Yikes, I hope I'm not too late to say: Happy birthday, tommyrot! (And if I am, er, happy day after!)
We had some kind of G&T program in elementary school. I think it mostly involved trooping down to some other room for.. one afternoon a week? Maybe two? I know there was one year when we each got to write a "book" I still have somewhere, and did a puppet show. And I think maybe we did a school newspaper one year? In retrospect, that setup seems more equitable since presumably the other students got more of the teacher's time/attention while we were gone. But obviously I don't know if that's true since I wasn't there. At the time, it didn't seem terribly different from "sometimes people leave the regular class for a while because they're in a special program for music/Spanish/ESOL/sports/god knows what."
But all of this was in Montgomery County, which is not exactly an typical school district. And my memories are all pretty blurry.
Would it be weird if I put inquiry letter at the two next door houses to the one I think I'm seriously consider (and probably the house I saw a momish person and toddler go into) saying something like "I'm interested in this house. If so inclined, could you call me and tell me a little about your impressions of the street and living and working on these kind of houses? Thanks for your time!" with my name & number & email???
I don't think it would be weird, sarameg, but in all honesty I'm not sure I'd call if I got that kind of note. I'm busy and sometimes thoughtless that way. I just wouldn't want you to get a bad impression of the neighbors if they didn't reply.
Cash: could someone make this into a headshot for you?
I don't think it would be weird, sarameg. I think a mom-type might be more inclined to reply--they're typically more concerned with who moves into the neighborhood and might like to find out, in my own experience.
We lived in the house in Columbus for seven years before we had kids and I didn't give my neighbors half as much attention as I after I had kids.
That's a good one, too, java. I really should learn photoshop.
Okay, Sesame Street has a "Law & Order: Special Letters Unit" sketch.
hee hee.
Sorry I posted and then ran off. It's just so tragic for their community. I didn't know the shooter or any of the victims, but my parents did. My mom said that poor guy who lost his family had been out to their house a number of times to help my parents with my baby brother in the months leading up to his passing. She thought he might be a distant cousin, but she wasn't sure. That's pretty distant.
And I apologize for not answering y'all individually.
