I continue to study the Whitney plan intensely. It is still one of the best plans I have found for giving you a lot with little wasted square footage. Its has a very unique configuration of rooms that works for the way I live. If anyone has any new information or has pictures from their build, PLEASE come back and share! I have had a few recent revelations about this floorplan, some of which were already mentioned: 1. I want two living/sitting areas, NOT two dining areas. Willing to give up extra dining for more living space that will get a lot more use. Therefore, I propose to stretch the section containing the brkfst/dining/screen porch back 3-5 feet, then remove the wall between the brkfst and dining areas (may need extra trusses/support?). Plus maybe move the wall of the brkfst room back even with the back dining room wall? This will leave me with a single dining area large enough for at least a 6-seat dining table (8, preferably), with 2-3 extra seats at the island. And make room for a 2nd living area(guess we could call the whole thing the Keeping Room). Even if I couldn't do the 3-5 ft stretch, I would still remove the wall between the breakfast and dining to make a smaller Keeping Room space. 2. As someone else mentioned already, I would make a solid wall in the kitchen where the half-wall is that looks out over the great room. This works for me because the previous changes I mentioned will create a keeping room directly open to the kitchen, so there is no need for my 2nd living space to be open to the kitchen as well. I concur that the great room could use this wall to place furniture against and this would improve the seating arrangement in the great room a lot. Plus, I don't like completely open plans! 3. The cooktop/stove MUST be moved from the island, point blank. I will accomplish this by moving the refrigerator to the end of the counter on the now-closed wall facing the great room and putting the cooktop on the wall where the refrigerator is now. The island would be all one level with stools and a small second sink. 4. I will eliminate the upstairs bonus room completely. Though I like it and would love to trick it out as a rec room, my husband and I require a one-level house. This will be our forever house, on family land and will not be sold in the future, so we are not worried about resale issues. 5. With the stairs gone, a half-bath would be added where the shelves are now, plus an additional closet would be added to the foyer where the stair opening is now. OR alternately (maybe better?), a small mudroom space would be where the shelves are now and a half bath would back up to that, with the bathroom door opening out into the great room. 6. Bed/study door moved from foyer to inside hallway near other bedroom door. 7. Make a kneespace for a vanity in the long bathroom counter. Would appreciate any feedback anyone could give on the viability of my ideas. Thanks! Here is a link that might be useful: Whitney floorplan

I've always noticed that Chic-fil-a always has polite efficient staff. Other places not so much. And I agree these places are not meant to be careers. I know there are people with families on fixed incomes, but they are the ones qualifying for free schooling. So take advantage and make a change. When I went to school (trade) I was one of 2 people that did not get any assistance. I had to take out two loans. My single mom made too much. The kids that got their school for free didn't always take it seriously and some even just stopped showing up. So I don't know. More and more people want something for nothing. And the more you give them the less they want to earn it. Ok the cost of living has gone up but pay has stayed the same. But if they start increasing everyone things will go up even more. And how is it fair for fast food workers to get the same pay or maybe even more as say an EMS worker? How do you compare making a burger to helping save someone's life?

Not so fast Mama Goose, each state has it’s own laws and in Maryland, there are no statue’s of limitations for a violent crime. This victim still has the right to file charges even now and is actually being encouraged to do so by some. Professor Ford has done absolutely everything she has available to her to prove that this happened, so yeah, now the burden is on him to prove her wrong, nothing unfair about that. Now why doesn’t that committee comprised of all old white men step up to the plate and show her some fairness? Under the circumstances I think it’s her due. https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/kyle-drennen/2018/09/21/msnbc-maybe-ford-should-file-criminal-charges-against-kavanaugh

I've thought for a long time that people like me would be excellent as study subjects about weight and people's appetite set points because naturally I simply cannot eat as much food as seems to be normal, never have. Husband is the same; even our kids make fun of us. My daughter says we eat like rabbits and she's probably not that far off. So *for me* one of those tiny hamburgers and a half a bag of small fries from McDonalds is an ample meal. I usually can only handle a few swallows of soda too though I prefer to drink water. I actually strongly dislike even the feel of having a big mouthful of food in my mouth. So weight has never been a problem or even an issue--at 61 YO I currently weigh 3 pounds more than I did when I was 18. I am small boned but at 5'6" and weighing 120 lbs I"m not emaciated or tiny. I just never have had to worry about controlling how much I eat, and have never even been able to pack away a lot of food. Why is that? I don't know, just the way my body functions. I really think if science could figure it out and bottle it a lot of people would have an incredibly easier and healthier life. However, that said I'll ad one very negative consequence has been that I've always had a false sense that there was no need for me to exercise or be active since I was always thin...why bother? WRONG--and recently it's been a battle to start and maintain an exercise and weight training regimen so I don't end up the skinniest old lady on the orthopedic rehab floor!