Teppy, I'm so sorry to hear this news. All strength and comfort and peace to Tim and his family, and to you.

David, that house is amazing (I want the turret room with the round window, please! I'm short--I won't even have to hunch, if the ceiling's low!)

~ma of whatever form to askye, Sheryl, and anyone else needing it.

Did I extend house ‐ma? House -ma!!

Timelies all!

Gary got back last night. Mr. S still got up at 6 and was out of control, as usual.

That house is indeed awesome, Hec and JZ. Best of luck on the offer process!

The new alley kitten is going full bore into the scratchy-bitey phase of his development. I could hardly pet him without an attempt to eat one of my fingers tonight. He followed me from the parking lock to the back deck in search of prey.

Argh. Mortgage broker is going to give me conniptions. I don't understand money or lending or numbers or why it's such a great idea to get a loan even when you don't strictly need it, and I'm trying to take everyone else's word for it and go with it, but there are so many weird little moving parts to my dad's estate and the way it's being closed out one piece at a time that I feel like we're making the mortgage guy very unhappy. I get very anxious when I feel I'm making someone unhappy.

OTOH, scratchy-bitey kitten sounds adorable, if kind of exhausting.

((((Sheryl and family)))) So stressful, for all of you.

I'm so sorry, Teppy. It's so hard to manage grief as well as closing out someone's life at the same time. Best of luck to you and Tim and his family.

I feel like we're making the mortgage guy very unhappy. I get very anxious when I feel I'm making someone unhappy.

sweetie, HE works for YOU. Of course, you don't want to make him unhappy, but if you are doing what you need to do and he is unhappy, then tough snoogie oogies.

Ugh. My friend has a harmless, but annoying (to me) habit. If she texts me and I don't reply, she sends a text that says, literally "*poke*". I don't know why I find this irritating. Just say "hey, what's up" or even just a question mark.

She is lovely, but sensitive to criticism, in a way that she really internalizes it. If I said "I find this habit annoying" she would hear "Steph thinks I'm annoying" and I don't. I really like her. This just tweaks me.

I know it's kind of irrational, and not a big deal, but how do I get her to stop other than passively aggressively ignoring the "poke" but following up to other messages.

I don't like being poked. I don't even like it when somebody sends me two texts in a row without my reply. WAIT FOR MY REPLY! MY TIME IS MY OWN AND IF I'M DOING MY SHIT I'M NOT ON YOUR CLOCK!