I haven't read any of the "In Death" books, but I listened to four of them and was quite addicted. Too bad you've read them all. :-) You might enjoy other mystery/suspense audio books. I liked anything by Robert B. Parker, especially the Spenser series narrated by Joe Montegna. Lots of dialogue, and funny banter between Spenser and Hawk. Jeffrey Deaver's books are quite different from Parker's, but quite engrossing and well done in audio form. Whatever you get, be sure to get UNabridged versions!

I’ve seen pictures of modern looking rooms with sort of neat formal low pike looking rugs that look more modern to me. I know I can at least have them professionally cleaned occasionally and spot clean areas myself. Something like that I was hoping to get some ideas on. With the shag, you pretty much have no chance of having them cleaned. I can’t tell by the pictures what type of rug the others I’ve seen are.

if you are looking for giants ...... wonder if you could find green acres ... Niagara falls .... or elatior ..ken elatior above Niagara falls ...

To test their claim about sealed travertine, get an extra tile and have it sealed. Let it cure for as long as the floor did, then experiment on it to your heart's content. Porous stone is hard to clean, so be sure to keep up with refreshing the sealer. You probably can use a steamer, but I don't see the point. All you need to do is vacuum often with a soft brush and damp mop with a cloth that has been thoroughly wrung out. Travertine is porous, so water is not its friend. Avoid harsh cleaners like vinegar (or anything acidic), ammonia, chlorine, etc. They will damage the stone and possibly the sealer. Clean spills immediately. When a damp mop isn't enough, use a tiny amount of pH-neutral soap in the water for the damp mop. You'll need to rinse to prevent streaks. (Hard water can cause streaks, too.) To do this, re-mop with a water-only damp mop as many times as it takes to get rid of the soap. Twice will probably be enough if you didn't overdo the soap. I clean hardwood floors the same way. Works on birch that was over 100 years old, oak that's 67 years old and oak that's 4 year old. By the way, I tried a "steam mop" when I had slate floors and it was a waste of money. I have a McCullough canister steamer, which is great for slate, ceramic tile and nasty things like ovens. I mainly use it for the oven, because I have more time for consistent, frequent maintenance cleaning now that I'm retired.