street

Newark ,  New Jersey  07102

MORE NOVEMBER TRAVEL QUOTES

We’re  almost at the end of November, here are  some  more quotes to inspire  you  

WHAT TO WEAR TO A HOCKEY GAME

Another 30 Plus Teams  Tour  of New York  City  /New Jersey  is about to happen . 

Again I’m  off to  Prudential  Center  in Newark, New Jersey  to see the New Jersey  Devils  and Boston  Bruins  play, and yes, I’m  going to  take the PATH  train . 

What do you wear when your 30 Plus  Teams  Tour  of a city includes a hockey game ? 

If you really  aren’t  a fan of either team, you can go with the team  colors.

In the case of the Devils ,  it’s  black, red, and white.

However ,  just because  it’s  a hockey  game ,  don’t  do what happens  to  be  a  major pet peeve of way too many hockey fans, including  me.

Don’t  put on a jersey of a team that isn’t  even playing . 

It might be a hockey game you’re  going to but don’t  bust out a New York  Rangers  or a Pittsburgh  Penguins  hockey jersey unless those teams are playing . 

Stay in your lane.

Know what teams you’re  going to  see.

If you decide  to  go with the “it’s a hockey game ,   so I’m  going to wear a hockey jersey  no matter what team it is” thingy, be ready for some side glances not only from the home team fans, but from the visiting fans too.

Hockey fans are very passionate and will definitely  make comments about the swag you have on.

Also ,  please  don’t  show up in a football  or basketball  jersey to a hockey game.

Really, don’t  take it there.

Once again ,  know  the sport that you’re  going  to  see.

If you have to, buy a hat from the city that you’re  in.

Wear that Atlantic City  hat proudly if you’re  in New Jersey . 

Better yet , don’t  wear any team stuff or their colors  at all.

Just go to the game and take in all the craziness  that is seeing a hockey game in person . 

What about if one of your teams is playing?

Let me show you.

1. My Boston  Bruins jersey that I brought from the Hockey Hall of  Fame Store in Toronto  oh so many years ago.

2. My black pants from The Rainbow  Shops in the United  States.

3. My sneakers and socks are from Payless  Shoe Stores in the United  States.

4. The rings and bracelets  are from Forever  21   and H&M.

5. The necklace  belonged  to  my late aunt and I  wear it all the time.

To complete my what to wear to a hockey  game  look, oh yeah, you’d  better  believe  I’m  going  all out.

My jacket has the colors of the team that I’m  rooting for.

Gold (yellow) on the inside and black on the outside . 

It’s  not reversable ,  though.

On the front ,  there’s  the logo of the Boston  Bruins . 

I’m  ready to  go . 

Now THIS is what  to wear when you go to a hockey  game . 

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHERE YOU’RE GOING TO TRAVEL TO ?

You’ve  saved  more than  enough  money for your trip.

You’ve  even  decided  what dates you  want to  go.

You aren’t  sure if your friends  are going with you ,  the family  is  going  with you  or you’re  going by yourself . 

There’s  one very important  question  to ask yourself  though.

Just where are you going to  go?

Are you going to  stay in your own country  or are you  going to  another  country?

Are you going to  visit  a city that you’ve  never heard of  or your own  city for a staycation?

Where are you  going  to  go?

Have you ever been in this dilemma ? 

You’re  all dressed  up  with no place to  go.

That’s  not true, though . 

You do have  some  place to  go, but you just don’t  know  where.

If you have children  or grandchildren ,  you just know that you have to go to some place with a theme park , no matter where it is or some family friendly  location .

You’re  traveling  with the girls ,  but you don’t  want some place like Miami ,  Los Angeles ,  Las Vegas  or somewhere out of the  country like Cabo, Punta Cana or Ibiza.

You and the guys are doing your own  30 Plus  Teams  Tour  but you’re  tired of going to  the same cities to see your team play.

Or are you?

You get the idea.

How do you decide where you want to  go?

Do you  plan months in advance  so you can make sure that your passport  and  visa papers are in order?

Do you wait until the last  minute and just go?

Do you look at your bucket list  and choose the  country or city that has the most places  that you  want to  see?

Is it a place that you saw on one of  those travel  shows and you  know  that  you have to  go there because  “it sure looks nice in pictures, and everybody seems to want to  visit . “?

Do you ask friends or family  for recommendations ? 

Of course, you look at all those travel brochures that you ordered to get some idea.

What do I do?

Since most of my travel is because I’m  going  to  some baseball ,  basketball  or hockey  game ,  my decision  on where to  go is fairly  easy . 

Sort of.

I look at schedules and decide  where I might want to go.

This usually  works  for  me ,  but I’m  not going to  lie and tell you that this ALWAYS  helps me to  decide  where my next trip is going to  be . 

It doesn’t  more times than  I  care to remember . 

What about you?

How do YOU decide where your next trip is going to  be ? 

Do you  plan in advance or just wing it?

Let me know  in the comments  section  and as usual ,  thanks  for  following  my blog . 

START SPREADING THE NEWS- NEW YORK , NEW YORK – RIDING THE NEW YORK CITY BUS

I had just left 45th street  and  Fifth  Avenue  in the city . 

I  was going  to  the  next stop  on my own  30 Plus  Teams  Tour  of New York  City . 

I  was going to  The Cloisters, all the way  up at 190th street . 

I could  have  taken the  A Train  at 42nd street to get to 190th street ,  but after that I  would  have  had a very long  walk to  get to the museum . 

From growing  up  in the city and knowing the New York  City  bus and subway system  like I know the back of my hand, I  knew exactly  what  bus to take, the M4.

It stops right in front  of  the  museum, so the only walking you have to do is walk in the front door and admire the art from the Middle  Ages . 

A few things to know about the New York  City  bus system  if you happen  to  be  in  New  York  City . 

Like the subways ,  they are part of the  Metropolitan  Transit  Authority ,  the MTA . 

Unlike  the  subway ,  the blue seats on the buses are clean . 

They really  don’t  want  people  eating  or drinking  on the bus.

But this is New York  City ,  people  are  going  to  do it anyway   and nobody  is  going  to  stop them.

You must  have  exact  change  if you don’t  have  a Metro   card.

The drivers carry  no change and the fare boxes don’t  accept  dollar  bills.

Dollar coins yes, but dollar bills  nope.

Have those Metro cards ready when you board the bus.

You can get them at stores or if you happen to  use the subway . 

Same Metro  card works for  the  bus and subway, as well  as  the  PATH  train if you happen  to  be  going  to  New Jersey . 

The New York  City  buses are blue and white.

Some are blue and yellow  and now some of them have WiFi . 

If you happen  to  see a bus  with the  words  “LIMITED  ” on it, the bus isn’t  going to  make every stop, just certain  ones . 

You’ll  see these buses mostly  on morning and afternoon  rush hours.

It’s  the local  buses that you want.

They make all stops.

If you aren’t  sure where exactly  the bus goes to ,  ask the driver before you  get on.

Better yet ,  do your research  BEFORE  you get to New York or in your hotel, hostel ,  or Airbnb  before you go anywhere . 

The bus stops  are clearly  marked with red, white and blue signs  with numbers on them. 

The numbers are marked with letters  according  to  what borough  you’re  in.

Confused?

Let’s  make this simple  for you.

We’ll  use the bus that took me all the way from 47th  street  and Madison  Avenue  up to 190th Street  and Margaret  Corbin  Drive as an example ,  the M4.

The letter M before the  bus number tells you that this route goes in the city, Manhattan . 

If the bus number was Q4, you don’t  want that if you’re  going to  the city.

The Q in front  of  the  number tells you that this is a Queens bus.

If the bus number was either B4, B4  or SI4, you got it.

Your  bus was either in Brooklyn ,  The Bronx  or Staten  Island, so make sure you take the right bus.

Another thing  to  know about the  buses in the city . 

If you’re  going Downtown ,  the bus will be going down Fifth  Avenue ,  where you’ll  get up close  and  personal  with most  of  Central  Park, as well as “The  Museum  Mile”, depending  on  where you  catch  the  bus . 

If you’re  traveling  Uptown ,  the bus will be going  up Madison  Avenue . 

Since I was  traveling  up to  190th Street ,  the M4 bus went up Madison  Avenue . 

As usual ,  it took a long time  due to  the  infamous  New York  City  traffic . 

The ride took almost  an hour and a half . 

The subway  might have  been  more convenient ,  but nothing  beats a ride on the New York  City  bus so that you  can  really  get a glimpse  of  life in “The Big Apple . ”

Along the  way if you take the  M4, you’ll  be  passing  Columbia  University  on 116th Street  and if you continue onto the  Washington  Heights  section  of  the  city, at around  178th Street ,  you’ll  get a glimpse  of  the  George  Washington  Bridge , which separates  New York  City  from New Jersey . 

On a clear day ,  the view of  the  bridge is breathtaking . 

If you’re  going to  The Cloisters  like I was, get off at the very last stop.

Riding  the  bus doesn’t  only work for going to  the  Cloisters ,  but check with the front desk clerk if there’s  a bus stop close by and just take a ride to the last stop on the bus, no matter  what  direction  it’s  going in.

This is a great way to sightsee if you’re  in the city  and all it costs is the price of a Metro  card ,  $2.75.

Take the bus instead  of  the  subway . 

It may take a long time   but enjoy that long ride on the New York  City  buses and take in the scenery .