Several places do the transplants, including California (which I assume means Berkeley) and N.C. State.

Probably not Berkeley, but Davis where they have a school of veterinary medicine. Berkeley doesn't even have a med school.

Still, FredPete, I wish Teddy (and you and Hubs and kitty yet to be determined) all the best.

My cat likes to curl up next to me on my bed when I'm lying on my side with my bottom arm flung out, and strategically position her head so it's right next to my hand. Last night, she wasn't sitting just right, so she moved enough to put my hand and her head about an inch apart. Then, a few minutes later, she rearranged herself so she was facing me instead, and I just had a feeling something was up. Sure enough, she lunged and bit my arm near the elbow.

She went flying off the bed as I flung her off.

Affordable homes (according to Money magazine). In which cities do real-estate buyers see their incomes go the furthest?

1 Memphis, TN $79,000 (Median home sale price 2006)
2 Detroit, MI $75,219
3 Columbus, OH $107,500
4 Indianapolis, IN $114,978
5 Charlotte, NC $149,500
6 Louisville, KY $92,485
7 Nashville-Davidson, TN $145,700
8 Baltimore, MD $107,000
9 Fort Worth, TX $139,650
10 Philadelphia, PA $119,000
11 Milwaukee, WI $126,000
12 San Antonio, TX $143,640
13 Jacksonville, FL $166,800
14 Austin, TX $210,373
15 Dallas, TX $162,260
16 Houston, TX $162,775
17 Denver, CO $205,500
18 Atlanta, GA $178,500
19 Portland, OR $252,000
20 Phoenix, AZ $237,000
21 Las Vegas, NV $272,000
22 Chicago, IL $255,000
23 Seattle, WA $395,000
24 Washington, DC $384,000
25 San Jose, CA $645,000
26 San Diego, CA $479,000
27 Boston, MA $382,000
28 San Francisco, CA $765,000
29 New York, NY $530,000
30 Los Angeles, CA $555,000

Can someone explain the appearance of some of the latter cities on this list? I can't believe that the median incomes in those cities are that much higher as to make them "affordable" by any stretch of the imagination.

You're probably right, Sparky. Our regular vet just said that at one time, "California" was the only place that did them.

I think Hubs has a genetic predisposition to go the extra mile for pets. His niece found out that her daschund might have a heart condition requiring several expensive vet visits a year. So she started making arrangements with a teaching vet hospital several hours' drive away, where she could afford the visits.

I'm not sure what my excuse is.

I seem to have done a smart food thing. I bought a bunch of asparagus sometime last week on impulse, and promptly forgot about it languishing in my crisper. I noticed yesterday that they had gone all limp, but instead of just chucking them out I decided to soak them in cold water for a while. It worked, they're all crisp and fresh-seeming again.

That looks like the 30 largest metro areas sorted by housing price. And HORRIBLY captioned.

That looks like the 30 largest metro areas sorted by housing price.

But it's not in order of housing price. It defies belief (my belief, anyway) that incomes are so much higher in SF than New York or LA that $765k is more affordable than half a mil.

You're quite right - I both skimmed the list and misread the question (as something more like "why are some of these cities included on this list of so-called affordable places" rather than "why is this presented this way"). D'oh!

Speaking of making veggies last longer, does anyone know if I can boil russet potatoes, chop them up, and then freeze them for a bit? I bought a 10-lb. bag last Friday, and know that I'll never get through them before they go bad.

I think once they are cooked they freeze just fine. It's if you freeze them raw that they get mushy. Parboiling might even be enough.