SOMETIMES YOUR 30 PLUS TEAMS TOUR GETS DELAYED

Thank God the Sports Diva went and came back from her 30 Plus Teams Tour of Las Vegas when I did.

(There’s more posts coming up from my 30 Plus Teams Tour of Las Vegas, but what’s going on now is a little bit more important.)

I was going to go to Boston or maybe Atlantic City around the end of June but before I was about to leave, I received a letter from the Juror Division of the Queens Supreme Court, which is in the Queens neighborhood of Kew Gardens.

Since I moved back to New York City, I received maybe two or three requests to sit on a jury.

All three times, it was for a trial, which means I can try to get out of serving on a jury.

Not this time.

This is the grand daddy of all juries, a Grand Jury, which means drop everything you’re doing because you’re going to be basically living at the courthouse and no one from the show Law and Order is gonna show up and show out.

Unlike a trial jury which could take days or not happen at all, a grand jury trial takes a minimum of 21 days, so that great 30 Plus Teams Tour of Dubai or the Jersey Shore you were planning for ain’t going to happen.

Like a jury trial, you can’t discuss ANYTHING about the trial even though you just gotta tell your bestie all about it.

But nope you can’t.

So for the 19 days or so I won’t be writing about what’s in my suitcase or anything else.

My 30 Plus Teams Tour of somewhere just got delayed.

GETTING MY FOOD ON AT TEX’S

Normally when the Sports Diva does a 30 Plus Teams Tour of somewhere, sports, shopping and eating are ALWAYS involved.

Even when there’s a 30 Plus Teams staycation, oh yeah food is involved.

Yesterday, April 26th was no different.

After coming from an MRI appointment and getting medicine, you bet the Sports Diva was hungry.

So instead of getting just a plain old toasted bagel with butter and jelly, I noticed a fast food place in the Laurelton section of the borough of Queens that just opened last Saturday called Tex’s Chicken and Burger .

Laurelton is the city next to mine, Springfield Gardens, but that’s Queens for you.

You go a few blocks, you’re in another city of the borough.

I was in the mood for my favorite parts of the chicken, wings and thighs, but walking into the restaurant that’s located on Merrick Boulevard, I noticed they had a chicken sandwich.

Now the Sports Diva isn’t going to lie to you, Popeye’s Chicken sandwich is number one in my book.

Not going to lie, Tex’s ya done good with your chicken sandwich.

I loved the pickles and the crispy chicken on that brioche bun, and because Tex’s is Halal, I KNOW it’s going to be fresh chicken.

It was.

Now because the Sports Diva is greedy, I wanted to get just a thigh.

The lady behind the counter told me that I might want to get the three piece because while one thigh was $3.89, three pieces were $5.00.

Oh heck yes let’s do that three piece and a biscuit!

To say that this place is going to be my new go to place for chicken while I’m doing a 30 Plus Teams Tour staycation would be an understatement.

It is, oh and welcome to the neighborhood Tex’s Chicken and Burgers.

HEALTHY DRINKING AT MR. WISH

While doing a 30 Plus Teams Tour staycation of Kew Gardens , I wanted something to drink, but not an adult beverage and not a coffee from either Dunkin Donuts or Seven Eleven coffee.

While doing some exploring around the area near the Kew Gardens Long Island Railroad Station was, I noticed a place called , ‘Mr. Wish’.

It claimed that it had ‘healthy bubble drinks and fruit teas.’

I looked at the pictures on the store window and on the menu, and I saw a drink that I hadn’t had since I lived in Los Angeles .

It was Pearl Milk Tea.

For $3.75 plus taxes, I figured why not get a medium one?

I had time to kill before my train back to Locust Manor came.

The Pearl Milk Tea was delicious , and made just the way I like my bubble tea.

No sugar needed, and big bubble pieces that are big but not that big that they won’t fit through your straw .

It just so happens that Mr. Wish’s teas and fruit juices are the number one brand in Taiwan and besides having stores in Taiwan and the United States , they also have locations in China , Vietnam , plus 150 other locations.

It’s easy to see why.

The store that I went to is located at 80 – 62 Lefferts Boulevard , Kew Gardens .

Mr. Wish claims that they have ‘authentic Fruit and Bubble Teas.’

They do.

If you can’t get to New York City or the borough of Queens, see if there is a Mr. Wish in your city.

You won’t be disappointed and the prices are very reasonable .

A VISIT TO BELMONT PARK

• I thought I  would  be missing  all the 30 Plus  Teams  Tours  that I  would be making since the Virus  from  hell  came  on the scene .
• I couldn’t  understand  why y’all  were so interested  in what was in my suitcase.
• In other words, I  really thought that I would really miss plane travel for another 30 Plus  Teams  Tour  of  anywhere .
• Believe it or not, I’m  really enjoying visiting  places by public transportation .
• I  took  another trip on the local Queens bus to Elmont, Long Island .
• I was going to see Belmont Racetrack ,home of the third leg of horse  racing’s ‘triple crown’.
• But no, I don’t   bet on horses .
• I just like looking  at  them.
• (Besides the  Belmont Stakes, there’s  also the Preakness  Stakes, held in Baltimore  and of course, something that’s  on my bucket list ,  the Kentucky  Derby, held in Louisville ,  Kentucky  .)
• The Sports Diva  had another reason for visiting  Elmont and Belmont  Park .
• Right next door ,  under construction ,  is Belmont  Arena .
• It’s  going to be the new home  of  the  New York  Islanders  hockey club.
• You just know ,  the Sports Diva  had to see this.
• As it was a very nice day, I  really enjoyed  my day and am looking forward  to  the next place to visit.
• I said it before and I’ll  say it again.
• I  can get used to not flying anywhere but taking public  transportation .

A DAY IN SPRINGFIELD PARK

I didn’t  have  to  take  Nassau County public transportation for this 30 Plus  Teams  Tour .

I  let my feet do some of  the  walking.

I did take a bus but just for 20 blocks and walked the rest of the way, all 5 blocks.

I could have walked the whole way, but I  was saving my walking for the park.

Springfield  Park on Springfield  Boulevard  is located at the end of the city  of Springfield  Gardens  and the beginning  of the  city of  Rosedale .

After you leave Rosedale ,  you’re  out of New York  City  and on Long Island .

Surprisingly ,  I was in this same park four years ago  to the day.

I didn’t  remember  this but leave it to Facebook  Memories  to remind me.

It was a beautiful  day, but as we are a week or so away from most of us not having any power  thanks to the hurricane, trees were down all over the park.

Queens  is the borough  of New York  City  that has the most trees, and they are NO MATCH for a storm with 75 plus mph winds  let alone rain.

It was hot but a really beautiful  day  and I’m forgetting  that I’m  not really traveling  like I used to.

Sort of .

A DAY AT JFK AIRPORT

As usual , because of the Corona virus , my 30 Plus Teams Tour isn’t made by flying out of state, but by taking a New York City bus, Nassau County bus or the Long Island Railroad somewhere.

Saturday , July 18th was no exception .

I had a choice, either go to Belmont Park Racetrack in the village of Elmont, Long Island or right in my own backyard to JFK Airport, a 20 minute bus ride away.

Since I haven’t been to JFK in oh forever , why not go and take pictures?

Unfortunately , due to the quarantine , I couldn’t see as much as I wanted to see.

Much of JFK was closed off especially if you weren’t either an essential worker or a ticketed passenger .

However, I did get to go next door to JFK and walk inside the TWA Hotel , which used to be the old TWA terminal.

More about that hotel in a later post.

Right now, enjoy some pictures from another 30 Plus Teams Tour Day trip in the New York City area.

GO AWAY CORONAVIRUS, I’M GOING ON A BUS RIDE

It was Memorial Day here in the United States , a day where we honor all those veterans that made it possible for us here to enjoy the right to shop, live and yes , do those 30 Plus Teams Tours we sports fans love doing.

Thanks to the virus from hell , it’s not possible for us to do what we used to do.

But here in New York City as well as some other states in the country, places are opening up.

While large groups of people can’t get together and act the fool, it is okay if up to 10 people do this.

Just remember your masks and gloves people.

You can’t swim on the beaches but at least you can walk on the sand here.

Usually, for Memorial Day, the Sports Diva is doing some kind of 30 Plus Teams Tour of somewhere.

Virus from hell or no virus from hell , 2020 is no different .

Except, I’m doing a stay cation 30 Plus Teams Tour.

Hello to that orange and blue bus route N4 that starts in the borough of Queens and ends in Nassau County Long Island.

Instead of going to Philadelphia, Boston or Washington, DC, my trip is taking me to the cities or incorporated towns of Baldwin , Valley Stream, Lynbrook and Rockville Centre , Long Island.

While buses in New York City are run by the MTA or Metropolitan Transit Authority, buses in this section of Long Island are run by Nassau County transit.

Like everything else in New York City , don’t even try to come on without your mask and please forget about paying, get on the back of the bus please and stay away from the driver.

If you need to ask for directions on how to get where you’re going, too bad.

No interaction with the driver.

Didn’t you get that memo about staying 6 feet away?

So with camera phone in hand, the Sports Diva said stand back coronavirus, mama is going away, if only for a few hours.

Guess what?

It felt so good, I just might do it again.

PICTURES FROM ANOTHER VISIT TO ROOSEVELT ISLAND

Last year, around this same time, I went to the area of Roosevelt Island that msny tourists and even some New Yorkers don’t even know about .

I went there with a relative for a barbecue and to enjoy the nice ,and not so hot for once, summer New York City day.

As usual , there was good food, the view of New York City from the Queens side and lots of dancing.

My auntie even got to do the “electric slide”, a dance that I DON’T even know how to do.

It was a wicked fun time as you’ll be able to see from the pictures.

By the end of the evening, the nice summery dress that I was wearing was full of barbecue, ice cream, and watermelon juice stains.

Yep, I was a walking advertisement for laundry detergent .

All in all I had a good time, even though I just know that I packed on a few pounds.

But that’s ok. Im on my way in a few days on a 30 Plus Teams Tour of somewhere, so those pounds will melt away.

A VIDEO OF THE BIRDS AT THE QUEENS ZOO

RIDING ON THE NUMBER SEVEN TRAIN

I rarely use this train but as I’m on my way to the Queens Zoo , which is in another Queens neighborhood , I have to take the number 7 train.

The number 7 train goes from Hudson Yards and 34th Street in Manhattan all the way to Main Street in Flushing, which is the second Chinatown in New York City .

If you want to see the Highline in Manhattan , this is the train that you take.

Just get off at Hudson Yards and walk a block or so.

Of course when your 30 Plus Teams Tour of New York brings you to a New York Mets baseball game at Citi Field, you take this train as well.

By the way, if you take this train to Citi Field and you don’t know where to get off, sorry.

The train stop will tell you, Willets Point-Citi Field.

I’m on my way to Queens Zoo, a place that I never knew existed.

I’ll tell you more about my visit to Queens Zoo in another post.

Today, it’s all about the Number 7 subway line.

Many people, not so nicely, used to refer to this subway line as either “The International Express” or “The Orient Express”.

The number 7 goes through the Queens neighborhoods of Elmhurst , Woodside, Jackson Heights, Corona, and Flushing, where the populations are mostly Korean, Chinese , Filipino , Chinese, Latin American, and Indian.

Take this train to see just why the borough of Queens is one of the most diverse in the country.

The number 7 is one of the few subway lines in New York that is above ground.

It goes underground the closer it gets to Manhattan .

Enjoy the view as you see how the rest of New York City lives.

You know, the ones that the guidebooks rarely mention, if at all.

Like the rest of the New York City subway system, the nunber 7 train runs all night.

Use that Metro Card that you brought and enjoy riding on the number 7 train.