Thales, no need to send me any sausage. We've got the Rouse's Supermarket chain here. They originated in Thibadaux and have grown considerably. They have a "Cajun" section where we can get domestic sausage including Andouille and other kinds.
So, have you ever been to la bucherie in any Louisiana festivals?
Kryst - You can also make a roux with flour and oil, depending on the oil. Corn oil, OK. Other mild vegetable oils, OK. Olive oil would put the taste a little bit off.
Rich, we still have wood-frame houses here, some with brick veneer over wood slats. Others have siding over the frame, with plenty of insulation between the bricks on the outside and dry-wall on the inside. We were starting to see some steel-frame houses, though, because before the REIT stock crash, home-building had depleted inventory levels and steel frame was actually cheaper. I don't know about the relative prices now, though.
I know that if you have a steel-frame home and concrete pre-fab walls (as a middle layer), your home insurance goes way down because your house is almost fire-proof and insect proof, and wind damage is a lot less likely as well. You save so much on insurance long-term that you can afford more square footage in living area.