I lived in Renton for years. It's not BAD, as long as you don't leave your house.

And me being gay? Something I toned WAAAAY down when out and about. Not. Done. There.

I live in the city. I walk to the center of downtown Seattle, that's how close I live. I won't move south of Capitol Hill/Beacon Hill (and that's starting to get dodgy) or West Seattle (but not White Center, Georgetown, or Burien - EW BURIEN AIRPORT LOUD)

I'm a hedonist. I expect to step off my front porch and smell the coffeeshop within walking distance, thanks. AND I expect not to be shot at while walking there.

Outside of the city areas I could stand living: Lake Forest Park, parts of Shoreline, my friend Jay's 'hood on the Bellevue/Redmond border, parts of Kenmore, Three Tree Point (if and only if I had my parents' house and its view).

I wouldn't live in the city limits and south of I-90 again, unless I was in the Admiral district of West Seattle.

Burien west of Ambaum doesn't have any airport noise.

Well, I've got to take into account a) school systems for the kids and their myriad academic needs b) three large dogs and while they're not especially active, I still need room for them to stretch their legs c)taking into account the fact that we have a lot of shit and need space for it (Oy, the books alone) and d) since I work from home, I need my own office space.

What the hedonist in me would love is water. Preferably of the salt variety. Which makes life difficult and may be something I won't get.

IF WE EVEN WIND UP OUT THERE WHICH I WANT!

Augh. Don't mind me. I'm being very Violet Beauregard at the moment.

The salt water here is about 58 degrees.

If you wind up out here, I think Lake Forest Park is probably a good fit for you.

The salt water here is about 58 degrees.

Heh-- yeah, I don't need it to swim-- I just love the smell, the breezes and being able to walk alongside.

I've seen some houses in Lake Forest Park and in Shoreline-- hell, just on Redfin, we've found stuff that would seem to suit us all over the place, which is why it's kind of overwhelming. Everywhere else we've lived, we've been able to suss out where we'd like to live fairly easily. But I know that once we get a chance to go out there, we'll get a better sense of things.

thanks for the realtor recs. I had known about zillow and already checked it, but that gives approx values. But I did find out the neighborhood skinny, which is that the house is up for auction and the starting bid is $525. Also there's something weird because it's listed as well below the sq footage of our house, but the two look fairly close in size. I guess they added-on at some point.

msbelle, Owen is just geting into 6's--I've started shopping for him in the "big" boy dept. instead of toddlers.

Had a parenting fail tonight. We were cooking out at my sister's and after dinne the kids were playing on the teeny beach by her pond. Four adults were watching the kids, who were about 30 yards across the yard.

Liv and Owen started inching into the water playing. Before I could call the in, the pair of them ended up over their heads. My BiL's friend, bless him realized it a split second before I did and sprinted down into the pond in his clothes to pull the kids out.

I vaulted over the deck rail and got there right behind him. The kids were sputtering but fine. I feel stupid and after I bathed the kids and got them dressed stripped out of my wet clothes and cried in the shower.

The good news is that Owen's swim lessons paid off because he was boucing off the bottom and moving into safety. Liv was just too heavy and holding onto his shoulders which bogged them both.

So fucking scary. This is why we do not live close to water.

Liv hasn't had swimming lessons yet, huh? Might be time.

Irrational TV irritation: Big screen computer monitors for presentations where the mouse in your hand calls up exactly what you want just by pointing it at the screen and clicking, although there are no UI elements on the screen. Interrupt your presentation and take a left turn? No matter. Click! Clack! There are the files you wanted.

Stop with the psychic 3D mice. They irritate me. I much prefer having someone at a keyboard controlling an extra monitor. I even think it looks cool, and Criminal Mind's Garcia would agree with me,

A&E showed a marathon of the first CM episodes and they were all such cuties. Shemar in a suit, Thomas Gibson with floppy hair, dolls.

Oh that's terrifying!

I'm glad they're ok. They move so damn fast.