Surprise!  

Alex decided to skip the Rockstar Christmas party scheduled for last night.  Instead he drove home from California yesterday, arriving after I was in bed (but still not quite asleep.)  

On his way into town he had also surprised Aja and picked up Tyga , who will be staying with Alex/us this next week instead of flying to Georgia with Aja for the holidays.  Alex wondered why the "tree trimming crew" <g> had left their tools in his kitchen. 

Mitch came over this morning, and now he and Tom are currently working on building up the cement wall around the irrigation box. 

 Alex came out to say hi to him before he and Aja zoomed off to pick up her new 4x4 vehicle, which she'll definitely need for her new job in Wisconsin.  That's when he got his first look at his new patio cover.  Too bad it's not finished, though he could get the idea.  (He had been unhappy about 'strangers from the tree crew' having access to his place and things, but of course now realizes that wasn't the case, and those tools are Mitch's.)

I'm off in a bit to lunch with Marcie, Patti, and Wanda, at the Claim Jumper.  By the time we finish pigging out (and flapping our jaws catching up on this and that) and return home, I assume the block box will be finished, and Mitch will be back working up on the roof.

The parking lot should also look a tad different, 

with Aja's new vehicle replacing her little white car.