My parents lived in a summer house in Scituate(sp? Near World's End outside of Boston) the two years dad worked at Harvard. They FROZE during winter. Baseboard electric heaters they discovered the hard way that the cats had peed on.

I was there in '94 and saw the house. It looks like a fulltime residence now, all spruced up and whatnot. But after that, dad's appointments were in Houston, Tuscon and NM. I think despite them being raised in midwestern winters, MA convinced them of the need of warmth.

Or is that 5am Wednesday?

That'd be my guess, but it still doesn't make a lot of sense the way they phrased it.

Perkins, is this the same relative with the funny bling will stories?

I have to admit, I wondered about that when you told me the story.

Yeah, but as fuck yous go, this was a pretty wimpy one (even assuming it was meant as one, which I am not sure of), since it did save on taxes, and my aunt knew there was no way we would ever stop them from going.

I have family in Scituate! But they live in a whole house and everything.

The house by the entrance to the beach that we go to there is now owned by the guy who was the principal on Ed, and every time we go, we stand outside having loud conversations about him.

Perkins, is this the same relative with the funny bling will stories?

Nope. That was my mom's mom, while it was my father's sister who left us the house.

my aunt knew there was no way we would ever stop them from going.

Plus, you'd eventually get it anyway.

That too, which is where the tax savings come in.

I remain bitter about the loss of the family home in Old Orchard Beach, ME, as well as the NYC apartments where my grandmother's uncle and cousin lived.

Even though none of those places has been in the family in decades.

In Cincinnati, people (not my family) have houses/condos in Florida, with the occasional house in Michigan. Not as practical as just zipping down to the beach from Manhattan. And yet, it's What We Do.