lollol I had a feeling Gizmo was going to make an appearance in this thread. Okay, so Mike (of London) posted a link to The Secret Life of Plants in a different thread, but my reactions had more to do with this topic, so I'm just going to link that thread below. First I'm glad I watched it because it helped me articulate something I failed to when I voiced that horrible question about choosing between pets and plants. (Which I always knew was as ridiculous as choosing between mums and dads) That is, although it certainly seems a lot easier (or faster, anyway) to bond with our animal friends, who rub and frolic and keep us warm, I feel a real communication/chemistry with my plant roommates. A relationship that (dare I say it) seems more MATURE than the one I have with that Zeno. Like my plants handle themselves like adults and get my music, whereas Zeno is a total kid. The other day I saw an Ikea plant (of the large palm variety) in the gross little closet that holds the apartment trash chute. It looked like it had lost most of its limbs and only had one green chute powering along. And it just made me sick, thinking of it dying there, slowly, shut off from light and water because some jerk had adopted it and then proceeded to suck as a friend. I guess it's thinking of THAT plant that made me struggle with the question, not a lack of total codependent bonding with Zeno. I hope you guys have all stopped pitying my stealthy black fuzzball now. :3 Second I think I might need to reassess the plant versus pet situation. I mean, if cabbages can identify perps in a lineup, presumably, my plants can recognize Zeno, and who am I to assume that they HATE him? It could be that all this time I was not just protecting them from his occassional nibbles and tippings, but I was also depriving them of his inquisitive sniffs and rubs. I mean, MOST of the time, he isn't intent on mangling them. Maybe they are sensing his positive energy as he noses around thinking: What's that interesting smell? That's YOU! And then the little streptocarpus stands up a little more proudly in its dish. I'm going to have to mull this over... That said, you guys are AWESOME! Lemon and netting. Check. And no one looks innocent except Denise's cats. Especially not that rascally pug. ^_~ Here is a link that might be useful: Thread w/ The Secret Life of Plants

Thanks for the replies guys. After reading countless threads on this great forum, I think I've determined I've been looking at this the wrong way. My builder gave me the model numbers above and with prices for upgrades. Duel Fuel, increased AFUE, variable speed fan, etc.... I've been trying to crank up the AFUE without looking at what type of system would benefit me in my climate area. So I guess I need help from you all on determining if I should go for a high AFUE furnace like the XV95 or Duel Fuel and utilize the heat pump as much as possible since our winters don't have too many days below 40 here. I know I saw a calculator to determine this with what gas and ac costs are in my area, but I'm a noob and could definitely be pointed in the right direction. Here are some specifics of my house, my builder did not provide me with a J load calculation either. Can they provide that on a NEW house being built? I just don't know these things and what I should be asking for. I just don't want the builder to get over on me and charge me crazy prices for upgrades. I've asked the builder to let me talk to the HVAC guy, IMO they should be telling me what type of system would be the best in my area, no? They're the ones who are the experts and can recommend what type of system based on energy costs would be the best. Am I asking too much? 3412 sq. feet 1 story house, 28 windows(all LowE366), 1/2 inch spray foam on all walls with R13 batting over it. He wants to do dual zone with the 1st zone covering about 1400 sq. feet and the 2nd zone covering the rest(2000). The house is being built in Southeastern Virginia near the coast. Thanks for any help you guys can provide, Dale

The beauty of having a good insurance agent is that they can do all the 'leg work' for you. Ours found us a great insurance company (one I'd never heard of--they aren't big, they don't advertise a lot) that was very reasonable. They only insure drivers with impeccable records. We've been with them for many years now. Over that time, I've checked some of those companies that advertise that they'll save you money, their rates are the cheapest--not once have I been able to find ANYone who can compare to our company--they're hundreds less than any other insurance company. But we've never have found them on our own. A few years ago, dd was a little strapped for cash, and asked the agent if she could find her something cheaper (than OUR company). Believe it or not--yes, the agent was able to put dd into a company that was an even better buy for her. So when our insurance came up for renewal, I got a quote from that company--nope--due to the differences in our needs, THEY were more expensive for us, than our original company. Not only does an agent help you find the best deal for you, but they represent you if and when you need to make a claim. It's not worth it to me to pay more for insurance from a big company who is just interested in selling their product, and not caring for their customers after they get their money.

When I got home at 6:15 yesterday I found I'd received an email from the Honda Fit salesperson, who sent me a price quote, a PDF attachment, at 5 p.m. I had dealt with him over the phone one day earlier and sent him a long email after the call. -!- Yes, the email was based on the draft above, and modified in ways that reflected comments above. I can post it if people want. His message: "Thank you for the detailed email. Here is a price." At 6:30 I emailed back and phoned (leaving message) saying we'd be available downtown around 7:30 p.m. for the test drive he wanted us to do. I live downtown. A similar story: Yesterday I called the Suzuki retailer closest to me and spoke to a salesperson. Ten minutes at 10 a.m. Before 12 noon I sent email to the manager for him to forward to the salesperson. The same long email modified as per feedback received. The salesperson called me back at 2:30; his price was $X thousand lower than the web price. He agreed with me that this was just the "over the phone" price with a stranger so the real price would be even lower than that. After calling him again at 4 he was expecting me to confirm later whether he'd see us that same evening. I sent email at 6:30 asking if it was reasonable to expect him to pick me up and drive another mile to fetch my wife who was finishing work. In other words, if the test drive could start at my wife's workplace or at my place. That email was also sent to the manager's email address, for him to see and discuss with the salesperson. Then I called and asked him the same thing. He went to get the email and consult his manager, and got back to me. No go. At 7:30 p.m. I was at his front door showing him my drivers' license while standing a few feet inside the front door. He gestured to a chair and I said "No time, remember we're driving now to go pick up my wife." He walked over to a floor model to show me things, and I said "You'll show all this to my wife when we get her into the vehicle, right? So let's get going." We left to go pick up my wife. The manager observed from the distance and did not approach. Minutes after picking up my wife, I was driving and my cell phone rang. It was the Honda Fit salesperson getting back to me at 7:50 p.m. Can't talk now, thank you for the email, bye-bye. I drove the three of us back to the Suzuki showroom, my wife drove a second vehicle, and then we did all sit down. Since he used silence as a closing tool, my wife resisted him. --- The best way to save money is to avoid spending money. (An SX-4 at $X deprec./year, plus insurance, plus gas, plus maintenance, etc) We still have our ten year old car depreciating at $1700 per year (bought used) and have never paid for major repairs for it yet. Since last year we now belong to a car sharing service. We've used it a few times. Compare A to B: A. carsharing service, regular car rental service, taxis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carsharing) B. owning a car Conclusion: A is way better. My wife was frustrated with our current situation. Now she is happy. She was the one who said "A" is way better after we went for a walk around the duck pond in the park. At 10 p.m. I feel now I've come as far as I needed to on Tuesday, 48 hours ago. We'll go rent a Versa or a Fit for our vacations. To try it out. I'll look into inventories visible on the web. Thank you!