There wasn't any winter break daycamps for Kevin this week so Dan and I are splitting the work day to save our leave for our big trip in March. The kids slept in, well past 10:30 so I had an easy morning.

The guys came to start on the last phase of the kitchen. If you don't remember, we remodeled the kitchen last summer and the new fridge fit "on paper" in the space between the pantry and the cabinet with room to spare, but it didn't in reality. So the pantry wall is being rebuilt with thinner drywall and 2x3" instead of 2x4" studs. The result should be more space and I'll be able to open the drawer next to the fridge without it bumping.

Then Dan called from the office this morning to arrange "the swap," and he told me he got an email about a former colleague of mine who died last week and the funeral will be Friday. Wow, that came outta nowhere.

This young woman, Minda, was the secretary in my office for a while about 10 years ago, divorced with a son. She was friends with Kerri, the woman who replaced her. I changed jobs and left the division where my husband and Kerri work about 6 years ago so I'd kinda lost track of Minda, just heard snippets here and there from my friend who still works there. I called her to let her know she should check her work email (she's in California with family). She told me she already knew and it was suicide last Thursday night with her 9mm. Wow. That came outta nowhere.

Needless to say, I'm in shock, and feeling kinda empty. My friend said Kerri had had lunch with Minda Thursday and nothing seemed wrong. Kerri's pretty shaken up, my heart goes out to her and Minda's son.