So here is the informal report from the GeoTech Eng. and we now have to run cost estimates to see which are even feasible. Developer is saying we can't switch lots either. I don't want to be impatient, but it could be August is we wait for the watertable to recede. We are think Option #4 is we can afford it. Builder is running costs. Based on my visit to the site ant test pits performed this lot has a groundwater problem along with soft alluvial soils on the back 2/3 of the building area. The back line of the house was located along a drainage way for the subdivision and the water is flowing in from the west on top and below the surface through this area. The soft soils on the rear portion of the lot in the building area need to be removed and replaced if the house is to be built on this lot and the drainage will need to be permanently directed around the back of the lot away from the house. To deal with the soil and groundwater conditions, OMI has comprised the following approaches to proceeding with construction: If wanted done Immediately- Undercut the soft soil and place 1-ft of opengraded stone in the wet areas. Then place a filter fabric over the stone and put in compacted fill up to subgrade elevation for the house pad. The footing will be normal construction bearing in the fill. If can wait for a window of opportunity- Undercut the soft soil. Let the lot drain naturally until the lot starts to dry out to the point the water is outside the building area. Place fill up to the subgrade elevation for the house pad. The footing will be normal construction bearing in the fill. Wait until the driest season of the year and allow the water table to subside. Undercut 2-ft and compact the surface soils before placing 3 to 4-ft of soil over the back of the building area. The footing will be normal construction bearing in the fill. This approach may not work if the groundwater has no outlet. Alternate Immediate approach-Place fill on the lot as needed to provide the proper elevation for building area and proper surface drainage. Dig the footings down to firm residual soil and pour flowable fill up to planned bottom of footing depth. Normal foundation bearing on the flowable fill in the back and stiff residual soil on the front. Select a new lot that does not have a drainage area running through the building area

I use FireFox, too, and love it. I know this is a different problem from the one you wrote in about, but just in case you should ever have trouble viewing a video when using the FireFox browser, did you know there is a FF add-on (or it may be called an extension--no matter!) that will let you get to see it by switching to Internet Explorer for just that one site? Just the one tab will open up in IE, while any other tabs you have open will remain visible in FF. Don't be confused by the reference (on the IE Tab download page) to Web developers; it's fine for us ordinary folks, too. Just click on the green Install Now button to get it. Don't be surprised if, for some sites where you have told FF to remember your password, the site makes you give it again when you view it on IE Tab. That is normal. Here is a link that might be useful: Site for downloading the IE tab add-on (extension) for ForeFox

OK, the potluck has turned into not much of a potluck. Besides a pan of sausage, 1 of kielbasa, mac & cheese, baked beans and potato salad, looks like the rest of the contributions are going to be tossed salad, cookies, veggie platter, crab dip, jalapeno poppers (all BBQ type food - this was originally going to be a BBQ at my cousin's house, with them supplying the meat). So, family is still supplying the meat plus more - cousin bought 2 spiral hams (don't know how big - assume that's about 20-30 lbs?), her sister is making rolls (?! for 65 people and counting!), one of my aunts is making a "big" (?) green bean casserole, niece is making (we assume, I haven't talked to her) 24 chicken thighs I left her message that BJ's has that size package for $1/lb. I was going to make chicken thighs too, you think 24 more (about 18 lbs total between the 2 of us) is enough with the ham (other meats may just be enough for a "taste") or should I buy another package? DH thinks that 72 thighs (27 lbs) sounds like too much considering the 2 hams. I'm also thinking I should make a pan of oven-roasted potatoes? Oh, and we can use the oven at the club to warm things, but they don't allow sterno or candles, and the food tables will have to be in the middle of the room so no way to plug in crockpots, etc. The best we could come up with is to just keep warming things in the oven, bring potholders and trivets to put the hot pans on the table and after an hour or so check if things need to be reheated or if everyone's eaten we can pack them up in fridge. My cousin also wants to buy some cheese and crackers, chips and salsa, and potato chips to munch on - I don't know what time she thinks we'll eat, but I think 1. There are some appetizers coming already 2. Party starts at 1:00, if people have eaten already they'll just eat some munchies and want to stay for cake, but I'm betting most people will want to eat "dinner" right away. Oh, yes, I am bringing the Mr. Tea maker so we can make iced by the pitcher if people want that instead of hot coffee/tea, also picking up some jugs of lemonade, she has 5 2-liter bottles of Coke and is picking up some bottled water. I'll ask my dad to bring a cooler full of ice and I'll bring another. This post was edited by ajsmama on Wed, Mar 27, 13 at 12:51

Good point, bbtrix, but relying on the pendants isn't a big deal to us. We're re-using the existing pendants with 75 W halogen bulbs (will likely switch to LED when they burn out). They put out a lot of light. We started out with 100 W halogen to replace 100 W incandescent and they were waaay too bright. Anyhoo, I prefer a mix of lighting from cans, UCL and pendants and the ability to use all or only some of them, depending on what's going on in the kitchen. And dimmers for all, of course. I just talked to my KD. She had designed the cans to be 54" OC (wasn't marked on my plan so I forgot this) so moving those 2 cans to the other side of the joist is only about 3" beyond that, putting their final location closer to her plan than their current placement of 48" OC. We can get away with slightly wider placement between cans because we have 9' ceilings. I'd forgotten about that when I was stressing over this yesterday. = ) I'm happy with this decision. I really didn't like having the 4" and 6" cans so close together in that one spot, plus I know for sure that moving the bottom can out a few inches will definitely provide light to that side cab. It's because of "the wall is open, this is in the way, what do you want to do, we need to know now" situations that I planned and planned and planned all the other details so I'd have to make as few on-the-spot decisions as possible. So far, so good (thank you, thank you, kitchen remodel gods!). ... I've read this sentence several times and can't quite fathom your concern: "At this point though, it looks like the cans by the range are the concern." Is it because it's not centered on the hood? Or for another reason? But to answer your question, I am ok with it, as is hubby. I thought he'd have a problem with it because it's not centered on hood (he can be a little OCD about that kind of stuff) but he's not bothered by it in the least. My new kitchen will be lighted better than my current kitchen, which is lighted better than it was when built 21 yrs ago, simply because we switched from incandescent to halogen bulbs. When I think back to how poorly lit all my childhood kitchens were.... My grandmother's kitchen had a light over the sink, a light over the range and a central ceiling light for a room that was 18'-20' square. How on earth did we never slice off a finger while making a meal?