Being from the blue side, I can tell you that I, along with all my other blue friends and family, have the utmost respect for the Bush family, the Dole's, the McCain's (another RIP hero) and others of the same selfless service. Any politician who does their heartfelt best to put all people of the country first, is to be respected. We may "agree to disagree" on certain policies, even accept that some of the decisions in hindsight, weren't the best....but, we still respect them if they did their very best, with the best of intentions. The service to the country, before they entered politics, is highly admired. And, I'm thankful to them. I'm hopeful that such morals, ethics and priorities will prevail to bring us together again as a country when we emerge from the current situation.

If under-cabinet lighting is done *just right*, then it can be great task lighting. However, if it's blocked by a light rail, or placed wrong under the cabinet, etc., it can end up more ornamental than functional -- mostly brightening the backsplash and adding a nice night light glow. Then you really want good task lighting on the working parts of your counters, and that means it needs to be in front of you, not over your shoulder. If your pendants will be on their own switch (most common), then I'd put the cans over the counters -- say, 18" off the wall, so that they're 6" in front of the wall cabinets (and thus 6" in from the edge of the counters), and then add one more on the same circuit directly over the sink (6" from the back of it), again so that you can see the dishes when you're washing them. The pendants can then light the working counters on either side of the sink, as well as being decorative lighting, but you'll have strong sources of light where you need them for daily tasks.

If you have to take a step to get from the sink or stove to the island it is too far for efficient work. I think you want to be able to pivot from one to the other. My best advice is to get some cardboard boxes and mock it up to see what feels comfortable for you. There is no one "right" answer. In a very large space I'd want to configure distinct, compact workstations either for multiple cooks or different kinds of activities. In general I think the fridge and the oven can be positioned away from the primary work areas as you don't need to access them very often in the course of most cooking. Having to take several steps to get to them doesn't waste much time. I have seen islands so big the owner had to use a sponge on a stick to wipe the center of it; I think it is safe to say that was too big. I wouldn't make an island I couldn't reach all the way across. Ours is 42", bordering on too big for my long arms.

Refrigerator...Are you attempting to make it appear built-in (which I do recommend)? You will need not just a cabinet above, but you will also need to flank the refrigerator with finished end panels (~3/4" thick) no deeper than the refrigerator carcass/box. Then, install the cabinet above the refrigerator b/w the end panels and flush with the front of the end panels. The cabinet above the refrigerator should be 24" deep to take advantage of that space. . Issues...They're not major issues, especially if this is a one-person Kitchen (a household with only one or two adults, no children). Well, maybe one is -- the OTR MW (more later). This is definitely a one-person Kitchen since all 3 primary work zones are crammed into one space. The far right counter is not particularly useful for prepping as it's too far from key components (water and range). It could have been used for a snack center if the MW was over there. The Prep and Cleanup Zones are both in the island -- at least you have more workspace on the non-DW side, that helps. However, you will need to be diligent about keeping the dirty dishes out of the sink and on the DW side so the sink and prep counterspace are available for preparing a meal. This is more of an aesthetic issue, but since your Cleanup Zone is in the island, your dirty dishes will accumulate on the island and will be front and center and on display for all to see. With an open concept, that can be an issue unless you are militant about always pre-loading the DW throughout the day with your dirty dishes (and putting the clean ones away immediately so the DW is available for the newly dirty dishes). I would consider a deeper overhang b/c having dirty dishes "in your face" when sitting at the island can be unpleasant (another aesthetic issue, not functional). The OTR MW is a problem from venting, safety, and workflow points of view. It's a lousy (and noisy) vent, venting effectiveness is mediocre at best, it's too high for average-height and shorter people to use, and it's an expensive MW. Fortunately, you have an electric range, not gas. OTR MWs are even worse with gas (b/c of the flame). It does violate one of the NKBA Guidelines b/c the Pantry is in the middle of the workflow b/w the refrigerator and range, but I suspect you could live with that. [That's what CPArtist was saying.] . Pony wall...Before deciding to get rid of it, check to see what's in it. I suspect plumbing and electrical for the DW, sink, and island outlets are there. You will have to move all of it if you eliminate the pony wall. Do you have a basement under the Kitchen? Or, are you on a slab? If there's a basement, I think it will be relatively easy to move the plumbing and electrical. I'm not sure about a slab. Removing the pony wall will gain you approx 3.5" for an overhang, assuming the wall is 4.5" thick. You will probably use 1" of the 4.5" to finish off the back of the cabinets since they will currently be unfinished. You'll need to add some sort of facade. How deep is the overhang now? If only 12", then those 3.5" will be very helpful. If 15", I'm not sure how much you'll gain (unless you and/or your family are very tall). . [I just realized you meant "island", not "aisle" in your original post -- confusion resolved on my part!]