Hat trick on the day....8/20/11

To know me is to know that I need to be set with my plans.  I must have everything down to the smallest detail planned out ahead of time before I can commit to doing something or going someplace.  It's just how I am.  Since planning these 40 celebrations, I'm learning to let go...well...a little at least.  I'm learning that I need to stop stressing about the little details.  I need to let the day take me wherever I am meant to be taken.  I have to let the chips fall where they may & make the most of it.  Overall, I'm learning to sit back, a little more, & let the fun happen!

I love this blog mission!

So today I will knock three things off of my list -
#122 go on the ferris wheel at the Toys R Us in Times Square
#137 go to Build A Bear
#150 go to Ellen's Stardust diner in NYC

Thank you Trisha, Nicole, Stephanie & Ryan for giving me more great memories.  Thank you all for sharing in yet another celebration & for providing lots of laughs.  I always enjoy your company.  I'm looking forward to the next celebration that you will all join me for!

Trisha, thank you for driving.  You were right.  It was better than trying to schlep everything & everyone on the LIRR!!

Our adventure this day starts with a ride from Queens into Manhattan.  A minivan with two adults & three hyper kids setting out for what is sure to be an amazing day. 

Let the fun begin!!

I have to point out that Stephanie is super duper hyped up for #137 go to Build A Bear.  This was her suggestion & she has been on me about doing it.  Well today, it will get done!

Upon our arrival in the city, Trisha finds a parking garage within walking distance of the Build A Bear.  She will lay out the day's agenda -
Toys R Us first
Ellen's next
Build A Bear last

Stephanie will try to rationalize why we need to go to Build A Bear first, but she will lose her arguement.  Nice try Steph.  But she knows we are going there at some point today...her excitement will have time to build up more.

We start our adventure with a walk to the Toys R Us in Times Square.

I love Times Square!  I love the bright lights, the gianormous billboards, the stores, the endless photo opportunities, the crazy New Yorkers...even the annoying tourists.  I love NYC for all it's beauty, it's faults, it's sites & it's culture.  But mostly I love that I can get here any time I want!

The Toys R Us in Times Square is huge.  And right in the middle of the store is a great big ferris wheel.

#122 go on the ferris wheel at the Toys R Us in Times Square - DONE!
To ride this ferris wheel, you will need to buy a ticket at the cost of $4.50 a person.  Let me tell you, it's money well spent!  You will then have to wait on a line.  This allows for time to talk to the people with you.  And your main discussion on this line will be about which themed car you want.

There are several themed cars on this ferris wheel.  Scooby Doo, Geoffrey the Giraffe with ET, the Monopoly Game, M&M's, Mega Blocks, My Little Pony, Barbie's Corvette, Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, Nickelodeon, & Toy Story.  There might be others...I lost track.  I was busy thinking about which car I wanted.

For the record, I wanted Toy Story or The Potato Heads.

While waiting on line discussing which car we wanted, Ryan will teach us a valuable lesson.  With his adorable smile & those gorgeous eyes lighting up the store, he will politely announce -

'You get what you get & you don't get upset'.

Wow!
How profound!
How sweet!
How adorable coming from this 6 year old cutie!

A father with his kids on line ahead of us will overhear these words & laugh.  He'll aske me where my 'son' gets it from.  For the record Trisha,  I pointed to you & said 'his mom'. 

'You get what you get & you don't get upset'...
It sounds like something Dr. Suess should have taught us...but alas, it is not.  While I've Googled the phrase to find its origins, it keeps giving credit to teachers, although a definite name it does not share.

Ryan will credit his teacher with having taught his class these words of wisdom.  And it is Ryan who will get credit for sharing these words with us today.

At last our car arrives...

Woohoo!!!

Toy Story it is!!

And away we go....
We're told that your ticket gets you five rotations on the ferris wheel.  We'll luck out & get eight, maybe nine, but we lost count.  We were having too much fun laughing, so we lost count.

Nicole will get us to sing 'I Want Candy' as we pass the Wonka section. 
I get everyone to wave to people watching us on the ride.

After the ride, we'll meet Trisha at the photo kiosk.  When you go on the ferris wheel, someone takes your picture so of course you want to see it...in the off chance you want a souvenir of the days ride.  We get it. 

We then check out the Wonka section & of course we all picked up some candy.
Then it's off to Ellen's for lunch.

#150 go to Ellen's Stardust diner in NYC - DONE!
For those of you that have never been to the Stardust diner, allow me to explain...the waitstaff here are actors/singers/wannabe Broadway stars.  They sing in between taking orders.  And they do a really great job!  Some may have already been in a Broadway play or show.  Some might be waiting for their big break.  But they all have the goal of making it big!

Our waitress will delight the crowd today with a melodic rendition of James Taylor's 'You've Got a Friend'.  She was good.  After her performance, she will come upstairs to us & take our order.

Ryan & Stephanie will have time before the food arrives to win some games in the Claw Machine.  Ryan is great at this!  He will win a few little prizes.  He even went so far as to get a little red dog for his big sister, Nicole.  Aww!!!  So sweet, rght?

Nicole, if you are reading this, I hope you know how selfless this was for your brother to win that dog for you.  He knew how much you wanted it.  And you should be proud of him for getting it for you!  I know I'd be happy!

Our food arrives pretty quickly & everything is delicious!
Nicole & I shared a Philly Cheesesteak with waffle fries.  Everything was yummy!

Now for the best part.....DESSERT!!!

No trip to Ellen's Stardust diner is complete unless you've had dessert.  And I'm not just saying that because my best friend, Raul Iglesias, is their Pastry Chef.  I'm saying it because the desserts are so delightfully delicious!

After some discussion, it's agreed that we'll share a slice each of the Chocolate Cream Pie & the Radio City.

The Chocolate Cream Pie is a must for you chocoholics.  It's decadently sinful!  Under a pile of freshly made whipped cream is a layer of smooth freshly made chocolate pudding on a graham cracker crust.  Between the five of us, this dessert will be devoured!  Not even a crumb will be left on the plate!

While everyone else loved the Chocolate Cream Pie, I loved the Radio City slice.  It's a vanilla & strawberry checkerboard cake, with a strawberry white chocolate mousse center, covered with pink strawberry frosting & dusted with edible pink glitter.  It's almost too pretty to eat...but take a bite.  You'll thank me later for suggesting it.  In fact, I could really go for a bite of it now!

Raul, we loved the desserts!  I know you're used to me complimenting your desserts, but these were once again worthy of the praise.  Your passion for flavor comes out on the plate.  I'm proud of you!

On to the next celebration...
#137 go to Build A Bear - DONE!

As I've stated, this is Stephanie's suggestion & I know she is excited about doing it.  I am too!  I know she is thrilled as we enter the store....well, so was I!

For those that may not know about this store, allow me to explain.  You get to choose from various animal skins to make.  You also get tons of outfits, shoes & accessories to add to your animal selection.  Once you pick out your animal, you get it stuffed.  While it's being stuffed, you will be asked to pick out a heart from this bin.  Then you'll be directed to close your eyes, make a wish, then kiss the heart that will then be put into your animal before it gets sewn shut.

The Build A Bear in Times Square is apparently the only location that has dinosaurs, so Stephanie & I will decide to make dinos.  She guides us to the lower level of the store to the dino area.  Stephanie is quick to pick up a triceratops & I grab the T-Rex.

But what will we end up getting?
Marble Monkeys!

See I had walked around looking for an outfit for my T-Rex, but nothing worked.  Then I stumbled upon a NY Ranger uniform & decided I wanted the uniform more than I wanted the T-Rex. 

So back to the selection of skins as the T-Rex was put back for someone else to have.

For the record, there are just too many selections to pick from! 
Oy!
I don't know how these kids do it!

So after a few more changes from the T-Rex, to the I Love NY bear, the Chocolate Cookie Dough Bear, the Tabby Cat, to Hello Kitty....I will find the Marble Monkey.  He wins!  He looks best in the NY Ranger uniform.

Stephanie will see the Marble Monkey in my arms & decide she loves him.  Sorry triceratops, but you are going back.  Stephanie will also grab a Marble Monkey & dress him in a NY Mets David Wright uniform.

Together our Marble Monkeys will bring us fond memories on the day.  I will forver look at my Marble Monkey & think of Stephanie's.  It will always make me smile.

Stephanie, thanks for the suggestion of going to Build A Bear.  I know how super duper excited you were to go.  I was too!  And I love that we ended up with the same monkey!  I'm glad we got to share this celebration.  So...when are we going back? 

During this gorgeous day, we'll also hit the Eloise store at the Plaza, pop into FAO Schwartz, & even stumble into a street fair.  While these things weren't on my list, they definitely add great memories to the day.

Once again Stephanie reminds me, 'Best day ever'.  Yes chickie, it is! 

So now with 8 celebrations done, 32 remain.
I'm enjoying myself.  I'm having fun.  I think that's what birthdays should be about.  Hmm...maybe I need to do this for every birthday!  Maybe then I'll start liking birthdays.

I'm looking forward to the next celebration.

In the meantime, here are some photos from the day....

#117 go to Adventureland...

Done 7/24/11

The best days are the ones where you don't plan anything in advance.  Instead you let the day take you where you are meant to go.  So while I planned the brunch, the trip to Adventureland was totally unplanned & yet amazingly it will be the highlight of this day for me.

It's the perfect day to go to Adventureland.  It's not scortchingly hot out, yet you'll want to ride the water rides to cool off just a little.  And the kids won't complain about the heat, so yes, this is the perfect day for this trip.

Adventureland is located on Rte 110 in Farmingdale, NY.  It's a fun amusement park with various rides & plenty of games for winning stuff. 

We start the magic by going on the Adventure Falls ride.  Built in 2000, it's Long Islands first & currently only, log flume ride.  Just a little fun fact found on their website.  It's a ride with lots of laughs.

We'll also ride the Little Dipper which is the smaller version of Adventure Falls.  It's a quick ride, but fun.

Crocodile Run was my favorite water ride.  Nicole & I will get soaked!  Thanks Nicole for the laughs.  It was worth waiting in line for it.

Music Express is a favorite of mine.  I love the loud music & that you get a little dizzy going round & round on this one.

The Bumper Cars however, will always be the BEST RIDE EVER!  I love having road rage & having the right place to express it!  FYI...any little boys thinking about getting Nicole stuck in the corner better not turn their back on me!  Aunt Traci will bump the heck outta ya!!

The Glass House is a quick walk through, but try doing it with my three little rays of sunshine.  They make the walk an adventure.

The Antique Cars are too cute to pass up.  Although Stephanie drove, she admitted she wasn't 'really' driving.  'It's only pretend' as she will tell me.  It's okay Steph, you're still a good driver!

My next best ride...the Wave Swing.  I pass Adventureland every so often being I work in the area.  I am forever whining about going on these swings....well, I shall whine no more!!

And we also went on the Lady Bug Coaster.  Ryan will ask me to ride with him & we'll end up riding twice.  One tip on this ride...as you near the end of the first lap, get ready to smile or do something silly for the photo that is going to be taken.  At the start of the second ride, Ryan will tell me that he is going to do something silly for his pose.  As we near the turn, Ryan gets me ready for the picture about to be taken.  I freak out.  I have no clue what to do.  So I scream 'WooHoo', stick out my tongue & raise my arms.

Ryan, this is truly the BEST RIDE PHOTO EVER!!

Thank you Buddy.  I will cherish it always!

I will also cherish the dog that Stephanie won for me playing a game.  And I love how excited she was over the Smurfette I won for her.  And I know Ryan loved his Smurf.  I know I also cherish my Smurfette from Trisha.

For a day that was only supposed to be brunch & a shopping trip to Home Goods, it turned out to be a great day.  One filled with lots of laughs, great memories, & fun photos.

So with five celebrations now done, I'm starting to get excited again about this mission.  Thirty-five more celebrations remain.  I'm not sure what is next or when it's going to be...I just know it's going to be something fun.  And it will be done on my schedule.

Stick around.

More fun will be shared....

For now, here are a few pics from the day....





#155 Plan a brunch at 3 Brothers

Done 7/24/11

Planning these 40 celebrations has not been easy.  Trying to figure out who to invite & then getting my friends to agree on dates & locations is not an easy task.

Karaoke & the tea parties were fairly easy because I picked the locations & set the time & dates.

But sometimes even if I set the location, date & time, some friends would try to change the schedule.  What's worse is that some of these friends won't see a problem with canceling on me the day of these planned events.  I've even been 'unfriended' on Facebook over a few of these events.  Really?  Delete me as a friend because yes Loser, that is the mature thing to do.  Oh well...so now I have a few less holiday cards & gifts to worry about.

So while I have been trying to do at least one thing a week, my plans had been canceled against my wishes.

NO MORE.

These are MY 40 celebrations.
These are things I want to do.
It's about me celebrating turning 40.
I'm the one writing this blog...not them.
I'm the one who wants to have all this fun.

So no more cancelations...unless I have to cancel.
And no more letting my friends set the schedules.
It's all about me, so it's going to be on my terms.

NO EXCEPTIONS!

So moving on...let's discuss the latest celebration to be done...brunch at 3 Brothers...

Thank you Raul, Trisha, & my three little rays of sunshine a/k/a Nicole, Stephanie & Ryan for coming out to brunch today.  I love spending the time with you all & I'm looking forward to future events with you all.

As defined on Wikipedia:
Brunch is a combination of breakfast & lunch.  The term is portmanteau (big word for blend) of breakfast & lunch.  A meal is not considered brunch if it is started before 10am; such meals would still be considered breakfast.  Typically brunch is had between 11am & 1pm, close to lunch time but still before.  However on Sunday, anytime is acceptable for brunch.

Good to know.  Thank you to the people at Wikipedia for this information...

3 Brothers Pizza Cafe located in Rockville Centre, NY is our place for today's celebration.  Ahhh 3 Brothers...the perfect place for carnivores & herbivores to eat together.  The perfect place for great pizza (vegan or not), yummy desserts & a great cup of cappaccino.

In the short time that my vegetarian friend Raul & I have been coming here, we've tried various things on the menu.  Mostly the vegan, but I do the regular menu as well.  And the main reason we keep coming back...consistancy.  The food is always delicious & the staff is friendly.

FYI...I am not a vegetarian & obviously not even considering it, but the vegan menu offers a great selection & should be tried by my fellow carnivores.

Trisha & her kids are already at the place when Raul & I show up.  Stephanie sees us & quickly runs over to greet us.

My little buddy Stephanie.  Stephanie who earlier this morning cut off 12 inches of her hair for Locks of Love.  Stephanie who is happily showing off her gorgeous shorter hair.  Stephanie who looks adorable with that big sunny smile of hers.  It's so infectious that my mood is suddenly changed.

After greeting everyone at the table, I grab a seat & help myself to a piece of warm bread.  I love bread.  I love bread on my bread!!  3 Brothers serves a little loaf of this amazing bread.  It makes your mouth water.

I don't care about carbs today.

Or calories.

It's Sunday brunch.

There are no rules about food during my celebrations.

What I love about this group joining me today is that there is plenty of chatting & lots of laughs.  I'm always happiest around people who can make me smile & feel at ease.  And this group fits the bill.

So now the hard part...what do I want to eat?  Do I crave something from the breakfast menu?  Or do I crave something from the lunch menu?  Such are the decisions that will need to be made today.

Appetizers to start us off are ordered.

Fried zucchini sticks are brought to the table first.  Stephanie & Ryan will gladly eat them without any need of bribes or dares.  Nicole however wll make this a challenge for me.  I quickly learn my buddy Nicole does not like veggies.  She loves fruits, but alas, there is no love in her for veggies.  I try to talk her into having a bite...even a tiny bite.  No deal.  Then I try the old mom saying, 'How do you know you don't like it if you don't try it'?  Again, no deal.  I end up having to bribe her with a dollar for her to try a tiny bite.  She agrees & eats a teeny tiny bite.  And no folks, she won't be in a rush to eat this again any time soon!

Next we are served the vegan drumsticks.  For my fellow carnivores, these are supposed to be the vegan version of buffalo wings.  To my herbivore friends, you aren't fooling us with this fake meat.  To everyone reading this, the vegan drumsticks are actually quite delicious!!

Stephanie & Ryan will be adventurous & try the vegan drumsticks.  Nicole will pass as she doesn't like spicey foods.  No dare or bribes will be made on this round.

By now you're probably wondering what I craved...well, wonder no more. 

Behold....today's pick is...

I craved breakfast more than lunch today.  I went with the lovely, light & fluffy pancakes.  Served with fresh fruit & yummy syrup, this is defnitely worthy of being one of my forty celebrations!!

During our brunch, there will be plenty of talk about my forty celebrations.  Stephanie is so excited that I am going to do Build A Bear.  I believe she has already picked out making a Smurfette.  I might have to make that one too....

As brunch comes to an end, Trisha & I are looking forward to going to Home Goods.  I love Home Goods!  They have everything & anything you need or want for your home.  As always I luck out & find a few good deals.  Today I will find a Nordic Ware flower shaped cakelette pan for $16 & a 12 x 12" scrapbook for $10.

Before leaving brunch & going to Home Goods, we discuss what to do for the rest of the day.  Trisha tosses around a few ideas & finally suggests something.  Turns out her suggestion is one of the things on my list....read all about it in the next blog entry.

So with four things done, I'll get to number five later in the day.......





92 - go to a midnight movie show w/Tracy wearing your jammies

Done 7/15/11

Thank you Tracy for joining me on another mission to celebrate turning 40. And I'm glad we got to see the last two 'Harry Potter' movies together at midnight...only this time I'm glad I'm not going to work later!!!

And thank you Patrick for staying awake the whole time! Even during the hour wait before the start of the movie. I'm glad you realize how cool your mom is for taking you to the midnight show. Granted, I've known her since high school & I already knew about her coolness. FYI...you & your sisters will be invited to the Thanksgiving trick-or-treating group I am trying to get together. Be prepared for an endless supply of candy when you come!

Okay, so cross off one more thing from my list...#92 go to a mightnight movie w/Tracy wearing your jammies. Now, I have to admit I wasn't exactly wearing my jammies...but this still counts, as I was wearing my underwear which technically are my jammies during the summer. And I did have on my awesome slippers!

Now I'm sure all you Harry Potter fans are going to want to know about the movie....go see it! I loved it. I thought it was really well done. I was interested in it the whole way through & it didn't bore me at all. I thought the special effects were brilliant. And no, we didn't see it in 3D. I see no point for 3D other than a higher priced ticket...which is a joke!

My last time going to see a Potter movie with Tracy at midnight was a last minute thing. It wasn't planned at all & luckily I was able to get a ticket. This time Tracy bought the tickets for all of us ahead of time. Good thing...the movie was showing in two theaters at the place we went & both were sold out! She's a smart cookie!

For the hour before the movie started we munched on popcorn & Twizzlers. And we listened to Patrick, Tracy's 10 year old cutie son, get hyped up as he wanted the movie to start 'NOW!'. He was rather amped up about being out so late & of course being in a movie theater at this hour of the night.

We all joked about trying to nap before coming to the movie. I believe between the three of us I might be the only one who actually got some napping done.

So finally the previews start. And they seemed to go on forever!!! FYI...we saw the preview for the 'Twilight' movie. Eh. Not interested. But if the chick is preggo, I just wanna know...does it come out a vampire??? And would the baby bite her during breast feeding & turn her into a vampire?? That would actually be worth going to see!

Previews end...movie immediately starts. No credits, just right into it.

Relax.

I'm not going to give anything away.

No spoilers.

I have to go into a movie fresh without hearing anything about it...so I won't ruin it for others.

I will just say that I loved the movie. I thought it was really well done & it didn't cheat Potter fans.

So with three missions now complete, 37 remain. I hope to pick up the pace & get a few more things done sooner rather than later...but I am enjoying these missions. I am looking forward to whatever ends up being done next....



#11 hostess a tea party

Done...May 22, 2011 & repeated on May 28, 2011.

First about the May 22nd party...

Thank you Tracy, Susan & Meredith for coming over to my very first tea party!  I hope you had as much fun as I did. 

For starters, this mission will end up being the most costly.  From the food, the party favors, the craft project, the teacups & saucers sets, the teapots & oh yea, the tea...this mission will prove to be the most fun to plan.  It will also be the most talked about mission.  And it will be the most repeated mission! 

The invites...a simple blank card found by chance at Michael's.  They are blank cards with a teacup on the cover.  I figured a handwritten invite would be pretty cool.  And to make this a fun invite I will add a Bigelow teabag to it.  Everyone liked that touch.

The tea...Adagio Forest Berries...hot or iced.  I love this flavor.  It is my favorite.  It's my 'go to' flavor any time people come over.  It's only right that it made it to the table for this tea party. Luckily it was a big hit.  Everyone enjoyed several cups of it.

The food...little tea sandwiches made fresh before the party started.  On wheat bread there was sun-dried tomato pesto with fresh slices of tomato.  Very yummy.  And no tea party is complete unless there is a cucumber sandwich.  Mine was a mixture of cream cheese, honey & fresh mint with English cucumber slices.  Very delish!  And the overall favorite...fresh strawberries, honey & cream cheese with slices of strawberries on cinnamon swirl bread.  Tracy said it was 'very refreshing'.  I agree!  It was pretty good.

The desserts...fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate that I had made the night before, tea biscuts, & cake balls.  The cake balls were strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting dipped in chocolate.  I hadn't made these in a long time, but they turned out wonderful!

Tracy, my Irish twin, I am glad you came over...even for a little while.  I was glad to see you.  Thank you for the Cuervo tequila & margarita mix.  How well you know my drinking habit!  I'm sorry you missed the crafting part of the party.  You'll have to come over some night to paint.  I'll make the margarita's!

After Susan & Meri were done eating, I announced it was time for their craft project.  The craft project turned out to be painting a teacup & saucer planter.  Oh the things I find when looking on Amazon!  I put out paints & brushes, little cups, a cup of water & plenty of napkins.  Then I present my friends with their own planter for painting.  They both know I am a kid at heart & that this is going to be fun.  Luckily, they both get into it.  And let me tell you, they both got creative!!!

By the way Susan, after you all left, I copied your ladybug pattern & painted my own planter!!

The party seemed to go on forever.  There were lots of laughs & stories about our days back in junior high & high school.  Reconnecting on Facebook has been a great blessing!  I'm glad I get to talk to these friends again...after all these years!

Now about the May 28th party...

Thank you Maria, Trisha, Nicole & Stephanie for coming to my second tea party!

This party was equally as special as the first party.  This one was more for Nicole & Stephanie who helped offer a ton of the suggestions on my list of 40 things.  They had heard about the tea party...again, it is the most talked about event!  I promised them they could come over...so this second party was in their honor.

The invites were the same. 

The tea was almost the same.  I did serve up the Adagio Forest Berries hot tea.  For iced tea I made this white melon chai that I found on a shopping spree in Home Goods.  It turned out pretty good. 

The food was also similar.  The only addition was making peanut butter & jelly on white bread.  Nicole & Stephanie's brother Ryan has peanut allergies, so they don't have peanut butter in the house at all. 

The desserts were also similar.  The only change, the cake balls were red velvet, with cream cheese frosting dipped in powdered sugar.  And I made some red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  It was fun to keep Nicole & Stephanie guessing about the desserts.  I will end up making them guess, but not get it, all through the crafting time!

And thus...we have arrived at crafting time.

Everyone gathers around my coffee table as I put out paints & brushes & cups.  I then present everyone with their own teacup planter.  Nicole & Stephanie are immediately into it.  Maria will take some time to ponder what she wants to do...but we all agree, her's will be the best of the party!

Later on, Ryan will crash the party.  He will immediately want to get in on the painting.  And I'm proud to say he did the best job!  The fact that he wrote I love painting at Traci's house on his has nothing to do with me loving his work the best!!! 

At the end of both parties, my guests will receive favor bags.  Everyone will get this little tin of Sen Cha Green Tea mints.  I love these!  And a pack of Trident Rejuvenate gum...which is white tea with mint.  It's so good!  My friends from school will also get a candy necklace.  I bought them on a whim while in Party City.  Nicole & Stephanie will get some little girlie rings & funky jelly bracelets.  And everyone who painted a teacup planter got a packet of seeds.  Yes, I am this organized & anal retenative when planning a party favor bag!

Overall, I had a blast both times.  I enjoyed using my pretty teacup & saucer set for the first part of the party.  I spent so much time looking for just the right set & I am glad I found them by chance.  And I enjoyed using the second set, the dot pattern, received as a gift.  Both sets were perfect.

I had fun doing this mission.  All the planning, the shopping, the preparing, the fun...oh yes, this mission was a great one.  Glad I picked it.

And for the record, I am sure this is going to get repeated a few more times.  It seems a few people are interested in having tea with me...

Two of forty missions are now done.  I'm looking forward to the next one...

#19 Karaoke night with some friends

Done May 20, 2011

It's official...I'm 40!  And thus began my 40 things to celebrate turning 40. 

Thank you Craig, Sara, Candace, Robin, Raul, Trisha, Fred, Wendy, Gene, Sal & Aisha for coming out to celebrate my birthday while dining on yummy Chinese food & doing some karaoke.

Craig & Sara, you have been so supportive as I have been planning these 40 things.  I love that you both remind me to be silly & have fun!

Candace, my new BFF, I am honored to have shared the karaoke stage with you!  Can't wait to get you here again!  Oh & I told Mikayla you'd get her another Frog book...we love those types of books!

Robin, what can I say?  Who else would bring me a tiara, a coloring book, crayons, bubble, a pail & shovel & little kiddie goodies?  You rock!  Thanks for the laughs!

Raul, I'm sorry you couldn't stay longer, but I'm glad you showed up.  As my oldest & dearest friend, I'm glad I got to share this mission of fun with you!

Trisha, thank you for the beautiful necklace & earring set!  I love it!  And I'm glad you got to come out & join us. 

Fred & Wendy, I am so glad you both came out.  I need to see you both more! 

Gene, it was great seeing you.  Glad we got to chat.  I still miss sitting next to you at work! 

Sal, thanks for coming out at the last minute.  It was good seeing you.

Aisha, no one is going to believe me that you DEMANDED to get on the karaoke stage & sing!  I only have one photo of it...wish I had the video.  But I am honored to have shared the stage with you to close out the show. 

To all of my friends who shared the night's celebration with me, thank you for coming out!  Thank you for being at the first event.  Thank you for making me laugh & enjoy my 40th birthday.  And thank you for being patient with the karaoke DJ...I promise next time we'll find a better place!

So yes, one mission of forty is done.  And there is a slight change in plans...instead of being 40 things over 40 weeks, it's now going to be 40 things over the next year.  Due to scheduling issues & money & well, life in general, I've had to change my set schedule.  I'm still going to do my 40 things & blog about each one.  Stick around...it's going to be a lot of fun!!!

So here are the details on the karaoke night...
King Yum is a local Chinese restaurant in Queens that has been around for nearly 60 years.  I've been going there since I was a little kid with my family.  For us, this place was a real treat.  For the record, this is the only Chinese restaurant outside of Chinatown that I will eat at!

Nestled along Union Turnpike, King Yum is a fun place.  The red awning out front dares you to come inside & see what's on the inside.  And the interior decor should be described in a few words~ Polynesian & luau.

I love the tiki masks on the walls & the private huts in the corners.  The waiters are older gentlemen who bring plenty of character to your dining experience.  I would believe that most of these guys have been working here since the place first opened.

We're seated in the big room, right by the karaoke stage.  Robin & I are the first to arrive.  As we are seated, our waiter brings us a bowl of these delightful fried wonton wrappers & two bowls of dipping sauces; sweet & sour & hot mustard.  I love these!!!  It's the best place to get them as the family that owns King Yum also owns the noodle factory that makes these fried wonton wrappers.  And they are truly the best in NY!

One by one my guests arrive & I am reminded how happy I am to start these 40 missions of fun.  I'm looking forward to seeing these friends at future events...yes my friends, that is a major HINT!!!  Take it!

Robin has brought me a bag of goodies.  Let me explain that Robin is a big kid at heart.  She knows how to make people laugh.  And she knows how I appreciate a great laugh!  In my bag of goodies, a cute little tiara.  I immediately put it on.  Along with the shotglass beaded necklace.  There is a bottle of strawberry scented bubbles that will be brought out a little later on in the night, plus a Strawberry Shortcake coloring book, Disney Princess crayons, a pail & shovel, a bug watch, & a soaker Frog toy.  I will have to thank Robin again for these goodies...as they all made me laugh!

Russell is the karaoke DJ & his wife Edna works the crowd.  She gets people to sign up to sing.  To sing you have to put your name & song choice onto a little slip of paper.  Russell then calls you to the stage...at some point...if you're lucky.  I'll explain that comment in a moment...

Note:remember the preacher who claimed the world was ending on May 21st?  Well, he was a topic of discussion during our dinner.  So everyone was joking about the world coming to an end...

To start the karaoke party off, my brother from another mother Craig will be called to the stage first.  He will get things started with 'It's the End of the World' by REM.  Great choice Craig!  Great performance!  Way to get it started!

Next up, Sara & I will join Craig on the stage to belt out 'Build Me Up Buttercup'.  I love that song!  Classic.

Candace will come to the stage as Craig leaves, then she, Sara & I will rock the 80's with 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'.

I will spend the night bouncing from seat to seat around the table to chat with all of my guests.  I will make sure people 'socialize' as we dine & enjoy the karaoke show.  I will also make sure to take tons of pictures.  I can't believe my friends are shocked the camera came out!  Duh!  Are you people new to knowing me?? 

Some of these people I have known for years, a few are from my childhood, some have worked with me, one I now call friend thanks to a mutual friend who I call my sister, & one is a friend I've had for over 30 years!  But all of these people here tonight are very special to me.  I am blessed for knowing them & I am honored that they braved looking for parking in an area with no parking to come out & help me celebrate my birthday.  I am lucky to have these wonderful people in my life.  And I wouldn't have wanted to start my 40 missions without them!

A highlight of the night...Frank!  Frank is this adorable gent who has been to karaoke the other times we have gone.  Sara, Marisol & I first saw him during our first test run on karaoke night at King Yum back in February.  Frank came out & performed 'Quando, Quando, Quando'.  If you don't know the song, get to YouTube & find it.  Frank was quite the showman!  He had us laughing.  So I was thrilled when he took the stage & did his song.

Now...about my comment earlier about Russell calling your name to perform if you're lucky...there was a group at the table next to us also celebrating someone's birthday.  It was the birthday for a little girl.  Now I'm happy to see the kids, but they took over.  They were allowed to sing 10 songs in a row without being told they had to get off the stage.  This was not fair.  I only mention it because my table waited & waited all night to sing & not everyone made it to the stage!  I didn't think this was fair being Russell kept telling my friend Sal to wait as he wanted to 'make sure every table performs'.  Russell, learn to work the room better.  The adults in the parties are the ones drinking & eating all night.  We are the ones bringing the money into the restaurant which will keep you employeed.  Learn to cater to us a little better bud. 

At some point towards the end of the night, Russell will finally call Sal to the stage.  He will sing 'Honesty' by Billy Joel.  Who knew Sally Ribs could sing?  Thanks for the shout out Sal & for the song!  You rocked it!

Robin & I will join Sal to sing 'Help!' by the Beatles.  It was wild!

To close out the show, Aisha will force her way to the stage.  After waiting around all night, she will convince Edna that Russell is ruining the night for us.  Edna will see that my group has since dwindled down from 12 people to now only 5.  Some people got tired of waiting around.  I don't blame them.  Plus it was getting kinda late.  So finally Aisha & I will be asked to the stage.

Please note...Aisha is a great friend.  She is a riot.  She is the first person to make everyone in a room laugh.  She is also the first person in a room to hide away...oddly enough.  She has a great sense of humor, but sometimes hides in her shell.  But I am thrilled she is out tonight & I'm stunned that she is forcing herself onto the stage!

We close out the night by singing 'Easy Lover'' from Phil Collins & Phillip Bailey.  This is actually a good song for us.  Aisha will have fun with it.  She will actually give us a show.  And then to end the night we belt out Prince's '1999'.  The show ends with a round of applause. 

I am honored to have shared the stage with my friends over the night's events.  I am still stunned that Aisha got up there!  I'm just bummed that Fred & Gene missed it.  We are definitely going to have to get her out again to a karaoke place...

So 1 mission of my 40 is now done.  I'm excited.  I'm expecting lots of fun & great laughs & great memories with great friends. 

Stick around folks...the fun is just getting started...


Me in my tiara...who knew 40 would look this great?????

Me blowing out the candle on dessert...a plate of ice cream, Jello & pineapple...the King Yum special!

Change in plans...

I'm still working out details for my 40 weeks.  So while I process these weeks, there is still time to vote on the 20 things you suggest for me.  Here is the list...choose 20 things.  I will tally up the votes shortly & plan out the remaining weeks.  In the meantime, I'll be starting this mission the week of my birthday...May 19th.


5 - learn to speak Spanish
6 - read 'War & Peace'
8 - take Salsa lessons
9 - take a cooking class
10 - get set up on a blind date
13 - buy 40 different pairs of socks
14 - get a make over
16 - go whale watching
20 - visit the gravesite of Billie Burke, Glenda from 'The Wizard of Oz' in Vallhalla, NY
21 - learn sign language
22 - paint my bedroom
23 - clean out the living room closet
25 - Spend the day in Philadelphia
30 - go to the Statue of Liberty
31 - start a book club
32 - go skinny dipping
33 - go on a photo taking tour of Queens
36 - write the next great American novel
37 - go to a movie every day for one week
38 - learn to knit
39 - go to a Zumba class
40 - go to a hot yoga session
41 - try the belly dancing class at the gym
42 - visit a state/city that you've always wanted to visit
43 - try pole-dancing
45 - donate to a charity you never thought you would give money to
46 - volunteer at a soup kitchen
47 - volunteer at an animal shelter
49 - horse drawn carriage ride in Central Park
50 - ice skating at Rockefeller Center
51 - make holiday cards & gifts for 2011
56 - take a trip to the Long Island vineyards
57 - check out the Montauk lighthouse
58 - visit a cranberry bog
59 - go see a Broadway play
60 - visit Mark Twain's house in CT
61 - go to Atlantic City & lay down a $50 bet
62 - hot air balloon ride
65 - take a picture w/the Naked Cowboy in NYC
66 - go to Medievil Times
67 - go to a Murder Mystery Dinner
68 - go for dinner at Havana in NYC
69 - go to the circus
70 - go to a football game
72 - Fleet Week in NYC
77 - take a photography class
78 - bike riding with Hippie Dave
79 - go on a vacation alone
80 - go to the beach looking for seashells with Hippie Dave
82 - go see the Mets at Citifield
83 - rock wall climbing
84 - fly a kite
85 - archery w/Anthony
86 - go to the Halloween parade in the village
87 - go to the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria
88 - go line dancing
89 - Governor's Island
90 - ride the Staten Island Ferry
91 - ride the Roosevelt Island tram
93 - go to the Noguchi Museum in LIC
94 - go to the King Manor Museum in Jamaica
95 - go to the Fisher Landau Center for Art in LIC
96 - go to the Sculpture Center in LIC
97 - go horseback riding
98 - ride a mechanical bull (Johnny Utah's in NYC)
99 - Mystic Aquarium, CT
102 - plan a surprise party for someone
103 - ride the Cyclone & see the Freak Show in Coney Island
105 - plan a girls night out
106 - try a new hair color
107 - hostess a come as your favorite character/celebrity party
108 - go to the Museum of Sex in NYC
109 - be a nude model for an art class
110 - disco rollerskating
111 - go for pizza in all 5 boros; Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, da Bronx & Staten Island
112 - tour the Brooklyn Brewery
113 - plant a garden
114 - get a drivers license
115 - go vegetarian for a week
116 - find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop
117 - go to Adventureland
120 - make a boat out of materials found in nature & see if it floats
121 - go to Five Guys for breakfast, lunch & dinner so you can say you had 15 guys in one day
122 - go on the ferris wheel in the Toys R Us in Times Square
124 - go to the Top of the Rock
125 - paint a realistic flower
126 - spend the day in NYC with the Iglesias' & O'Connors
127 - take a Hudson River cruise
128 - buy a telescope to see the stars
129 - bounce on a trampoline
130 - make a paper mache artwork
131 - go for a helocopter ride over NYC
132 - go to a concert
133 - get new clothes
134 - go through the Corn Maze at the Queens County Farm ~ see if you can get out in 40 minutes or less
135 - grow out your hair for Locks of Love
140 - go see a foreign language film
142 - Magical Nights magic show & dinner in NYC
143 - take a jewelry making class
144 - go to Dylan's Candy Bar in NYC
145 - visit the Lous Armstrong house in Corona
148 - take Sara to White Castle
149 - have a party at Laser Bounce
150 - go to Ellen's Stardust diner in NYC
151 - go for banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery in NYC
153 - lose 40lbs
154 - take a pottery class
155 - plan a brunch at 3 Brothers
156 - hostess a Tupperware party