Okay, so this isn’t the most original TT ever, but here goes::

For this week’s Thursday Thirteen, here is a list of 13 things that are on, around, underneath and above my computer desk, some of which really don’t belong here.

1. RCA universal remote - Found it!
2. 8 fl oz bottle of Bath and Body Works Gardenia body lotion - Believe it or not, this is mrQ’s lotion, not mine. I prefer something with a less… overwhelming scent.
3. Huggies Extra Sensitive Fragrance-free lotion
4. mini tub of Vaseline
5. Metamucil - That really doesn’t belong here. :-O
6. Avent baby bottle cap
7. 2 Reese’s pieces wrappers - Hmm.. mrQ’s eating our supply of Halloween candy.
8. 8 oz container of Aveeno Baby fragrance free Daily Moisture Lotion - Besides Mustela, this is the best baby lotion ever.
9. teeny little 1/4 oz tub of Carmex - I feel that this is a skin care essential.
10. a bottle of contact lens multi-purpose solution.
11. littleQ’s little red slippers - tsinelas!-slippers in Tagalog
12. a Hallmark Gold Crown rewards card
13. And a whole shiznitload of mail, papers and post-its that I really must sort through.

If you have a Thursday Thirteen this week, be sure to leave me a comment so I can visit yours

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Thursday Thirteen!

Thirteen Random Things About Me!

1. I’ve worked at a petting zoo.
2. I’m not very tall.. kinda short (5′1"-5′2"ish) actually
3. I absolutely love historical romance novels, preferably set in the Regency era.
4. My favorite ice cream flavor is green tea (of course!)
5. I get my eyebrows threaded (never waxed, NEVER again!) or I tweeze them
6. My first "real" job was as a McDonald’s crewmember
7. I did not enjoy my junior prom
8. The color of my first car ever was red.
9. I had a tan ‘04 civic LX coupe during the second half of my senior year of high school, and when I moved out I was not given the option to keep it
10. I should exercise, and yet I don’t.  Arghh I need to start.
11. When I was 17 I dyed my hair blonde, but it didn’t come out so pretty (I did it myself haha), so my mother, really quite upset with me about it, immediately took me to a salon to have them dye it back to my natural hair color: black.
12. When I was 16 I was saved from a sure death by drowning in Maui by a surfer guy with an Australian accent.  I was so shocked and embarrassed I never went up to him later on to say thank you… and I wish I could  let him know how grateful I am.
13. I’ve never been to Disney anything.  Not Disney World, not Disney Land, not Disney Japan, not Disney France, not one.

If you have a Thursday Thirteen up, leave me a comment and I’ll post a link to your entry here!

Other bloggers with Thursday Thirteen posts for this date:

1. Joy in the Moment
2. writing in faith
3. Soliloquy
4. The Ice Cave
5. Juliadamus
6. Homeschooling a Houseful
7. Wakela Runen’s World

Technorati Tags: Thursday Thirteen, meme, random

THURSDAY THIRTEEN!?

If you live in, around or are planning to visit NYC, here’s a list of 13 places you can take your kids this summer, which are either reasonably priced or completely FREE!
Thanks to Marina who commented on last week’s Thursday 13, for the idea, even though my list isn’t really what she asked for, hehe.

1. Bronx Zoo - Wednesdays they only ask for a donation, in other words… it could be free
2. New York Botanical Gardens - be sure to visit the Children’s Adventure Garden and check out their calendar for family friendly events
   
3. Sony Wonder Technology Lab - FREE! LOTS of hands-on stuff your kids (AND YOU!) will love
4. Museum of Natural History - kids always LOVE the dinosaurs
5. Kayaking on the Hudson River - FREE at 3 locations in Manhattan - they offer free classes, too
6. Indoor Ice Skating at Chelsea Piers - FREE until August 26, from 12pm-3:50pm
7. Children’s Museum of Manhattan - Right now they have the Gods, Myths and Mortals:Discover Ancient Greece exhibition
8. New York Aquarium
9. Astroland - You’ll have to make the trip this summer, because after this season, this relic of an amusement park will be closing down
10. Central Park Zoo
11. Alley Pond Environmental Center - over 600 acres of woods, meadow and marshlands that you can hike though. They also have a little zoo and aquarium… (all in the middle of Queens)
12. Wave Hill - Public Garden and Cultural Center in the Riverdale section of the Bronx - You can participate in classes where you can create art projects with your little ones, as well as other classes like Tai Chi Chuan on the weekends.
13. Pelham Bay Park and the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum - Take a tour through this historic mansion, then take a stroll through with your family along one of the trails in Pelham Bay Park, the city’s largest, which is also the home of Orchard Beach. If you don’t know the Bronx, you’ll be surprised to learn that this beautiful 2,700 acre park is located in this borough.

If you have a Thursday 13 up, leave me a message and I’ll visit!

Technorati Tags: Thursday, 13, thirteen, NYC, new york, kids, children, summer, fun

For today’s Thursday 13, I wanted to share 13 restaurants in the New York Metropolitan area that serve delicious food, at reasonable prices. They are in no particular order

1. Saigon Grill - The food is addictive. They are, however, in the midst of a scandal, along with a few other Manhattan restaurants, regarding the very low wages they paid their delivery boys, who will now stand outside each of their 3 llocations around dinnertime every day to shout, yell and/or jeer at any patron who enter/exits the establishment. It’s a pity really that they are embroiled in such a situation, because their food is really so delicious. If you can ignore this .. umm… situation, then you can enjoy some very well prepared Vietnamese cuisine. Otherwise, you can join in with others who are banding together to bring a change to the restaurant’s management.
2. Patricia’s Pizza and Pasta - simply the best Sicilian pizza I’ve EVER tasted in my life.
3. Mama Maria’s - My favorite here is the chicken francese.
4. Perlas Ng Silangan - The name means: Pearl of the Orient or Pearl of the East. This restaurant serves up delicious Filipino food, but the service is erratic. They also double as a music venue, and feature some wonderful bands. They also have special events when they have famous Filipino singers perform at the restaurant. Oooh, ooh they also have karaoke, which, if they have it on when you visit, can be very entertaining. Seriously, have you ever heard a thoroughly mispronounced, nearly indecipherable imitation of Blue Suede Shoes? littleQ is partial to the lumpia(mini-egg roll type things) served here.
5. Kystal’s Cafe - Personally, I like Perlas Ng Silangan’s food and environment just a tiny bit better, but if you’re looking for good Filipino food, this place fits the bill. Their Halo-Halo, however, beats any other I’ve ever tasted.. It’s simply DELICIOUS and you must try it if you ever have a chance to visit this restaurant. Apparently there’s also a location in the East Village. Oh, and you can karaoke here as well.
6. Green Tea Cafe - They offer a dim-sum type menu, plus some mini-meals, but what draws me to this Chinatown gem is the yummy bubble tea. My favorite is the milk and green tea bubble tea.
7. Hong Kong Station - Mmm, this place is the best! This is also located in Chinatown, and you get to choose the type of noodles and toppings (fish balls, beef, chicken, dumplings etc), then you can add hot sauce, hoisin sauce; and it’s all served up in a giant bowl. I don’t think you can go wrong here…. as long as you choose toppings that you’re a)familiar with and b)not afraid to eat. A plus is that for 6-7 bucks worth of noodles and toppings, you’ll be stuffed.
8. Kang Suh - I wasn’t a fan of Korean food until we visited this restaurant in Yonkers. Their food is soo good, and of course the restaurant is complete with grills built into the tables, so your food can cook right in front of you. If you don’t know what you’re doing, then your server will probably just cook it for you.
9. Tiny Thai - This Thai restaurant is located on Long Island, but is literally STEPS away from an Long Island Rail Road station (so it’s easy to get here from Manhattan). I live for their food. The restaurant is so tiny it’s almost absurd, being able to fit maybe 15 customers at any given time, but the food makes up for it. If you can handle HEAT then I suggest you try the “drunken noodles.” It’ll make your mouth burn, but it’s sooo worth it.
10. Koenig’s - This German restaurant is located in Floral Park, Queens. I honestly don’t even remember what it was that I ate the last time I went here, I just remember that I inhaled it like a famished pirate. I also devoured the red cabbage. They also have like, tons of beer choices or something like that. Obviously, I’m not a beer drinker.
11. Carlyle on the Green - Situated in the Bethpage State Park with wonderful views of the famous Black Course where the Open was held a few years ago, this restaurant offers gourmet food at relatively reasonable prices. Lunch is considerably less expensive than dinner, but dinner is absolutely worth it.
12. Wo Hop - Another place in Chinatown. This place has some crazy hours. They’re open from 8 am to like 4 am every day, something crazy like that. Anyway, this place isn’t anything fancy, but their peking pork chops and shrimp with almonds dishes are delicious, and certainly worth the pain of finding a parking spot and inhaling the fresh scent of garbage (not inside the restaurant, just outside!) that just never seems to go away.
13. Talia’s Steakhouse- This kosher restaurant is delicious. The service was really, really great (the server managed to make a very cranky littleQ giggle), and the dish I had - something that had “sweetmeats” in the name - was very delicious. I think that was a special that day though. mrQ had chicken if I remember correctly, and he’s picky when it comes to chicken, lol.

If you have a Thursday Thirteen post up, please leave a comment!

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