I'm trying to remember, and I don't think I EVER saw lamb in...um...where I was before. I could find it an hour away at a (very expensive) meat market, but not locally. I seem to recall seeing veal a couple times, but veal is something I won't touch, and so would not notice its presence/absence. Forget finding any bread that wasn't "fluffy" or any fish that wasn't catfish. Don't even think about finding any kind of "exotic" mushroom/pepper/fresh herb. Basically if it can't be sugar coated or deep-fried, isn't hugely processed, doesn't have at least 20% salt/sugar and doesn't contain transfats, forget about finding it there. And forget eating out unless you like fast food or lower quality chains. (They were all a'twitter when Huddle House opened.) Now here? It's not like California where I could literally find anything, but it's pretty darn good. The only thing I've found really lacking is availability of fish (except that d#mned catfish...what the heck is it with the blasted catfish everywhere?) and I do have to really hunt for things like tahini, miso, etc.

I am on copper wire phone line provided dial-up also and I think that my download speed is 28.8 kbps. I think that I could have 56 if I had a more modern modem. It is a lot slower than at the library, for sure, and it takes quite a while to download a picture or graphic ... but I am willing to accept that. I downloaded AVG (about 7.[something]) I think ... and it didn't take a really long time - maybe an hour, or slightly more, if I remember correctly. Going to work every day is not part of my agenda for living, these days. I pay $9.95/mo. if I pay annually (and it's soon due) or $14.95/mo. if I want to pay monthly. I think that satellite is about $50./mo. (and don't know how much for a bundle with TV coverage ... but I don't have that). I didn't watch TV enough to feel that it justified my paying for even basic service, when I lived in the city and the cable was in the unit. ole joyful

graywings, we did make improvements. Our realtor thought we still had it listed too low. Of course, he didn't manage to sell it! We've signed with a property management company that takes 10% of the monthly rent, plus an extra 15% of the first month to cover their advertising, interviewing clients, etc., etc. DH just doesn't want to get those midnight calls about the plumbing, and this is about the only way he could make himself agree to renting it. brickeye, we won't be trying to sell it while it's rented. I posted earlier, I just don't want to do that to a renter. Until it is rented we've told the previous agent he can show it if someone comes into his office and is in the market for this type of house, but with no signs and no advertising. This is okay with the property management agency. I told the new realtor we just weren't comfortable with a 10-month listing and had decided to rent it. She's the one that recommended this p.m. agency to us in the first place. Next step is to see if it will rent; wish us luck!

It occurs to me that there is more to the power-outage thing than just gas versus induction. Virtually all major-brand gas stoves these days come with microprocessor-driven circuit boards that run the oven(s). Those are as vulnerable to power outages, surges, etc. as on induction stoves. Typically, there will be fewer boards to replace, so repair will be somewhat less expensive when the electronics get toasted on a gas range than on an induction range. Note that I said "somewhat." That's from experience. Several years ago. I discovered that how expensive it can be when the control boards died on my former GE gas range. The cost of the boards was so high that I decided I might as well get a new stove instead. There is a bit of an irony here. If you spend a lot of money to buy a "pro-style" gas range (say, Blue Star, NXR, etc.), you likely get a stove with less electronics that are often easier and less expensive to replace. Pro-style gas stoves have simple electrical-mechanical components for the oven without microprocessor-driven control boards. Of course, you still can't run the ovens without electricity to power the thermostat and oven ignitor, but the parts are less susceptible to power problems and can be relatively inexpensive to replace. With thermostatic oven control valves on virtually all gas ranges, you cannot light the ovens in a power outage because the gas won't flow without electrical power. (To avoid those, you need a vintage/antique range or an obscure off-the-grid model or throw quarry tiles in your gas bbq.) Some of the mid-to-higher priced gas stoves these days also use those boards to control the gas flow to the stovetop burners. That will prevent you from lighting those burners with a match when there are power outages or when the electronics die. Gotta read the manuals to find out which ranges have that limitation. (Basically, verify that there are match-lighting instructions in the owner's manual a/k/a "use and care instructions").