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

Dad & Dawn's Trip to Philly

Hello.Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was jam-packed and fabulous. My Dad and Dawn came to Philadelphia on Friday and stayed with us until Monday. We had such a great time. This was their first time in Philadelphia, and they were really impressed with what it had to offer.

We started the weekend off right, when they arrived Friday, by going to see our current show at The Philadelphia Theatre Company, The Happiness Lecture. They both loved it so much. My Dad said he hasn't laughed that much in a long time. I was so happy they enjoyed it. Afterwards we walked West on Lombard to an awesomely authentic Italian restaurant called Bistro La Baia. I can honestly say this was the best Italian meal I have had in the U.S., ever! It was a small, quaint place and they treated us like we were a guest in their home. It was fantastic. Let's go there when you come and visit, Bloggy Friends.

On Saturday we kicked off the afternoon with brunch at Le Bus on Main Street in Manayunk. Later we went to the Philadelphia Art Museum to check out the Modern/Contemporary Art section, and the Europen Art from 1100 to 1850. I am so impressed with this museum, you guys. It is definitely a world class, state of the art venue. I attached a few pics of some of my favorite pieces in my photo gallery HERE. I am so happy to have it so near. Let's go there when you come visit, too.

Saturday night, after tooling around the Historical District, we ate at what is now one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia, Farmicia. Farmicia is a fabulous restaurant in Old City that serves local, organic foods. It was so delicious. We had such a great time that we sat there for two hours at least, eating, chatting and sipping wine. Bloggy Friends, can we go there.... Oh, you know the rest..

We designated Sunday as a shopping day. Dawn wanted to check out Ikea, because there isn't one near her in Kentucky. We spent hours there, and each of us ended up with a cartload of goodies to take home with us. Shopping at Ikea is always an exhausting experience - but well worth the time spent. That evening we took Dad and Dawn to get a Philly Cheese Steak (they had to have one). We found out about a great place just around the corner from where we live, and they loved it. After dinner we walked along Kelly Drive, and looked at the city all lit up before returning home to bed.

I enjoyed myself so much. It was so good to have my dad here over Father's Day weekend. I believe this is the first Father's Day we have spent together in like 8 years at least. I'm not big on made up holidays, but it was still a nice thought. My Dad is so great, and Dawn is a ton of fun. I hope they decide to come back and visit us again soon! I love you both so much.

Enjoy my slideshow below. You can also click HERE for my Flickr album. You will find more pictures there, and they're in color! I'll also put a video together of our trip soon.

Have a great day. I love you all and hope you have a fantastic day. Welcome home Mimi!!

Love, Joshie

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Hello.Hey, Bloggy Friends!

Do you guys remember Bobby McFerrin? He had a huge hit in the early 90's with the song, "Don't worry, be happy." Well, he just came in and got tickets to our current show, The Happiness Lecture! Not a big deal, I guess, but you know I love celebrity sightings. He has changed quite a bit. Instead of the short haircut he sported in the 90's, he now has long, Bob Marley-like dreads. He always did have that reggae flare to his tunes.


Anyways, just thought I'd share. I hope you guys are having a great Wednesday night. I'm about to get off work and head over to my friend Jillians for drinks and grilled vegetables.

Love you all!

Josh

Celebrity Sighting!

Hello.Hey, Bloggy Friends!

Actor, John Lithgow, just came to the box office and bought a ticket for The Happiness Lecture! He is evidently a friend of Bill Irwins. I'm not a huge fan, but he came to my window and it was very exciting!

Just thought I'd share. I love celebrity sightings, and this is my first at PTC.

Have a great day. Happy Birthday, Gary!

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

Weekend Fun!

Hello.Hey, Bloggy Friends!

How are ya today? I hope you've had a great weekend. It has been very sunny and nice in Philadelphia over the past week. I love this warm weather. It was nice when this weekend finally rolled around, because things at school are really starting to pick up for the last time before classes end on May 5. I have a ton of papers and assignments due in a short period of time, so don't be surprised if you don't hear much from me over the coming weeks. Just imagine me knee deep in text books and send a special blessing my way!

We had a fantastic weekend. On Saturday Alan and I met up with his aunt Jude to see the current play at the Philadelphia Theatre Company, Third by Wendy Wasserstein. It was such a wonderfully written, sweet show. This is actually the last play ever written by Wasserstein, she passed away less than two years ago after a long battle with breast cancer. You may recognize the names of some of her other plays, such as An American Daughter and The Heidi Chronicles. We all loved it very much. If you have a chance to see this show, or another by Wendy Wasserstein, I highly suggest you get a ticket.

After the show the three of us strolled around Center City for a while before we went back to Jude's home for dinner. Waiting for us there was her always humorous husband, Lou. Throughout the course of the evening we chatted over wine and snacked on hors devours before finally enjoying one of the very best meals I have had in Philadelphia thus far. Jude is a fantastic cook, and I'm not just saying that because she may be reading! She confesses that cooking is one of her favorite pastimes. I can tell that she sees it as a form of artistic expression because the presentation was magnificent and the blending of tastes was out of this world delicious! She served us a whole fish (trout seasoned with rosemary, parsley, lemon and garlic), steamed asparagus, new potatoes and a scrumptious side salad of mixed greens. We were then served delicious tarts, from a local bakery, for dessert. Bloggy Friends, it was all so good. I hope you have someone in your lives who can cook like this for you from time to time. Thanks, Jude! There's nothing like a homecooked meal.

Today we haven't done much but take care of a few errands like shopping for groceries and taking out the garbage. It has been nice to lay around and relax before we start our weeks over again tomorrow. Alan worked a little in the backyard. He has been pulling weeds and cleaning it up to get ready for the summer. It is so nice to have a porch and a yard to lounge in! Perhaps we'll plant a bush or some flowers to admire during the warm months. I did watch about an hour of the Papal Mass today. I found it fascinating. I'm just amazed at the amount of grandeur and ceremony that goes into such an occasion. I am not Catholic so I don't really understand the importance of having the Pope visit America. There must be something huge about it, though, there were over 50,000 people packed into Yankee stadium. I was just intrigued by the mixture of spirituality and apparent celebrity that goes along with being the Pope. He's a diva!

Well, I guess I'll run for now. I hope you guys have a fantastic start to the new week. Luckily I'll be off of work over the next few weeks because this weekend was the closing for Third. I'll start back again when the next show begins. It's a blessing to have this time off during the last few weeks of school and finals. I'll talk to you soon!

Love you,

Josh