Extra! Extra! Reader All About It!

Hello Bloggy Friends.

I hope you're having an exquisite evening. What a great week this has been! It's been very cold in Philadelphia. We didn't end up getting that warm day the weather men promised on Saturday. We had a great weekend, though. I hope you did too. Friday night we went to see Kate Winslett in "The Reader." It is an amazing movie. We loved it. I definitely recommend you check this one out, whether it be in the theater or on DVD when it's released.

Saturday, instead of going to the Reading Terminal for produce, we decided to go to the Italian Market. For those of you who don't know, the Italian Market is the largest open-air market in the United States - and it's only five or six blocks away from our front door! The produce is top quality, and the prices can't be beat. We walked away with three bags full of produce, and only dropped fifteen bucks. It was amazing- except for the moment when I got involved in a screaming match with one of the grocers because I accidentally stepped behind the counter where he was working. I'm sure it was entertaining for the other shoppers, though! To cool down from the confrontation we stopped into a delicatessen for lunch, where we enjoyed a fabulous Caprese sandwich. For a moment we felt like we were dining on the streets of Rome again. No grumpy, ol' grocer could take that away!

On Saturday we also took Galileo to Pampered Pooch to get his monthly grooming. I've attached some before and after pictures. What do you think of his new do? Saturday night Kelly and Ed came into town to do some site-seeing. We met up with them in Chinatown for dinner at Vietnam Palace. It was good, but the service was lousy. We decided to never go back there again. Can you believe they tried to charge us a $12 corking fee for our bottle of wine! What a rip off, especially when the Zagat lists them as a B.Y.O. Later that night I met up with my friend Tim for karaoke at a restaurant/bar called Elephant and Castle. We had a great time. One of the highlights was when they drew my name out a raffle for a $50 gift certificate to dine there in the future. I love winning things!

This afternoon Jude came by to for a visit. We had tea and chatted about what's been going on in our lives over the past few weeks. I love spending time with Jude, her presence always leaves me feeling inspired! She's a gem. Tonight for dinner Alan tackled a new recipe we found in a quarterly Whole Foods publication. It was Winter Squash Stuffed with Lentil Pilaf. I love winter squash. It was delicious! We've really started to explore new options in the kitchen, and no I don't mean that in a kinky way! We've found some amazing recipes over the past couple of weeks. Salmy Sunday is under a few renovations!

Now the time has come for us to plop down on the couch in our lounge around clothes. I think we're going to watch a lifetime movie we DVR'd last night called "Prayers for Bobby," starring Sigourney Weaver. Have you heard about it? It's about an overly religious mother who gives her teenage son a difficult time for being gay. I don't want to give away anything, but I think the pressure leads him to drastic, unfortunate measures. It's gotten a lot of hype. I look forward to seeing it.

I hope you guys have a great night. Have a great week too! I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

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

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

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

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

Moving Along, Minding My Business

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I feel like it's been forever since I've posted. I have a good reason. We're moving this weekend, and the internet company shut our service down about a week before we asked them to. I managed to find a weak signal at our new apartment, but we won't be back in full-swing until tomorrow.

I did want to take advantage of my weak signal to let you know that we are almost all moved in. We have about one load, and some cleaning to do at the apartment in Manayunk before it's all finished. Everything is a mess at our place in Center City, but I can tell our furniture is going to go really nicecly there. The moving process yesterday went pretty smoothly. It was raining, which sucked, but the movers took care of everything without a fuss.

We brought the animals on our second load. Galileo seemed to take to the adjustment pretty well, but the kitties stayed hidden in the guest room most of the evening. I'm not surprised. I'm glad kitties aren't allowed to vote, because they'd probably go Repbulican. They're not big on change!

Today Alan and I are going to do some grocery shopping in Center City, then head out to Manayunk to finish up. I hope. We'll probably spend the evening, and the rest of the week unpacking and organizing things the way we like them. As soon as we get that finished I'll take some pictures and videos for ya! I'm sorry if there are several typos in this post. The only spot we get internet is right in front of a window where the sun is gleaming right behind me. I can barely see what I'm writing!

Have a fantastic Sunday afternoon. I can't wait to have ya'll over to see the place!

Love, Josh

Rounds Two & Three: Success, Success!

Hey, Bloggy Friends.

I'm writing to you today from hangover central. All aboard!

The remainder of the weekend with Alan's parents sailed by smoothly. We definitely broke new ground, and are entering a new era where we can all be happy, harmonious and free.

Yesterday afternoon we brought them out to Manayunk to see our place and to meet Mary Todd, Abigail and Galileo. The two of them fell in love with Galileo after he showered them both with wet, puppy kisses! Later, we went to Main Street to have a light brunch at a restaurant called Derek's. I had a pear and gorgonzola salad with organic strawberries. It was perfectly delicious. We all enjoyed ourselves, still had a ton to talk about and went about our merry way. They went back downtown to freshen up for the evening festivities, while Alan and I hung around the house taking care of Sunday chores. The landlord stopped by to show our apartment, and expressed his pleasure in how well we have maintained the place over the year. That made us both feel nice.

Around five we headed downtown to meet up again at Jude and Lou's. As always, they went out of their way to make us feel so comfortable. We enjoyed an impressive spread of appetizers and an array of refreshing beverages as we chatted each other up before dinner. Lou provided the entertainment. Besides being a constant jokester, he had female jazz artists like Sarah Vaughan and Helen Merrill playing smoothly over the sound system. What, may I ask, can set a mood of ease better than that? Not much. Well, unless of course you count the aroma of the slow cooking pot roast wafting through the air above us!

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of the magic Jude works in the kitchen. She is one of those rare people who can take the joy of eating to a whole new level. So, needless to day, dinner was fantastic. We began with a first course of pasta and pesto. It was warm, smooth and delicious. Pesto is one of my favorite flavors in the world. Next she brought out the pot roast that had been teasing us all night long. Most of you know, I'm not a big meat eater, but after eating this I just may rethink my decision. It was so tender and juicy. It was infused with some flavor that made my toes curl up (in that good, I'm so happy way) every time I took a bite. Yum. As a side we had beets, that I assume were local and farm fresh, and a wonderful tossed green salad. And to top all of this off, we were served a red wine that complimented the flavors to perfection. Halleluiah!

For dessert we celebrated Alan's mother's birthday with a cake. It was freshly made from a local bakery. It was really good, but to be honest this was the moment of the evening when I started to realize I drank too much. I had two bourbon's on ice and probably two glasses of wine at dinner. The room started spinning a little, but it wasn't long before we were heading out the door. Thank you so much, Jude and Lou, for another extraordinary evening. I really appreciate all you did to make us feel at ease. You're awesome.

So, this brings us to the end of my weekend. Everything went very well with Alan's parents. Through each gathering I think we became closer and closer. I know their effort meant so much to Alan and it meant a lot to me as well. I'm already looking forward to having them back again!

I have to run now, though. I need to hop on the train for school in about 9 minutes. Thank you all again for the support you gave us over the weekend. I shared your thoughts with Alan and he found it as touching as I did. I am so blessed to have you.

Have a great day. I'll talk to you soon!

Love, Josh

Puppy Progress, Weeks 2 & 3

Hello. Hey, Bloggy Friends!

It's been a little while since I have written a puppy update blog. I wrote the last one while feeling a little frustrated with one too many poops and pees in our house! Since then, Galileo has been doing so much better. Maybe he read the blog and thought he ought to give the training thing some extra effort! He still makes an occasional mess in the house, but it is definitely looking on the up and up. He nearly always waits to pee outside, which is great. He hasn't quite learned how to tell us he needs to go out yet, we just have to stay on top of the game and take him out every half hour or so. For some reason the poopsies are a little different. He hasn't quite equated poops with outside yet. If we take him out and he goes, then it's great, but he still scurries to a corner of the house when he gets the urge to go. We'll keep working on it. I definitely feel a ton better than I did when I wrote the last post about training nightmares! I'm so proud of the progress he...um.... we have made.

He has also started to take to his cage very well. Just like the books said, he heads in that direction whenever he wants to nap or get away from the clawing kitties. We have also learned to utilize the backyard whenever we need a little break from his almost incessant whines for attention.

He has been getting along with Mary Todd and Abigail somewhat better (or should I say it's the other way around). They are definitely lingering around longer when he scurries over to them. Most of the time they take off after a few nips and barks, but sometimes they stay to take a swipe at him with their paws. I've even noticed the cats bringing toys around so they can watch Galileo play with them. That's probably not exactly what their doing, but it's how I like to look at it! I can see them becoming better friends soon, mostly when he gets a little older and looses some of that crazy energy!

So, things are going well here in the Sugar home. We have all began adjusting to the new addition, and now we are just trying to readjust to this sweltering heatwave that has hit Philadelphia. I forgot what heat like this felt like, after being in San Francisco for nearly four years. I grew up in humid weather conditions, but I don't remember it being quite like this. Maybe it's because we are in a city surrounded by concrete, or maybe we are experiencing a little bit of that global warming we've been hearing so much about. We did come across two air conditioners yesterday, so never fear Bloggy Friends, if you want to come visit, your room will be cool as a cucumber!

I hope you all have a great day. I am including a short video clip of Galileo playing around with Mary Todd one day last week. They are such cuties!

Love you all,

Josh

Kentucky Road Trip, Pt. 3 (Back to Philly!)

Hello.Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you are having a fantastic night. This has been a great weekend for us. It's been super hot in Philadephia - with temperatures reaching far into the 90's both Saturday and Sunday. I love the hot weather, but it's getting a little stuffy in our apartment, since we have no central air. We do have a window unit downstairs, which keeps most of the first floor cool. We may have to breakdown and get a unit for the upstairs, too. I don't mind the humidity so much, until I go to bed at night. Icky, Sticky! I also have an array of guests coming over the next few months, and I want to make sure they are comfy.

Anyways, here is the third and final video of my Kentucky Road Trip series. I know it was a long time a comin', but work and raising a new puppy has been keeping my hands full. It is all about our return trip back to Philly, bringing the puppy into his new home and introducing him to Abigail and Mary Todd. Enjoy!

I hope you guys have a fabulous, cool evening. I wanna send a shout-out to Mimi, who is on a fabulous trip to Manchester, UK! Check his blog for possible updates on what he's up to over there - it's a bunch of no good if I know that Mimi!

Love you all,

Joshua

Kentucky Road Trip, Pt. 2 (Louisville)

Hello.Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you are all having a terribly terrific Tuesday! Everything is sunny here in Philadelphia. Here is part two of my Kentucky Road Trip series. In it we drive from Lancaster to Louisville, to pick up Galileo and spend time with family and friends. We had such a great time. I hope Puss doesn't mind that I show off his apartment to everyone! I envy his eye for decoration. My brother has it, but I just didn't get that gene.

Love you all. Have a great day!

Love, Josh

I'm Pooped!

Hello.Hey, Bloggy Friends!

What a whirlwind of a few days this has been! I honestly don't think I have sat down to rest since - well I can't remember when. As you know, Wednesday afternoon Casey flew into Philadelphia for work. He was only here until Friday afternoon, but we were fortunate enough to spend a little time together every day he was here. His hotel was literally steps away from my work, so at nights when I finished I would just pop by and we'd head out on the town. Friday afternoon before he left we spent the day together touring some of Philadelphia's historic sites. I saw the Liberty Bell for the very first time! We closed our visit with a little lunch in Old City, and some light shopping on Walnut. We had such a fantastic time. It was so great to see him. Having him here helps to reconfirm my belief that God blessed me with some of the best friends in the whole world. You're the best, Mimi!

Saturday afternoon Alan and I met up with his aunt, Jude, to see the latest play put on at PTC - The Happiness Lecture. This play, starring Bill Irwin, was a highly entertaining piece of performance art. I was a little skeptical going in, because I thought it was going to be a silly show about clowns and magic - boy was I wrong. It was such an uplifting, comical show that had me laughing out loud - and holding back tears of joy at the end. The show was full of dancing, singing, special effects and puppetry. One of my favorite aspects of the performance was the usage of the entire theatre space, by the actors. They were running through the aisles, climbing up rafters and even communicating with some audience members. It was fantastic. If any of you are in the Philadelphia area - I totally recommend seeing this show. Bring your loved ones and be prepared to be overjoyed! It's a winner.

As always it was fantastic to see Jude. When the show was over we headed to a restaurant on Pine Street, called MIXTO. We conversed over drinks and a little dinner. Jude's husband, Lou, was a little under the weather, so she had to rush off a little quicker than usual. We hated to part so early, but hope to see them again soon when Lou is all better. Speedy recovery!

Today we woke up and took care of all our puppy duties. This includes several potty breaks, feeding, playing, and watching him incessantly. It is starting to feel like a hassle and is a huge reason why I don't feel like I have been able to chillout in days. He has been doing so much better since my last post, though. Thank you all for your advice. Around one o'clock we headed a few miles away to the home of our pet sitters, Scott and Zoe. They have been helping us out since December when we go on vacation, or when we are not here during the day to take Galileo out. They were hosting a Garden BBQ for friends and clients, so we went along to meet some folks and let Galileo socialize with other puppies. He had a great time running around with this cute French Bulldog named, Driver. They are about the same age, and nearly the same size, so they became fast friends. It was great to see him take so well to other dogs. We also met a lot of interesting people. The food was delicious and the weather was fab. I'm loving the Philadelphia summer.

So, as you can see we have been running rampant over the past few days. It has all been worth it, but like I say in my title - Josh is pooooooooped! I have some great videos to share of Casey's visit, and of course the final two parts of our Kentucky road trip - so stay tuned for those in the coming days. When I close this blog I am going to head downstairs, make myself some warm tea and crash on the couch for the rest of the evening. Does that not sound dreamy???

I hope you guys had a lovely weekend and here's to a perfect week. Below is a slide show of PICTURES we took over the past few days - most of which are from Casey's visit. Gotta run, Galileo is barking for some attention!

I love you all. Good night.

Josh

Puppy Progress, Pt. 1

Hello.Hey, Bloggy Friends!

Well, yesterday marks the first day we brought Galileo home. He has definitely brought a little more sunshine into our lives. He is adorable, cuddly and a bundle of laughs for both of us.

This week also marks the very first week Alan and I have EVER house trained a puppy. Acclimating cats is a much easier job. You basically bring them home, show them where the litter box is and BAM - they have it! Puppies, as a lot of you know, are a totally different story! By the end of this first trial run, I am still sure that I am a cat person through and through.

I won't lie - I'm getting a little frustrated. It doesn't really seem like he is "getting it" yet. He goes outside and pees when we take him, sure, but I don't have the feeling he knows outside is the only place he can pee or poo. Sometimes we'll take him out and he'll just sit there in the grass starring at us, then as soon as we bring him in he pees on the rug! We are doing everything the books are telling us, but it seems like they leave out a few minor details - like, it isn't as easy as it sounds! He definitely understands that he gets a treat when he goes outside, which is a good thing. He'll squat and pee, then run right for it. But like I said before, that doesn't keep him from squatting in the house. I know it's only been a week, and all we can do is keep trying. It's just hard when it doesn't seem to be going the way you expected. I would really appreciate some words of encouragement, Bloggy Friends. You have all been so good to me already, with your advice and support. I know it will all work out, but I need to vent to someone!! He just seems so defiant and I need to know if that's normal!

There is also the issue with his crate. All the books say he will LOVE his crate - well he doesn't. He is miserable in his crate. We have bought cushions, comfy blankets, fill it with toys, give him water and still he barks like a banshee when he's inside. I feel like he sees it as punishment. He basically kept us up all night last night, whimpering and barking from it. We can't show him attention when he does that, because he'll think it works for him. So, we just lay there and let him do it - to no avail.

On a more positive note, Mary Todd and Abigail are slowly adjusting themselves to Galileo. I notice that they are getting closer (especially when he is asleep) to sniff him and see what in the world he is. When playing they start to wrestle around, but they both play so differently. He's all about nibbling and they are all about clawing. I think they'll find a meeting point eventually. He has tried to snuggle with them a few times, but they aren't having it yet. He is a puppy still, so his energy far surpasses their mature, teenage cat years. I look forward to the day when they play, sleep and cuddle together. How sweet!

I hope you don't mind if I take a little time on the blog to post our progress with him. I feel like it will help me along the whole process. I have attached pictures to make it more entertaining for you, if you don't feel like listening to me gripe! I appreciate you're advice though, you have all been so helpful. I would like to give a special shout-out to my friend, Charlie. He lives in Tampa with his partner Jeff. I met them both in 1997 when we were all in the same fraternity (Lambda Chi Alpha)! We just so happened to be the only (secretly) gay ones around, so we have kept in touch after all this time. They are great guys and have helped so much with advice and such on the puppy. Thanks Charlie!!

I hope you all have a fantastic day. It's hot as Hades in Philadelphia today! I love it.

and I love you,

Josh

Back Together Again!

Hello.Hey, Bloggy Friends!!!

We are back from our weekend trip to Kentucky! I had so much fun. It was a quick visit, but I was able to see so many people that I love. I adore Kentucky in the springtime. The trees are so full, the grass is blue and the air is so warm and sweet. It was so good to get home to see my family. I love them all so much. I burst with pride whenever I think about how blessed I am to have them.

We spent Saturday in Lancaster, where my Mom fixed a delicious dinner for a bunch of people. She had a house full of my aunts, cousins, grandparents and friends of the family. It was great fun. Alan had a chance to meet a lot of people he hasn't had a chance to meet before.

On Sunday we got up and headed to Louisville to pick up Galileo! It was cute to see him running around with his sister, mother and aunts. From there we headed to my Dad's ex-wife, Dawn's, house. We had another delicious meal and hung out for a while with them.

Galileo is so well-behaved. He is tiny, at only two lbs! He was the runt of the litter. He has acclimated so well to being away from them. I'm guessing, since he was the smallest, he had a hard time competing with all the other dogs. Now, he has all the attention and I'm guessing he loves it. He hasn't so much as whimpered to be back with is family. He sleeps all through the night and he hardly made a peep on the way home! We definitely have ourselves a gem! He's precious and I love him to pieces. This is a picture we took of him in his crate at my Dad's apartment.



Below is another slideshow of pictures I took throughout the weekend. As you'll see, I didn't take too many. Stay tuned for videos that will chronicle our whole journey! You can click HERE for a closer look!

I sure missed you guys while I was away. It was nice, however, to close my computer and be free from it for a few days. I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. It did feel so good to be home. I think visiting in the summer is loads better than being there at Christmas - when everyone is too busy to stop and breath.

Have a great day, Bloggy Friends. We are trying to socialize our Mary Todd and Abigail with our newest addition. So far so good! At the moment they seem to be overwhelmed with curiosity. They mostly perch themselves in a place where he can't reach them, and watch as he barks and jumps around. It's so cute!

Love you all!

Josh

Cinco De Madonna!

Hello.Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you guys had an awesome weekend and are geared up for a fabulous week. From what I see on a lot of your blogs, you have a lot going on in the coming weeks. Mimi is moving into her new chalet in Nashville and was just voted #1 trainer at work. Eddie and Monica took trips back to KY and Tracie is finishing up projects as she tries to conquer her fear of spiders. I haven't heard much from Bloggy Friend Bill lately, but I'm sure he's somewhere having a glass of wine and being a diva! I guess it's the season to have a lot going on, because I'm sure feelin' it too, Bloggy Friends!

As I told you before I just finished up my semester of class time! I am so glad to have that behind me. I now have two weeks of studying and paper writing in preparation for finals. I will finally wipe my hands clean of my Spring 2008 semester at Temple University next Wednesday around 4 o'clock. I can't wait! I shouldn't complain, though. It has been a great semester and my workload hasn't been THAT terrible. I am also blessed in the fact that I have been provided ample time to finish everything and prepare for exams. I really should just shut my mouth and count my blessings!

We had a great weekend. On Saturday we took a trip to the Italian Market Place in South Philly. We heard lots about it before we came, but have just now taken the chance to get over there. What a surprise it was. For a moment, as we walked along the sidewalk, it really felt like we had escaped to in Italy again. We browsed the Italian groceries, picked up fruit in the produce stands and stopped to have a delicious snack of fresh mozzarella and pesto. It was a fantastic afternoon for both of us.


Later that night we headed to the movies with a few of my co-workers. We saw a funny flick called "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." It was a really cute movie. I totally recommend it if you are in the mood for silly, slightly sophisticated comedy. While I'm talking about comedy, I'll also mention that we saw Baby Mama last weekend. It was really cute, too. I love Tina Fey and am thrilled about the success she had with this film. Check them out, Bloggy Friends!

In music news: Madonna's new CD "Hard Candy" dropped last week and, once again, she delivers. I bought it on iTunes and really love it. If you liked Britney's latest album - then you'll really like this one. There are numerous upbeat dance songs that really get me In The Groove. Of course, like on all Madonna albums there are a few duds - but for the most part it's a really enjoyable listen. My favorite tracks so far are - "Candy Shop," "4 Minutes," "Give It To Me," "She's Not Me," and "Dance 2night." Check those out if you only want to buy a few select ones. Check it out!

Well, I guess that's about all the news I have for now. We go to KY to get Galileo in two weekends. At that point I will be out of school and so ready for a little break. Besides meeting him for the first time, I am really anxious to visit with family and friends for a few days. So get ready Puss!

Tomorrow is a big day in the election. Everyone close your pretty little eyes and say a soft prayer for Hillary! Also, for my Bloggy Friends in Indiana and North Carolina, get out and cast your vote!!! I would love to see her pull out some nice wins, or at least significantly narrow the gaps. Go Hillary!

Have a great night. I'll talk to ya'll soon!

Love, Josh

Introducing.........Galileo Sugar!

Well the day has finally come and most of you were right. We have a new addition to the family!

Hellohey, Bloggy Friends,

I have been wanting a Yorkshire Terrier (or Yorkie) since I was a kid. I always thought they were the cutest dogs to ever live. When we first got to PA and moved into this big apartment we thought it was a good chance to finally get one, but once we started work/school it didn't seem like our schedules would allow us the time. Plus, everywhere we looked they were so expensive - thousands of ridiculous dollars. Not that they aren't worth that, but come on! So, we got our two kitties and have been so happy with them.

Well recently my friend, Craig, called and said his Yorkie just had puppies and he is selling them. They are pure bred and he was going to sell them at a much more reasonable price than we have found before. So we talked about it and decided to go through with it! I'm so excited.


At this point he is only about three weeks old and still has to be with his mother. We will be able to pick him up around the first of May when he is around eight weeks. The picture above is the only one I have at the moment, and that was taken just before his eyes were opened up. Doesn't he look so cute and perfect? Craig actually lives in Louisville, so we are going to have to make a quick trip home one weekend to pick him up. It isn't the most ideal of situations, but we'll work it out.

I can't wait to bring him home and see how the kitties react to him. They are two of the sweetest, most affectionate cats I've ever owned, so I think they will really adapt well. They are great with strangers. They are also so playful, so I think they will all have a ball running around together like good brothers and sisters.

Alan chose the name Galileo, because it was Galileo, the physicist, that inspired him to go into science when he was at Vanderbilt, in Nashville. I love the name.

Anyways. Thanks for voting in the poll and for making it fun for me to post and act sly this week! It was fun to pretend like everyone was in suspense, even though I knew most of you had used your clever noggins to figure it out!

Have a great day and be sure to catch updates in the future on further Galileo developments. I'll share pictures as I get them and will surely make a video of our trip to KY in a few weeks.

Love ya'll!

Josh

P.S. I found a cute video on YouTube that I like to watch over and over. Can you believe I'm gonna have one of these little things running around my house in a few weeks!?!?!?!