You had posted the five home tests awhile back, and I did those. One of those was worms. The news isn't good, although they aren't non existent. Sadly, when I was digging the soil for my testing, I think I came across a total of four worms. I only had to actually pick one out of the buckets of collected soil. I dug several shovel fulls out, then did a slice, per each test. So about 15 or so digs...I think four worms. My compost bin is right next to the veg garden, and in early March, I planted my lettuce/spinach/greens right next to it (because it gives shade). As I worked that little patch of soil with my fork, that soil was LOADED with worms. Either they were enjoying some goodies that were leeching out of the bin, or the bin was full and they were going back and forth. I remember posting about another one of the home tests, and that was smell...my soil had NO smell, good or bad. The other tests were okay, the tilth and the drainage.

"just me 6" ... I agree with Kimmsr that you want to get the lime in there to start working, BUT I don't know that I think doing so before the builder levels things out makes sense. I just picture you distributing the lime well across the top of the soil, and the bulldozer coming and scraping the top 3 inches away here and filling in a dip there ... resulting in a really uneven distribution of the lime. If I were you I'd wait. If I read you right, we're just talking about waiting until Tuesday or Wednesday; I think waiting a few days is worthwhile to increase the chances you get your lime distributed pretty evenly. As to improving your "nasty sticky clay soil" ... lime will fix the pH, but I don't think it will affect the texture. You want better "tilth" ... not sure if a search on that word here will bring up articles that will help. Adding lots of organic material is the single best way to improve your tilth, for a variety of reasons. First, just mechanically, having lots of bits of organic stuff in between the sticky bits separates them and lets air and water in. Next, the soil beasties that are going to eat that organic stuff will, in the process, glue some of the clay particles together into aggregates (bigger bits), which tend to permit air and water to penetrate around/between them. Do you have a source of free municipal mulch? By that, I mean ground up leaves that a nearby city collected in the fall, let sit over the winter, and puts out for you to take the following year? That can be good stuff or it can be garbage-y. I have a couple of cities around me to choose from, and have a clear preference for one over another.... Alternately, if you're willing and able to spend, get a truckload of compost from a local nursery. Go there first to see what they'll sell you. My nursery sells it for $35/yard, and they're selling pretty nice stuff (ground a lot finer than the municipal free stuff, looks more decomposed, maybe is in a more managed pile over the winter?). Till it in to your soil after the builder and before you first plant. Then add more to the perennial beds. And keep adding more to any plants that can be mulched (nearly everything except grass) forever more. (Wood and bark mulches last longer, but ground up leaves feed the soil better.) By the way, don't let anyone sell you topsoil. You have plenty of the mineral component of soil already. You want more of the organic component, and that's the only part it makes any sense to pay anyone to haul to you. Don't let them talk you into a mix of compost and topsoil either ... that would be better for their profit, but not better for you. (UNLESS you have a shallow area you want to fill ... but then, the builder should fix that, right?) I know, I'm not giving a lot of advice on the soil test. But you asked how to make sticky clay better, and in my flower beds, compost and leaf mulch are what does it. - LCPW p.s. On the "posey power" ... hard to say without knowing what it is, and some facts about what KIND of clay you have. I have learned here that one kind of clay actually can be broken up well by a chemical additive that nurseries sell. But many many folks have asked about it and knowledgeable folks here have said, "you're in a part of the country with clay that won't be helped by that in the least". I'd say don't do it until you know more.

Context is everything with regard to color. How a color reads in the context of a fandeck or a paint chips (big or small) isn't necessarily going to hold true in the context of a three-dimensional room. And vice versa. Each analysis or "read on the color" can be correct. Depends on the kind of discussion you want to have about color and what your end goal happens to be. With that said, it's important to evaluate any color in which you have an interest in various contexts (in the room in general, near the sofa, butted up against the trim, etc.) and lighting exposures (on a window wall, in a corner, up by the ceiling, down low by the floor). It's through this process that undertones will reveal themselves. There are two kinds of undertones - in situ and inherent. Alleged undertones you are able to detect on a paint chip can literally disappear into thin air once in a room. Color experts consider a few key things when choosing wall colors. Context is right up there with primary light exposure, function, expectations and tolerances. Making assumptions about paint color based on just a chip can sometimes narrow the field of color choices down to slim and none. And just because XYZ beige turned out pinky beige in one house does not mean it will look the least bit pink in your house. Collecting input and comparable results with paint colors is not a bad thing -- can be good to get other people's read and opinions on certain colors. Editing that info is just as important as collecting it.

Just found this thread...LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your backsplash. I went to the Porcelanosa site to try and find it, but couldn't see it there. Do you by any chance remember the name? Remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Hope you don't mind if I use the same tile?