Crop Dusting New York City

Hi Bloggy Friends,

Last Saturday I took an overnight trip to New York City with my friends Julia and Holly. Things have been hectic for all of us lately, so we thought a nice getaway would do us worlds of good.

We were carted there on the second level of a double-decker MegaBus, which dropped us off on the corner of 7th Ave. and 28th St. in Chelsea. From there we didn't waste any time before hitting up a few galleries in the Village, a smelly anarchist book fair in Greenwich and finally the latest exhibit at one of my favorite contemporary art venues, the New Museum. We covered a lot of ground within the first few hours of our arrival, but after trudging from neighborhood to neighborhood wearing heavy backpacks, we decided to hop on the Metro for our resting place in Brooklyn.

Julia's friend Ashley (or Shlee) was kind enough to let us crash at her spacious, three bedroom apartment in Clinton Hill. She's busy finishing up her second semester as a grad student at the Pratt Institute, but that didn't keep her from being a fantastically attentive and gracious host. We were all so grateful to have a cozy place to stay.

Despite feeling a bit weary, we didn't wait three seconds before tearing into two bottles of wine - one for Julia and one for the rest of us. When the buzz started to kick we started thrashing through our bags for what we were going to wear out on the town that night. We were supposed to go to a Baroque party in the Village where everyone would be dressed like Marie Antoinette, so I put on something Parisian and hairsprayed the holy hell out of my hair until it looked like I had stuck my finger in an electric socket. Holly twisted buns on each side of her head and wore something totally mismatched, Shlee threw on a dress that could have come from the Golden Girls wardrobe department and Julia, being the smooth operator she always is, just kept it simple and cool.

The night unfortunately didn't get as wild as we planned. I blame starting with red wine. The Baroque party was as lame as an outgoing President and the next bar we went to, Double Down Saloon, was decent at best. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of great moments, but things just didn't reach that pinnacle of crazy you tend to expect from a night in the Big Apple. My favorite part of the evening was spent chatting in a diner over pistachio milkshakes and three open-faced reuben sandwiches. This was the first time I'd eaten meat in ages. I loved every single chomp, but it may explain the nonstop crop dusting. Whoopsie!

That night I slept rather comfortably on a blown up air mattress in Shlee's living room. In the morning we had a magnificently priced brunch in Williamsburg - $12 for an entree, a mimosa or bloody mary and all the coffee you could stand. I opted for the eggs benedict, a mimosa and a single cup of java. Good brunch with the best of company equals heaven - and a few more dusted crops.

Afterward, we thrift shopped in Williamsburg before heading to Central Park to kill time until our bus departed. While there Holly, being the adventure-seeker she is, joined a team of potheads for a hilarious game of kick ball. Julia and I watched from a bench like a couple of lazy bitches. Our bus pulled out around 7 p.m. from Penn Station. A great time was had by all.

I hope you have a great night.

Love, Josh

Big Wheels Keep on Turnin'....

Hi Bloggy Friends,

I haven't written in a while, so there is a lot to catch up on. Here are some of the most exciting things that have been happening in my life over the past couple of weeks:

Of course, I've been keeping really busy with assignments at my internship and school, though I find it much more manageable than I did in the beginning. I post most of the work on Facebook and Twitter, so hopefully you've had a chance to check out some of the stuff I've been doing. My most exciting break so far was having the chance to do the cover story for City Paper's annual style issue. Julia West and I teamed up to talk to local fashion insiders about what trends will make up the next decade. I thought the article turned out beautifully and to top it off our names made the cover. I was in heaven for a whole week. City Paper has afforded me so many exciting opportunities. This week I interviewed queer performance artist Justin Bond and I'm waiting on an response from comedian Chelsea Handler any minute now. Call me, girl!

As far as home life goes, Alan and I have continued to spruce up our place for spring. We've bought several plants to decorate our windows and the patio, and have taken on a few art projects to bring some pizzaz to the inside as well. One of my most recent side jobs was to paint a gold framed mirror we picked up at a yard sale a few years back. I've never been too crazy about the gold color, so I finally pepped it up with a little turquoise. Do you like it? You may also notice the tall-horned gazelle head we picked up a few weeks ago. I love how it looks in front of the mirror. It's amazing how the little things can make such a huge difference in your living space. Artwork and greenery make everything feel so alive. I'm so gay....

Our social calendar has been pretty happening lately too. This weekend we hit up a new restaurant in Old City called Chifa with a few of Alan's colleagues. The eatery specializes in Peruvian inspired small plates, so we had a chance to try a variety of delectables, like salmon ceviche, pork belly buns and a rich lobster bowl. The food was wonderful, but my favorite part, of course, was the three bottles of Argentinian wine we plowed through. Hello!

I've also found myself spending more time with my "colleagues" at school. One of the best things about my final semester is the camaraderie that has formed between us. Here I am pictured with (L-R) Stephanie, Trenae and Michelle. We've been climbing the ranks of classes together for several semesters now and we can all sympathize about the struggles we may be having in our senior capstone (MURL) class. It's really not so bad but most of us, myself included, will take any chance to bitch about something every now and then, right? Holler.

And finally, the biggest news I have to report is that Alan and I are taking off for a two week trip to Europe after I graduate. It will be an amazing topper offer to the almost five years of schooling I've put in. When not busy with work, we've been spending our spare time shuffling through guide books and listening to travel podcasts to get ideas about the places we're going. Paris and Amsterdam is where we'll spend most of our time and we plan to take a few days in the Belgian cities of Brussells and Bruges. We're both really excited about it.

I hope you all have a nice rest of the week. Thanks for stopping by today. I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

(New) Hope Springs (Break) Eternal

Hi Bloggy Friends,

I hope you're doing well. The last time I wrote we were covered under a million inches of snow, but today most of that has melted away and we're enjoying the hell out of some springtime weather. The temperature reached well into the 50s today and the sun is shining as bright as can be. I'm loving every second of it. Could spring be arriving early this year? The Farmer's Almanac doesn't think so. It reports that we should be getting another hefty snowfall in March. It's been accurate so far, but I'm hoping this prediction is one for the garbage cans. Bring on the sunshine and the short shorts, baby.

If the beautiful weather isn't enough, I'm also reeling because my spring break has officially begun. To get the hiatus started right, Alan and I took a road trip to New Hope, PA, where we boarded the puppies and enjoyed a full day together in the cute, artsy little oasis. We crashed at the Wedgewood Inn (pictured left), a 140-year old bed and breakfast just off the main drag in New Hope. This was my favorite B&B experience to date. Usually when we squat in a place like this I feel like I'm intruding on another person's space, but here I felt comfortable, like we had ample privacy and well, kind of like a Victorian-era lady with a high-top bun on my head. We slept like cherubs in a lovely little room on the first floor that was decorated with antiques to suit the historical structure. It was a perfect experience. If you happen upon this post because you're looking for a B&B in New Hope, I'd definitely recommend this one.

When we weren't inside, we were milling around the town. We spent most of our time browsing antique shops and art galleries in Lambertville,  New Jersey, which is directly across the bridge from New Hope. I like it better there because the shops are more interesting, there are better cafes and the sidewalk traffic is refreshingly more sparse than it is in New Hope. We were on the lookout for a piece of artwork to hang on a huge empty space in our kitchen, but everything we loved was way out of our price range. I know it's worth it, but it's a damn shame art has to be so expensive. Later in the evening we had a scrumptious dinner at Caffe Galleria on Main Street. I grubbed on a fantastic grouper dish with steamed carrots and broccoli and Alan had a plate of rich lobster ravioli. It was truly blissful.

This morning we enjoyed a generous, complimentary breakfast in the dining room at the Wedgwood Inn before picking up the dogs to return home. We had a few things to take care of in Philadelphia, so we didn't want to linger too long. Now we're at home feeling nice and cozy after Salmon Sunday. I'm counting down the minutes until the Academy Awards, but I'll have to let the DVR record it for a good half hour so I can zoom past the commercials and boring speeches. Technology spoils me.

Are you going to watch the Oscars? Rooting for anyone in particular? I'm not really. I just enjoy the festivities and the sparkly, sometimes poofy ball gowns. Have a great night. I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

Alan, me and two doilies in our room at Wedgwood Inn.

P.S. Here are links to my work published in Philadelphia this week:

On a Wing and a Prayer with El Wingador

My review of the Snoop Dogg show at TLA

Neighborhood Watch in Mt. Airy

Art Phag

Deshler-Morris to Tell Wider Story of Washington's Household

Valentine's Gay: How We Met

Happy Valentine's Day Bloggy Friends,

I hope this post finds you well and deeply in love. We're not typically the mushy Valentine's Day types, but we like to play along as much as we can. If we were a hetero couple it probably wouldn't be a big deal, but since we're gay we're whoopin' it up just because we can. We may be denied the basic right to make our relationship "legal," but no one can tell me that I can't call Alan my Valentine.

Did you do anything special for the holiday? We decided to celebrate last night so we could take it easy and bypass the crowds (and the set priced menus) on Sunday. We tried a new restaurant called AUGUST, an Italian infusion BYOB just around the corner from our house. Our meal was phenomenal. We started with a bottle of Pinot Noir and an appetizer made with artichoke hearts and sauteed, sun-dried tomatoes. For an entree I had the pan seared tilapia and Alan had a striped sea bass dish. They were both fantastic, but I think I chose the winning plate. My fish was so rich, tender and just flat out mouth-watering. I loved every bite. We finished the evening with a shot of espresso each and a chocolate truffle torte. The experience couldn't have been more perfect.

Today we did our usual chores and now we're home waiting for dinner and listening to Nina. Alan is making barbecue salmon with mashed sweet potatoes and a brussel sprout/cauliflower concoction. Lately we've been trying a lot of different salmon recipes but barbecue salmon is how Salmy Sunday began, so we thought the throwback would be a nice way to celebrate. It's hard to believe, but this will be our sixth year together. Valentine's Day may be a cheesy, marketed holiday but it does remind you to think about what you have and to trace the steps backward in the attempt to remember how it all began:

For us it started while I was working in a raw foods juice bar in San Francisco. Alan strolled in, struck up a conversation and invited me to see a Dolly Parton cover band later that night. He had me at Dolly Parton, but another intriguing aspect to our relationship is that we grew up within 200 miles of one another and ended up living in three of the same cities at the exact same time, but didn't meet until we were both in San Francisco. Funny, huh?

So much has changed since then, but one thing remains unaltered: I am so thankful he walked in that night. I can't speak for him, but I can truly say that he has enriched my life in an innumerable amount of ways and I love him tremendously.

Have a great night Bloggy Friends. I'll chat with you very soon.

Love,
Josh

In case you missed it, here's some of the work I did for City Paper this week!:

Neighborhood Watch - Fashion Blog

Art Phag - LGBT Event Round-Up

Valentine's Day Event Round-Up

Interfaith Breakfast with Rev. Chris Glaser

The Mentalist with Kate Wallace-Watson

My Interview with Rufus Wainwright

Enjoying Baltimore, Thai Curry & MJB

Hello Bloggy Friends,

I hope you're having more than a suitable Sunday. We've been busy taking care of our end of the weekend chores that I won't bore you by mentioning for the 800th time. The weather has been fantastic in Philadelphia lately. The temps have been in the 40s and 50s all week long. It would be amazing if it would just stay like that until spring. You know I'm not a fan of the cold.

My first week back to school was excellent. I'm excited about the classes I'm taking and the work I'll be producing. I think it will be a great final semester. I had a few of my pieces published by City Paper this week. If you're interested you can check out my interview with Branden Fraser, the Bye, Bye Big Boobies benefit, my monthly Queer Bait column and our Philly fashion post, Neighborhood Watch. Thank you for your support.

This weekend was pretty amazing. Saturday afternoon we decided to take a road trip to Baltimore. We've passed it on our way to Kentucky, but we've never actually stopped to see what it was all about. What we found was a quaint, historic city that is so full of interesting attractions that we've decided we'll head back for an entire weekend trip soon. We spent the few hours we had on a mapped walking tour through the Mount Vernon district, where we climbed to the top of the original Washington Monument, took a gander at several historic churches and homes and even stopped for a sip in what seemed like the a thriving gay district. Later that evening we met Bloggy Friends Bill and Gary in Fells Point for a charming dinner and chit chat. It was great to see them. Sometimes we forget how close we live to one another. There is so much to see and do within such a short distance of Philadelphia. I want to try to take advantage of those travel opportunities this year. I posted a few videos on YouTube of our trip. Just click HERE and HERE if you want to check them out. Thank you and thank you.

Before I go I want to ask if you saw Mary J. Blige's performance on the Hope for Haiti Now telethon on Friday night? It was amazing. She sang a Civil War era song called "Hard Times Come Again No More." It was written in 1854 by Stephen Foster, the same guy who wrote Kentucky's state song, My Old Kentucky Home. It touched me beyond belief. If you're curious check it out right HERE. Let me know what you think and while we're on the subject of Haiti, do you have any thoughts to share about that? It is undoubtedly an horrific ordeal but do you feel news outlets have taken the coverage a little too far? Has it started to seem fake and sensationalized? If it's so hard to fly airplanes full of relief aid, how is it so easy to send a ton of reporters? What airport are THEY flying into? I'm just curious. What do you think?I can't help but be a bit skeptical sometimes about how news outlets choose to cover certain events. It's all about the ratings, right?

I'm going to run now. Alan is almost finished with our Salmy Sunday dinner. Tonight we're switching things up a bit with a new recipe I found on Epicurious, Roast Salmon with Thai Red Curry & Bok Choy. We scoured Asian groceries in Chinatown today for most of the ingredients. I can't wait to see how it turns out. Curry is one of my favorite things. Have a great night. I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

The Weekender: Flip-Flop, Mom & Pop Friday!

Good Friday, Bloggy Friends!

Are you excited Friday is here? I am. I've had a nice week, but it's always good to get away from campus for a few days straight.

I have a pretty eventful weekend coming up. Alan's parents flew in yesterday evening from Knoxville. I will meet them Saturday for the first time ever! Alan recently "came out" to them, when he found out they were coming for a visit. Until now, they have barely known I existed. I'm a little nervous, because I don't believe they are completely comfortable with the whole situation just yet. I'm looking forward to it, though. We plan on having dinner Saturday night and then we will celebrate Alan's mother's birthday on Sunday at his aunt Jude's. I'll let you know how everything turns out!

It looks like we still don't know if there will be a debate tonight. For all we know Obama will be taking the stage alone. McCain says he will not show up unless a firm plan has been established for the economy. The whole crisis does seem to be getting worse. I'm shocked at how quickly these banks are folding, day after day. I don't know what's in store for our country, but I hope the new bailout plan will benefit us all in some way and not just the big banks who have made unwise, financial decisions. It would be nice if the government decided to wipe away our student loans! I'm not sure how that could really help, though. It does seem as if things will be changing. Years of excess spending has put us in a great deal of jeopardy. Perhaps the crisis is exactly what we need to get back on a more even track - that and a Democratic President!

Well, I should run for now. I'm leaving for school soon. I'm having one of those mornings where I don't feel like showering. I think I'll throw on a hat and hit the train just like this! The sky is pretty overcast, so waking up is hard to do! Be sure to check back tomorrow when I will begin my new bloggy series, Soul-Sister Saturdays. The purpose of this new venture is to shine a light on some of the more obscure, female, soul singers and to share some of the music I have collected over the years. I love soul music and I love the women who sing it, so I am very excited to get it started! Come by tomorrow to learn about the first soul-sister in my series, Ann Peebles. You might even win a prize!

See you then!

Love, Josh

Our Weekend: Exploring The Past and Future!

Hey Bloggy Friends!

We didn't really go into our weekend with any plans this time around. We were so busy last week that the weekend crept up and we really would have been fine just taking it easy. When Saturday came, though, we started getting restless. By the time noon rolled around we had already decided that we would take a short trip to Valley Forge, a nearby historical landmark. We have been wanting to check it out for a while, so now that the weather is warmer we made the trek!

I love history and have read several novels about the Revolutionary War (okay, I read one about Martha Washington). I couldn't wait to see what this place was all about. We ended up tackling an eight mile walk throughout the course of the day! By the end our feet were hurting and we were S-T-A-R-V-E-D. We did see a lot of great stuff, though. It's a great park that I totally recommend a visit to anyone who is a lover of history. My favorite part was taking a tour inside Washington's actual headquarters. The building is still standing and is totally in tact, besides a few minor adjustments. It was surreal to think that George and Martha were once standing in the same rooms I was in! Click HERE for more pictures of our adventure into the past!

On Sunday Alan coaxed me into going with him to The Franklin Institute downtown. This is the local science museum, and they are housing a huge Star Wars exhibit that he has been wanting to see since it first came out. I'm not big into science museums, because they are usually jam-packed with kids. This time was no exception, but I just tried to ignore it and enjoy myself. I was actually very excited to see the Star Wars exhibit. My Dad showed me these movies when I was a tater tot and I LOVED them. I had all the toys and watched the movies over and over and over again throughout the course of my childhood. It still brings back fond memories, so it was great to see all the relics from the movie set. My favorite part was actually meeting a Storm Trooper and getting a picture with him! Besides Princess Lea, the Storm Troopers were my favorite! I loved how they were all white and sleak and how their feet clinked on the spaceship when they were running! Click HERE for photos of our adventure into the future!

I hope you guys are all set for a fabulous week. I wasn't very good about posting last week because I had a lot of work to do at school (i.e. three papers and a mid-term!). I should be in a more relaxed state this week so I can get caught up on everything else. Stay tuned later this week when I reveal our big surprise! I few of you (Casey and Bill) have made some good guesses. But I won't spill the beans a minute too early!! :)~

Have a great day and enjoy the video!

Love, Josh

Poor Butterfly.....

Hi, Bloggy Friends! I hope you have had a fantastic weekend. It's Sunday now and time to start thinking about getting into the groove for another week. Is anyone watching the Oscar's tonight? I can't wait! Doesn't it seem like there is a lot less hype over it compared to other years, though? Maybe I've been too busy to notice.


We had a great weekend, especially on Saturday. We went downtown to meet Alan's Aunt Judy at my new favorite tea lounge called T-BAR. After sipping on a delicious cup of Matcha we headed over to The Philadelphia Theatre Company to check out M. Butterfly. Oh, Bloggy Friends, it was amazing! I have seen some entertaining shows in Philadelphia, but I must say that none of them stack up to this one. It was so beautifully stage, masterfully acted and just plum thrilling! It was a long show, but my eyes were glued to the stage the whole time. Due to my connections to the theatre (wink), we had the best seats in the house - fourth row, dead center. I was so happy to be able to take Judy (Alan's aunt), who also really loved it. I am officially recommending it if you ever see that it comes to your area - you must check it out!

After the show we thought we would follow it up with a nice dinner in Chinatown. I can't remember the name of it, but it was delicious. It was nice to sit and chat about the show over good food and a nice bottle of wine. I love spending time with Judy. We had some heated political discussions, which has become my new obsession. She's a great lady, and I hope we continue to see her from time to time.

When dinner was over, and the waiters were shoving us out the door to open the table up, we went to another Philadelphia treasure called NAKED CHOCOLATE. Oh, Bloggy Friends, when you come to visit me we are going straight to this place. They have a ton of chocolate delicacies on the menu, from truffles, to cakes, to chocolate drinks. I had a drink made up entirely of melted dark chocolate. Can I just tell you I had about 13 orgasms while sitting there drinking it! It was fantastic and I can't wait to take you there!

Did you guys watch the return of Saturday Night Live last night? As you may know it has been in re-runs since the writer's strike began. For the most part it wasn't much to talk about - but there was one moment that I really enjoyed. Luckily, I found it on YouTube, so I am able to share it with you today.

I hope you guys have a great Sunday. I have my first exam tomorrow in my Sociology class. I think I am pretty well prepared for it, but I am going to spend the day studying. I am a little peeved, because I just looked at the class website and saw that the professor decided to change it from a completely multiple choice test to a short answer/essay type test. So now I am going to have to be sure that I know everything back and forth, sideways, underneath and upside down. I'm not happy about it!

Anyways...

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

Love you all!

Josh

Bloggy Friends: The Golden Sunday

Hey, Bloggy Friends! I hope you guys have had an awesome weekend. Ours was really low key for a change. We decided to make it a "save money" weekend by laying low.

Things are going great at school, as the weeks are slowly moving by. I don't really have a lot of homework, just a lot of reading as I told you before.

My friend NICOLE is coming out to visit us on Thursday, from San Francisco. She has been in a few of my videos, I'm sure you guys remember her. So, next weekend promises to be eventful as we show her around Philly and the surrounding areas. I'm excited for her to get here - I love having guests.

Last night Alan and I watched "Elizabeth: The Golden Age." This is the second movie starring Cate Blanchett that is about the extraordinary life of one of the greatest women in history, Queen Elizabeth I. She is one of my favorite characters of the past, so I enjoyed the movie immensely. If you are a fan of history you should totally check these movies out. The first one covered her coronation and growth as a young queen, while this one moved on into the "Golden Years" of her reign depicting her gallant victory in the Spanish Armada! I was floored by the vibrance of the cinematography and the costumes in this movie and of course Cate Blanchett's portrayal was flawless. She is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress at this years Oscar Ceremony! I'm really hoping they do another movie that chronicles the later years of Elizabeth's life - to make it a fabulously complete series!

I guess some of you know that Obama swept through the Saturday primaries and caucuses. It may seem like a huge blow to Hillary, but they were anticipating him to do well throughout the month of February. On Tuesday there will be primaries in D.C., Virginia and Maine. Do any of you living there care to share your thoughts on what you think may happen in your voting state? Bloggy Friend Bill??? :)


Tonight Alan and I are going to make a few new recipes we found over the past few weeks. One is a Zesty Mexican Soup with black beans, peppers, collard greens, onions, vegetable broth and a few of the spiciest of spices. I love spicy foods, so I can't wait. We are also going to make a Spirulina Guacamole dip that we found on Oprah.com! If you lived closer we'd invite all of you over to try some!

Have a great Sunday, Bloggy Friends. Let's get geared for a new week!

Love, Josh

The Weekender: A New Appreciation!

Good Sunday, Monday or whenever you get around to reading this, Bloggy Friends!

Well, let me tell you something - I was so glad when Friday finally rolled around this week! I am super excited to be back in school, but I am nowhere near used to the grueling schedule yet. By the end of the week I was one tired Mo' Fo' - and that ain't no lie!

We made the most of our weekend together by being lazy, taking care of chores and seeing a show in Bristol called "Welcome Home, Marian Anderson." It was a show that told the story of a crucial time in the life of great opera/spiritual singer, Marian Anderson. Marian Anderson was the first black singer to give a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939. I really liked the play and was especially impressed by the lead actress, Vanessa Shaw, who both wrote the script and played the title role. You go, Girl!

There really isn't much more to say about me. I am ready to buckle down for another week at school. I have a lot of reading to do and have to figure out how to juggle everything so that I can finish it all in time. I'll do it!

I hope you guys have an awesome start to the week. With every passing day the first of spring inches closer and closer! Are you guys as ready for it as I am??

Love you all!

Josh

Concert Reviews: Sister Rosetta Tharpe Tribute

Last Friday night Alan and I went to the KESWICK THEATRE in Glenside, PA to see a benefit concert held for the Memorial of SISTER ROSETTA THARPE. The list of fabulous, legendary entertainers is what initially drew me to the list. I knew that this is one that I could not miss! and boy was I right! On that evening I saw true legends take the stage to sing many, very familiar, gospel tunes that have been sung throughout the history of modern music. Maybe many of you haven't heard of a lot of the performers that were there that night, but for a true fan of old school, Black Gospel music I was floored by the whole experience. The concert was held to provide funds for the memorial of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Would you believe that she is buried here in Philadelphia, beneath and unmarked grave!?! Hopefully this will be the resolution to that most unfortunate circumstance.

I hope you enjoy the video I made of the evening's festivities. It is pretty heavily edited, so if you see a performer that you are particularly interested in you can click on their name below to view other, more complete performances by them. I recommend watching Odetta's performance, time literally stood still when she was on stage. You may appreciate her as a one who Bob Dylan cites as one of his greatest inspirations.

We had a truly awesome time, clapping, shouting, stomping our feet and singing along. I hope you can feel a little bit of the spirit that moved us through the night!

Love, Josh



Here is the list of more complete performances!

Odetta
The Huff Singers
The Johnny Thompson Singers
The Dixie Hummingbirds
Wila Ward
Marie Knight

The Weekender: Last Weekend In SF

Hey Bloggy Friends. I hope you had a great weekend. I sure did!

We were pretty busy all weekend long, going to parties and having goodbye lunches with friends. It was so good to catch up with people and say our farewells.. for now!

Friday I met Alan at UCSF and we went to a going away party held by his lab. It is a tradition in his lab that the boss throw a party when people leave. On Friday it was in honor of Alan and another fellow labmate, Kerim. We had a great time, though I didn't get any bloggy videos of this one. I was too wrapped up in conversation all night.

I was able to catch most of the other weekend events on video, so I won't get into detail about them here. You can watch for yourself! I will tell you, however, that my favorite part of the weekend was catching up with my good friend Traci. She and I hung out quite often when she and her husband, Kerim, moved here about a year after I did. She recently had a baby, so it has been hard to see her over the past year or so while she was preggers. She was out at parties Friday and Saturday night, however, and I got to meet her little girl for the first time. I haven't held a baby in years and years and it was so sweet! She is adorable. It was so great to catch up after all this time. I really missed her!

So here is the bloggy video of the day! Have a good Monday, Bloggy Friends!

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

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