Enjoying a Cup O’ Joe

I’ve been spending the last few days with my nose stuck in books trying desperately to prepare for final exams. The end is near! In ten hours, the pain will end and I can live like a normal human being again.

Forgive me for slowing the pace of the blog for a day—I’m a bit numb from staying up late inhaling economics. For my own therapeutic purposes, I’d like to take a quick breath and think out loud. Here are three things that have gotten me through the last few days of misery.

1) Dawn and I went to Philadelphia and D.C. this weekend to visit my good friends Carl, Julia, Julia (my sister), and Alex (soon to be my brother-in-law). With exams looming, I had hoped that the weekend would deliver rest and relaxation. As expected, it was a weekend full of merry friendship and fascinating conversation. These are good people. I can’t tell you enough how exciting it is to get to know each other as couples. It amazes me how fast Alex and Julia have grown to be solid companions. Thanks to help from the Julias, Dawn took up knitting this weekend (can I have a scarf?).

Philadelphia and D.C. are two very different cities. Having spent more time in D.C., I can’t make a fair comparison just yet, but both cities are big, alive, and rich with history. I have to get out to the east coast soon (no offense, Columbus!). In Philadelphia, I saw the Independence Hall, where those nifty guys signed the Declaration of Independence over 200 years ago. Across the street, the Liberty Bell sits in a glass viewing chamber. It appears that the crack story isn’t as interesting as I originally thought; it was produced by a flaw in the bell, not by raucously ringing the bell in joyous celebration for winning independence. Nevertheless, it was touching.

2) I had three great cups of coffee this weekend. Nothing lifts my spirits like a good cappuccino; milk perfectly heated and properly frothed with two lumps of sugar. Two of these delicious delights were from coffee houses in Philadelphia, which I’ll leave Carl to plug for in case you’re ever in the city. The third was from Carl, who has perfected the art of brewing and frothing. If ever in his presence, don’t be stupid—demand a cup and prepare yourself for ecstasy. His process is slow, deliberate, delicate and worth the wait. Bring the show home for Christmas, Carl. I expect at least a gallon of coffee over the holidays.

3) Making it through each day can be hard as it is, but it’s much harder when the person you live with is taking final exams. I’m amazed by how patient other people can be when I’m going crazy with pressure and deadlines. Dawn smiled at me every morning and Bailey, my dog, waited up for me until 1:00 AM last night, greeting me with kisses and play.

Get ready for some heavy stuff tomorrow.