Thankful 'n Thoughtful

Good Evening Mr. and Mrs. Bloggy Friends!

Well, the long weekend has finally wrapped up, much to my dismay. I take it you have all returned from you weekend getaways, and are geared up for a fresh new week. This will be my last full week of school for this semester. After this, we have a half week, then a week of finals. I am so excited to be finished. This semester has been rewarding, but I'm just over it, plain and simple.

Since I've already blogged about the rest of our Thanksgiving weekend, I'll just finish up by saying we had a delightful Saturday together. We shopped around the city, picked up some exciting new things for our home and had a delicious dinner. In the later part of the evening we went to the Ritz 5 to see Gus Van Sant's MILK. It is a wonderfully inspiring, heartbreaking movie. One of the best I've seen in a long time. Please get out and see it. Sean Penn was amazing, James Franco was dreamy, and the shots of San Francisco brought back so many fond memories. I miss it so much. Go see it!

Today (Sunday) we were supposed to go with Kelly and Ed to the Valley Green Inn for brunch, but when we woke up it was so rainy we decided to postpone. I think it was a great decision on all of our parts, because the rain held steady all day long. Instead, we braved the weather to do our usual Sunday chores. Tonight Alan made the most amazing dinner. Jude gave us a recipe from her culinary inspiration, Ida Gartner, called Roasted Mustard Fish. It called for things like capers, shallots, crème fraîche, dijon and whole wheat mustard. It was out-of-this-world. Along with that we had roasted fennel, mashed potatoes (thanks Bill) and a green salad. It was sinfully delicious. Wow. I'm so thankful Alan loves to cook.

Below I attached a video of our Thanksgiving in D.C. with Bill and Gary. I hope you enjoy. It was definitely one for the memory books! Have a great week. I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

Birthday Shout-Out: Rick P. Watson!

Plus Our Thanksgiving with Jude and Lou


Good afternoon, Bloggy Friends!

Today is a very special day. One of our best friends is celebrating his birthday. It's Rick! I hope he's in Louisville having the birthday of his dreams. As you may know, he recently ventured from the Highlands to live in another of Louisville's more hip addresses - Old Louisville. I've seen a few pictures, and his new apartment looks fabulous. Is this the best one yet? Rick is currently studying Interior Design at the University of Louisville. It won't be long before he has his B.F.A., then jets out into the world to create some architectural magic! I'm so proud of everything he has and will accomplish. Rick is one of the most thoughtful, inspiring, humorous people I know. These attributes help to place him high in the ranks of my greatest friends on earth. Thank you, girl! I hope you have the best birthday to date. We'll have to have a birthday blowout(!) when I make it back to Louisville for Christmas! I love you.

We're still reeling this morning from a fantastic time at Jude and Lou's last night. Is it fair that I've had two outstanding Thanksgiving meals in two days!?! As usual, Jude pulled out another crowning achievement in the culinary department. She kept in mind that we had a large meal the day before, so she thankfully decided to keep it on the light side. For our main course we savored the tenderest, most delicious piece of halibut - skillfully baked with fresh scallions. It was the most splendid combination you could imagine. The halibut melted in my mouth, just as the scallions decided to pop with flavor. My toes curled again. Along with that we had fingerling potatoes, with dill, a fresh green salad, a baguette and my favorite side dish of the evening - a fresh fennel, celery, yellow pepper salad. It was glorious and unlike anything I've ever tried. After dinner they served Alan and I a delightful piece of carrot cake from Termini Brothers. Carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts - so you know I was in heaven. As a digestif, we had a shot glass full of an Italian favorite - limoncello liqueur. I was so stuffed by that point, so Alan had to finish mine for me.

I believe last night was one of my favorite times we have spent together. I'm so thankful they're here in Philadelphia. Jude has sort of started to become somewhat of a life mentor for us, newly situated Center City-ites. She knows so much about the city, and just living in general. Lou is also such an inspiring, intelligent, funny man. I could chat with him for hours. They've lived such fascinating lives so far. The more time we spend together, the more it feel like I'm with family. It's a wonderful feeling that I've missed in my my mostly nomadic, adult life. Thank you Jude and Lou for another fabulous evening - and for the very generous housewarming gift! We love you both so much.

I hope you all have a fantastic day. This is the one day of our break that we don't have plans. I think we're going to get out in a bit and do some shopping. It's a beautiful afternoon. Let's all wish Rick a divalicious birthday! Have a great day.

Love, Josh

Thanksgiving with Bill & Gary

Happy Black Friday, Bloggy Friends!

Well, we had a fantastic time at Bill and Gary's yesterday. I am so thankful we had the chance to go there this year. The four of us created wonderful Thanksgiving memories to carry all throughout the year. I can't say enough about their truly wonderful hospitality. They were so generous, warm and caring. We immediately felt right at home in their fabulous, cozy home in Washington D.C. It was filled top to bottom with books, eclectic art pieces, and a ton of furry friends to keep our legs warm. I love their sense of style. They have collected so many neat things over the years. Gary has so many books. You wouldn't believe it. I kept finding myself distracted as I browsed the thousands (literally) of titles, and feeling inspired to read more in my own life. I love books.

We drove down Wednesday night. The traffic from here to there was steady, but we didn't find ourselves stalled. We made great time. They welcomed us into their home with a crackling fire, a spread of hors d'oeuvres and an endless supply of red wine. We spent that night relaxing in the study, chatting and watching Bill as he brined the turkey for the next day. It was an interesting process. I had never seen anything like it before. When it was time to retire, Alan, Galileo and I slept cozily in the guest room they prepared so lovingly for us.

The next day was all about the food! When we woke up Bill and Gary were already in the kitchen getting things prepared. They really worked so tirelessly to get things finished. We started the morning with one of the nicest breakfasts I have ever eaten outside of a restaurant. They prepared one of my favorite dishes - Eggs Benedict! To compliment this little piece of heaven, we were served mimosas and one of Gary's specialties, a fresh fruit salad, loaded with grapes, cherries, pecans, peaches, and an array of plump berries. It was titillating! What a way to start the day.

As the turkey slowly cooked in the oven, we took an hour long walk over to the famous Rock Creek Park. It was an unbelievably beautiful day. The park was gorgeous, and so close to their home. I'm glad we had a chance to do a little site-seeing. It was also nice to work up another appetite after that wonderfully filling brunch.

Well, I can't even think of the words to describe what happened next. You should have seen the dinner spread they laid before us. They packed the table tight with so much food, I could hardly believe my eyes. We had turkey, whole rainbow trout, two kinds of stuffing, pecan-cranberry relish, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy and a root vegetable salad. A mere description could never do justice to the way it was so beautifully presented. Everything was so fluffy, steamy and fresh. My goodness, I'm getting chills just thinking about it. Bill and Gary went so far out of their way to make this the most absolutely perfect Thanksgiving dinner I could have ever imagined. It was heavenly. For a good hour we sat around the dinner table eating, drinking, chatting and laughing. What more could you ask for?

Pumpkin pie - that's what! When dinner was over, and when our food had some time to settle, Alan brought out a delicious, organic, pumpkin pie he had made. It was fantastic. To conclude our stay we sat around the fire with dessert, warm coffee and a bunch of furry, animal friends. We were becoming so comfortable, that having to leave felt forced and unnatural. Our time with Bill and Gary was starting to feel like a way of life! Thank you guys so very much for everything you did. You truly helped to create what will remain one of our most cherished Thanksgiving memories. I am so thankful.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well. Like I mentioned earlier, ours has only just begun. Tonight we are going to Jude and Lou's. I can't wait to see them. You can check out pictures of our stay at Bill and Gary's by clicking right HERE. I hope you enjoy. Check back soon for a video. Have a fantastic break!

Thankfully,

Josh

Our Thanksgiving Plans

Happy Wednesday, Bloggy Friends!

I'm sure you are all excited to wrap up your early week, and rush off to your perspective holiday gatherings. I've been looking forward to this week for a while now. Not only am I so relieved to have a few days away from school, but I am so excited to spend time with good friends over the next few days. In a few hours Alan, Galileo and I are leaving for a fabulous over-nighter in D.C. Two of our dear Bloggy Friends, Bill and Gary, have been gracious enough to invite us to their home. I am so excited to see them both, and to check out some of this delicious, Julia Child-inspired food we've heard so much about! It sounds like Bill has quite a spread planned. I can't wait to spend time with them both.

Friday we are getting together with Alan's aunt Jude and Uncle Lou. We had Thanksgiving dinner with them last year as well, so I'm hoping we have a little tradition brewing. I cherish every minute I can spend with the two of them, and it's not just because they always feed us well! Mmmm....

As if that wasn't enough eating, we're getting together with our friends, Kelly and Ed, on Sunday. We're going to have brunch at the Valley Green Inn in the Wissahickon Valley. Alan and I went there last year for Thanksgiving, and it was FANTASTIC. We're looking forward to going back. I think Kelly and Ed will love it.

So, that's our itinerary for the 2008 Thanksgiving season. It's a busy one, but I'm so jazzed about it. We may be running from here to there, but I plan on taking it easy, eating well, and having a few too many merry cocktails.

Let's not lose sight of what Thanksgiving is all about - reflecting on the things we are most thankful for. I have so many things to give thanks about - Alan, my pets, my family, my friends (you), our health, our able-bodiness, my job, my ability to do well in school, our beautiful new apartment and the love that completely surrounds our lives. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, Bloggy Friends, for stopping by today. Thank you for sharing my life with me, and letting me know how much you care. You could never know how much your presence means to me. I love you all!

Have a wonderful, safe holiday season. Let me know what you guys are up to.

Love, Josh

Whole-Wheat Weekend Wrap

Good afternoon, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you all had a nice weekend. Ours was busy. Busy in a good way. With the holidays approaching, being busy just goes with the territory. How many times can I say busy in a paragraph? Busy, busy, busy!

Bright and early Saturday morning, Alan and I arose from bed to take Galileo to the animal hospital. After two weeks, it was finally time to get his stitches taken out. The whole process took about 3 minutes. We actually figured we could have snipped the stitches out ourselves. It looked so simple. Anyways, he healed up nicely and he'll be glad to know I told you that he no longer has to wear that hideous collar around his neck. He was mortified when he found out I posted that picture of him online.

When we returned home it was already time to get ready for another outing. We met up with Alan's aunt Jude for coffee before we went to see the latest show at the Philadephia Theatre Company. The show was called Unusual Acts of Devotion, it was written by famed, gay playwright, Terrence McNally. I was particularly excited about seeing this show, because it was starring none other than Richard Thomas. My southern sisters will recognize him as John Boy Walton from the 1970's sitcom, The Waltons. I met him a few times backstage, and he is such a nice man. The show was pretty good, I honestly wasn't crazy about it. It has been doing very well, though. We've been selling tickets like crazy, and have even housed a few big name celebrities like Nathan Lane, and Angela Lansbury! It's always exciting when famous people come to watch.

After the show we brought Jude over to see our apartment for the first time. She gave us some helpful hints on how to "umph" up the place. I'm excited to try some of her ideas. You guys know how much I love spending time with Jude. Later that evening we met up with my friend, Tim, for drinks and karaoke at a local pub called Moriarty's. It was pretty fun. After seeing the show, I felt the need to do a little performing of my own. I sang two songs and enjoyed countless other performances while we were there. Good times in Center City!

On Sunday Alan and I took care of our chores. We went to the Reading Terminal for produce, and Whole Foods for the rest of our groceries. I love grocery day. After that we rushed over to Temple University to see the opera, La Boheme. I was required to see it for my Voice Class, but unfortunately it was all sold out when we arrived. I'll have to try and make another performance before the semester's over. Darn. That evening, we had my friend Terra over for dinner. She works with me at PTC. It's always fun to spend time with her. Alan made our traditional salmon (with rosemary and lemon), garlic mashed potatoes and a delicious spinach salad. It was delicious.

Well, this is getting a little long. I told you were were busy! I guess I'll cut it out for now. I hope you guys have a fantastic week. What do you have planned for the holidays? We have lots going on, and I absolutely can't wait. This is going to be a very short school week for me. Most of my classes are canceled, so I only have to go to campus today! This will afford me extra time to work on some writing assignments. Have a great day. I'll chat with you soon!

Love, Josh

New Sources of Clean Energy.

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

We've decided to cut back on our heating costs this year by piling the pets on us when we get cold. It's working so far. It not only warms our bodies, but it warms us heart and soul!


I hope you have a warm Wednesday.

Love, Josh

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you're having a nice Tuesday. I'm up bright and early. The sun is shining on Philadelphia today. Yay!

Today I want to share one of our latest video projects in my audio/visual newsgathering class. In this particular assignment we were asked to conduct an on-camera interview. We decided to interview the mother of one of my group members, Trenae. She is a breast cancer survivor. We thought it would be a nice, inspirational story so share. I took the job as the reporter, Trenae did the camerawork and Chelsea did the editing. I hope you enjoy!

Have a great afternoon. I have a full lecture day ahead of me. Woo-hoo! Talk to ya soon.

Love, Josh

Weekend Wrap-Up

Good Morning, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you had a nice weekend. We did. It was a little busier for us than I had anticipated, but that's how it seems to be going lately. Being busy isn't a bad thing. Isn't there a saying about idle time? Something about the devil and playthings. I don't want none of that!

Friday night my friend Jillian came down from New York City. After work Alan and I met up with her and other friends for drinks. We had a great time. It's always good to see Jillian. I miss her so much.

Saturday was a big day. In the afternoon we met up with Tim, Sarah and Alex to join thousands of others, in cities across America, to protest the passing of California's Proposition 8. The gathering took place at City Hall. There were thousands of people there waving signs, chanting and screaming for their rights. I really felt like I was a part of something huge. It was so exciting. My favorite part was when we marched out into the street. We stopped traffic as we made several loops around City Hall. It was amazing. I'm so proud to have been a part of the whole experience. I posted a video below of our afternoon there. Enjoy!

Saturday evening, after we rested up, we headed out to West Chester to attend a holiday, cocktail party with people from Alan's work. The soiree was held in the beautiful home of one of his co-workers. There were a lot of people there. We enjoyed delicious finger foods, wine and a ton of fabulous desserts. It was a nice time. I don't feel like I have a lot in common with many of his co-workers, but they are all very nice people. I always enjoy these work get-togethers. It provides me an opportunity to break away from my comfort zone for a bit. That's always a good thing. To the left is a picture of Alan and some of his lab mates.

Sunday was nice. In the earlier part of the day we headed to the Reading Terminal and Whole Foods to pick up our groceries. Later I met up with the girls from my radio show for a photo shoot. We are starting to get our promos together - complete with fliers, posters and a commercial on KYW radio. It's very exciting. I'll share those once we get them together. In the evening we had our salmon. It was delicious. For a treat, we decided to walk over to Naked Chocolate for a full-bodied, dark chocolate drink. I had one infused with hot spices. It was divine. Later we walked to Washington Square Park, and then back home to relax before bedtime. It was a good night.

I hope you guys have a great day. It's sunny and bright here in Philadelphia. We've been having some cloudy, rainy weather lately, so it's particularly nice to have some sunshine today! I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Joshua Rights

Something for Saturday.

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you're having a nice Saturday. I love getting up when I want to, not having to worry about school work, going to work or any of that other regimental stuff. I feel dizzy with freedom!

Speaking of being dizzy. Here is a new video from our good friend, Bloggy Friend Bill. I've said this before, but this now tops my favorites list! Good work, my friend. You've created magic!

Have a great afternoon. I think we are going to City Hall in a bit to join the Philadelphia Prop. 8 protest. It's raining, but I think it's the least we can do to make our message heard. Gay, Straight, Black or White - We Deserve Civil Rights!

Talk to you soon!

Love, Josh

Secretary of State?

Hey, Bloggy Friends!


Word on the street is that Hillary is being considered for the role of Secretary of State in Obama's cabinet. This highest-ranking, cabinet position would be a major leadership appointment for her. In this position she would be placed in the forefront of major, foreign policy decisions and she would still be able to answer that phone call at 3 a.m! I think she would be an excellent choice. CNN reported this morning that the decision may be made at some point today. I'm so excited! I would love to see Hillary in any position that suited her, and brought her more into the spotlight. I believe she would be a major asset to our newly hopeful nation. Yes!

I hope you guys have a great day. I am now at the other end of a ferociously busy week. I must say I accomplished it successfully. I am so ready for the weekend, though. Bring it on!

Have a great day, Bloggy Friends. I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

Can You Feel the Love?

Good Morning, Bloggy Friends.

Congratulations to Ms. Rick P. Pussy. He was the first to comment yesterday, and therefore the winner of the Miriam Makeba cd. Be looking for it in the mail soon, Puss! Let's all wish him well at his brand new address in beautiful, Old Louisville.


I wanted to stop by today to share this picture Alan took over the weekend of Mary Todd and Abigail. I thought it was so sweet. Where does one kitty stop, and the other begin? I hope somewhere in the course of your day you come across this much love. Whether it's a call from a dear friend, a hug from your beloved, or a smile from a stranger on the street, I hope you get that warm fuzzy feeling that accompanies a sense of acceptance.

I'll chat with you soon!

Love, Josh

So Long, Mama Afrika

Hey Bloggy Friends,


We lost a legend this week. Miriam Makeba, also known as "Mama Afrika," passed away Monday night at 76. Makeba was famous as a South African singer, who lent her celebrity to the anti-apartheid movement. Her extraordinary talents helped to spread the music of South Africa all across the world. She passed away Monday after collapsing on stage, while singing one of her most famous songs, "Pata, Pata." A spokesperson from her family noted she always said she would, "sing until the last day of my life."

I discovered Miriam Makeba while living in Chicago, after a friend of mine turned me on to World Music. When looking to build my collection, I naturally flocked toward the women of the genre. Makeba's name was among the first I discovered. I love her upbeat tunes that incorporate chants, unique instruments and other distinctive characteristics of the African music genre. When listening to Makeba, I can close my eyes and feel transported to a different place, and a different time. Her contributions to music and her cause will live forever on. Rest in Peace.

In honor of her life, I will send a cd to the first Bloggy Friend to comment.

Love, Josh

Here is a video of Makeba performing one of her most famous tunes, "Pata, Pata."

A Two-Fewer Balls Kinda Weekend.

Good Evening, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you're having a divine evening. I wanted to stop by to say hello, as I wait for Alan to finish dinner. I'm starving!

We had a pretty fun weekend. I headed into it wanting to stay low-key, but we ended up being pretty busy. After work Friday night, Alan and I met our friends Tim and Alex for drinks. We didn't stay out too late, because we had to wake up early the next morning to take Galileo to the vet to be neutered. We have been running into so many road blocks along the way to having this done, but this was the final one. We took him to the hospital around 7:30 Saturday morning, and picked him up today around 1:00 in the afternoon. Bless his poor little heart. They are requiring us to keep an Elizabethan collar on him for two weeks, so he won't lick and agitate his stitches. As you can imagine he doesn't like it one bit. We also have to give him pain medicine twice a day, and carefully monitor him so he doesn't play too rough around the house. I wasn't expecting to have to go through all of this. When the cats were spayed, it was down one minute and back to normal the next. The spaying was also a much more complicated process, too. I don't get it, but we aren't taking any chances. I'm sure he'll get used to the collar as time goes on, but I will be so happy to have him back to normal.

Last night we met up with Tim again for dinner at Jose Pistoles. Also joining us was Tim's brother Mark, and his friend, Lindsey. Along with two margaritas, I had a burrito with portobello mushrooms - it was cleverly called a Portobellortio. I'm not usually huge on burritos, but this one was pretty good. After dinner we walked down the street to a coffee shop, to have tea and talk politics. Everyone is so excited about the upcoming administration. There is so much to discuss!

This afternoon I met up with my group from school to record a video project for my audio/visual newsgathering class. We were asked to perform an interview, so we invited Trenae's mother over to talk with us about her experience defeating breast cancer. It was a fun, uplifting interview. We will upload it to YouTube when I'm finished, so I'll post it in about a week.

So, besides taking care of a few chores, hanging more pictures and catching up on some TV, that's our weekend in a nutshell. Now that I'm working and back in school the weekends seem to fly by so much quicker. I have an outrageously busy week ahead of me, full of exams, papers and editing projects. I believe this will be the busiest week so far. Wish me luck!

Have a great night. I'm posting a few more pictures below of Galileo in his collar, and Mary Todd chillin' like a villain. She's enjoying the time off. So enjoy those, and I'll chat with you guys soon!

Love, Josh

Our New First Lady.

Hey, Bloggy Friends!


Who's excited about our beautiful, new First Lady? I am so anxious to follow her career over the next four (eight?) years. Like most First Ladies, she will work to further a cause most dear to her heart. People magazine reports this to be helping working women and families, particularly military families. It will be so exciting to see a young family move into the White House. I feel like I've stumbled upon a dream come true.

Now if we can only squash that Prop 8 in California. What was that all about?!? After Obama's election on Tuesday night, I was all set to have my cake and eat it too, only to find my fork had been jerked away. Let's hope we can make some waves in the coming weeks with a filabuster proof house/senate, and turn these ridiculous bans into cans!

I just wanted to drop by to wish you a joyful weekend. We have plans to take it pretty easy, but you never know what may come along. We need to get some more housework finished. School/Work has been keeping us so busy lately, that we can barely find time to hang pictures or place doo-dads in the new apartment. We're in no rush, but the more we do, the more it feels like home. I promise to have some pictures/video in the coming weeks. I want to make sure everything's nice before I have company over!

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

Love, Josh

P.S. Speaking of marriage and young families, my friend from high school, Nikki, got married a few weeks ago in Gatlinburg. She is one of the most hilarious people I have ever known, and a great, great friend. She posted a video of the "Hillbilly Wedding" on Facebook today. You can check it out HERE if you are so inclined. I think it may be one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Enjoy!

Yes We Can!

Wow. I can't begin to put into words the joy I feel tonight. As I watched President-elect, Barack Obama, give his acceptance speech from Chicago, a flood of emotions overtook me that are indescribable. From that stage he said things I have always yearned to hear a leader say. He spoke to all of us - gay, straight, young, old, white, black, yellow, red, green - we all matter! I am filled with an incredible, new-found sense of hope. This is our moment. Wow. Wow. Wow.

This is the first election I have voted in that has went my way. I was too young to vote for Clinton in '96, I voted for Gore in 2000, and Kerry in '04. We all know how those turned out! Now I know how good it feels to vote for someone who makes it. Yes! As I watched the excitement of the crowd in Chicago, and other places around the world, I felt a sense of togetherness I have never experienced with my fellow citizens. It was so neat to see people this excited about our next President. This night is so important in so many ways.

The streets of Philadelphia are flooded with happy citizens. They are screaming, blowing their horns and running on the sidewalks. What an exciting night. Congratulations, Bloggy Friends. We did it! We are all so blessed to be a part of this monumental event in history. President Obama will have a lot on his plate when he takes office in January, but I really believe we have a lot to look forward to. Yes we can! Yes we did! Yes! Yes! Yes!

I love you all!

Josh

VOTE!

Hey, Bloggy Voter Friends!


I did it! I just walked into the voting booth and cast my vote in the most historic election in the history of our nation! I wasn't prepared for the flooding of emotions I felt when I walked behind the curtain. I love when emotions take me by surprise. To have the opportunity to vote for either an African-American President, or a female Vice-President nearly brought tears to my eyes. There was also a moment of sadness when I missed seeing Hillary's name on the ballot. Unfortunately, I didn't vote for a female this time around, but hopefully I'll get that opportunity one day soon.

I decided to go to the polls early with Alan, so I could avoid long lines. I literally rolled out of bed, threw on a jacket and hat, and stumbled down the street. To my surprise, there was no line. We literally just gave our names and walked inside our booths. Let's hope this ease of entry is an indication of the time, rather than the actual turnout. GoObama!

I hope the results come in at a reasonable hour tonight. I heard on the news that if Obama pulls out a win in Virginia, which is an earlier closing poll, he will probably have a victory on his hands. You can't always trust those pundits, but I'll be keeping my eye on Virginia for sure. Pennsylvania is turning out to be a major factor in this race. The polls show a pretty tight gap between the two candidates. If McCain pulls a win in Virginia, and Pennsylvania, it will be hard to stop him. It could be a nail-biter!

I'd love to hear about your experiences at the voting booths. How did you feel when you cast your ballot? Either way your button pushes you would have made history. Were there long lines? Did you cry a little? I'd love to hear how it went for you. It's an extremely important election, which has been a long time a-comin'!

Get out there and Rock the Vote!

Love you all,

Joshua Hussein OMiddleton

Halloween in Action!

Have a Maverick-y Monday!

Sarah's Halloween Party!

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

We had an awesome time at Sarah's Halloween Party last night! We were so happy she threw one, so we could have a reason to get dressed up to have some fun on Halloween. I think I love Halloween more now than I did when I was a kid. I love having the opportunity to dress up as anything I'd like. Over the past few years we have had fun dressing as some of history's most famous couples. One year we were Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, another we were Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. This year we couldn't wait to be the Maverick herself, Sarah Palin, and one of the unfortunate Moose she loves to shoot down from a helicopter!

We hit the thrift stores yesterday in search of our costumes. Besides the pants Alan wore, we were completely starting from scratch. Thankfully we found everything in a reasonable amount of time, and for not a lot of money! While we were shopping Galileo enjoyed a little spa time at the Pampered Pooch on 11th Street. Check out his haircut in the pictures. He's such a doll.

Before we left for the party we had a few friends over for pre-drinks. My friend Terra helped me apply my make-up. She dressed as Sarah Blask, the girl throwing the Halloween party! She's so funny. Galileo fell in love with her and her bosoms. Our friends Tim and Alex also stopped by, but they weren't dressed in costumes. For shame!

Sarah's party was a lot of fun. She packed a lot of people into her small, but
reasonably-sized, one bedroom apartment. She was stunningly dressed as a lady from the 50's. She wore an authentic vintage dress and hat, given to her by her grandmother. I was blown away by the impressive food spread. The cutest part was her deviled eggs, actually dressed as little devils! My favorite food of the evening was my co-worker, Nancy's, bean dip. It was so good, and no, I didn't get the farts. There were several other fun costumes there, including Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Rain, The Gift that Keeps on Giving, a Pirate couple and a sexed up Little Red Riding Hood. Click HERE for access to my Picasa album of pictures from the evening. Check back in the next day or so for a little video footage!

Well, this is getting a little lengthy, so I'll cut it short for now. We have had a nice Sunday. We walked to the Reading Terminal for produce and fish, and are about to head to Whole Foods (two blocks away!) for the rest of our groceries. I love living in Center City. We finally have web access, and our washer and dryer was installed yesterday. Things are coming together nicely. I hope your Sunday is exactly what you hoped it would be. Have a great start to the week. I'll talk to you soon!

Love, Joshra Palin

Halloween 2

Good morning, Bloggy Friends!


Halloween continues in our household, but today with more of a vengeance! Like I said yesterday, we didn't do much last night. I had to work until 8:30, so there wasn't much partying going on. I did get a little festive, as you'll see in the picture above! After work Alan came to pick me up. We walked around Center City (our new neighborhood!) for a while, before ducking into Valanni for a drink. As I sipped by Malbec, I reminisced of the time I shared a similar glass with Mimi when she came to visit in the spring. I miss you, Girl!

Tonight we're going to a party at my friend Sarah's house, but first we have a few chores to run. Galileo has an appointment to be groomed at eleven. I can't wait to get his haircut! Then, Alan and I need to do some shopping for our costumes. We're so bad about putting these things off until the last minute. I hope we can find everything we need. We may even run into some good discounts, since Halloween is officially over! Sarah was smart when she planned her party for the day after.

Stay tuned to some pictures and videos of our evening. Below I have attached a video I made last week on our moving day. It's not very spooky, but I hope you enjoy! Have a great day!

Love, Josh