State of the world this minute: Buck's out cold. I think he finished off an entire rawhide bone in about 20 minutes tonight. Roger and I are working away on design ideas for the dining room (still, at 11:55 PM on a Saturday). We're listening to downtempo Beck, which seems appropriate.

It's been a busy day.

Roger was feeling well enough to head back to the gym for a little triceps action. (He had a head cold; much improved today.) We went back to the pizza place where we often get post-workout lunch sandwiches, in part so I could pay them for the meal I inadvertently dined-and-dashed on earlier this week. That's what happens when I get caught up with writing on my iPad and have to leave in a hurry. Oops.

After lunch, we met with Steve Larson of Adelphi Paper Hangings. They're just up the street from the Love Decades showroom and produce stunning, block-printed wallpapers. We're collaborating with Adelphi on new designs, and were talking patterns, printing methods, and colorways. You'll get to see some of the wallpapers soon. I think they're going to make quite a statement.

We later caught up with a few villagers - and Joe, who lives in a village four minutes away and is therefore an OUTSIDER - at the 204 Main Bar & Bistro Afternoon Coffee Klatch. We hatched preliminary plans for a crazy event that I really hope will happen this summer. Hint: Y'all think our Mini Cooper is small...

But that's not all we did today. Not even close. We've been hard at work putting together plans for the house. Today, we plowed through a long list of decisions. I think the downstairs is really coming into focus. We're essentially finished with planning out the living room, and the dining room is close. I'm particularly happy with all of the little solutions - how to wire the sound system, how to build a variety of furniture pieces, etc. Tackled today:

• Wallpaper for the hallway
• Wallpaper for the guest bedroom
• Paint colors for the guest bedroom
• Sofa for the study
• Sofa for the living room
• Chairs for the living room
• Artwork for the living room
• Rug for the living room
• Coffee table for the living room
• Mirror for the living room
• Whole-house stereo setup
• Storage piece for the dining room
• Table for the dining room
• Chairs for the dining room
• Paint colors for the powder room
• Shower modifications for the powder room
• Rug for the master bedroom

MOST IMPORTANTLY: LINDA AND ELOISE BROUGHT US THIN MINTS FROM NEW JERSEY. It's been a few years since I've daintily snacked upon ravenously devoured some primo Girl Scout cookies. I've missed them. That's a pretty sweet way to close out the day.

Until tomorrow,
Chris