Thanks for the comments and links, guys. If I get enough baby-free time that isn't spent in the garden, I'll try to post a pic. I have a 1969 straight brick ranch. It doesn't have any nice architectural features and looks exactly like most of the houses in my neighborhood that were all built together. Because it's a starter neighborhood, few people have spent any money on landscaping, so I see a lot of what doesn't work (overgrown yew foundation plantings, box trimmed junipers, no care at all, etc). The former owner of my house tried to spruce it up and added a large raised curving flower bed with rock borders in front of the house and filled it with too-closely planted lilac shrubs and some vinca. The curving lines, large rocks and raised flower bed actually help the house's look, making it one of the nicer fronts in the neighborhood. The hell strip originally had a tree circle lined in rock border to match the house, with various bulbs and lilies inside. The rest of the strip was grass. We removed all but 5 of the largest rocks when we replaced the scrubby city oak with a prettier kwanzaa cherry. My hubby's answer about best mowing line would be 'straight' or no mowing at all!! Second best would be the widest angle possible since the strip is so narrow. I have been trying to think of something that would have straighter lines but give the illusion of curves. Thanks for all the responses.

Oh, gdogni. I tried to make this short, but it can't be said in a few sound bites. Who was doing the jobs before the illegals came? They were being done. Have we been quick to buy the idea that Americans don't want to do these jobs because we, ourselves, wouldn't want to do them? Americans have done jobs for many years I wouldn't want to have to do. I would do anything I could do, if necessary, but I do have my 'druthers. I wish you could have talked with the young woman I just spent time with the other day. She was almost in tears because she was pretty sure she was going to loose her jobs because the company had just brought in a new group of illegals. She commuted 60 miles - one way - to work on the assembly line of a chicken processing plant. I've been just in the office of a processing plant and my stomach lurched from the smell. It's a job I don't want to have to do - but others have for many years. She said, in a shakey voice, 'I've just got to have this job.' The shocking thing she told me is, if this company lays someone off, not fired for reason, but laid off because of slowdowns, etc., they will only rehire you one time. That means you can be rehired, but if laid off again (because a batch of illegals come in) you are no longer 'qualified' to work for that company. By way of their hiring practices, they are creating 'unqualified' workers in the area. People know to not apply for the job again. So when the news media goes to the spokesman for that company he/she can say things like 'we just can't find qualified workers', or 'we just haven't had any applicants' or the old stand by 'no one wants to do these kinds of jobs'. Neither they nor the media are going to tell you they fixed the situation. When you see jobs being filled by illegals - the only thing that means is they have the job. It means absolutely nothing else. We don't know how many others applied for the job, and didn't get it. One thing you have to realize is that in many areas, people are aware that only illegals will be hired, and they don't even apply. I saw illegals building the houses that got built in the frenzy of the last few years. Can we assume that Americans no longer wanted to do carpentry, dry walling, electrical,plumbing, bricklaying?? I don't think so. I know a lot who wanted the jobs. They are a bargain to employers because the employers have no responsibility. They don't have to comply with overtime laws, collect and match taxes, worry about OSHA regulations, workman's comp. If one gets hurt, they are taken to the hospital and the taxpayers pay for it. The media and the politicians are not giving out the true story on this. Now the reason I mentioned illegals was the fact they are working here. Americans already are competing with them for jobs, and if things get bad, it will be even more so. There is nothing wrong with mowing lawns and bussing tables, but that is not the only jobs they are doing. We will be hampered by the fact employers will have to work within the labor laws when hiring Americans, so given the choice, they will take illegals. The illegals are also getting benefits that are going to be needed for American families who loose their jobs. Again, just because Americans aren't doing the jobs, don't assume they won't or don't want to - now - but especially in the future.

I have a Maytag Epic MFW9700SQ1, a sister machine to the WFW9200. Note the '1' after the SQ in my Epic's model number. The '1' represents some type of a revision in the way the machine is engineered. My Epic has the same problem as your Whirlpool with an extremely loose suspension that causes extreme wobbling whenever I try to wash anything. There's no way I would be able to wash anywhere near a load the size that's suggested in the Epic's User Manual. The only time my Epic spins smoothly is when there's nothing in it except water. I can shake the drum easily by hand when empty. When I have a load of laundry in the drum, it actually sinks about 1 1/2 inches. When ramping up and down for spinning, the drum assembly wobbles so badly that it hits the inner sides of the machine and also hits whatever is under the assembly - pump, etc. My Epic is level; that's been checked by a service tech and that's not the problem. It doesn't shake or walk (it's on a very sturdy floor) - just the horrible drum assembly wobbling. Maytag repair has replaced the springs, shocks, and electronic control board. None of these have made any difference at all. I had one service tech state that there was an unrepairable problem with the suspension and authorize a replacement. Maytag insisted on a 2nd opinion. The 2nd service tech claims that this is the way the Epic is supposed to work so there's nothing wrong with it. He did say that Maytag received complaints about vibration issues, so they redesigned these machines with a looser suspension. That's why the drum assembly wobbles so much. I don't know if he was just feeding me a line, or what. All I know is my Epic does not wash as much as it's supposed to, and my machine is getting a lot of wear from the drum assembly wobbling around and bouncing off of everything on the inside. Home Depot would not take it back. I bought an extended warranty. I'm going to use the extended warranty to charge up a small fortune in repair bills as I see fit, and run this Epic into the ground. And then, GOOD RIDDANCE!!! Am I disgusted? Heck, yeah!!! My Maytag Epic woes are linked below. BTW, I have an LG Steam Tromm 2487 in another home - it works like a dream! I'm kicking myself for buying the Maytag Epic. I wanted the Maytag brand to semi-match the Atlantis dryer which still works well. I'm wishing now that I'd bought a non-steam LG. Another lengthy thread on the wobbling issue with a Whirlpool Duet (sister machine): http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/laundry/msg1023225028142.html Here is a link that might be useful: My Maytag Epic Woes

I would say it makes four servings, but that won't necessarily serve four people. With the rice, and with my vegetables rather than their sliced peppers, each serving is a lot bigger than 1/4 cup. I made the dish in the photograph today, using mushrooms, onion, zucchini, and some leftover broccoli, along with a 14-oz. package of tofu. My daughter-in-law and I were very hungry, and we both had seconds. Then her 2-year-old had a little. One very large or two medium servings remained. Fran, I hadn't thought about how those delivered meals must be packaged. Oy. As if we didn't already have more than enough stuff to dispose of.