Zach collected donations at the door, and Sonali put together this “Blind Date With A Book” raffle.

Could not have asked for a better night. We raised $468 for our scholarship fund. I’m so happy! Here are all the pictures I collected from people.

You can listen to most of the awesome music these great people played at DJ Databasic’s Spotify playlist. I’ve been working out to these jams ever since.

Can’t wait for the next one!

Finally got to see the Clean Girls play (can I just say how cool it is that I have friends who get written up in Rolling Stone? Congrats to you, and to Sean Gray for all his work supporting local music), and met everyone cool from William & Mary who didn’t go to TJ. What a fun night.

Friday night: an unexpected visit with an old friend, followed by a sleepover at the O’Connor’s house replete with sleepy time tea, Futurama, lovely gifts from the Philippines, and a little folk magic.

Saturday: helped Sam’s boyfriend move, followed by a pretty gluttonous breakfast with Sam and Mr. and Mrs. O’Connor over at ye olde Original Pancake House. 

Evening was Kristen’s 26th birthday at a succession of increasingly ridiculous Clarendon bars. I am threatening to get back on Yelp because the DJ at this one was so bad, and kept playing such terrible house music while insisting that she didn’t have any Britney. The only saving grace was the bar’s manager, Tony, who told me I was “rocking that Persian attitude.” I was also truly entertained by the overzealous bouncer stationed inside the women’s bathroom. Big ups to Katie, who endured my texts from Sam’s phone about how I was entertaining myself by pretending that the bar manager was actually Tony Stark.

Sunday: blew off a party and a reception for young professionals at the Transportation Research Board conference to watch The Good Wife, set up my website, and catch up on some work (read: making my mom do all my new employee paperwork for the National Archives. Thanks mom, you’re the best).

I’m not sure I made the best call: on the one hand, I had a really solid night of sleep and felt super relaxed this morning, but on the other hand, this was the weakest Good Wife episode of the season (I am not watching Downton Abbey because last week’s premiere put me to sleep). A convoluted case plus heavy handed plot development in the governor’s mansion does not make me a happy camper. Maybe Will and Mr. Big will hash it out more next week and it will be juicy?

Tomorrow I start a new job and TRB begins in earnest. Can’t wait to connect with colleagues in the transportation library subcommittee meeting, and to get settled in at the National Archives!

Weekend jams:

Sam turned me onto this:

and downloaded this to cheer me up before we went out.

The time off has been a blast, but I’m ready to get back to work(ing 65 hours a week). It should be a great term. The student chapter of SLA is finally meeting on a day when I’m on campus with free time! But I gotta chill out with taking on new obligations.

Things I’m looking forward to: covering the Washington Auto Show for Asian Fortune, going to see Speedy Ortiz this Friday.