Help me out vaugely [Puzzle spoilers]

[72.8% Water]

I want to complete this game without using a guide. Every time I've resorted to using a guide with an adventure game it has soured my experience. When I remain patient and get a puzzle solved by myself, even after hours of being stuck, it's been worthwhile. But I've got to a point in the game in which is feels like I've exhausted every possibility, so I'd like just a nudge in the right direction.

Please don't give me the full answer. Just a hint. Perhaps tell me what room I should be focusing my attention on, or what item, if you think that is better. At least to start with. I'll read replies one at a time.

I'll try to describe where I've got to:

I've got Hoagie and Laverne's Chron-o-John's powered up, so I belive the next thing to do is acquire a diamond in the present with Bernard.

Dr. Fred is sleepwalking and opening and closing the safe in his office. I've got the stamp off Ed. Edna is still working furiously in the surveillance room — I can't get past her to use the VCR, but I have caused the statue in this room to change handedness. The only other location in the present that I haven't solved a puzzle at is on the roof, which has a pulley that I can't for the life of me work out what to do with. I've painted Dead Ted red, though I'm not sure that does anything useful. I don't know what to do with the bird bath.

The items I haven't used yet are the gum, postage stamp, funnel, right-handed hammer (which is the second hammer you get), caffinated coffee, bank book, the VCR, and Laverne's trophy. I'm assuming you use the VCR to get the safe combination, the coffee and funnel to wake up Dr. Fred after you've got the contract, the postage stamp to send it off, and the bank book to buy the diamond, and I think the trophy might be superfluous, so I've been slightly more focused on working out the gum and the hammer.

But I know I might be barking up the wrong tree entirely. Or perhaps there is an item elsewhere that I haven't had the inspiration to find.

Any thoughts?

Many thanks :)

[Cheeseness]

Ah, this is difficult to answer without giving the solution. Perhaps observe that Edna is on a wheely chair?

[72.8% Water]

Thank you! Yeah, it all came together after that. Kind a silly puzzle to be stuck on, but that's how it works sometimes — you're not sure if you need to go exploring for something new, or if you have all you need at your disposal already. It's easy to think there is some more complex, multifaceted solution that you need to search for. Similarly, the other bit that had me stuck for hours was getting the squeaky mouse for Hoagie, because how many times in the game do you use an item in the enviroment with another item in the enviroment? But I decided to focus on that room and it eventually clicked. I do wish I had done the same this time, but it still probably would have taken way too long. I appreciate your clue and your keeping it vague. So glad I got to finally finish this wonderful game.

[Cheeseness]

In case you didn't notice, that action plays out differently if you haven't changed the statue yet. I think it ends up being intuitive if you've already tried it and it didn't work, then go change the statue, but if you changed the statue first, it's harder to stumble upon.

Yeah, the bed puzzle is probably the most obtuse puzzle in the game, I think, though all things considered, the game is still more coherent and approachable than most other adventure games (even with its silly time travel shenanigans).

Glad to hear you made it through and had a good time :)