I've been a bad Bloggy Friend...

Hey Bloggy Friends! I feel awful that I haven't lived up to my promise of my San Francisco Wrap-Up, four part mini-series. As the week progressed things started getting out of hand with moving details and meeting friends to say goodbye. I was having fun making the movies though, it really helped me to reminisce about my time here. So to wrap things up in a few words - I started school, got a job modeling at the Academy of Art University, became involved in performance related activities again, met several new friends and had so many of my best friends come to visit along the way (Mimi, Puss, Matthew, Trey and my brother, Derek, to name a few. That's pretty much what I was going to talk about in two more blogs. Again, I'm sorry! Shame, shame!

I am at the apartment right now and all of our stuff has just been taken away! The day has finally come and we are t h i s close to getting out of here. As some of you know we are taking two weeks to drive across the country to Philadelphia. I am really excited about this because it is something I have always wanted to do. We don't have a lot of concrete plans in the works. We are going to be totally spontaneous and just plan it as we go along. There are a few places that we know we would like to stop, so we will just drive along and map out our route accordingly.

I am going to try my best to keep my blog updated all along the way, internet access permitted, so be sure to keep checking back. I hope there will be some fun stuff to see and show you.

In other news, Alan is officially Dr. Alan as of yesterday afternoon! In just a few weeks he'll be slaving away in a lab, trying to create drugs that will cure the world! So be sure to send your congratulations and best wishes his way. This is a huge accomplishment for anyone to perform and I am very proud of him!

Have a great Friday, Bloggy Friends. I love you more than anything and look forward to sharing our trip over the next few weeks.

Mmmmmwah!

San Francisco Wrap-Up, Pt. 2: Finding Some Sugar

Hey Bloggy Friends. This week is flying by, I can't believe it's already humpty hump day!

This video is part two of my San Francisco Wrap-Up mini series. A huge turning point in my stay here came about six months after I arrived - when I met Alan! Through him I became aware of a whole new aspect of the city as I met new friends, traveled throughout California and settled down a bit to a lot less of a routine nightlife schedule. It came at just the right time. I will always considier meeting him a blessing. It was refreshing to meet someone from the same part of the country as me. I've told some of you this before but we kind of followed each other around the country without even noticing it. We lived in Nashville at the same time, Chicago at the same time and then moved to San Francisco around the same time - and never met each other until we were here. Kind of funny, huh? I'm sure we had to have brushed shoulders somewhere along the way!

As far as the present situation is concerned, we have three days until we take off! I still feel like we have so much to do around here and I am trying my best to make my rounds to see some friends I want to see before I go. I'd be lying if I said my mind wasn't a little frazzled with all the commotion. I guess it comes with the territory, though.

I hope you enjoy the little video I put together. Have a great day, Bloggy Friends. I'll see you tomorrow!

San Francisco Wrap-Up, Pt. 1: In The Beginning

Hey Bloggy Friends!

This whole week is going to be a Time-Warp extravaganza! Only four more days left until the big departure, so I thought I would take pictures and videos that I have collected during my time here and share it with you all. There is too much to put in one blog, so I have decided to make it a four part mini-series!

Today's video covers the beginning of my time in San Francisco - from when I arrived, to the friends and experiences I had over the first few months.

Oh, the memories!

I do a little voiceover action and I think in the beginning I say that I moved to San Francisco in 2001. That's so wrong, I don't know what I was thinking. I actually moved here in 2004. Whoopsies! Oh, and turn the volume up a little more because the mic on my computer sucks a ding dong.

I hope you enjoy!!! Have a great Tuesday!

Love, Josh

Flashdance Friday: Telephone Blues

Hey Bloggy Friends. It's Friday!!!

Here is a short and very silly video I did for you this afternoon.

I hope you are having a great day and that your weekend plans look fabulous. See ya on Monday!

Love, Josh

The Weekender: Salmy Sunday

Hello Bloggy Friends! I hope everyone is having a fantastic day. I know you are probably just as excited as I am that it is almost Friday!!

Today's bloggy video is of an event in our home that has become a weekly tradition. We affectionately call it, "Salmy Sunday." Salmy Sunday started about two and a half years ago on Valentines Day, when we decided to celebrate by eating something red. We (when I say we I mean Alan) cooked Barbecue Salmon and it turned out to be so delicious that we wanted to make it a staple in our weekly diet. Now, every Sunday is "Salmy Sunday." We call it Salmy because we like to make everything into a cutsy word, and yes, we did coin that term before Oprah did!

We don't really cook a lot around here, if we do it's steaming vegetables or warming up a soy chicken patty. Our schedules do not allow a lot of time for cooking, but Sunday is the perfect day for us to relax, have a nice dinner and crack open a delicious bottle of wine. I look forward to it all week long!

Here is a little video that I filmed this past Sunday. I hope you enjoy. Have a great rest of the day and I'll see you tomorrow!

Love, Josh

Warning: The Following Bloggy Video May Make You Very Hungry!

The Weekender: Nintendo Wii Party!

Hey Bloggy Friends!

On Saturday night our friend Matt threw a Nintendo Wii themed housewarming party at his place near Hayes Valley. Matt just moved here from Baltimore a few months ago and is one of the post doctorate students in Alan's lab. When I first heard we were going to a Nintendo Wii party I was a little skeptical. I used to love playing video games, but it's been a while, so I wasn't sure how much fun I would really have. Matt is a really nice guy though, so we checked yes on the Evite and went on our way!

After we were there for a minute he turned on the Wii and had us create characters for ourselves. He informed us that he mainly had sports games, which worried me even more - most of my bloggy friends know I'm not a huge sports fan. The first game we played was bowling, and to my surprise I did great! I was bowling strikes - one, two and three in a row! Before I knew it my competitive side, that I usually forget I have, crept up and I was taking everyone on and finding myself really involved in all the games! I had so much fun and got a little carried away, as you'll see in the video. Besides bowling we played other games like tennis, baseball, truck racing & boxing - it was so much fun!!! Thanks for the good time Matt!

Here is a video I made of the evening festivities. I hope you enjoy.Have a great start to the new week, Bloggy Friends!

Love, Josh

First-Time Friday: The iPhone!

Hey Bloggy Friends!

This week my friend Ishmael came to visit San Francisco from Seattle. He called me on the spur of the moment, so I rushed to meet him and two other friends,Todd & Cody, at a local bar called Moby Dick's. We had a great time, having a drink and chatting each other up - then Ishamael pulled out the iPhone!

I have seen them from a far and of course have seen the commercials on tv, but I have yet to hold one in my hands! It is such an amazing little piece of technology. I couldn't believe how small and efficient it is. The internet ran super fast, iTunes is right there at the touch of a finger, and I think it can even make telephone calls too - I'm addicted! I was even able to show them some of my bloggy videos!

Luckily, the prices are starting to drop, so hopefully that means I may get my hands on one of my own pretty soon. It was good to crawl out from underneath my rock and actually see one face to screen!

In other news - things are moving right along for us and our move. Alan has finally scheduled his defense talk and it looks like we may be shipping out on the 28th of this month. I'm so excited! Plans for our Sugar Roadtrip 2007 are underway!

It should be a fun weekend for us, I hope you guys have a good one too. Take care and I'll see ya'll on Monday!

Love, Josh

P.S. Here is a little bloggy video I made of my first iPhone experience! Enjoy.

Labor Day Cook-IN!

Hey Bloggy Friends!

I love throwing parties! I haven't had a chance to do it often, living here, because our place is so small, but Sunday Alan and I decided to throw a little Labor Day Cook-In. It's kind of like a cookout, except we were indoors! I did all the decorating and party planning, while Alan cooked and served the food. My friends Nicole, Kelly and Kelly's boyfriend, Ed, came over. We had a nice time, eating, chatting and lauging together the way good friends do.

Here is a little video clip I made of the afternoon - hope you enjoy!

P.S. Click HERE for some extra pictures of the afternoon!

The Weekender: Mission Party!

Saturday night Alan and I got ready to go to a party held by a friend of his from school. She is moving out of her apartment and decided to throw one last hoorah before she leaves. I didn't get a lot of footage because most people, with the exception of my friend Sarah, have expressed discomfort in being exploited by my camera! This video wraps up our Saturday outings - hope you enjoy!

Love, Josh

The Weekender: Thrifting, Kitties & The Caffeine Effect

Saturday afternoon was another gloriously beautiful day in San Francisco! Alan has been on the lookout for a specific gift for his advisor before he leaves, so we have been shopping all over town - with no avail. We had fun though, cruising some of the best antique and thrift stores in the city.

Here is a little video I made during our afternoon romp. I hope you enjoy. We had a really fun weekend. There will be more videos to come of all the other festivities! I hope you had a good one too!

Love, Josh

Pluggy Blog: Kimi's Son Quinn

Hey bloggy friends. It's another hot one here in San Francisco - I love it! We are planning to have a little get together on Sunday afternoon with some friends, so I am off to the grocery to get some supplies.

But first....

Do ya'll remember my friend Kimi? She was the one singing "Fire & Desire" with me in an earlier blog post. Well, her son is embarking on a journey to begin a career in music and has just finished his first video. If you are a fan of West Coast Hip-Hop or Neo-Soul, you might like what he has to offer. He has a lot of good things to say, he keeps it real with lyrics that are very socially conscious. His name is Quinn and he goes by the alias "Wordup." Kimi says he has been writing and making music since he was a kid, she is very proud!

I told her that I would post his video on my blog for all of my bloggy friends, including you Clive Davis and Tommy Motola, to see.

If you want to hear more songs click HERE for a link to his Myspace page.

I hope you enjoy. Have a fantastic day Bloggy Friends!

Love Always,

Josh

Quickie Blog: Lunch Date With Nicole

Happy day Bloggy Friends! Today is hump day, and you know what that means, get out there and hump the ones you love most!

Indian Summer has arrived in San Francisco, and let me tell you, it's HOT! Ask my family back in Kentucky, however, and I bet they'd tell you that they would take this weather over the 90+ temperatures with extreme humidity anyday!

I love when Indian Summer comes, because I love hot weather. It makes me feel alive, vibrant and sexy! I love being able to wear shorts, tank tops and flops all day, everyday. Not everyone in San Francisco feels the same way I do, though. Most of the locals act like they are going to melt away just because the temperatures rise above 80! You should see them slugging around like they are living in Dante's Inferno!

Yesterday my friend Nicole came over, on her day off, and we had lunch in the park. It was a fun afternoon outing, especially when we grabbed ice cream cones from the local Bi-Rite Creamery. Soy delicious!

I didn't get much footage, so today's blog is a little quickie. Who doesn't love a little quickie every now and then?

Until Next Time Bloggy Friends..

I'm Saving All My Love For Youuuuuuuu!

Josh

Making The Rounds: Coit Tower

Yesterday afternoon Alan & I decided to make our way towards downtown to finally see Coit Tower. Coit Tower is a huge tourist destination in San Francisco that neither of us have ever seen before. Of course, we can see it from several spots in the city, for it stands very tall and prominently on Telegraph Hill. I was never sure what the purpose for Coit Tower was before, but now I know that it doesn't do much more than stand as a monument to a very rich lady and offer a spectacular view of the Bay. One interesting tidbit, however, is that it was built by funds from a lady named Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who came to San Francisco from Kentucky in the early part of the century! For more information and history about Coit Tower, click the link above.

After browsing around Telegraph Hill we made our way towards home, passing through North Beach and Chinatown. I've been through both of these places numerous times, but I always find it neat that in the time it takes to cross about 10 blocks you feel like you have traveled through two different far away lands!

Here is a short film of pictures and videos we took along our journey. I hope you enjoy. Have a great start to the week, bloggy friends!

Love, Josh

Flashdance Friday Dance Party!

Get up out of your seats, bloggy friends, and shake that money maker like there's no tomorrow!

A dance a day keeps the doctor away, and that's why I made this video for you. Enjoy!

BFF (Bloggy Friends Forever),

Josh

Singin' & Eatin' With Good Friends!

Hey Bloggy Friends!

Yesterday my friend Kelly came in from Santa Cruz, so we decided to meet up and do one of the things we love most - go to The Mint for karaoke! My friend Nicole, who you have met before, came along too. We had a ton of fun being silly and acting like divas! I've been going to The Mint for about a year now, it's kind of like my "Cheers." I have several friends there and it's always nice to stop in and sing a song, or sixty, from time to time with everyone.

Afterwards Alan met up with us and we went to one of my favorite restaurants in the city, Memphis Minnie's. Memphis Minnie's is famous for it's scrumptious, down home, soul food! Kelly has been asking me to take her for a while, so I took the opportunity when she came back into town. It was so good!

Here is a video I posted of our afternoon. For full versions of my duet with Kimi click HERE, and for my duet with Aldo, click HERE.

Have a great day Bloggy Friends!

Love, Josh

Hot Spots: Dolores Park!

Only three blocks from my front door is one of my most favorite places in the city - Dolores Park.

Dolores Park is a beautiful, hilly park that is always full of life and excitement. From the top of the park you can see one of the most beautiful views, of the San Francisco skyline, that the city has to offer. If I'm ever bored I know that I can usually find something going on there, whether it's a fiery peace rally, a dj dance party or a quiet movie in the park.

Dolores Park is also infamous for welcoming an array of bikini clad sun-bathers when the weather is nice and toasty - lending the nickname "Dolores Park Beach" to a certain hill there. Sometimes the view from that point is a little more than you bargained for - if you know what I mean! G-String Central!

I have never lived in a city where the parks have attracted so much traffic and enthusiasm. It still amazes me to look over the hills and see hundreds of people just lounging around enjoying the day. I really hope Philadelphia has amenities such as these to offer. I sure will miss you Dolores Park.

Here is a short video I filmed - I hope you enjoy!

Love, Josh

Short & Sweet: Swimmy Blog - Reeemixed!

Hey Everyone! Yesterday, afternoon Alan and I enjoyed a nice, leisurely afternoon by the pool. It was a really low key weekend, though as you can see from the last blog, we accomplished quite a bit. The weather has been so fantastic, it is nice to have some time off to enjoy it before I leave. Alan, on the other hand, has a lot of work to do before he can take a break. Everyone keep him in your thoughts as he successfully wraps up his last few weeks of grad school!

This here is a quickie video that I made of our pool experience - Enjoy!

Love, Josh

Short & Sweet: Saturday Packy Singy Blog!

Hey everyone! Our Saturday was uneventful, though very productive. We decided to further the process of eliminating more stuff that we don't want to take with us to Philadelphia. Alan sure has collected a lot of junk over the years! So here is a video of our morning as it expands on into the evening when we head over to Noe Valley to grab dinner at a place called Pasta Gina's. It's a rather random blog - but that's what I do best!

Love you all bloggy friends!

Josh

Random Blog!

Hey bloggy friends! There's not a lot of point to today's blog except that it's very random! I hung out with my friend Allen yesterday and we chilled in the city all afternoon before taking dinner at No Name Sushi on Church street here in San Francisco. Allen is a good friend of mine that I have had since living in Chicago. I don't tend to argue with most of my friends, but my friendship with him is unique in the fact that we sometimes have little (large) tiffs. We always pull it back together, though, and come through as stronger friends! He is a fantastically creative and inspiring person to be around, I'm lucky to have him as a friend. Some of you may remember me being cast in some of his shows in Chicago. He founded a radical, independent theater company called Nomenil. It was a lot of fun.

Anyways, here is a small video I took off and on yesterday. I hope you enjoy it!

P.S. For those of you with sensitive ears - there is a profane word used once or twice in this chatty blog - watch at your own risk! No Mom, it's not me saying it!

Love, Josh

Making The Rounds: The Tamale Lady!

Since I have been living in San Francisco I have been hearing talk of this citywide icon known as "The Tamale Lady." The Tamale Lady lives and works all over The Mission, but where to find her exactly is a mystery! Rumor has it that she makes the best tamales in all of San Francicso. She's famous to the locals and even has her own write up, along with countless other restaurants in San Francisco, on yelp.com. She'll pop up at a local bar, maybe she'll set up a stand on 16th & Valencia, you just never know where you might run into her. Though some say she always knows where she's needed most - and that's usually at a local bar full of the drunk and ravenously hungry! I have always been very curious about this special Tamale Lady, though I have never worked too hard to seek her out. I'm not like a huge tamale fan or anything, but I have always hoped that one day our paths would cross.

This week after checking out at Trader Joe's that day finally came! There she stood, as we walked out the door, with her little cart and tamale in hand. She was just as cute and spunky as I could have imagined. "Want a tamale?" the magic words gleefully spilled from her mouth.

"Yes I do!"

Boy was it worth it! When we shelled out our $2, unwrapped the outer corn layer and sank our teeth into that warm, moist tamale I instantly understood what all the fuss was about! Mmmmmm Mmmmm! This lady has magic in her fingers and today was my lucky day! I couldn't stand there admiring her too long, though, before I knew it people were pushing me out of the way to have their daily dose of the tamale lady's delectable treat. They all knew that if they didn't catch her now, there was no telling when she might pop up next.

Thank you tamale lady for being there before I left San Francisco. It would have been sad to have left, never knowing the pleasure of your sweet, sweet goodness!