Hi Silver - Sending warm thoughts. I just came out of this. It was only three months but I ran myself ragged trying to find a job. Most people I know weren't doing that. I've recently realized that I probably would have had a job sooner had I not been so keyed up about it. I was scared to death because it was just me, and for the first time in my life, I didn't have a Plan B, and knew I should have. But life had been finally settling for me and I began to concentrate on settling in. I say all of this to say, take it easy, don't let the fear get to you. It can affect your health and your mood - even to others. I pray that something good will come out of this for you - and most definitely a new job soon. Much of the layoff stuff has been caused by the economy, but also because of the economy, there is a lot of help out there. Find out now about your options so that you will be able to take advantage of them when you need them. I was so tense by the time I could get help, I didn't feel like doing anything - paralyzed, I guess. It will be OK, trust me on that one. There really are rainbows out there. Now that there is more positive talk about the economy, it looks like things will loosen up a bit. Hopefully you will be able to find something new soon. Take care of yourself.

When will you be going? Remember there's going to be some stuff for the inauguration (likely not quite as much as for Obama's first term, but still a parade to watch, perhaps a few special presidential-related museum exhibits and of course all those state balls!) The Spy Museum might be an additional option. I find the Inner Harbor to be a tourist trap -- too many chain restaurants. But going to Sabatino's in Little Italy there would be on my list, and maybe some Baltimore folks could suggest some "neighborhood" shopping areas? (Old Town Alexandria, closer to where I live, is also a nice place to spend a day, and you can hop on the Metro from D.C.) Your Pennsylvania options sound good (as long as the drive isn't a concern, because I'm thinking that without a stayover, the walking and then the driving can be fatiguing). If you really want to go to N.Y., I'd think about taking Amtrak and staying over in the city. I wouldn't want to be parking in the city ($$). And just to throw this out there -- there's a new casino in Maryland (at Anne Arundel Mills outlet mall), so if you two are into that ... (I'm not, so I haven't been. But Bobby Flay has a restaurant on the grounds that I might want to check out one day!)

You won’t find any cheap cabinets makers in CA. Too many rules and regulations against chemicals that the rest of the US uses. Only a fairly big company can comply. If you find some backyard hack, he can’t buy anything to make anything decent. You gotta move to out of state manufactured products. And the average expenditure on kitchen cabinets for a remodel of 20-30K. You can find all manner of cheepchinesecrapola on every corner though, that is much worse long term for the environment than allowing someone to use an non waterborne coating that can actually stand up to wear and tear. But you’ll be waiting on a slow boat from China for replacement parts with horrible customer service.

Moving on? No no no never...I am proud to be a member of this forum (although I fear we are a tiny rearguard army fighting against the mass invasion of FB). The willingness to share knowledge and experience has always been a shining light of the internet...and given how our education systems and employment prospects have been under attack as profit becomes the only metric of value, I am profoundly thankful that a mere mouseclick opens up transatlantic friendships and learning possibilities (and of course, snark and gossip). And the pleasure of reading and replying to posts is a two-way transaction, let me emphasise this again.. I have never really felt at home with HOUZZ - not least because thousands of posts went astray and I had to re-register (think rosaprimula stems from this period). I generally only post in perennials but will skip about in woodlands, native plants, the seed fora and occasionally propagation...but many of the other fora are truly moribund (alpines, for example, gets about a post a year). But anyway, my original post was a recognition that annuals have always been a mainstay of my gardens...by a ratio of at least 5:1 , grown in various ways, from volunteers to nursing along in the greenhouse. I was sort of apologising, for being a perennial poster while annuals are always holding my heartstrings...yet bemoaning the limited nature of the dedicated annual forum. In truth, here in the UK, there is a little bit of confusion as to what we mean by annuals...with the definition based on how we use them in our gardens, rather than the innate botanical nature of the plants. I also feel a little sorrow that many of our common annuals (such as clarkia and godetia) are vanishing from the trade stands in real life shops and garden centres (although still available from seed merchants). I have 3 deep 'Long Tom' pots of purple cornflowers which have been blooming for 2 months now...with purple larkspur just starting to take over. When they look dismal, they will be composted while tithonia, plum coloured annual scabious and white cosmos can go in the same pots to see the season out...for absolutely no cost at all because I saved the seeds from last year...and in a tiny garden, this is exactly the strategy I employ to have something blooming all season. I forgot to plant the deep pink gyp which enchanted us last year, but seeds are still in the fridge for next season. Strikes me as a bargain (especially for those of us with short arms and deep pockets).