Festa Italiana

Last Sunday I went to the annual Festa Italiana in Washington, D.C. It was pretty good this year. Last year the food lines were very long and it seemed a bit disorganized but this year things ran more smoothly. It was great to see friends again I hadn't seen in a while and of course I had a cannolo - bad Joe! More photos can be seen here.

A Party in Honor of My Mom

My mom came to visit from Italy for the first time in nine years. This is my mom. We decided to throw her a party and invited everyone we knew. Lots of people came and they all fell in love with my mom. She stayed for three weeks and we visited our relatives in New York City and also visited Richmond. My mom had said a few times that this would probably be the last time she could come now that she's older but she had such a blast and made so many friends that she's planning on returning in 2 years! Thanks to everyone for making her feel so welcome!

One of My Favorite Places in the World

Hi, all!! I thought I'd show you one of my favorite places in the world - Casina, Italy, where my mom and sister live. I visit them there once a year or so, and it's a tranquil place. Walking up and down those hills is a real workout but it's such a pleasure that I don't mind at all.

Do We Look Good or What?

Here we are at a TOPS convention a couple of months ago, where Ivana was crowned a queen and I was 2nd place for men's weight loss in my division in the State. We look pretty good, huh? Ivana has reached her goal weight and has since actually become even lighter. I have more to go but I feel great!

My Birthday Party

So we decided to do a birthday party for me this year because I turned 47 (June 25) and this is a prime number. Heck, any excuse is a good one for a party! We had a bunch of friends come over and celebrate. It was a beautiful day so we were able to accommodate most people in our backyard. To see more photos, click here.

Bloodsucking Parasites!

Created yesterday evening: I'm working outside on the deck this evening. The weather is perfect. Unfortunately, I'm not the only one who thinks so. Apparently, I am delicious according to the hundreds of mosquitoes that have been attacking me. Geez, I hope none of them is carrying the West Nile Virus or the East Nile Virus or any of the Nile Direction Viruses. I am now in the midst of an internal battle - go inside and away from this beautiful weather or stay out here and let myself be eaten alive by blood-sucking vampire Dracula-wannabees? Get it? Bees?

I Skied This Year for the First Time!

Yep, here I am in Breckenridge, Colorado, this past February where I learned how to ski. I had a blast in the three days I was there and while I'm not yet a great skier, at least I've learned how to go down the novice slopes without killing myself. I fell down a lot but never got hurt because one of the first things our instructor taught us was how to fall properly. Smart thinking!

Four Groundhogs and Counting

I have thus far caught four groundhogs on our property this year. Here my curious doggie is trying to talk with Zippity, the groundhog in the cage. Ivana called him zippity because...well, duh...he was fast!

In each of the four cases, we took the groundhog away in a cage and dumped them in a neighbor's yard. Just kidding! No, I took them far away to a pleasant valley where they could frolic among bushes of fruits and berries and other delicacies near streams of pure water imported from the Swiss Alps. I visited them not long ago and they had built a little village and one of them was elected mayor. Smart little fellas!

Our New Pond

About three weeks ago, Ivana and I built a pond in our backyard. It instantly started to attract couples who would sit on the bench and wonder why there was a dog in a wagon nearby.

My Second Organized Meetup

If you'd like to see more photos, click here.

The First Italian Meetup I Organized

I took over leadership of our local Italian expat meetup. If you'd like to see more photos, click here. Kudos to Miss Alice Galli, pictured here, who started this group.

We Walked in the Fairfax Fourth of July Parade!

Ivana and the kids and I walked in the Fairfax Fourth of July Parade
We were part of the Sons of Italy group. If you'd like to see more photos I took that day, click here.

Repeal the VA "Civil Remedial Fees" for Traffic Offenses Petition

Click below if you live in Virginia:

Repeal the VA "Civil Remedial Fees" for Traffic Offenses Petition

Joe Ganci Finally Gets a Blog

OK, all, you know how long I have resisted doing this. There are only so many hours in the day and I juggle so many things right now, but I'm determined to start this thing if it kills me. Who needs sleep, anyway?

I think it's a law that you have to start a blog with a picture of your dog, so here is mine! He is a shih-tsu and is now 10 years old. He is VERY affectionate.