I snapped some quick pics on my way out the door this morning: I'm really happy with the slabs I picked, and think the fabricator/installers did an amazing job with the seams and mitered edge. I'm a bit concerned about the gap they left between the granite and walls, though. I understand some gap is to be expected as not all kitchens are entirely square, but I'm thinking this seems a bit excessive. In some spots, it exceeds the depth of the backsplash I want to use, so I'm going to have to figure that out.

Wow. Totally beautiful. I looked searched Houzz for that granite. > 2,000 hits Here were some reactions to the backsplash just as I had them. The comments are about the backsplash, not the granite: too grey https://www.houzz.com/photos/main-kitchen-sink-run-traditional-kitchen-boston-phvw-vp~618886-kitchen-sink-run-traditional-kitchen-boston too brown https://www.houzz.com/photos/burlap-and-glass-eclectic-kitchen-phvw-vp~44151-and-Glass-eclectic-kitchen-other-metro interesting https://www.houzz.com/photos/granite-countertops-traditional-kitchen-boston-phvw-vp~984432-Countertops-traditional-kitchen-boston Wow https://www.houzz.com/photos/one-kitchens-transformation-traditional-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~1560211-Kitchen-s-Transformation-traditional-kitchen-new-york everywhere is beautiful https://www.houzz.com/photos/sea-cliff-hideaway-traditional-kitchen-san-francisco-phvw-vp~57669-Architects--Projects-traditional-kitchen-san-francisco not crazy about it https://www.houzz.com/photos/edina-country-club-kitchen-rustic-kitchen-minneapolis-phvw-vp~347362-Country-Club-Kitchen-rustic-kitchen-minneapolis white - matching the cabinets looks pretty good https://www.houzz.com/photos/jacksonbuilt-custom-homes-traditional-kitchen-charleston-phvw-vp~842773-Custom-Homes-traditional-kitchen-charleston https://www.houzz.com/photos/georgian-beach-house-traditional-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~4989984-Beach-House-traditional-kitchen-new-york lighter looks good darker doesn't https://www.houzz.com/photos/showpiece-kitchen-traditional-kitchen-chicago-phvw-vp~697316-Kitchen-traditional-kitchen-chicago https://www.houzz.com/photos/hawaii-kai-traditional-kitchen-hawaii-phvw-vp~2056437-Kai-traditional-kitchen-hawaii https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen-san-francisco-phvw-vp~214605-spaces-san-francisco https://www.houzz.com/photos/georgian-beach-house-traditional-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~4989960-Beach-House-traditional-kitchen-new-york nope (beautiful backsplash though) https://www.houzz.com/photos/shaker-transitional-contemporary-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~4976651-Transitional-contemporary-kitchen-new-york https://www.houzz.com/photos/shaker-transitional-contemporary-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~4976637-Transitional-contemporary-kitchen-new-york Love that floor tile with it https://www.houzz.com/photos/east-brandywine-master-tub-surround-traditional-bathroom-philadelphia-phvw-vp~4444380-Brandywine-Master-Tub-Surround-traditional-bathroom-philadelphia hmmm https://www.houzz.com/photos/palos-verdes-contemporary-residence-kl-contemporary-kitchen-los-angeles-phvw-vp~4164852-Verdes-Contemporary-Residence-KL-contemporary-kitchen-los-angeles

I don't like to see animals abused. But - I don't like to see people abused, either. When upwards of a million people were killed in Rwanda in something like 100 days, in 1994, we said that we were not going to stand for such to happen again. But it has been going on in several parts of Africa, including the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo ... and Sudan. For years. And what have we been doing about it? The killing and systematic/purposeful raping of many thousands. And pushing hundreds of thousands out of their ancestral lands. Pretty well ... ... nothing. Doesn't say much good about our vaunted humanitarianism. ole joyful

Annie, yours made me think of this. I have a window blind on a front window that has wonky hardware. I have to wind up the blind by hand every time, which is mostly every night. That means lifting the blind out of the little metal slot first of course. Now, because I detest fooling around with window hardware of any kind, I've been winding the blind like this for a loooong time - I would say a couple years, maybe more. "I'll fix it tomorrow". Well, a week ago for some reason I grabbed the bottom and pulled down..........the window blind went up by itself ......and then I pulled it back down, I tried again, it rolled right up. So how long has the stupid thing been working? Look who's calling who/what stupid?