barney & friends

In case my persistent panic and other histrionics weren't memorable, may I remind you that I had this little midterm exam a couple days ago? The upside of the stress wrapped up in taking one's first exam a)in four plus years, b)with a new professor, is that when it's finally over, it feels like Christmas morning or the first day of vacation or something. I left that exam and it was like I was on speed. Or like I imagine I'd feel if I ever took speed. Mom and Dad, I have never taken speed. That one time I was awake for 24 hours straight thanks to Claratin D may've been like unintentionally taking speed, but big old emphasis on the UNintentional part. 

Point is, I was jazzed to be done. Sadly no one was up for celebrating with me at 8pm on a Wednesday, so I went home, grabbed a beer out of the fridge, and hit the roof deck with a magazine to enjoy the last pleasant night before the full on heat wave smacked DC in the face. I was frequently distracted, however, by the gorgeous sunset stretching out over northwest DC.   

Once the sun had set, and reading my magazine became impossible, I headed downstairs to take care of one of the many things I've been neglecting lately: my entryway. I ordered a new rug for the little hallway thanks to one of the thoughtful gift cards my parents gave me for my birthday. I'd been too busy to so much as pick it up from the front desk, not to mention unfurl it in its new home. Once I got around to it, the space went from looking like this (which you may remember from May's tour of the new digs): 
 

Pardon the poor quality iPhone snapshot, I was too tired to get my camera out and fire it up, but this is the "after." I just realized you can't really see the bench, which is now black, or much of the red door, but I promise, it makes for a great contrast, and I love that the runner fills up the space so much better than the tiny rug I originally had. Plus, it'll sort of tie the entryway in to the bathroom, which will have script stenciled on the bottom half of the long wall. 

After doing those two insanely simple things, I pretty much passed out, having set my alarm for an hour later than usual the next morning, giving myself a little reward for surviving the whole adventure. I officially celebrated yesterday with three separate happy hours (my social life, it seems, is perennially plagued by the feast or famine phenomenon). At some point I have to start thinking about school work again, but I'm giving myself today off, too. 

And finally, before I head off for a weekend peppered with more celebrating, some beach-going, and (sigh) a healthy dose of reading, here is a totally gratuitous photo of my colleague's adorable dog, Barney. The little guy came to visit Wednesday afternoon when his dog sitter fell ill, and I think I have him to thank for calming me down and convincing me that everything was going to go just fine. Chasing a puppy around a mostly-empty office full of hiding places has a way, I suppose, of distracting you. Thanks, Barney!