sj, in re the bank appraisal, just remember, if the bank doesn't think it's worth it, most banks aren't going to think it's worth it.

Cindy, it's lovely to have you around (putting aside for a moment the unlovely event that prompted your return); I don't mean to make you feel guilty, and understand if you need to leave again, but it's fantastic to see your pixels while you are here.

You just made me (nice) cry, smonster. I feel a bit like the distant cousin, but I still had to come home.

I'm pretty sure you're great at that too. Good luck on the interviews!

Right? If Jilli can't dazzle mortals, there's no hope for the rest of us.

When I lost my dad, I got just as much support from this board as I did from meatspace.

Right? If Jilli can't dazzle mortals, there's no hope for the rest of us.

So true.

sj, in re the bank appraisal, just remember, if the bank doesn't think it's worth it, most banks aren't going to think it's worth it.

I know. I'm just not being very rational right now.

When explaining the bond with my friends here to my mother I noted that in a whole lot of cases we know more about each other than we do about our meat space friends. She understood that completely, but I didn't say meat space because that would have caused her to give me a mom look.

The painful timing of Maria's loss reminds me of one of my 'oh so Laura' ways I dealt with losing Stephen. I was determined not to remember the date. This was possible because of mind like sieve, but really tough because of the insane number of times I had to write the date on forms and such. Every time I wrote the date I thought, "I won't remember this." Probably I have the dazed grief stricken brain to thank, but I managed to forget the date. I know the month and year. It has been 25 years and I certainly think of him often, and always on his birthday and special anniversaries, but never on the date he died, because I don't know what it was.

And not surprisingly, almost no one in meat space knows that. My husband, mom, and sisters. And Buffistas.

sj! That is really cute. I gotta say I really love the dog peaking in the patio window. I have to remember that one when I take pictures to sell my house.

sj, what a beautiful house. You'd pay twice the asking price, out here. All of my crossable parts are crossed for you!

The painful timing of Maria's loss reminds me of one of my 'oh so Laura' ways I dealt with losing Stephen. I was determined not to remember the date. This was possible because of mind like sieve, but really tough because of the insane number of times I had to write the date on forms and such. Every time I wrote the date I thought, "I won't remember this." Probably I have the dazed grief stricken brain to thank, but I managed to forget the date. I know the month and year. It has been 25 years and I certainly think of him often, and always on his birthday and special anniversaries, but never on the date he died, because I don't know what it was.

And not surprisingly, almost no one in meat space knows that. My husband, mom, and sisters. And Buffistas.

Yeah.

Sometimes, i can randomly tell you how many days it's been since either my dad or my Nana passed. It can't do it all the time, but every once in a while, the maths do themselves.

Death is a huge, sucking hole in your life. I say this all the time. Probably too many of you have heard it from me, already. You learn to navigate around the hole, but every once in a while you slip in. And then there are the times you throw yourself in the hole. There's no way out, but through, blah blah pain cakes.

sj! That is really cute. I gotta say I really love the dog peaking in the patio window. I have to remember that one when I take pictures to sell my house.

Thanks! The dog in the pictures is less appealing when you have allergies. The basement rug definitely needs to be professionally cleaned, it smells like wet dog.

sj, what a beautiful house.

Thanks.

You'd pay twice the asking price, out here. All of my crossable parts are crossed for you!

Which is why we're staying here, rather than moving closer to where TCG works, where we can afford next to nothing.

The house looks good and easy to navigate, sj. I particularly like the kitchen. The current owners are fond of the intense colors, aren't they?

The house looks good and easy to navigate, sj. I particularly like the kitchen. The current owners are fond of the intense colors, aren't they?

Yes, and most of them are going away. I like bright colors too, just not those.