David LMAO! Okay, that post made my day. Especially the shout out to Paul. I, too, would have expected better rapport with a dragonlord. I don't play MMORPGs for nothing, man. Well, I'm normally not a scatterbrain, but maybe I'm experiencing early early onset senility because I forgot my wallet twice in a month and both times it was returned to me. Needless to say, I could have kissed both of my knights in shining armor, but I didn't want to freak them out. So, I played it cool by nearly bursting into tears of relief. Mike Darn you for saying micrantha. I had this plant in my database for a year and after extensive hunting couldn't figure out where it had disappeared to. Finally I discovered that a substitution had been made on that order and when I entered it into my records, I mistakenly made entries for both the substituted plant and the substitution. So, now, I kind of feel like I've 'felt' like I owned micrantha for so long that I need to actually get it for realsies.

I'm sort of a small table radio collector. Or perhaps more accurately an "acquirer" because though I don't have an organized collection, I've owned many radios over the years. I had an original Bose Wave radio for about five years. I listened to it every single day. My impressions: it's a very good radioÂvery good sound for such a small footprint. In my opinion sound quality on my particular specimen was very good, mainly because of its exceptionally wide stereo image and good bass response. FM reception was average. But there are several other much less expensive radios offering much better value and sound. Probably the best kept secret in a small table radio is the Sangean WR-1. J&R sells it for $80. This radio is OUTSTANDING if your priorities are small size and excellent sound quality. It's strictly analog--monophonic--no clock--no bells and whistles. It's admittedly a bit bass heavy. Its very small size and high quality put it at the very top of my best *value* list. ItÂs my favorite and an absolutely fantastic value for $80 (check J&R). But, easily, the best sounding, but large, table radio I've ever heard is the Cambridge Soundworks 88CD, which is probably no longer available. I remember paying about $150 for it a couple of years ago. But it's worth much more. Also a bit heavy on the bass, this larger radio could definitely replace an entire stereo system. I know this won't go over well with the Bose people, but both of the above radios sound better than my Bose Wave. At least to my ears. And I did an actual side by side comparison. But dollar for dollar, and for its size, if you're into good sound performance and don't need the "extras," in my opinion the Sangean WR-1 has no equal. And, no I donÂt work for Sangean or any other electronics or advertising concern.

I am so sorry you had this experience. Things like this leave one feeling violated. I don't think it matters how friendly you may be with the crew, stuff happens. I try to be as nice as possible when people are here working, making coffee, handing out cokes or water, even baking cookies at times. Yet, I have been hit several times. It's very upsetting. I have had a large antique china punch bowl stolen, various tools, plus dozens of bottles of champagne that my cousin had packed away in boxes I was storing for her - she's still mad at me and holds it against me that her bottles were stolen. It's amazing how invasive some workmen can be when they want to steal something, because everything stolen was buried deep in boxes, not out on display. We didn't discover the thefts until long after they were gone. It was sickening. Who knows what else was taken as so much is still packed away. I am about to have a lot more work done here and am worried about how to protect what I have. Believe it or not, last time I actually hid our silver under the floorboards - we have wide board floors and some were loose in a closet. Obviously, that's where I should have put the champagne. But, I never would have guessed anyone would have taken the big bowl which had been a special gift to me from my husband. A pox on the thieves! I am thinking seriously of getting security cameras and simply letting every crew know we have an elaborate system. My brother is a contractor and has them all over his worksites.

OK, fellow steampunk admirers, I have two new additions to my kitchen, and I think they bring a little steampunk vibe to the already, umm, eclectic space. Sorry for all the pics, it's hard to get a good one, and since I won't be able to take another daylight pic till next weekend (tis the season of leaving for and returning from work in the dark), I decided to post 'em all. The light is from RH, and I know, I know, but I looked for months for a vintage fixture that I could tart up or down, but the affordable ones were hopelessly, well, tacky 1960's and the really nice ones were outrageously expensive and way out of our budget. So, off I slunk to the RH website and got this one during their fall 25% off lighting sale. I like it and really like the light it throws on our stainless steel table (a main work surface). The lockers in the WIP hold all of the stuff we canned last summer and the coffee and tea bags as well as assorted other things. mr. sandyponder bought them for me at a garage sale last summer ($5!!) and I installed them this fall. The only other thing to finish in the pantry is the slide out to the right of sink, it's going to hold garbage and compost, maybe even worms if I can figure out how to do it economically and easily. Keep on punking, all- sandyponder Close up of the fixture (the little spotlight thingy was a (failed) experiment, originally we had the island going the other way, but didn't like it, so we changed the orientation 180 degrees and took down a fixture. I had the brilliant idea of tearing apart a broken table lamp I bought from the sale table at TJMaxx, but it's just dorky and as soon as I figure out how to plug the hole in my beautiful ceiling, I'll take it down. Till then, it's a thorn in my side every time I notice it, which, luckily, isn't too often): From the LR: WIP lockers from the kitchen: In the WIP (see the yawning hole *and* the cab front that hasn't painted itself or put itself on yet):