Bonny, what smonster said. And the right doggy for you is out there somewhere, I'm sure.

One of the things that the owner is being petty on is really weird to me. They're taking their swingset, which is fine because we have no need for it. So we casually asked their agent if they would be taking away the tarp and the stones under the swing set as well. She at the time said "I can't see how that would be a problem" and later came back and said absolutely not, the sellers don't have the time to do that.

Hi everyone at the parade an smonster and Tom! I am driving back from my aunt's 70th birthday party. I stuffed my belly full of lobster and clam chowder.

My dad's home from the hospital, yay! He had to go back in overnight Friday for blood transfusion.

Yay, Nora's dad! How is he doing?

Ok! Still weak, but we'll take any progress as good news.

We are driving thru Worcester on the Pike right now...(waves at sj.)

(waves back at Nora) I know you don't have time to stop, but if you are ever visiting and you do, you know you're always welcome.

Safe driving to Nora! And best better-fast vibes to your dad.

sj, this house seems less and less like a place you'd want to live. If you do wind up there, you need somebody to chase out all the nasty feelings left behind by the old people. The petty kind of stinks. I hope you find a wonderful even-better place on your open house tour.

bonny, the right dog is out there, just waiting for you to find him. Or her? And you gave this guy a lovely day, meanwhile.

Maria, all my good thoughts are with you.

sj, the petty and the nasty are just getting ridiculous. Though I bet that if you do somehow end up in that house after all, the neighbors would be a font of gossip about the former owners. Somehow I doubt they were just all sweetness and light to everyone around them right up until the moment they put that house on the market.

sj, this house seems less and less like a place you'd want to live. If you do wind up there, you need somebody to chase out all the nasty feelings left behind by the old people. The petty kind of stinks. I hope you find a wonderful even-better place on your open house tour.

We'll have to burn sage or something to get rid of the nasty. The place we looked at today is pretty much a no go. We're re-looking at one tomorrow that we passed by the first time because there was no basement. And then looking at another one that I already don't like, but TCG wants to look at. If there was a sudden flood of new places onto the market, walking away from the pettiness would be so much easier.

sj, the petty and the nasty are just getting ridiculous. Though I bet that if you do somehow end up in that house after all, the neighbors would be a font of gossip about the former owners. Somehow I doubt they were just all sweetness and light to everyone around them right up until the moment they put that house on the market.

JZ, I love the way you think.

I seem to have decided on Southern food for dinner -- blackened tofu, collard greens, and cornmeal waffles. (I didn't go grocery shopping, so I'm making do with what I've got. The collard greens were supposed to be part of a dish a few days ago that I never got around to making. Everything else is made from stuff I have on hand.)

After a third try the seller's agent finally answered all the questions. The seller is willing to do 1 tiny repair that we asked for but not another major thing.