No one in my family as far back as my grandmothers had any hood in their kitchen. The heat was sometimes unbearable during summertime when one was reducing tomatoes in 8 gallon pots or doing other preserving stuff that implies cooking, but hey, it was just a couple of days a year. In the winter we did like the warmth and the aromas of whatever was cooking dispersing through the house. A hood was just not a part of the cooking culture back in my country. Three months ago, I finally caved in and installed a Kobe RA2 hood over my range. I'm still in shock over how incredibly useful a hood is. I now consider that the most important two appliances in the whole kitchen are the range and the hood, way ahead of the fridge/freezer, oven or anything else. What gave me the hint of what a good hood is capable of was dining at a nice restaurant, 5 feet away from the grill on which my salmon was being prepared; no fish smell whatsoever was coming our way - that was something I definitely wanted at home. I'm convinced I spent all these years in the dark, but now I've seen the light and it's coming from my hood :-)

OK, here's the secret to getting a killer deal on Uhaul. first, forget about online reservations. call up the reservation center 1-800-go-uhaul number and give them your name, phone number (your real phone number) and when you need to rent the truck and get a quote but tell them to call and follow up with you. Someone always does anyway but just ask. The person that calls is a closer. They will do whatever it takes to close the deal. When they call, tell them you haven't made a reservation yet but just got a quote that was half the price of theirs from Penske or Budget (Don't say Ryder because they don't rent to the public anymore and don't say Budget if you need trailers since budget doesn't rent them. You can say Enterprise if you're only calling about a small cargo van- they only rent the box trucks to businesses or for local use only) Without any haggling or further negotiations, the guy will say "hmm let me see here... OK we can do it." Don't hesitate another minute and give the man your credit card number! I've had my share of u-haul frustrations but the fact remains you cannot beat their prices and they do keep their fleets in service until they're ready for the crusher that's why their prices are low. I think they hire ex-cons straight out of the big house also but hey, it's a bargain. They're not all bad. The center here installed a new hitch on my truck for $5 the morning of my move. The service usually is pretty good but patience.... patience is the key. Another tip, The size guide will say that a specific truck or trailer will hold X number of bedrooms, multiply that by 3 and and that's how many trucks and trailers you need. Their decks heights are only two feet also which is nice. So is Momma's attic. One very STRONG WARNING about Budget... If you've had any traffic citations in the last 3 years, have them run your license before you make your reservation. They told me once that if you have had 3 more more tickets in the last 3 years they won't rent to you but the morning of a trip, I went to rent a car, walked all the way to the place, then they said sorry we can't rent to you even though I didn't have that many tickets. Better yet, don't rent from them, they're a bunch of bstrds.

I was waaaaay to impatient to wait that long before mosaicing my front column - 'twas five days and I pulled the cardboard off and mosaiced away.

Oh my gosh, you guys are putting my little adopted town on the map. Two visits from this forum in just about as many months! sue, you're right about not enough to hold your kids interest for the whole time in my little town. Here's what I would suggest. Before you head to Skaneateles, go to destiny USA in Syracuse. It has to be one of the bigger malls in the nation at this point. I'm not a fan because I don't like malls, but even I have to admit it's pretty spectacular. Lots of indoor entertainment as well as great restaurants and great shopping. if you're not a foodie, the Krebs may not be for you. It is magnificent, but very pricey. Gildas is great, the Sherwood Inn is always a crowdpleaser, Doug's fish fry is a great stop, Bluewater grill is also a good standby. Daniels in Marcellus is reliably good too. Rosalies is a local favorite. My fave is Moros table in nearby auburn . If you need more shopping excitement, and don't want to go to Syracuse, in the other direction are the Waterloo outlets. Lots of names stores, like any other large outlet center. If you had to Ithaca, it's only 45 minutes. Very scenic drive. Great place for lunch is Ithaca bakery. I like the one off Route 13. Very typical Ithaca. Everything from Hearty sandwiches to less hearty vegetarian fare. Purity ice cream based in Ithaca is worth the trip alone. finally, I would suggest you check Skaneateles.com for a calendar of events. There are always some great outdoor events around that time. if you have any questions, just ask. I'm a native of Ct, but have lived here for about 15 years. jo