We're Home!

Hi Bloggy Friends!

We're back! Are you still here? I hope so. I missed chatting with you while we were away. We had a great time back home for the holidays. We spent about eight days with a ton of family and friends that we don't have the chance to see on a regular basis. Christmas felt a lot different to me this year. It didn't quite feel like "Christmas," but the good thing about it was that it felt a lot more laid back. I divided my time between Lancaster with my Mom, and Louisville with my Dad. Alan and Galileo spent a few days with me in Kentucky, but the majority of their time was spent in Knoxville with Alan's parents. They had a nice time too. Alan's parents have three dogs, so Galileo had a busy social calendar of his own. He's so cute.

It felt so good to be back home with my parents and my brother and sister. I love them so much. I spent most of my time with my brother, Derek. We ran around seeing friends, and attending traditional family gatherings. We don't always get along perfectly, but he remains my very best friend in the whole world. Everyone else seems to be doing really well. It feels strange to be considered a visitor in a world that was once my own. When it came time to leave I felt really sad. I think leaving your family is the hardest thing in the world to do. I've had to do it several times. It doesn't feel right, but I know my place is here.

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas/Holiday/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah. You can check out some photos of my trip by clicking HERE and HERE. I divided them up between Lexington and Louisville to make for easier viewing. I'd love to hear how your Christmas went. Do you feel that Christmas seemed a lot different this year? Is it the economy? The state of the world? Or is Christmas just changing altogether? I happened to enjoy it more this year than I have in a while. In the past few years Christmas has just seemed like a major hassle. This year, however, people didn't seem to get too hot and bothered by it. We all gave thoughtful, cost-conscious gifts and didn't have to sweat spending a ton of money to make people happy. This year we seemed to focus more on the togetherness of family. I think that's just what Christmas should be about. Don't you?

Have a great time celebrating the new year tonight! I'm not sure how our night will unfold. We have dinner reservations with a few friends, but what happens after that is up in the air. We both have the whole rest of the week off. I'm so thankful for that! I'll chat with you guys soon. Have a fun, safe, fulfilling evening.

Love, Josh

Merry Christmas Bloggy Friends!

We are leaving soon for home, but I wanted to stop by to wish you all a wonderful holiday! I hope you all have a fabulous time. I probably won't be blogging much over the next week, but be sure to check back after the holidays for some fun pictures and such from our trip. I'll chat with you soon!

Love, Josh

A Break In The Storm.

Good afternoon, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you're having a good one. Today is my one day off in the week, so I'm taking it easy. I still have a final on Friday morning, and a recital Friday night. It'll all be over soon! I think I've done well on the finals I've taken so far. I'll be anxious to get my final grades in the next few weeks. That's the fun part!

Below I am attaching the third, and final, installment of my 2007 Holiday Series. I hope you've enjoyed them as much as I've enjoyed making them. Looking at the videos makes me so excited to be home for Christmas this year. I can't wait.

I hope you have a lover-ly day!

Love, Josh

It's Not Sunny Today!

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I guess I spoke too soon. Yesterday's sunshine has been replaced by a muggy, rainy sky! The temperatures also dropped to the low 40's after reaching upwards to 65 degrees last night. Thanks to everyone who wished me well on my ECON final. I took the test, and I think I did pretty well. I feel more confident about this one than I have any of the others. That's always a good sign. I'm pretty sure I'll wind up doing pretty well in the class, but didn't I just say something about not speaking too soon? I hope I don't jinx myself!

I have one more final today before a two day break from it all. It's in my State and Local Politics class. I"m not as stressed about this one as I was about the ECON final. I've done well in this class all semester, so I have a little more freedom to take it easy. I'll just be glad to get it over with. I'm sure you'll be glad for me to get it over with too, because I feel like that's all I've been saying for two weeks now. Sorry!

Have a great afternoon!

Love, Josh

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia!

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

We're approaching the middle of December, and it feels like we're in the midst of a heat wave. It's in the 60's in Philadelphia today! I have the heat off and the windows up. It's great for the heating bill, but what's going on with Mother Earth? Is she having menopausal hot flashes? Is it Global Warming? Whatever it is, it's strange. I have to admit, however, I'm enjoying it. You all know I'm not a big fan of the chilly weather.

I just wanted to stop in for a quick hello. I hope you're all having a sunshine day. I'm off to take my ECON final in a few hours. Send good luck vibes my way!

Love, Josh

A Weekend With A Mission!

Good evening Friends of the Bloggy!

I hope you've all had a weekend that thrilled you. Ours mainly revolved around a particular mission - Christmas shopping! We spent the greatest majority of Saturday and today hitting the streets, in search of Christmas gifts. Saturday we kept mostly to Old City, and today we divided our time between the Walnut/Chestnut shopping district and Queens Village. We both found some great stuff. I can't wait to give it away! With the exception of one tiny thing, I am completely finished. Now all I have to worry about is wrapping them up. I love that part, though. Have you finished your shopping yet? Did you find any good deals? We did! Good luck with whatever you have left.

Besides completing our shopping tasks, we also set aside some time for the arts. Friday night we went to see Frost/Nixon at my favorite theater in the city, the Ritz 5. It was a fantastic movie. It's about the revealing, 1977 interviews between Richard Nixon and David Frost. It's the first major interview Nixon gave after the Watergate scandal. I believe it's very deserving of the Golden Globe nods it received. I won't get into a huge review, because I just don't feel like it, but the acting was phenomenal. The interactions between the Frost and Nixon characters are completely captivating. I think it's a totally worth-while film. If I had to recommend it to two people, I'd pick Gary and Jude's husband, Lou. If they haven't seen it yet, they'll love it!

On Saturday night we went to see a comedy show, in which I will refrain from mentioning or commenting on.

So, there you have it. I'm approaching my absolute final week of the semester. Over the course of this next week, I will have three finals and a voice recital before I can officially stick a fork in it. Believe me, I have a fork in my hand and I'm ready to stick it anywhere! I've attached part two of my 2007 Holiday Series. Every year, on the 23rd of December, we spend the evening with my Dad and Dawn. We always have such a fun, crazy, cut loose kind of evening. I love them all so much and can't wait to see them this year. I hope you all have a wonderful evening.

Happy Holidays!

Josh

Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis!

Good Afternoon, Bloggy Friends!

Last night we watched a movie I've been wanting to see for a long time, Meet Me In St. Louis. It stars the beautiful, Judy Garland, who was just coming off of the gigantic success of the Wizard of Oz. This musical follows a large family living in St. Louis, at the turn of the last century. It encompasses nearly a year, as the family anticipates the arrival of the St. Louis World's Fair the following spring. Judy Garland plays Rose, one of the elder daughters in the family. I don't think she ever looked more beautiful. The plot mainly revolves around Rose and her four brothers and sisters. The older children in the family fall in love, while the younger ones create a hilarious array of mischief. A wrench is tossed into their happy, wholesome lifestyle when their father announces he is going to transport the family to New York for a new job. If you haven't seen it yet, you'll have to watch for yourself to see how it all plays out. I'll bet a Whitney CD that Bill has already seen it!

It's a great film to watch over the holidays, because a major chunk of it takes place over Christmas. The wintery setting inspired so much Christmas spirit in both of us. This is actually where the song, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," originated. It is sung so sweetly by Garland's character Rose. This film is also where one of Garland's most recognizable tunes, "The Trolley Song," comes from. Clang, clang, clang went the trolley. Ding, Ding, Ding went the bell!

So, now I have a new favorite to add to my list. I'm so happy I finally had the chance to check it out. I hope you guys have a fantastic day. I'm so excited for the weekend! I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

2007 Holiday Series, Pt. 1: Cousin Frieda's

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you're having a nice day. If the weather maps on CNN were correct, no one in the country is having nice weather today. Philadelphia is no exception. It's completely gloomy, rainy and cold. It's ok, though. My classes are over, so I don't have to worry about being out in it.

Today I'm starting a new video series, to help get us into the spirit of the season. I have several videos from 2007's Christmas, that I never had the chance to share. By the time I got back from Kentucky last year Christmas was over, and I know the last thing anyone wants to see after the holidays is another Christmas video. So, I thought I'd take the chance to share them now!

Today's video takes place at our cousin Frieda's home in Wilmore. We've been going there to celebrate the holidays with our extended family, on my Mom's side, for years. She and her husband have a beautiful cabin in the woods. It's the perfect place to host a huge family gathering. Here, I'm always sure to find uncles, great uncles, aunts, great aunts, first cousins, second cousins and old family friends. I don't get a lot of chances to see these people throughout the year, so I love having the opportunity to spend time with them when I can. It's fun to see how everyone changes, and how much larger the family seems to get every year. I hope you enjoy. Stay tuned for a few other holiday videos.

Have a great afternoon. I'll chat with you soon.

Warmly, Josh

Singin' Our Hearts Out!

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

Well, we are officially in the midst of the busy holiday season. Are you feelin' it? Are the holidays going to be any different for you this year, because of the country's crummy economic situation? I've never been one to spend a ton of money on Christmas gifts, so I don't see it being too different for me. As a student with limited funds, I'm definitely on the look-out for creative gift ideas that won't break the bank. My gifting theme this year is going to be "locally bought gifts." I also want to purchase things that are eco-friendly whenever possible. I like creating themes, because it makes Christmas shopping fun and adventurous!


I hope your week is off to a great start. Mine started with a bit of a hangover! Sunday night we went to Yakitori Boy for my karaoke birthday bash. I had such a great time. Several of my good friends, and even some new ones, showed up to celebrate and sing the night away. I was really impressed with the room itself. It was very comfortable. It accommodated everyone very nicely. There was an on-call waiter, serving drinks and food whenever we wanted. The karaoke machine was state-of-the-art, though figuring it out was initially a bit complicated. We spiced up the evening by playing a few "karaoke games." Everyone had a chance to sing a couple of times, and everyone REALLY got into it! We even decided to stay an extra hour past the allotted time schedule. I had a great time. It was too dark to make good videos, but I did take several pictures that you can check out by clicking right HERE. Thanks to everyone for coming, and for helping to create a special night together!

I only have two more days of classes left. After tomorrow, the rest of the week is set aside for studying. Next week begins the exam schedule, which will have me heading back to campus for only three more days. I can't tell you how excited I am to get it all wrapped up. There are a few classes that I can't wait to put behind me, specifically ECON. Yuck.

I hope you guys have a great day. I notice several of the blogs I frequent have been rather quiet lately. I'm guessing it's a busy time for everyone right now. Whatever your situation is, as the year-end approaches, I hope it goes smoothly. Have a great day. I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

What We Did This Weekend.

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you're having a lovely afternoon. It's gorgeous in Philadelphia today. The sun is shining bright. This is a stark comparison to yesterday's weather, when we had a ton of snowflakes falling from the sky. It looked like it would have stuck, but there must not have enough of it to make a difference. Am I a Scrooge for saying I'm not a big fan of the snow? I just don't like to be cold, ya'll.

This has been a nice low-key weekend. Friday I had to work, so we didn't do much that evening besides snuggle up at home in front of a movie. We were pretty busy Saturday. We started the day running a few errands in Center City. On our trip we decided to stop over at City Hall, where they have Christmas village set up between now and Christmas. It was neat. There are tons of booths which sell a variety of goods, like blown glass decorations, Christmas tree ornaments and various textiles. There are also booths set up selling hot drinks and food. It felt very...Christmas-y. I purchased one of my gifts there. I haven't decided who it's for yet, but I'm sure whoever gets it will love it. Buying one gift sort of put me in the mood to do some more shopping, so we hit the streets looking for some other gift ideas. I ended up getting three other presents out of the way. It feels good! I don't have too much to buy this year, but I'm glad to get somewhat of a start on it.

Later in the evening we went to University City to see Cadillac Records, starring Adrian Brody, Jeffrey Wright and Beyonce Knowles. Alan was the only white person in the theater, but he's used to that. Most of you know how much I love jazz, and the blues, so you can imagine how excited I was to see this. Brody gives a typically stellar performance as the founder of Chess Records. I was a little surprised to see him in this. He usually does loftier films, but I guess he has to pay the bills everyone else! The colorful cast of characters also include notable Chess artists like Muddy Waters (Wright), Little Walter (Columbus Short), Chuck Berry (Mos Def) and the one and only Etta James (Knowles). I thought Wright did a particularly great job as Muddy Waters. He portrayed him as a very understanding, likable character, despite his womanizing ways. I was a little nervous about how Beyonce would portray Etta James. Etta is one of my favorites. I think she did a pretty decent job. I just have a hard time looking past the fact that she's Beyonce, and I'm kind of tired of seeing her everywhere. I mean, she played "Diana Ross" in Dreamgirls, and now Etta James. Does she have to play every female music legend that ever existed? Did I also mention she was listed as Executive Producer? She did seem fully committed to the character, however. She "let go" a little more in this performance than I remember seeing her do before. She doesn't come in until the second half of the movie, which was also the time the film seemed to usher in bit of unwelcome camp. I don't think it was her fault necessarily, it just started to get a little less good at that point.

The music was my favorite part. To my knowledge, the entire cast performed the songs on their own. Columbus Short, as the hard-drinking Little Walter, did a fantastic version of "My Baby." Mos Def, one of my favorite hip-hop stars, did a great job as Chuck Berry. He was very comical, as he strutted around the stage like a rooster! Beyonce sang the hell out of her numbers, but I don't think she hit Etta's groove spot on. There was a certain grit that was missed. She did growl, and groan through some of them, though! My favorite Beyonce moment was when she sang, "I'd Rather Go Blind." I love that song. Overall, I really enjoyed the film. I appreciate the fact that films such as these are made to shine a spotlight on how the music I love came to be. If you liked "Ray" or "Dreamgirls," I definitely think you will enjoy this.

Today, Sunday, we got up early to complete the rest of our weekend chores. It's very sunny outside, but the wind is about as chilly as it could possibly be. We're about to start getting ready for my big birthday, karaoke bash tonight. I'm really excited for it. I hope you can make it! I hate to keep going on and on about my birthday, but I received a very special gift this morning that I want to share. Bloggy Friend Bill created a video to celebrate my passage into the 30's. It is so sweet, creative and glamorous. I love it. Thank you so much, Bill. Check it out below!

Have a great night. I will chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

Lady Mary Todd's Favorite Perch.

Have a Saturday that's high above the rest, Bloggy Friends!

Love, Josh

Post-Birthday Reflections

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

Thank you all so very much for the kind birthday wishes you left yesterday. This was truly one of my favorite birthdays ever. I received so many cards, calls, texts, emails and comments. It really touched me. Sometimes I am nearly blown away by the thoughtfulness of others. It's what life is all about. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I had such a great day, besides the fact that I had to spend most of it on campus.I'm nearing the end of my semester, so there are so many things to accomplish before my last day next Wednesday. That didn't keep me from throwing it all down to celebrate later on, though! When I got home a delivery came from Edible Arrangements. My step-mother Dawn sent me a balloon and a beautiful array of chocolate covered strawberries and apples. Yum! Alan surprised a bit later, by getting home much earlier than usual. As we were moving about the house, he somehow managed to slip a secret package on the bar for me. Inside were tickets for the two of us to see Rufus Wainwright at the Kimmel Center in February, and Tori Spelling's biography I've been meaning to get. He's such a sweetie! Not long after, Jude came by to give me a funny card and a bottle of Italian, sparkling wine from her and Lou. They are the best. Thank you so much, Jude, the wine was FANTASTIC! It meant so much.

Later, Alan took me to the Old City district to a restaurant I've been dying to try for some time now, Buddakan. It's an amazingly chic, Stephen Starr restaurant that serves modern, Asian cuisine. The interior was ultra-hip. The dimly lit room was decorated with funky, contemporary designs and an impressively large buddha statue firmly placed as the focal point. The food we supreme. As an appetizer we tried a delicious edamame ravioli, in a truffle scented sauternes-shallot broth. It was heavenly. For an entree I got the Japanese Black Cod with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes. The fish melted in my mouth. It was great, but still not as good as Jude's halibut! Alan tried a medium-rare Filet Mignon with Mashed Sweet Potatoes. He doesn't eat meat a lot, but he loved it. For dessert we tried their variation on my favorites, carrot cake! It was a delicious, lite slice of carrot cake with vanilla ice cream served on the side. They served it to me with a dazzling sparkler in the middle! Alan created an incredibly special night for us. I will never forget it. I love you!

This was definitely a birthday for the memory books. Once again, thank you all so much for taking the time to say hello throughout the course of your day. Every message brought such a smile to my face, and a warmness in my heart. I'll be floating for days! I hope you have a fantastic afternoon. I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

Birthday Shout-Out: Me!

Good Morning, Bloggy Friends!

Today is my big day! Thirty years ago, on this very day, I was born. This is one of those monumental birthdays where you're forced to reflect on where your life has taken you. My 20's were an amazing time. I've seen so many things, been so many places and met so many wonderful people. Today I am excited to enter a new adult decade of my life, the 30's. In a way I feel like I am beginning again. Ten years ago I never thought the 30's would be like this. I feel so young, fresh and present. I am so thankful.

What do I want my 30's to look like? Well, in the next ten years I hope to finish school and find a fascinating, rewarding job. I'm ready to begin the "career phase" of my life, but I don't want the career to take over. I still want time to travel, I want to spend a good amount of time seeing the world. I see the two of us buying a home in the next ten years, establishing a place that is comfortable and stable. It is important that the next ten years finds me surrounded by a positive support system of good friends, and family. I pray the next ten years brings health, prosperity and happiness to us all!

Thank you for stopping by today to spend some time with me on my special birthday. I guess I won't have another "big" one for another 10 years. I'm not sure what we'll be doing tonight. Alan seems like he has something up his sleeve. On Sunday I am throwing a little get together with some friends here in Philadelphia. We are going to rent a karaoke room, and sing the night away! If you're in the area, feel free to stop by. It should be lots of fun.

I wish I had time to do some more reflecting, but I'm in the middle of another busy week. The clock keeps ticking! I hope you all have a fantastic day. Thank you for being a friend!

Love, Josh

This is me in 1982, just gettin' started!