I've had a migration of snow fleas over the last couple weeks because of the heavy rains forcing them out of the soil. They look like microscopic tiny fleas ranging from bluish-to-gray-to-blackish in color. Essentially they're harmless but they will, over time find a way into your house/garage and they go from being a nuisance to being outright gross. Any pesticide you choose to kill them will also kill out the plethora of other beneficials in your yard as well, including the earthworms. Ultimately they're a "good thing" as they consume decaying organic matter and convert it into nutrients more readily available for your turf and other flora in the yard. Under normal circumstances you'd have never known they were there because they tend to stay underground for months/years and only surface when migrating to a new locale - typically only several feet - where they can start the process all over again. However with the rains we've been seeing in our area they've been forced out of their homes and they've been on the sides of my house and on my patios for the last two weeks. As it warms up they'll go deeper and deeper and we'll be done with them but I definitely feel your pain in terms of "grossness", lol... Damn buggers managed to get into my garage made their way to my greenhouse because of the fluorescent lighting I use. grrr...

Good growing! Congratulations. The blooming season of catts varies so much, some of the brassavola hybrids bloom on every new growth. Others have a seasonal bloom: winter, spring, or fall, a few in summer. Some, like aurantiaca and hybrids set a sheath that develops over the winter, blooming in spring. I think most catts bloom in late winter-early spring, between about March and May-June. Some, like BC Maikai, start showing spikes in Oct-Nov, some of the spikes appearing without any previous sheaths Etc etc Look closely at the newest growths, see if you have a little sheath. If so, keep an eye on it, see if it starts to get fat. But actually, when I was growing catts I often just found spikes (in season) where I hadn't noticed anything before. Same is true of other varieties. It seems like suddenly, they're there and yesterday they weren't. So don't give up hope for blooms on your catts. If you have any fall or winter bloomers they are getting ready to surprise you.

Clearly some people don't understand the difference between doing the "right" thing and being self indulgent. There are many times when my behavior reflects the "right" thing as society defines it and not the REAL way I feel. It's certainly quelled my desire to engage in road rage or tell my coworker she dresses like a slut, and I'm probably a better person for it. I'll be the first to admit that societal politeness has saved me from myself many times. And sometimes, much to my inevitable regret, I've lost control over my immediate knee-jerk response. In my opinion it's better to do the thing that will ultimately reflect upon your own character, even if the short term desire is to hurt someone. Letting someone else's bad behavior result in yours might be momentarily gratifying but in the long run, it's weakness. But, that's just my opinion. However, if petulant and bitter behavior is what you're really all about, then I guess some would say that is doing the right thing by being true to yourself. If that's the self you truly are. Only you know who you are or who you would hope to be.

Sweetstephanie, could you post a few pics of your current kitchen from different angles to show what it looks like now with the LR floor, removed clutter, and new stools? Your photos will bring in the current reality. I also wonder if the realtor used a wide angle lens because your aisles appear greater than 42" in the listing photos. Are all of the aisles only 42"? How do you use your butlers pantry? Could be a great place to charge stuff out of site. Did you install the wainscoting in the music room? Do you have a carpenter to call on for some fixes? It sounds like you'd really like to do a hood, ovens, MW move, and some fridge refinement. If this is essential in your 10 year plan can you draw up a floor plan with accurate measurements? I emphasize this because I think (and understand) that you really want the new counters, but other essentials should happen first. With a carpenter's help you may be able to move some of your cabinetry around to streamline the look and make the appliance changes. Do you want to level out the cab tops? An additional thought is to change out the cabinet crown once cabinet work is done for a more contemporary look and to use some of the above cab space. We've seen some great examples here. Cove lighting would also be nice along with UCL. While you are working on the big decisions, I'd start getting paint decks, paint samples and poster boards to pick your colors. Grays are fun to work with. I chose SW Agreeable Grey as my transitional color that joined my spaces and goes up and down stairways. I have a slightly darker gray and a plum as an accent color. You can have some interesting transitions between your spaces and certainly an accent color. Any plan for repeating the wainscoting in the living room? We don't know what part of the country you live in, but from what you've shown us it looks like your house has good bones and will only benefit from the wise improvements you make. Ten years is a long time as others have pointed out to not be happy in the most important room in the house.