Thanks so much!
The owner got back to me and said she'll be back in town on the 30th and we can talk then. I really like this little house, so I'm going to use this time to dot some i's and cross some t's logistics-wise, and then we'll see....
Ceridwen/JenT, you didn't come across terse AT ALL. I appreciate your sharing the details of your experience--it's so encouraging.
"Do I want to live like this?" and "have I made the pros/cons list?": The answer to that is, I'm at that point that I LOVE when it comes to stuff like this. I feel the "right thing" in my bones, so it's not a matter of lists anymore. It's just a matter of doing it.
He told me he thinks he's doing "better" with the drinking. OK, if you think embarrassing your adult children and making them cry twice in two weeks is doing "better" I'd hate to see "worse."
As for me, as I said to him, I'm no longer content to be nothing more than a drinking buddy, sitting on the sidelines, watching him kill himself.
You guys are awesome. I'll keep you posted.