does priscilla sing while she works .. or just whistle.. lol ... take your pix as large as you can ...then when you upload.. look for the little box.. and let photobucket upload them AND resize them ... i tend toward the 17 inch size on closeups... but i suppose 15 would be ok .. now.. as a man ... there are just to many words.. and too many thoughts to comprehend it all .. i know its a guy thing .... so i will just adjust the trifocals.. and hope i can see your minuscule pic ... and address the 9000 word stream of girlie consciousness you have typed ... rotflmbo ... ok.. wow .. so many words... lancifolia in front of the rocks ... ought to take snow plowing [driving over.. salt].. and fill in nicely.. though you may have to elevate the rocks in a few years ... #2 .. do you not know the tape trick??? on recent transplants??? no clue on what hosta it stick in there .. maybe a bigger wider look at it all might inspire me .... #3 hmmm gnome home huh???? #4 man.. or girl.. you are a worker bee this weekend .... i dont know what the plastic under the cement did for you ... i wouldnt have wasted the money on it .... what inda weeds do you have that come through cement???? and i dont know what i would do with 6 to 8 inches ... of space .... what i do like in all the pix. ... is the apparent lack of any grass .. lol ... you have plenty of time in the years to come.. to fill in all the spots you have just created ..... NEVER think you have to do it all in one weekend ... enjoy the results of your hard work .... and relax... the muses will strike when they are darn well ready .. august is a great time to start planning all kinds of new beds.. FOR NEXT YEAR ... no one said they all have to be planted .. as soon as they are made ... hoik a cold one of your choice .. and revel in your success.. forget about finishing it all.. as technically .... a garden is never finished.. dream away .. ken ps: have no insight into the quandary you mentioned previously ... still ruminating on it all ....

My cooktop buzzes a little no matter which size pan I put on which size hob. Not everyone has this experience - it depends on the brand of cooktop and the type of pans, how full they are and how hot they are. I haven't noticed that it matters if the pan is too big for the hob, and I wouldn't describe it as horrible buzzing. I know that not many places have demo induction, but do try to find one, bring your pans and some water to fill them, and listen. The buzzing doesn't bother me as much as the clicking, and the clicking, as far as I can tell, seems to be unique to Kitchenaid. By all means, avoid Kitchenaid induction. I cooked on an old Tappan gas range in a rented cottage this summer, and that gas made noise, too. It hissed. And the gas wasn't nearly as adjustable as my induction cooktop. An old Tappan is no comparison to Wolf, and a built in griddle, or a grill, like a Jennair, are wonderful features. But induction is pretty wonderful, too, for other reasons. The biggest one is probably ease of cleaning, and there are threads that list the many benefits, which I'm sure you've seen. Some people still find that a gas cooktop or range better fits their requirements, but don't be put off by the stories of induction's noise (except KA's clicks) or the lack of a built in griddle. Induction rocks.

Mike, he's thinking a 3 ton will be an adequate way to compensate for an undersized downstairs system (since both returns are upstairs this sounds logical to me). The summer months are problematic on both floors. First floor is ~800 sqft. Second floor is ~1200 sqft. I'll check attic insulation height tonight. I didn't get a copy of the Manual J. If it's needed to get a right sized system, I'll gladly pay someone to give me a proper report. I do not have a humidity problem in the summer. Question: What is the downside of having a system .5 ton larger than needed? I ask because this AC work is getting into pricey territory and I really want to avoid getting a system that doesn't have the headroom to handle entertaining people (extra heat from bodies as well as cooking). Last summer I had the oven running with a house full of people going in/out and it was sweltering inside.

Like naughtykitty..I have baked mine for years in the oven. However-I have cookie sheet sized mesh cooling racks, so I place one of them on my silver baking tray then place the bacon on it. The grease drips into the tray, no need to flip the bacon. Once 2/3rds done, I remove & place on paper toweling. To reheat-I put whatever amount I need on a tray & place under the broiler for a minute. Hate the microwave & freezer for cooked bacon. Call me old fashioned-I'd rather make it fresh, when needed.