I didn't think I'd ever say it but I actually agree with what the WalMart "Garden Section" guy said. First, although we can grow something all year round in California, "wildflowers" perform best when sown in late fall here so that they can grow with the late fall and winter rains and bloom winter through spring and sometimes into fall. Secondly, and this is the trouble, seed packet companies package seed fresh for one season, put them out for sell and then take them back at the end of the season to make sure customers don't get old seed. The end of the traditional spring "seed season" has come. Seed companies don't know a fall "seed season" so we in California have a hard time finding windflower seeds for fall sowing. Joe

Thanks for sharing your experience. I had also been researching all over the internet for faucet prices but was a little unsure of the finish (Kohler Vinnate in ORB) and really wanted to see one in person. As I was out running errands with the kids, I passed a plumbing showroom I've passed a zillion times before. Same as you, I didn't want to talk to anyone, just take a peak. For some reason, I also get intimidated in some of these places. There was a receptionist (!) who said I'd need an appointment for sales help. That was fine, I just wanted to look around. She looked me up and down in my mommy capris, messy hair in a banana clip and spiderman bandaid on my ankle but finally lowered the velvet rope to let me in against her better judgememt. okay, maybe i exaggerate a bit... Long story, a very friendly salesman came back from lunch and struck up a conversation. He was knowledgeable and very helpful and gave me a written quote. he did try to sell me on the benefits of using them versus an unknown internet source as well as sell me on some other stuff I didn't need but not in a pushy way. But his prices were really high! 2 weeks later he sent me a note along with a new price quote reflecting 10 % off his original quote. The price still wasn't cheaper than online so i was just going to forget about it. Now reading your story I think I'll give him a chance and see if he can beat the price.

I took annkh's idea of creating an L kitchen with island and ran with it. :) I completely missed how wide your kitchen area is earlier and how much wasted space you have by not using more of the area between window wall and fridge wall. So I added more wall to the office area to give you a longer range wall. Then I moved the fridge over to the window wall with the DW and sink next to it, creating a good work triangle. I moved some of your existing cabs to fill in the space left behind when I moved the fridge so you're still using them. And then I gave you a nice-sized island with room for 3 seats and lots of storage. You can even top it with butcher block, either all of it or just the end closest to the range. [Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Rehoboth Beach Home Builders Echelon Custom Homes [Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Louisville Kitchen & Bath Designers Kenneth Fromme [Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Atlanta General Contractors Blake Shaw Homes, Inc This plan still leaves very generous aisles between island and run of existing cabinets and between island and W/D closet but you won't be running around the kitchen to make a meal nearly as much as you would with your proposed plan. btw, I had to guess on the length of the fridge/sink wall. Your drawings didn't include the whole length of the space, only measurements for portions of it. I did the best eyeballing of "hmm, it looks like it's about X long" and went from there. Ditto for how much room you gain by lengthening the office wall. Obviously, you'll need to double check my numbers. This is just to give you an idea of what is possible. Oh, I forgot to note that the MW is a MW drawer in the island across from the fridge run.

Ron,, You are absolutely correct. As a whole we all prefer the finer cuts but in butcher parlance the term "Offal" refers to the internal organs and portions of the animal that we would normally think is discarded, but many ppl would be surprised to find that some of the Offal is highly prized in other cultures... By example, back in the slave days they would butcher a hog and save to better cuts for the masters house and the offal was given to the slaves. As a result, many of the items that are highly prized as "Soul Food" come from the Offal, by example, chitterlings (small intestines), Hogs Mauls (the ears), Neck Bones, Short Ribs, pigs feet, tail bones and one of my favorites, Liver & Onions. In England they not only consume the offal, one of the dishes that is highly prized is "Steak & Kidney pie". In Scotland they make a dish that is definitely an acquired taste, but they all seem to love it, it is called "Haggis" and made from the intestines. And even in our culture many would be surprised at what they are actually eating..... By example, hot dogs and sausages are primarily made with a plastic casing that is removed at the factory, but some ppl insist on having hot dogs or sausages with a natural casing, little do they know, that natural casing is actually the small intestine. Brains & eggs used to be considered a delicacy but with the advent of Mad Cow disease the FDA has banned the sale of brains. One of my absolute favorite beef meals is "Stuffed Baked Beef heart". The cavity of the heart is opened up and all the tough grisle is removed, then it is stuffed with bread stuffing and baked in a slow oven. When your buying lunch meat, note where is says "contains meat by products" that is more offal...LOL. And next time your in a Jewish deli try the beef tongue,,that is absolutely delicious. I once worked maintenance in a chicken slaughter house for a short time and was I surprised. What part of the chicken do you think fetches the highest price on the wholesale market? If you guessed the breast you are wrong..... On the wholesale market the feet cost nearly twice the price of breast meat. The feet were run through a cleaning machine that takes all the yellow scales off the skin leaving them a pale white color almost an exact match to causasion ppl's skin, The feet were then packed in 40lb boxes packed with dry ice and a truck ran them to the airport where they were air freigthed to Japan daily. In Japan they make a chicken noodle soup that has a chicken foot on top and those feet sell for nearly $5 each in a restaraunt in Japan. And on the gourmet level in the USA, what do you think Liver Pate' is made from? You guessed it, liver, which is listed as part of the offal.