Alex popped over yesterday with some tragic news.  He'd spent Sunday afternoon riding bikes with a group of friends, one of them Chris Fernandez.  Then Sunday night in Scottsdale, when Chris was "being responsible" and Uber-ing home, that vehicle was struck by a drunk driver. Chris was killed and the Uber driver was seriously injured, but (as is so often the sad case) the impaired driver was not hurt.  If they'd just injure/kill themselves it wouldn't be so tragic! 

 The accident made the local news.  (Though only the name/face of the drunk was included in the segment, I knew it was the fatality involving Chris because Alex had mentioned the location.) There was no information at the time regarding whether that driver had gotten any previous DUI citations, which incredibly turns out to be the case in so many of these 'accidents' - which really are not accidental at all if someone CHOOSES to drink and drive!  

I'd be thrilled if they'd lock up these murderers 

and then throw away the key!!!

Dinky Dots arrived arrived yesterday, so the post office did function in a timely fashion. 

But now that I'm on a roll with my book blocks I haven't even opened up the package yet! 

I probably should - just to confirm that she sent me the correct fabric?

I'm using an assembly-line method for the paper-piecing, and while I felt like I made substantial progress yesterday (it took a while to trim up the pattern pieces 'before', which will save time 'after') there's nothing truly exciting to show.  

Before bed I finished up reading The Midnight Library.

Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?

Brownie and I have been invited to Mary's for lunch today, 

and I expect to spend time in her gardenific back yard.

Shadow and Merlin are no doubt thrilled that the pesky house-painting noise is no longer disrupting their lives, and also that the windows are once again uncovered for their viewing pleasure! But my best guess <g> is that today they will be displeased when they realize "that dog" has returned for a visit.  

Hope they don't transfer their annoyance to Mary's plants!

FYI Mary couldn't remember the name of the off-white color that she eventually chose, from the wide selection available, for her house's exterior ...

though I must admit I'll never look at 'eggshell' in quite the same way again. 

Alex was up and about early this morning (though probably not as early as I was) and then texted me that he noticed that skunk aroma - like when I used to trek out to the hot tub for an early morning soak.  He did look around for the critter, but didn't see it.