Joe Gallagher!

Appalachian Trail!

2010-08-16T05:32:00.000-07:00

Why, hello Blog Watchers! I haven't forsaken nor forgotten you! I know it's been ages since any activity. But, guess what?! A new VLOG!

Charlie, Danny and I embarked on the Appalachian Trail. Not the whole thing, mind you. Just for a week. In New York State and Connecticut. But, we had loads of fun and it is all documented in the VLOG below. Enjoy!

Appalachian Trail from Joe Gallagher on Vimeo.

Vonage!

2010-01-23T11:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a new voice over I recorded. I'm the voice of the vonage app.

Sheridan Expressway

2009-11-23T16:18:00.001-08:00

Hey Blog Watchers!

Get ready for a super exciting piece of interactive journalism. This is a short news piece I made for the newspaper I write for in the Bronx, www.huntspointexpress.com

I hope you like it.

Sheridan Expressway Town Hall from Joe Gallagher on Vimeo.

National Equality March!

2009-10-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Blog Watchers!

I went to DC this past weekend with a few Yale friends; Jim Noonan, Joe Cermatori, and Tommy Russell. Tommy drove us all down in his car on Saturday. We arrived in DC that afternoon and did a quick tour of the mall and monuments before getting dinner and then going out for a gay night on the town.

Jim, who moonlights for The Martha Stewart Show, brought along a ton of supplies for us to make signs for the march. They were amazing and the hit of the march. One of them was actually voted #1 sign of the march!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-20-best-signs-at-the-national-equality-march

The march and rally were really inspiring, no matter what Barney Frank says. Enjoy the video blog!

Equality! from Joe Gallagher on Vimeo.

Coca-Cola Voiceover

2009-09-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

Hey bloglisteners!

Here is the newest commercial I have running. I am the voice. I've always been told I have a face for voiceover! I guess its true.

Enjoy!!

Wedding Weekend!

2009-09-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hey blogwatchers!

I can't apologize enough for leaving you all hanging without a new post for so long. I got re-inspired by watching Julie & Julia. I saw how much Julie meant to all her readers and I knew I was just as important, if not more so, to all of you! The amount of desperate emails I got from all of you was staggering.

Well, its payback time! A new video blog!!! Can you believe it?!? Enjoy!!!

I guess broadcast news has no respect for a Pulitzer Prize?!?

2009-04-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

"A political economic analysis stresses that the reasons for lousy journalism stem not from morally bankrupt or untalented journalists, but from a structure that makes such journalism the rational result of its operations. Hence if we are serious about producing a journalism and political culture suitable to a self-governing society, it is mandatory that there be structural change in the media system. This means explicit and major changes in the public policies that have created and spawned the media status quo." ROBERT W. McCHESNEY

David Barstow, of The New York Times, recently was awarded his second Pulitzer Prize for(according to the Pulitzer website) "his tenacious reporting that revealed how some retired generals, working as radio and television analysts, had been co-opted by the Pentagon to make its case for the war in Iraq, and how many of them also had undisclosed ties to companies that benefited from policies they defended." The article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/washington/20generals.html

Basically, Barstow shed light on the fact that the major networks; CNN, FOX, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, and ABC, all utilized these military analysts in their coverage of the Iraq War. None of the networks disclosed the fact that many of these analysts reaped huge monetary benefits from the Iraq War. Most of them also worked for military contractors who directly benefitted from US military contracts. The analyst's access to the administration was vitally important in order to obtain and retain contracts for their companies. Many of these analysts were also paid for their appearances on the networks.

When Barstow's article appeared, the lack of attention from the major networks was appalling. The fact that no network picked up an 11 page cover story in The New York Times is not a coincidence. In fact many of the very same analysts still appear regularly on the news programs with still no disclosure of their ties.

Barstow's article appeared more than a year ago. The controversy of his discovery had died down with the chaos of the election and inauguration of Obama. However, the Pulitzer for his piece was just announced last week. Surely, the networks, a year later, would make mention of Barstow, his piece and his award. Uhm, not so much:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/21/pulitzer/

It seems that the networks are trying their best to completely avoid mentioning this report. The networks were able to admit their mistakes in the handling of the 2000 election night coverage. Why can they not admit that there is some sketchy business going on here? They have become a story in themselves. They were complicit in the Bush administration's propaganda machine. I think the McChesney quote from the top of this post sums up the problem well. Is it because the TV media, being controlled by only a few huge corporations, has become too intertwined with big business and the government? Are the networks too embarrassed by their oversights? Did they know of the pentagon's analyst PR program and look the other way? One thing is clear; there must be a better separation between the media and the administration they are reporting on. TV media is so obsessed with ratings and who has the best access that they have forgotten what great journalism is. In Alexandra Pelosi's docu "Journey's With George", we can see what happens when reporters are more interested in better access and a chummy relationship with the people they are reporting on. It is time for a complete realignment of news. There couldn't be a better time then now.

Actress and Activist

2009-04-08T05:44:00.000-07:00

12/09/2008 New York City: The street noise of Greenwich Village was no match for the boundless energy of 30-year-old actress and political activist Celia Keenan-Bolger. Keenan-Bolger, a Tony nominated actress, has had a very busy past couple of months and she is still readjusting to city life after spending six weeks earlier this fall entrenched in the Plymouth Meeting, Pa. office of Barack Obama for President.

“After having such an inspiring and fulfilling experience in Pennsylvania, I’m finding it hard to re-insert myself into my old life,” said Keenan-Bolger, who lives just blocks from Washington Square Park. “Pursuing acting feels so much more self-absorbed and shallow now compared to what I was doing this fall.”

A love of politics was ingrained in Keenan-Bolger very early in her life. Her parents first met at a Socialist Party meeting in Detroit, Mich. Keenan-Bolger was born and raised in inner-city Detroit, the oldest of three children.

“Everyone talks about Detroit with so much sympathy and despair,” said Keenan-Bolger. “But when I was growing up, I thought it was like any other place to grow up. My parents took advantage of every opportunity to give us a good life.”

Her father, a former Peace Corps volunteer, instilled in all his children a passion for community service. Keenan-Bolger’s mother, a teacher, was also a role model for the young Keenan-Bolger children. She ran a community-mentoring program in one of Detroit’s poorest neighborhoods.

In addition to Keenan-Bolger’s enthusiasm for civic affairs, she also has a love for the performing arts. She attended a fine-arts magnet high school in Detroit where she was one of only a handful of white students.

“It never occurred to me that being one of only three white kids was so rare,” she said.

Keenan-Bolger has put her talents as a performer and activist to good use. For the past three years she has spearheaded the organization of an annual New York Civil Liberties Union fundraiser called “Broadway Stand-Up for Freedom.”

“I was doing all these other benefits as a performer and I felt like it would be so nice to do something for an organization that I really felt strongly about,” said Keenan-Bolger. “Both my sister and brother are gay and the NYCLU does so much work on behalf of the LGBT community.”

When the opportunity arose this year to volunteer for the Obama campaign Keenan-Bolger didn’t hesitate, even though it meant removing herself from New York City and auditioning for her possible next job. Keenan-Bolger attended “Camp Obama,” a three-day training intensive, to prepare for the work she was about to begin in Pennsylvania.

“It felt like I was completely consumed by the election, it was the most important thing in my life at that moment, by a long-shot,” she said. “I was lucky that I have a profession that allows me to pick up and leave on a moment’s notice.”

Keenan-Bolger just finished performing as part of the “52nd Street Project,” a program that matches children in Hell’s Kitchen with professional theatre artists to create an original theatre piece.

“It couldn’t have been a better first job since returning from the Obama campaign,” said Keenan-Bolger, who received her Tony nomination for playing the role of Olive in the “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” in 2005. “It incorporated two of my favorite things, acting and giving back to the community.”

Keenan-Bolger continues to star in shows on and off Broadway and on television. She is leaving in a few weeks for San Diego, California where she will star in the new play, “Peter and the Star Catchers” at the La Jolla Playhouse.

Kirsten Gillibrand and Big Tobacco or What Happens When Newspapers Die?

2009-03-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

It was more than a month ago that I first learned of Kirsten Gillibrand's ties to Big Tobacco. Gillibrand, who was appointed by Governor David Patterson to fill Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, had numerous ties to Phillip Morris and Altria (Phillip Morris' attempt at creating a less controversial name). Tom Robbins, of the Village Voice, wrote an extensive article about Gillibrand and her time as an attorney working for Phillip Morris on February 10, 2009.

http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-02-11/columns/gillibrand-learned-how-to-defend-tobacco-s-dirtiest-secrets-as-a-young-lawyer/1

Robbins cites an earlier article published in the Albany paper, Times Union, by reporter James Odato. Odato's piece ran while Gillibrand was running to defend her congressional seat against Republican Sandy Treadwell, on October 16, 2008.

http://timesunion.com/ASPStories/Story.asp?StoryID=729940&LinkFrom=RSS&TextPage=2

The New York Times finally reported on the issue last week in an extensive article written by Raymond Hernandez and David Kocieniewski.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/nyregion/27gillibrand.html?pagewanted=1&sq=gillibrand%20tobacco&st=cse&scp=2

Now, the three articles basically outline the same basic facts: Kirsten Gillibrand worked at a law firm from 1991-2000, while there one of her main assignments was defending Phillip Morris. All the articles try to determine just how important a player she was on that assignment or was she, as her campaign insists, just doing her job as a lowly associate, going through files.

All three articles contacted Gillibrand's staff. Odato and Robbins were able to get more candid responses while the Times got mostly non-answers. The Times article, however, is by far the longest and contains the most in-depth coverage and research. It is clear that the Times was able to capitalize on its resources and produce a thorough and exhaustive piece.

The question is, what took them so long and also, would they have even done an article if the Voice and Times Union had not?

What if the Times Union and the Voice were forced to shut down like so many other newspapers around the country? The work that James Odato did on this issue was the catalyst for the other articles. Some media analysts are saying that it is quite possible that many major cities will be without a hometown daily paper in the years to come. Seattle lost one of its two dailies on March 17th, when the Post-Intelligencer (owned by Hearst Corp., parent company of Albany Times Union) shut down its print edition. And just today Chicago Sun Times filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200903310918DOWJONESDJONLINE000405_FORTUNE5.htm

In Michael Hirschorn's Atlantic Monthly piece, "End Times", about the death of print journalism, he states:

"The collapse of daily print journalism will mean many things. It will mean the end of a certain kind of quasi-bohemian urban existence for the thousands of smart middle-class writers, journalists, and public intellectuals who have, until now, lived semi-charmed kinds of lives of the mind. And it will seriously damage the press’s ability to serve as a bulwark of democracy. There’s no online substitute for institutions that can marshal years of well-developed sourcing and reporting experience."

This is very true. In switching to an on-line as opposed to print newspaper, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer went from a staff of 165 to a staff of 20! If the Albany Times Union made the same transition would James Odato have a job? Would his piece ever have been written? Who would fill the void? Scary thought; almost as scary as Gillibrand's work for Big Tobacco.

City Politics or Family Feud?

2009-02-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

On February 18th, 2009, Adolfo Carrion Jr. (above, a Hunter College alum) was appointed the White House's Urban Affairs Chief. This appointment creates a vacancy in Carrion's present position; Bronx Borough President. What does a Borough President do? Well, according to Carrion's website:

"The Borough President works with the Mayor to prepare the annual executive budget submitted to the City Council, reviews and comments on major land use projects, and proposes sites for City facilities within his jurisdiction. The Borough President also monitors the administration of City services and engages in strategic planning for the economic development of the borough."

This position is very important and often can catapult the office holder to an even higher position, as we are seeing now, with Carrion.

However, the press coverage of the race to fill his seat has been largely void of any substance. Bronx politics is a very confusing affair. There are several families who control much of what goes on in Bronx politics. The two families at the center of the battle for Carrion's seat are the Diazes and the Riveras. For the past year, there has been a war for control of the Democratic Party in the Bronx and these two families have been front and center. The next battle is who wins the Bronx Borough Presidency. The special election will be help in 45 days. The position is up for election again in November of this year. The winner of the Democratic Primary in September will most likely be the winner in November.

The only media coverage of the race I have found centers on the struggle between Ruben Diaz Jr (above left) and Joel Rivera (above right). Unfortunately, the media is only covering the drama between these two factions and not on any policy or issue questions. Are there differences between these two candidates? Who knows? Good luck trying to find out.

Here are some links to recent coverage:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/vacancy-adds-to-heat-in-bronx-political-feu/

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2009/02/23/2009-02-23_adolfos_departure_creates_fallout.html

Unfortunately, the NY media seems intent on framing this important election as a family feud; a horserace. Do the candidates have any policy differences?

Ruben Diaz Jr. was elected to the NY State Assembly at the age of 23 in 1996. His father, Ruben Diaz Sr., is a NY State Senator and a member of the "Gang of Three", who held up the election of Malcolm Smith as the first Democratic Majority Leader of the Senate in 40 years. Although both are Democrats Diaz Sr. is staunchly conservative, anti-gay and anti abortion. His son, Diaz Jr., is much more liberal and a strong ally of Al Sharpton.

Joel Rivera was elected to the New York City council in 2001 when he was just 22 years old and at 23 was elected as Majority Leader of the council. He is a strong public health advocate and both his sister and father serve in the NY State Assembly -alongside Diaz Jr- confusing right.

As for their plans for the Bronx- we have yet to hear. Hopefully more opportunities are created for the two men to talk about the issues affecting the Bronx today. Diaz Jr. has been endorsed by the Bronx County Democratic Party and Rivera Jr. has yet to officially announce his candidacy.

Update!

2009-02-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

Hey Blog Readers!

I am writing for a community newspaper in the South Bronx. Check it out here www.huntspointexpress.com

These are a couple articles I wrote independently for a class.

Columbus Day Parade Overshadowed by Term Limits
10/17/08 New York City: The sounds of area marching bands provided a soundtrack to the bustle as the 64th annual Columbus Day Parade prepared to commence yesterday at 11:15 a.m. At the corner of 44th Street and 5th Avenue parade directors in three-piece suits scurried back and forth to organize the hundreds of parade participants, who were about to march up 5th Avenue to 79th Street. Amidst all the costumed marchers and flag-waving spectators, members of the press waited between 43rd and 44th Streets for the arrival of many of New York’s political leaders. The issue of term-limits was about to take center stage with the parade as a backdrop.

Congressman Anthony Weiner was the first to arrive on the scene. The congressman walked briskly down 5th Avenue to greet the pack of reporters and television cameras. Weiner spent several minutes talking to spectators before launching into an attack on Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s term-limit extension proposal.

“Whether you like term limits or you dislike them, there is a right way to change them and there is a wrong way,” said Weiner, a prospective mayoral candidate. “Going against the public will is the wrong way!”

Weiner, surrounded by three aides, was engulfed by the press for further comments before being hustled into his spot in the parade line-up.

Next to arrive was Governor David Patterson. The governor spoke to several reporters but did not have a formal press conference. He waited with Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for Mayor Bloomberg to arrive.

The mayor was soon delivered by a black, ethanol-fueled SUV. The mayor, dressed casually in khakis and a plaid shirt, greeted the governor and attorney general. He then proceeded to the podium to answer questions from the press.

“If the city council passes the bill, I will sign it,” he said. “Being mayor is a great job and I love it.”

Parade participants not 30 feet away didn’t allow the partisan debate to cloud their day of celebration. Annalisa D’Acunto was about to march in her first New York City Columbus Day parade. D’Acunto, dressed in a traditional 19th century Italian costume, was representing the Stamford, Conn. Minturnese Social Club. Term limits were the furthest thing from her mind.

“Columbus Day is a day of celebrating Italian culture and heritage, “ D’Acunto said. “I couldn’t be more excited!”

Night of Joy Turns into Day of Sorrow
11/11/08 New York City: It was just after 11 P.M. on election night, when yells, screams and cheers reverberated in the streets all throughout New York City. For the first time in history, the United States had elected an African-American as President and Commander-in-Chief. Revelers at one East Village viewing party spilled out into the street to join strangers in their celebration. However, for many celebrants, joy soon turned to disappointment as it became clear that in California, Proposition 8 was all but certain to pass.

Proposition 8 is a ballot proposition that will amend the California Constitution to read, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Proposition 8 passed with 52.3% of the vote.

The passage of Proposition 8 was a crushing blow to gay and lesbian Californians who had been given the right of same-sex marriage only four months before the election by the California Supreme Court. In that time, 18,000 couples exchanged wedding vows. Those marriages are now stuck in a state of legal-limbo.

“We know nothing, it's really frustrating,” said Joshua Safran, 33, a Los Angeles resident who married just weeks before the election. “We had it planned for a while, but we didn't think we'd have to do it before Election Day. And then as it got closer, and we saw the polling, we just moved it up. I don't know. It's all new territory. I am worried it won't last. But- stand up and be counted, for as long as you can, right?”

Others were not as optimistic.

“Homophobia is one of the last accepted forms of bigotry,” said Todd Buonopane, a 29-year-old educator from Astoria, New York. “Obama’s election is a big step forward for equality for all races, but especially for African Americans. Ironically, many pundits point to the large African American voter turnout for why Prop 8 passed.”

According to exit polls 70% of African-Americans voted for the passage of Proposition 8. Latino voters voted 53% in favor. The numbers were an ironic truth for many Obama supporters who also support gay marriage. The outpouring of support for Barack Obama from minority voters may have been the reason why Proposition 8 was able to pass.

Consequently, for many Obama supporters across the country the celebration period was short lived.

“I was moved beyond words when I saw that Obama had been declared the winner,” said Hannah Roth, a talent agent in Los Angeles. “I wanted to celebrate but I was too depressed about Proposition 8. I had worked so hard in the weeks prior to the election to defeat it. I feel like everyone’s hard work was in vain.”

For some, feelings of sadness evolved into feelings of anger.

“I have thought long and hard about this,” said Chase Brock, 25, who was married to his male partner this summer in San Francisco. “I will not tolerate anyone who supports the hate-filled Proposition 8.”

Those feelings of anger have become the impetus for many protests and rallies across the country. Rallies fanned across California on the Sunday following Election Day when the proposition was passed. The Mormon Church has become a target of the protestors who are angered by the Church’s financial support of the proposition. A protest was held outside of the Mormon Temple, in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday, November 6th, attended by thousands. New Yorkers are planning their own protest outside of the New York Mormon Temple at the corner of Columbus Avenue and 65th Street on Wednesday, November 12th at 6:30 P.M.

New Address!

2009-01-17T07:19:00.000-08:00

Hey Blog Readers!

I changed the address of my blog because the old one was, well, old. It was also a little confusing. All of the same content is here! Check out some of the old videos and posts. There are some gems on here! I am hoping to put a new vlog up soon. Enjoy faithful blog watchers!

Joe

Beautiful Things!

2008-10-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Blog Watchers!

Here is a clip of an American Express Blue commercial I did. I just found it on Youtube. My part is at the end. Enjoy!

One Year Anniversary!

2008-10-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hey Blog Readers!

So, can you all believe that a whole year has gone by since the launch of nyc2la2007.blogspot.com? It almost didn't come to my attention until I was flooded with emails and comments (and a few gifts; more would be appreciated) from all of you!!

I have been getting re-settled here in NYC over the past 3 months. I am so sorry that the posting has not been more regular. I am moving into a new apartment in two short weeks, on my birthday, November 3! Which is also the day before Barack Obama is elected our new President! Yay!

Remember Celia, from last years road-trip to LA? Well, Celia has been subletting her amazing studio apartment in the village to her younger brother, Andrew. Andrew is going on tour for 14 months. Therefore, I will now be subletting from Celia. I can't wait.

I have also been in school since the end of August at Hunter College. I'm trying to finish off that pesky Bachelors Degree that I have been working on for the past 12 years. However, I did finish a masters degree in that time. The thing is, Yale won't give me my actual MFA until I have a B.A. Got it?

I'm not sure when I will be able to take another epic road-trip to document here on the Blog. Maybe I can start doing a NYC blog with fun activities and post them here.

What do you, my voracious readers, want to see?

Thanks again for all the hundreds of emails and comments. They keep me going.

Best,
Joe

Mt. Rushmore and Noah's Ark!

2008-07-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hey Blog Watchers!

The road trip is coming to a close! We started to accelerate the pace of our trip after Yellowstone with some marathon driving days. Check out the vlog and see for yourselves!

Yellowstone: Days 12, 13, 14

2008-07-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

Hey blogwatchers! We know how much you've been dying for a new blog, but it hasn't been easy finding the internet on the American plains. But here it is! It's been an amazing time. Yellowstone was beautiful. Filled with lush sage fields, wildflowers and the occasional wild game sighting. Tommy, Charlie and I spent three days hiking, camping and sweating in the Wyoming heat. We saw all kinds of flora, fauna and American vistas, and Old Faithful was just as faithful as we'd heard it was. Now that all the backpacking is done we're gunning it back to the East as fast as our CR-V will carry us. More soon blogwatchers...

Days 10, 11 & 12!

2008-07-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

Glacier Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada!

An amazing two nights and two days! The hike in was strenuous and hilly, however, it was worth it for the vista that awaited us. Check out the blog and see.

The last pics are of our drive through Glacier National Park in Montana on the way to Kalispell; where we stayed the night of July 4th and watched some fireworks.

Internet has been spotty. Sorry about the delay in posting! I'll give more details later.

Lost Camera!

2008-07-04T10:31:00.001-07:00

Days 8 & 9! Olympic National Park!

2008-07-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

Days 6 & 7!

2008-06-30T23:46:00.000-07:00

Hey, Blog Watchers! The time is flying by as fast as the odometer on the CR-V. Fun road trip fact #1- I bought my car from Charlie and his parents a year ago when we graduated. Charlie was moving to NYC and I was moving to LA, so it worked out perfectly. {Side note to Dr. and Mrs. Semine- those last few payments are coming real soon ;-) }

So far we have traveled 1,424 miles! Crazy. As I type this, I am sitting in the backseat watching the beautiful scenery of coastal Washington. We just crossed the Oregon/Washington border and it is truly awe-inspiring.

We arrived in Portland on Friday night at 7:30. On the way to Portland we stopped and swam in a river in the Redwood Forest. It was very refreshing. The air further north was thick with smoke from the wildfires. It was hazy and warm. We drove directly to the restaurant my good friend Jesse Leo works at called “Night Light”. Jesse and I grew up together in Bethel, CT. He and my other childhood friend John Ricci both moved to Portland about 8 years ago and they both love it. I can see why; Portland is a city rich in culture, beauty and great food. Snow capped Mt. Hood loomed in the distance as we enjoyed a cold beer in the late June heat of SE Portland.

Tommy’s sister, Dawn, also lives in Portland. She owns an amazing company called fruitforward.com. Fruitforward.com is a web-based wine club that ships two bottles of great wine every month to its members for a great price. Check it out!

Tommy and Dawn went out on the town and enjoyed an amazing meal at Paley’s Place. Charlie, Jesse and I visited with Jesse’s life partner, Silvana, before going to meet up with John at his burgeoning business, Mr. Biggs Wings. It was great to see John and Jesse again.

Saturday morning Charlie and I got to spend some quality time with Jesse, Silvana and their 17-month-old son, Silas. He has gotten so big since I saw him in November. He is talking a lot and loves to eat breakfast. We all went to the farmer’s market at Portland State University. It really was the best farmer’s market I’ve ever experienced. There was so much great local produce and food. Next, we made a quick stop at REI before saying goodbye to everyone. Tonight we will be staying at Pacific Beach State Park just outside of Olympic National Park in the Northwest corner of Washington. Tomorrow we will be getting up bright and early for our first backcountry foray into the wild! Can’t wait.

Oh, one last thing. Just wanted to say an extra special thanks for the tons of comments from everyone on the blog. When Tommy, Charlie and I finish an exhausting day of hiking and camping there is nothing like hankering down and reading all the wonderful comments and advice. Keep 'em coming!

Days 3,4,&5!

2008-06-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

Hey, Blog Watchers! Wow. What an amazing trip we are having. When I last left you Charlie and I were on our way from Big Sur to San Francisco to pick up our third road-tripper Tommy Russell. Tommy flew in from NYC after having just returned from 3 weeks in Europe. Talk about jet-lag. He was so much fun in the car for the first six hours. And when I say fun, I mean asleep. In San Fran we met up with two of my great friends from LA; Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Andrew Dudley. Jesse and I are ole friends from NYC and I met Andrew through Jesse in LA. However, he recently moved to San Fran to work on his internet start-up wundrbar.com. Check out that site and you can hear some of my voice-over handiwork. Anywho, we all drove up to Humboldt Redwood State Park for two amazing days of camping, hiking and fun. We stayed at Hidden Springs Campground, site #27. It was really secluded with a firepit and bear-proof lock box for our food. Also, hidden behind our site was an awesome rope swing. Swinging up into the redwoods was breathtaking. We got into Hidden Springs around 9 PM Wednesday night. We made some burgers and sausages and then got some sleep. The next morning, after some pancakes, we took a 6 mile hike through the Redwood Forest. That night we cooked some more, swung on the rope swing, played some yahtzee and then hit the hay.

Charlie, Tommy and I said goodbye to Andrew and Jesse this morning and are now driving 8 hours to get to Portland, OR by tonight (Friday). We stopped right outside of Oregon for a dip in the river. So fun!

Thanks to all of you for the many comments! It keeps us going!

Day One and Two!

2008-06-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

Hey Blog Watchers! Charlie and I left LA on 6/23 with our ole' classmate Alec in tow. The three of us went on a wonderful hike in Point Mugu State Park and then met my good friends Jesse and Kevin at our campsite on the beach in Malibu. We did some cooking and eating and drinking. A fun time was had by all. There was some alarm on Charlie's part concerning the size of our tent and the idea of three of us sleeping in it. We did a dry run and it seems perfect and cozy! Our friends departed and Charlie and I played a game of Settlers of Catan before hitting the hay.

Day two brought us to Fernwood Campground in Big Sur. We had to take a detour off of Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) because of the wildfires! They are only about 10 miles from our campground and at this point they are not controlled. We took an amazing hike to the top of a mountain and we could see the ocean and the smoke from the fires. We could also see the emergency planes dropping water onto the fires. Scary! We also saw a few deer.

There is Wi-Fi at the lodge where I am right now. The vlog was put together hastily but please enjoy!

We are about to leave for San Fran to pick up Tommy at the airport! Then off to the redwoods!

See you soon!

Joe and Charlie

Roadtrip 2008!

2008-06-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

It looks like it may be time for a blog title change, eh? We are about to embark on the roadtrip to end all roadtrips! Charlie and I leave from LA tomorrow and pick up Tommy on Wednesday in San Fran.

Stay tuned for updates and vlog entries. We are hoping to have Wi-Fi in some places along the way. Here are some rough time estimates:

Malibu: 6/23/08
Big Sur: 6/24/08
Redwoods: 6/25-6/26
Portland, OR: 6/27
Olympic National Park: 6/28-6/30
Banff National Park (Alberta, Canada): 7/1-7/3
Bozeman, MT: 7/4
Yellowstone: 7/5-7/7 (Happy Birthday, Dad!)
7/7-7/12: TBA!

Any recommendations for places to visit or things to see are greatly appreciated in the comments section.

Best,
Joe

Manny Time!

2008-06-12T00:02:00.000-07:00

I went on one of my regular manny trips two weeks ago. My sister Mary had an academic conference in Montréal. My brother-in-law Ken was in China at the same time. Therefore, Professional Manny Joe (meaning me) flew in to help out. Unfortunately, I left my camera behind for many adventures in Montréal. We toured the Old City, went to the bio-dome, insectarium, and botanical gardens. It was so much fun and very exciting. Mary had downloaded Tootsie for us to watch and we all became obsessed with the theme song; hence it is the soundtrack for the vlog below! Enjoy!

Only 10 days till the road trip of the century!!!!!!!! Thank god the gas prices are reasonable right now!!!!!!!

John McCain!

2008-05-25T11:04:00.001-07:00

An interesting compilation of Sen. John McCain interviews!

Six Flags! Magic Mountain!

2008-05-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

Some people describe it as a poor man's Disneyland, but I describe it as paradise! No line! Unlimited rides on amazing coasters! And only 30 minutes from my apartment! SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN!

My friend Todd came to visit LA for a week. It was great to have a friend in town! We had many fun adventures. Watch the VLOG TO SEE!

*********ROAD TRIP ALERT*******ROAD TRIP ALERT*************

I am headed on an epic adventure with two of my best buds, Charlie and Tommy. We were all classmates at Yale and also roommates! We are embarking on a 6,000 mile roadtrip! (Perfect timing with the price of a barrel, huh?) Anywho, Charlie is flying to LA to visit his sister in June. On June 23rd we embark. We will drive up the Pacific Coast Highway and camp on the beach in Malibu the first night, then a night in Big Sur, on June 25th we will pick up Tommy from his flight into San Fran. Then, we drive straight up to the Redwood Forest where we will camp for two nights. Next stop is Portland, OR, then Olympic State Park in Washington. From there we will drive to Vancouver and then we will be on our way to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. We will do a two-three day hike in Banff with some backcountry camping along the way. The plan is to then drive back to the USA with stops at Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park. From there we may drive North of the Great Lakes to Toronto and Montreal into Vermont and ending in the great state of Maine. My family is taking holiday on Bailey's Island on the southern Coast of Maine. We will join them there.

Pretty exciting, huh? Anyone have any tips on cheap gas? How about camping gear?

Oh, yeah, Celia may be coming as well! She is starring in the musical Saved at Playwright's Horizon in NYC. If it extends she may have to fly and meet us along the way. If you talk to Celia encourage her to come! Don't you want to see her on the blog again!?!

Boston Marathon!

2008-04-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hey Vlog Watchers!

Last week I flew to Michigan to visit my sister Mary, brother-in-law Ken and my nieces Magda and Elinor and my nephew, Liam. Ken was flying out to Shanghai on business on Friday. So Mary, the kidsand I all drove to Boston, MA together. Mary had qualified for the Boston Marathon and she was determined to run it. We left Ann Arbor on Friday at 8:00 AM and arrived to Boston at 10:00 PM. Wowza. It was a fun trip. Liam and the girls watched some videos (Liam is obsessed with Thomas the Train). We also did some blogging; as you can see below. We stayed at the home of my brothers and sisters-in-law. Tim and Mike bought the house in Mission Hill a few years ago and have made some incredible improvements. Mike and Shannon live on the top floor. Tim, Sascha and Leo live on the bottom. They rent out the second floor. It is pretty amazing. My mom, Munsey, came down from Maine and we celebrated her birthday! My father came up from Bethel, CT. We all gathered on Monday to cheer Mary on in the race. She ran it in an incredible time of 3 hours and 32 minutes! Wow! A grand time was had by all. Watch some of the footage below!

Congratulations, Dr. Prof. Gallagher!

2008-04-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hey Blog Readers!

My eldest sister Mary was recently awarded tenure at University of Michigan! In celebration, my siblings and I procured this very flashy singing telegram for her. It is from a website called tajtunes.com. They offer many different jingles for all different occasions; straight from India!

Mary is an East Asian labor scholar so she was quite interested in the working conditions of the tajtunes employees. Unfortunately, she didn't have the opportunity to ask any questions at the end of the singing.

Enjoy the recording!

Best,
Joe

Hiking in LA!

2008-03-31T00:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Blog Readers/Watchers!

Can you believe it? Another vlog! So soon after the last ep dropped! (That's Hollywood speak for "so soon after the last vlog was posted.") Keep up y'all! I'm moving and shaking out here on the left coast!

What that really means is that I've had some serious time on my hands! There's been a lot of hiking going on all up in here! Griffith Park, Point Mugu in Malibu, and hundreds of other places. But guess what...there are still hundreds more to explore! So get up on that plane and come out here, y'all! Erin, Nick and I have actually been hosting quite a few globe-trotters of late! One of my closest and best, Mike Braun was here last week! I miss him so much already! Plus, my friend Tommar is spending a few weeks out here.

I've enlisted my roomie and bud Erin Buckley to help me sort through all the emails and posts from y'all! I appreciate the help and she appreciates doing it! It brightens her day as much as mine to rifle through the tens of comments we get monthly! Keep 'em coming, Blog Watchers!

Enjoy the VLOG!

best,
joe

New York City!

2008-03-20T00:43:00.001-07:00

Hey Blog Watchers!

It's the moment you've all been waiting for! A new video blog or VLOG! I have spliced some footage together from my six weeks back in NYC. Some are from Celia's birthday party and some are from a party Mike and Charlie had at their apartment in Washington Heights. I had a great time at both! I was real tired by the end of both of them as well. Trying to entertain everyone with my amazing wit gets tiresome!

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank ALL OF YOU for all of your comments and emails! I have been trying my best to answer all of you individually but this is getting harder and harder to do with the increase in demand. I'm sorry! I'm only one person and there are literally 3 or 4 comments total! EASE UP!

If any of you, my fans, have a request for a vlog of something out here in LA; let me know! I like assignments!

Hope everyone is well!

Bloggedly yours,
Joe

Los Angeles Redux!

2008-02-29T20:46:00.000-08:00

Hey Blog Readers! I arrived back in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 23rd; just in time for the Academy Awards! I had an invitation for the Vanity Fair party but it was cancelled due to the strike. My invitation was as a cater server. Too bad.

I am blogging right now from my new roommate, Erin Buckley's computer. Unfortunately, my computer is in for repairs and I won't get it back for 5 to 10 days! Crazy, I know.

Los Angeles has been beautiful this week. 80's and sunny. I do implore any of you east coasters to come out and visit. It would be so much fun.

The strike is over. Yay! Things are starting to get back to normal (so I've heard).

I need a job to make some dough. Any ideas?

What else...what else can I talk about?

I really appreciate all of your comments and emails. I have been trying my best to keep up with them and respond. Keep 'em coming!

I'm for OBAMA!

2008-02-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

Hey there Blog Readers! I am so sorry I have been so remiss in posting to my blog. I've been getting tons of comments and emails from readers begging for the next update.

Well, I voted for Senator Obama today! I am very proud to have cast my vote. I am anxious to see how things will turn out tonight. I urge all of my blog readers to head to the polls if you have not done so already.

It's looking like the WGA strike may be over soon. Therefore, I am headed back out to Los Angeles. I fly back on February 23rd! I am looking forward to the strike being over.

I hope to see as many of you east coasters in the next few weeks! Don't be a stranger, blog reader!

Gahan Family!

2008-01-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

My sister and brother-in-law have just announced that they are expecting kid #4 in September! Crazy! I have made this video in tribute to them. Starring Kate, Terrence, Brigid, Mary Patricia, Finbar and other friends and family. Enjoy!

Barack Obama!

2008-01-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

Hey Blog Watchers!

This is not an endorsement because I haven't decided whom I am supporting yet! But you must check out my friend Maddy's song extolling the virtues of Barack Obama. Enjoy!

Christmas in New England!

2008-01-07T07:13:00.000-08:00

Check out my holiday video! From LA to Maine. 3,092 Miles! Enjoy!

Farewell LA...for now!

2007-12-31T08:40:00.000-08:00

Hey blog watchers! I'm sorry I have been so remiss in posting to the blog. I have a one word excuse for you...holidays! I left LA on December 17th (thanks to my Aunt Julie for her frequent flier points!). I was set to return on January 7th but instead I will be extending my stay in NYC until the strike ends. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Here is a vlog with me and my buddy Erin Buckley. It documents our last days in LA. Enjoy!

A Christmas Vlog montage is in the the works! Patience is a virtue!

Cooking Time With Joe!

2007-12-06T01:14:00.000-08:00

That's right, Blog Watchers, the first "Cooking Time With Joe" segment. I couldn't ignore all of the comments any longer! You win! Everyone has been begging me for some of my old recipes from back in the day. Well, I'm doing it one better; an instructional video. Maybe this will be the first of many? What do you all think?

Thanks to my great friend, Erin Buckley, I am able to bring you a step-by-step guide on how to make my "east-coast famous" Baked Ziti. I adapted the recipe from one I saw on the Food Network years ago. I hope you all make it! It's really delicious and a great addition to any pot luck, awards show or birthday party!

The video is in two segments. Be sure to watch both! The complete recipe follows. Get cookin'!

PART I

PART II

Baked Ziti Recipe:

1 pound dried barilla plus penne
Kosher salt
1 pound fresh mozzarella, half cut into 1/2-inch cubes and half thinly sliced
1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano, divided
Pinch red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 pound spicy Italian sausages, casing removed and crumbled
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups whole, peeled, canned tomatoes in puree, (one 28-ounce can), roughly chopped
2 Sprigs fresh thyme
6 leaves fresh basil
3 tablespoons italian parsley
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and boil the pasta a minute or so less than directed. Drain. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and the chopped herbs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the salt and season with pepper, to taste.

Toss the cooked pasta with the marinara sauce, cubed mozzarella, half the pecorino cheese, black pepper, and pepper flakes. Transfer the pasta to an oiled 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Cover the top of the pasta with the sliced mozzarella, and sprinkle with the remaining pecorino. Drizzle the top with some olive oil. Bake until lightly browned and hot, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving!

2007-12-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

'Tis the Season

2007-11-30T08:51:00.000-08:00

Hey there Blog Watchers! Sorry it has been so long since my last posting. I went to Ann Arbor, MI to celebrate thanksgiving with some of my family. My sister Mary, my brother-in-law Ken, and their 3 kids (Magda 9, Elinor 5, and Liam 2) hosted a wonderful holiday. In attendance were my father, my brother, Mike, and his new wife, Shannon, and my brother, Tim, and his life partner, Sascha, and their new son, Leo. There was a lot of great food, drink, discussion and debate. We took several jaunts into bustling downtown Ann Arbor, a few of us went ice skating at a local rink and we even put on Elinor's version of American Idol. Quite fun. Thanks to Mary and Ken for hosting the event. Mary has been fighting a nasty case of something so it was even more of a feat for her. We tried to be as much help as possible with the kids. They're a handful!

I will be back on the East Coast for the holidays. My Aunt Julie generously offered me a flight home using her frequent flyer miles. I will be flying in to Newark on Dec. 18th and fly back to LA on January 7th. 3 whole weeks! I can't wait. I hope to see lots of friends and family in that time. I will be going to Maine on Dec. 21, 22 and 23 to visit my Mom for Christmas. Then, I will be in Bethel for Chritmas Eve and I think in NYC with my brother Tim and Sascha's (his partner) family on Christmas Day. I am thinking about going to Boston for New Years but that is not set in stone. We shall see.

I just found a video of the Fuel for Life commercial that I dubbed this fall in NYC. Its pretty hilarious to hear my voice come out of a european model's mouth. I couldn't embed it here but I've included a link. Enjoy.

I am also trying to put together some footage from Michigan for the blog. Check back soon for that.

Here is the address to watch the commercial. You need to cut and paste it in your browser.

http://commercial-archive.com/node/141000

Los Angeles!

2007-11-15T02:18:00.001-08:00

Portland, OR!

2007-11-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

Portland, OR

Hey there, Blog Readers!

I wish life was more exciting and I had more things to blog about. Sorry. I got back from Portland, OR on Sunday. That city is amazing. I really liked it. It is really clean and has such a good energy. There are so many different neighborhoods, each with their own vibe. And tons of great restaurants. I wish I had more time to try them. My friends Jesse and his fiance Silvana gave me the grand tour. We got to spend the day with their amazing son, Silas. Quite a bundle of joy! I also got to visit my friend John and his Wing Shack he recently opened. Delicious Wings.

To see pictures from the trip just click on the picture of me on the plane.

Change of Plans!

2007-11-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Blog Watchers! I got cheap flight on Priceline, so I am flying to Portland, OR. The road trip will have to wait. I'll still try to video blog though.

Talk to you soon!

Exciting News!

2007-10-31T17:11:00.000-07:00

Hey Blog Watchers! I've got some sad news and some exciting news. First, sad. I drove Celia to LAX this morning so she could catch a flight back to NYC. Boo. She has to go back to do a workshop of "Saved", the musical she is doing in the spring at Playwrights Horizons. I miss her already. Having her here was like having 100 friends!

Exciting news. I think my wanderlust has gotten the better of me. I am thinking that for my big birthday this weekend I am going to visit my two best friends from high school, John and Jesse, in Portland, OR. I will be stopping on the way in San Francisco to visit my other best friend from high school Jeremy.

ROAD TRIP TIME! Get ready for some video blogs!

I MISS CELIA!

Movin' on In!

2007-10-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

Hey Blog Watchers! So, we arrived Tuesday night and have been trying to get settled these last few days. The fires created some incredibly bad smog up in these parts but we are okay. Hopefully others in southern cali will soon have their lives back to normal.

We couldn't ignore the desperate pleas to not stop blogging; so here y'all are! Enjoy!

The Last Leg

2007-10-24T12:05:00.001-07:00

Vegas/California Slideshow!

2007-10-24T08:59:00.001-07:00

Viva Las Vegas!

2007-10-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

Inside the Grand Canyon!

2007-10-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Canyon Cabin!

2007-10-22T14:42:00.001-07:00

PHOTOS!

2007-10-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

Petrified/Grand Canyon

Check out these photos from the Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon and Route 66. Just click on the photo to see the whole album.

We stayed in a great lodge just off the rim of the Grand Canyon last night. Then this morning we had breakfast at another lodge and then bundled up for our hike. We took the visitor's bus to the South Kaibab trailhead and hiked about 1 mile down the canyon. It was so beautiful! We are getting some free wireless at a hotel in town and we are hoping to find a cheap hotel in Vegas tonight. We will keep you posted!

VIDEO #2

2007-10-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

Video #1

2007-10-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

Petrified Freezing Forest!

2007-10-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

Check out the video blogs in order. Amazing! Will post pictures later!

Grants, New Mexico!

2007-10-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Huge Pancakes! HUGE Disappointment! See picture!

Mountain Top!

2007-10-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry the sound is so bad, blog readers. It was really windy, but we wanted y'all to see the view from the top. I got a little emotional as you can see in the video.

We've had some technical advice from Celia's brother, Andrew. Check out his blog at:

http://www.andrewkeenanbolger.com

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument!

2007-10-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

RECOGNIZED!

2007-10-20T19:10:00.001-07:00

PICTURES!

2007-10-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

Santa Fe!

Check out some of these pics, folks! Notice especially the ones from the laundromat and the almost IDENTICAL blue shirts.

Lots of other great photos! Check 'em out.

Loretto Chapel!

2007-10-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

Santa Fe!

2007-10-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

Palo Duro/Amarillo

Hey Folks! Things are heating up on Roadtrip2007! We left Amarillo yesterday after leaving our mark on Cadillac Ranch. We soldiered on through New Mexico; heading straight for Santa Fe. We booked a "nice" room on priceline for cheap. It wasn't "nice". Thats okay. We got dinner at this great New Mexican restaurant called 'The Shed' in downtown Santa Fe. The food was really tasty and spicy. We headed back to our palace hotel and fell quickly asleep. This morning we did some laundry (see the pics of all my blue shirts!) We also got the oil changed and washed.

We headed to downtown Santa Fe, which is pretty cool. LOTS of turquoise! We had lunch at Tia Sophia's which was really good. Then we walked to the Loretto Chapel to see the Miraculous Staircase (see video). Next we drove about an hour to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. It was amazing! So beautiful. See the videos.

Now we are sitting in the lap of luxury. We bid on priceline, more successfully, and got a room in the Albuquerque Hyatt Regency for $50! Nice job, Celia. We are going to see a 10:10 showing of 'Into The Wild' tonight. Yay!

The car has already travelled 3000 miles from when I got the oil changed in Cape Cod! Crazy, right?

The Morning After

2007-10-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Mary and Bridie!

2007-10-19T13:59:00.001-07:00

Palo Duro Canyon!

2007-10-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hey there blog readers!

We camped last night on the bottom of Palo Duro Canyon with my sister Kate, her friend Patty and my two nieces and nephew. It was a lot of fun but FREEZING! And tons of flies. The canyon itself is really beautiful. We woke up freezing cold and took a short hike around with the kids. Then we headed out and made our way to Cadillac Ranch on the outskirts of Amarillo. We left our blog marking. Amazing. On our way to Santa Fe!

Deep in the heart...

2007-10-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

OF TEXAS! Not really. Outside of Amarillo.

We are parked as close to the side of this cheap motel to pick up their wireless signal so we can give this video to you, Blog Readers!

So stop nagging us! We have been getting so much feedback; "more! more! more!". We hear you ;-)

You're Welcome!

Drove straight through Oklahoma today. One stop at the national route 66 museum...lame.

Driving

2007-10-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

Another Video Blog for all of you blog readers!

Clinton Library!

2007-10-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

Here we are in the elevator of the Clinton Presidential Center! Amazing!

Tennessee/Arkansas!

2007-10-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

Tennessee/Arkansas!

Arkansas, Arkansas I just love old Arkansas!

Hey blog readers! Finally! We have access to the World Wide Web! I'm so sorry about the delay, blog readers. Celia and I have been getting SO much feedback begging for more frequent posts...WE"RE TRYING!

So, we left Asheville, NC on Tuesday morning and raced through Tennessee. The last 20 miles of the Blueridge in NC was beautiful! The foliage finally started to represent. The Blueridge lead us right into the Great Smoky Mountains. Very impressive. Very beautiful and more crowded than the Blueridge. After leaving the Great Smoky Mountain Park we entered dreary Little Pigeon, TN; the biggest strip mall I've ever seen. We wizzed right by Dollywood; no time to stop. Then we rushed through Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis. We did stop at the pictured Interstate BBQ just outside of Memphis. It was recommended in our Lets Go Roadtripping Book. We got some drive thru there and drove to Village Creek State Park in Arkansas. We had arranged earlier in the day for a 2 BDR cabin in the park. It was the most expensive place we have stayed thus far! $99! It wasn't worth it, unfortunatley. The cabin wasn't nearly as interesting as the one in Virginia. Totally non-descript, a little like being at my best friends house in middle school. Check out the pictures. The BBQ was delicious, however. This morning we got up and drove directly to historic Hot Springs, AK. Hot Springs is famous for their hot spring mineral bath spas. Celia and I got the full service at the oldest one there, open continuously since 1912. It was weird. From there we drove back to Little Rock and got there just in time to visit the William Jefferson Clinton Library. It was amazing! Unfortunately, Bill wasn't there. Where will Hillary have her Library? Can't wait to visit that one. We stopped in Fort Smith, AK for some creole food. Delish. We just arrived in Sallisaw, OK. We are staying at Sallisaw Inn for only $45. I talked down the owner lady from $50. Nice, right?

Check out the photo link and videos!

Take it easy on all the comments, blog readers! I only have two eyes!

Grandfather Mountain!

2007-10-16T05:54:00.000-07:00

Rocky Knob Cabin #20!

2007-10-16T03:15:00.000-07:00

Introducing Celia!

2007-10-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

Finally! We made it to an area with WiFi today! I'm sorry blog readers. I have been getting so many comments and feedback from everyone on the blog about how badly you want updates quicker. I'll try my best.

Celia and I drove from DC to Meadows of Dan, VA on our first day of driving. We drove all the way down Skyline Drive and then connected to the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. We stayed at the rustic "Rocky Knob Cabins". See the video for details on everything.

On our second day we drove again down the magnificent Blue Ridge Parkway. We made a stop at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. It is the highest mountain peak in the Blueridge (5,964 feet!). It was amazing and there was a mile high swinging bridge we crossed after a half mile hike. Really beautiful. Unfortunately, the foliage this season is not as magnificent as usual due to some drought stuff or some such thing. I don't know, look it up.

We continuted on the Blue Ridge to mile 385. We then found our way to Asheville, NC and the cozy (and cheap) ArtHaus Hostel. Its only us and some crazy older lady here tonight. We had dinner at some Jamaican/Mexican restaurant (yum), very filling.

Please check out all the videos and photos. There are some beauties there!

Skyline/Blue Ridge/Asheville

WASHINGTON DC!

2007-10-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

Washington DC

Here are some photos from my 2 days in DC and Shannon and Steve's wedding. Shannon and I grew up together in Bethel and also lived in DC at the same time for our first 2 years of undergrad. Her and Steve have been a couple for 9 years! It was a beautiful wedding and a lot of fun.

I am picking Celia up from Union Station at 1:30 and off we go. We are taking Skyline Drive and the Blueridge Parkway through Virginia until we get to our cabin around midnight. I think I'll be away from posting for the next day or so. I know how upsetting this is to you, my readers. Sorry.

As always, by clicking on some photos you will be linked to the whole album on Picasa. Check it out.

2007-10-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

So, I left for DC at about 1:00 PM Friday afternoon. I drove with my friend Lea. She made a wonderful travel companion. We arrived at the Hotel Helix (amazing and hilarious) a little after 6:30. I tried to find cheap parking in the neighborhood but was unsuccessful. We then went for dinner with Lea's sister, Lacy, who lives in Adams Morgan. Then we went and met up with our friend Shannon, who is getting married, and the rest of her wedding party. They were at The Tombs in Georgetown; the bar that is depicted in the movie St. Elmo's Fire. Crazy.

Going Away Pics!

2007-10-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well, readers, as promised here are some pics from my last two nights in NYC. It was a really great time and thanks to everyone for coming to say good bye.

Click on the photo to see more photos from that night!

Going Away Pics

Au Revoir!

2007-10-12T07:13:00.001-07:00

Well, folks. I'm heading out. I want to thank everyone for a great evening last night. I will be posting pictures of the night ASAP. I hate keeping you all waiting. I know how often you all must click on my BLOG hoping and praying for more juicy posts!

I booked a cabin off of the Blue Ridge Parkway for Sunday night. They're called the Rocky Knob Cabins. Looks rustic. Yikes. I hope Celia doesn't mind.

Expect some interesting pictures from there.

Bridie Falls Down

2007-10-11T01:06:00.000-07:00

Watch the first video below this one before watching this one. It's much funnier that way. Enjoy!

Hilarious

2007-10-11T01:05:00.000-07:00

This is my niece Bridie. We were at a playground on Cape Cod. Check out the second part as well. Very cute.

Farewell Crispo!

2007-10-10T15:14:00.001-07:00

Crispo!

These photos are from my last few days at Crispo. I have worked there for the last three summers. It is a great place to work with delicious food. It is located at 240 W. 14th St. NYC. I recommend it.

The last week there, all us waiters were experimenting with the cross eyed waiter routine. Very fun. Enjoy the pics.

Click on the photo see the whole album.

Disco Dancing

2007-10-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun little dance starring my friends Emily and Elliot! Enjoy!

Bring a CD!

2007-10-10T05:02:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

If you are planning on coming to the farewell get-to-gether on Thursday night bring a mix CD Celia and I can listen to on the road trip! Only if you have time, of course.

See you then!

FAREWELL PARTY!

2007-10-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that my Blog has really taken off! So many visitors!

As I mentioned earlier; I am leaving NYC on Friday. I'm hoping to get to see friends here for a farewell gathering at The Gaf on Thursday night. It is a little Irish pub on 48th Street and 9th Ave. (between 9/10). They have darts there, and Big Buck Hunter and I think maybe Photo Hunt too. Come see me off. I should be there around 9:30. Hope to see you all there!

Mike and Shannon get married in Cape Cod! 4 days until Road Trip!

2007-10-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

Mike/Shannon Wedding Weekend!

Mike and Shannon tied the knot this weekend on Cape Cod. It was an amazing weekend and really beautiful celebration. Click the picture of Mike and Shannon to view the entire picasa album of my photos.

While in Falmouth I had the oil changed in my new/used 1997 Honda CRV. I bought it from my Yale roommate Charlie. It only has 117,200 miles on it! However, its in great shape.

I'll be packing my belongings up this week and deciding what won't be making the trip to LA. Then Friday I will be leaving for Washington DC to attend my childhood friend Shannon Spillane's wedding in Georgetown. The wedding is on Saturday. Celia, my road trip partner, will be meeting me in DC Sunday afternoon and off we go. We will be travelling down the Blue Ridge Parkway through Virginia. Look for some beautiful photos from that leg of the trip.