I much prefer canning recipes that measure the fruit (or vegetable) by weight rather than volume. Seems a lot more precise to me since it is independent of how big the pieces of fruit are. Anyway, I often don't get the exact number of pints the recipe says. It doesn't seem to hurt anything. I just make sure to fill the jars to the correct level. I have a couple of extra jars more than what the recipe says ready in case I need them. Then I always get this extra half-full jar of jam. That goes in the fridge to be eaten first. Sometimes some of it might be poured over a slice of angel food cake while it's still warm. :-P

kashmi, et al. our DW is installed pretty flush with the cabinets (24" from the wall), with the handle sticking out. it's not perfectly flush because our cabinets aren't level (they are somewhat bowed out so the dishwasher face isn't perfectly flush with the cabinet. this is confirmed with a level: the bosch is perfectly level in all directions but the cabinets are not.) so i've done some more research and investigation and here are some of my hypotheses/findings: - i had been accidentally using a C-weighting on my sound level which has the Bosch checking in at 56-59db at it's loudest. but if i shift to A-weighting, which i'm sure Bosch would do (reduces the effective recorded volume measured for lower frequencies), the DW falls belows my sound level meters measurement threshold: it is below 50db standing 1-2 ft away from the front of the dishwasher. - most of the sound is coming from beneath the dishwasher from the area around the toe kick. the volume goes up a significant amount if one measures at the level near the floor and even with A-weighting, i get a measurement of 54db (ie, measurable with my sound level meter) - water being emptied out into the drain just above the disposer is louder too, but i don't think that is the dishwasher's fault and is unavoidable without a dedicated drain or something rigged to go below the disposer. my conclusion: i may not be getting 42db (that may be attained with water not hitting any dishes, but it's probably performing to "spec" and that the 42 db is probably measured a few feet from the unit at standing level with nothing in the dishwasher. i do think some measure of sound could be further reduced by putting some sort of insulated toe kick below. that would surely help some of the noise. i'm surprised your sister's older model is quieter, but it could be slightly a function of installation and perhaps ambient noise? hope this helps. i'll have to make a few more measurement to satisfy my ardent curiosity (that's what i get for being a scientist for my day job), but i feel a bit better that the dishwasher is doing what it is supposed to as far as sound levels are concerned. you owe it to yourself to buy or borrow a sound level meter to see if you 1" is affecting things. you still may be able to reduce the volume with it set back further, but it's hard to deduce with out any objective measures of the sound level.

Thank you all! We will definitely have some wall repair to do (seriously, gluing plastic laminate permanently to plaster ought to be against some rule, ha). I just don't want to get the cabinets out and only then find out that the walls are going to have to come down too. Well, I realize we won't really know until we are there, but it sounds like there is hope. These aren't the original cabs so they aren't built in. One electrician has already told me he can run the new wiring with the cabinets in place (that was from me thinking I might leave the uppers alone), so at least for him it sounds as though the walls wouldn't be a problem. Electrical quote #2 comes next week so I will see what he says too. I will have to ask our plumber, but there is access through the basement so I am hoping he can just make holes where he needs them. The nicest, most on-the-ball and probably best contractor who came out here told me his least expensive kitchen to date was $30K. The one who said he could bring it in near the low low price I mentioned turned out (on a Google search for reviews) to live a couple streets over from us, which would be fine except that now I know whose house it is that has been sitting there on exposed foundation piers and clad in Tyvek for the last 3 years or so. Hey, I don't judge. Shoemaker's children and all that. But still. Thank you all for the encouragement! I will have to tell DH that our slightly wavy out-of-square walls that you can't find the studs through (there are studs, not laths) are valuable. :)

Yes, most of those aerial roots are dead. Hard to give advice without knowing anything about potting materials available there. Here is about the same latitude South and most orchid society members do not grow Phalaenopsis, why bother, when there are many orchids you can grow outside in the yard with a bit of shade-cloth for cover. If you decide to continuing using spag, you have to match your watering routine and temperatures to that medium. Looking at the caspar milktoasts in this room, they have lots of aerial roots that are alive, so why are most of the aerial roots dead on your plants? Do you have a temperature/humidity gadget? added via edit. A florist, told me that she tells customers to water Phalaenopsis once a month and that might be on the money seeing how much water spag holds. For now, enlarge drainage holes and reduce watering. Seek advice from local orchid societies re. optimum medium for Phals there. Cut the spent flowering spikes off at the base. Given good growing conditions you will get new spikes late next autumn. In a different better draining medium I water about once a week in winter and maybe twice a week in summer.