I will tell you what an open call audition for Blue Man Group is like: groups of 5 people put on a mask and line up, they look at the group for about 30 seconds and shoot a picture with a digital camera. They say, "We may or may not call you to come back tomorrow and drum." And that's THAT.

The second appraiser looked at the house yesterday and called me today to tell me that she can definitely appraise it as a one family house. This is very good news, it will almost certainly appraise where we need it to.

As for that splinter story, wouldn't it be nice if it really had that happy ending? I honestly thought that it did when I wrote it, but it seems that my fingertip's innate intelligence doesn't know that the splinter is gone and so the infection in my fingertip is persisting. I have taken my Aunt Alexa's advice and wrapped it up in a moist gauze pad and today I have started moistening it with a saline-garlic water concoction. It is providing some relief, although it may be largely psychological because I can't look at it and poke at it when it is all wrapped up. I keep cracking up when I am driving because I look like Margaret Cho from I'm The One That I Want.