diff --git a/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/Client.java b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/Client.java
index 269fe5c..3425950 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/Client.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/Client.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
 
 /**
+ * Provide a client to simplify information retrieval over the NDN network.
  *
  * @author Andrew Brown <andrew.brown@intel.com>
  */
@@ -34,6 +35,19 @@
   public static final long DEFAULT_SLEEP_TIME = 20;
   public static final long DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 2000;
   private static final Logger logger = LogManager.getLogger();
+  private static Client defaultInstance;
+
+  /**
+   * Singleton access for simpler client use
+   *
+   * @return
+   */
+  public static Client getDefault() {
+    if (defaultInstance == null) {
+      defaultInstance = new Client();
+    }
+    return defaultInstance;
+  }
 
   /**
    * Synchronously retrieve the Data for an Interest; this will block until
@@ -46,23 +60,19 @@
   public Data getSync(Face face, Interest interest) {
     // setup event
     long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
-    final ClientObservableEvent event = new ClientObservableEvent(); // this event is used without observer/observables for speed; just serves as a final reference into the callbacks
+    final ClientEvent event = new ClientEvent(); // this event is used without observer/observables for speed; just serves as a final reference into the callbacks
 
     // send interest
     try {
       face.expressInterest(interest, new OnData() {
         @Override
         public void onData(Interest interest, Data data) {
-          event.setTimestamp(System.currentTimeMillis());
-          event.setSuccess(true);
-          event.setPacket(data);
+          event.fromPacket(data);
         }
       }, new OnTimeout() {
         @Override
         public void onTimeout(Interest interest) {
-          event.setTimestamp(System.currentTimeMillis());
-          event.setSuccess(false);
-          event.setPacket(new Object());
+          event.fromPacket(new Exception("Interest timed out: " + interest.getName().toUri()));
         }
       });
     } catch (IOException e) {
@@ -70,7 +80,7 @@
       return null;
     }
 
-    // process events until a response is received or timeout
+    // process eventCount until a response is received or timeout
     while (event.getPacket() == null) {
       try {
         synchronized (face) {
@@ -103,8 +113,19 @@
 
   /**
    * Asynchronously retrieve the Data for a given interest; use the returned
-   * ClientObserver to handle the Data when it arrives. E.g.: Client.get(face,
-   * interest).then((data) -> doSomething(data));
+   * ClientObserver to handle the Data when it arrives. For example (with lambdas):
+   * <pre><code>
+   * Client.getDefault().get(face, interest).then((event) -> doSomething(event));
+   * </code></pre>
+   * 
+   * If you want to block until the response returns, try something like:
+   * <pre><code>
+   * ClientObserver observer = Client.getDefault().get(face, interest);
+   * while(observer.eventCount() == 0){
+   *   Thread.sleep(50);
+   * }
+   * doSomething(observer.getFirst());
+   * </code></pre>
    *
    * @param face
    * @param interest
@@ -128,8 +149,8 @@
           eventHandler.notify(e);
         }
 
-        // process events until a response is received or timeout
-        while (observer.responses() == 0 && observer.errors() == 0 && !observer.mustStop()) {
+        // process eventCount until a response is received or timeout
+        while (observer.dataCount() == 0 && observer.errorCount() == 0 && !observer.mustStop()) {
           try {
             synchronized (face) {
               face.processEvents();
@@ -140,7 +161,7 @@
           }
           sleep();
         }
-        
+
         // finished
         logger.trace("Received response; stopping thread.");
       }
@@ -178,7 +199,7 @@
     // setup event
     long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
     final String dataName = data.getName().toUri();
-    final ClientObservableEvent event = new ClientObservableEvent();
+    final ClientEvent event = new ClientEvent();
 
     // setup flags
     ForwardingFlags flags = new ForwardingFlags();
@@ -213,7 +234,7 @@
       event.fromPacket(e);
     }
 
-    // process events until one response is sent or error
+    // process eventCount until one response is sent or error
     while (event.getPacket() == null) {
       try {
         synchronized (face) {
@@ -284,15 +305,15 @@
           eventHandler.onError(e);
         }
 
-        // process events until a request is received
-        while (observer.requests() == 0 && observer.errors() == 0 && !observer.mustStop()) {
+        // process eventCount until a request is received
+        while (observer.interestCount() == 0 && observer.errorCount() == 0 && !observer.mustStop()) {
           try {
             synchronized (face) {
               face.processEvents();
             }
           } catch (IOException | EncodingException e) {
             logger.warn("Failed to process events.", e);
-            observer.update(eventHandler, new ClientObservableEvent());
+            observer.update(eventHandler, new ClientEvent());
           }
           sleep();
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientEvent.java b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientEvent.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a125286
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientEvent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/*
+ * File name: ClientEvent.java
+ * 
+ * Purpose: Signals a Client event for observers to act on
+ * 
+ * © Copyright Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ * Intel Corporation, 2200 Mission College Boulevard,
+ * Santa Clara, CA 95052-8119, USA
+ */
+package com.intel.jndn.utils;
+
+/**
+ * Signals a Client event for observers to act on
+ * @author Andrew Brown <andrew.brown@intel.com>
+ */
+public class ClientEvent<T> {
+
+  protected boolean success;
+  protected long timestamp;
+  protected T packet;
+
+  /**
+   * Constructor
+   */
+  public ClientEvent() {
+    timestamp = System.currentTimeMillis();
+    success = false; // an event without a packet is a failed event
+  }
+  
+  /**
+   * Constructor
+   * 
+   * @param packet 
+   */
+  public ClientEvent(T packet) {
+    fromPacket(packet);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Build this event from a passed packet; the event is considered a failure
+   * if the packet is any type of Exception
+   * 
+   * @param packet 
+   */
+  public final void fromPacket(T packet) {
+    this.timestamp = System.currentTimeMillis();
+    this.success = !Exception.class.isInstance(packet);
+    this.packet = packet;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Retrieve success status
+   * 
+   * @return 
+   */
+  public boolean isSuccess() {
+    return success;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Retrieve event timestamp
+   * 
+   * @return 
+   */
+  public long getTimestamp() {
+    return timestamp;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Retrieve event packet
+   * 
+   * @return 
+   */
+  public T getPacket() {
+    return packet;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientObservable.java b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientObservable.java
index ce6beda..0a4b341 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientObservable.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientObservable.java
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
  */
 public class ClientObservable extends Observable implements OnData, OnTimeout, OnInterest {
 
-  protected List<ClientObservableEvent> events = new ArrayList<>();
+  protected List<ClientEvent> events = new ArrayList<>();
   protected List<Interest> incomingInterestPackets = new ArrayList<>();
   protected List<Data> incomingDataPackets;
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
    */
   public <T> void notify(T packet) {
     setChanged();
-    notifyObservers(new ClientObservableEvent(packet));
+    notifyObservers(new ClientEvent(packet));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
    */
   @Override
   public void onTimeout(Interest interest) {
-    notify(interest);
+    notify(new Exception("Interest timed out: " + interest.getName().toUri()));
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientObservableEvent.java b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientObservableEvent.java
deleted file mode 100644
index af2a614..0000000
--- a/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientObservableEvent.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,61 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * File name: ClientObservableEvent.java
- * 
- * Purpose: 
- * 
- * © Copyright Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
- * Intel Corporation, 2200 Mission College Boulevard,
- * Santa Clara, CA 95052-8119, USA
- */
-package com.intel.jndn.utils;
-
-/**
- *
- * @author Andrew Brown <andrew.brown@intel.com>
- */
-public class ClientObservableEvent<T> {
-
-  boolean success;
-  long timestamp;
-  T packet;
-
-  public ClientObservableEvent(T packet) {
-    fromPacket(packet);
-  }
-
-  public ClientObservableEvent() {
-    timestamp = System.currentTimeMillis();
-    success = false;
-  }
-
-  public final void fromPacket(T packet_) {
-    timestamp = System.currentTimeMillis();
-    success = !Exception.class.isInstance(packet_);
-    packet = packet_;
-  }
-
-  public boolean isSuccess() {
-    return success;
-  }
-
-  public void setSuccess(boolean success) {
-    this.success = success;
-  }
-
-  public long getTimestamp() {
-    return timestamp;
-  }
-
-  public void setTimestamp(long timestamp) {
-    this.timestamp = timestamp;
-  }
-
-  public T getPacket() {
-    return packet;
-  }
-
-  public void setPacket(T packet) {
-    this.packet = packet;
-  }
-
-}
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientObserver.java b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientObserver.java
index 0ed4e11..9bfdd7e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientObserver.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/ClientObserver.java
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * File name: ClientObserver.java
  * 
- * Purpose: 
+ * Purpose: Track asynchronous events from Client and provide simplified API
  * 
  * © Copyright Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
  * Intel Corporation, 2200 Mission College Boulevard,
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@
  */
 public class ClientObserver implements Observer {
 
-  protected List<ClientObservableEvent> events = new ArrayList<>();
+  protected List<ClientEvent> events = new ArrayList<>();
   protected long timestamp;
-  protected OnData then;
+  protected OnEvent then;
   protected boolean stopThread;
 
   /**
@@ -43,26 +43,62 @@
    */
   @Override
   public void update(Observable o, Object arg) {
-    ClientObservableEvent event = (ClientObservableEvent) arg;
+    ClientEvent event = (ClientEvent) arg;
     events.add(event);
     // call onData callbacks
     if (Data.class.isInstance(event.packet) && then != null) {
-      then.onData(null, (Data) event.packet);
+      then.onEvent(event);
     }
   }
 
   /**
-   * Register a handler for data packets
+   * Register a handler for events
    *
-   * @param handler
+   * @param callback
    * @return
    */
-  public ClientObserver then(OnData handler) {
-    then = handler;
+  public ClientObserver then(OnEvent callback) {
+    then = callback;
     return this;
   }
 
   /**
+   * Count the number of eventCount observed
+   *
+   * @return
+   */
+  public int eventCount() {
+    return events.size();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Count the number of interest packets observed (received or sent)
+   *
+   * @return
+   */
+  public int interestCount() {
+    return count(Interest.class);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Count the number of Data packets observed
+   *
+   * @return
+   */
+  public int dataCount() {
+    return count(Data.class);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Count the number of errors observed
+   *
+   * @return
+   */
+  public int errorCount() {
+    return count(Exception.class);
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Count the number of observed packets by type
    *
    * @param type
@@ -70,7 +106,7 @@
    */
   public int count(Class type) {
     int count = 0;
-    for (ClientObservableEvent event : events) {
+    for (ClientEvent event : events) {
       if (type.isInstance(event.packet)) {
         count++;
       }
@@ -79,34 +115,8 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Count the number of interest packets observed (received or sent)
-   *
-   * @return
-   */
-  public int requests() {
-    return count(Interest.class);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Count the number of Data packets observed
-   *
-   * @return
-   */
-  public int responses() {
-    return count(Data.class);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Count the number of errors
-   *
-   * @return
-   */
-  public int errors() {
-    return count(Exception.class);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Get time since observer start
+   * Calculate time elapsed since observer started observing until this method
+   * is called
    *
    * @return
    */
@@ -118,11 +128,20 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Retrieve first event
+   * Retrieve a list of observed events
    *
    * @return event or null
    */
-  public ClientObservableEvent getFirst() {
+  public List<ClientEvent> getEvents() {
+    return events;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Retrieve the first event
+   *
+   * @return event or null
+   */
+  public ClientEvent getFirst() {
     if (events.size() > 0) {
       return events.get(0);
     }
@@ -130,11 +149,11 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Retrieve last event
+   * Retrieve the last event
    *
    * @return event or null
    */
-  public ClientObservableEvent getLast() {
+  public ClientEvent getLast() {
     if (events.size() > 0) {
       return events.get(events.size() - 1);
     }
@@ -142,14 +161,16 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Stop the current Client thread
+   * Stop the current Client thread; used by asynchronous Client methods to
+   * stop the request/response thread
    */
   public void stop() {
     stopThread = true;
   }
 
   /**
-   * Check the current stop status
+   * Check the current stop status; used by asynchronous Client methods to
+   * stop the request/response thread
    *
    * @return
    */
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/OnEvent.java b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/OnEvent.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e9c7f67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/OnEvent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/*
+ * File name: OnEvent.java
+ * 
+ * Purpose: Interface for registering generic event handlers
+ * 
+ * © Copyright Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ * Intel Corporation, 2200 Mission College Boulevard,
+ * Santa Clara, CA 95052-8119, USA
+ */
+package com.intel.jndn.utils;
+
+/**
+ * Interface for registering generic event handlers. E.g.: observer.then((event)
+ * => doSomething(event.getFirst()));
+ *
+ * @author Andrew Brown <andrew.brown@intel.com>
+ */
+public interface OnEvent {
+  public void onEvent(ClientEvent event);
+}