The Vitamix sounds perfect for soups and smoothies! Yes, the Juiceman isn't all that great. I do notice some chunks of things that don't juice. I usually just grab it out and stick it back through. And oh yes, the pulp does shoot out the sides, especially carrot. I guess if anything it's a good starter juicer to see if it's something you want to do all the time. I definitely need to upgrade. How is your fast going? How long are you planning on doing it for? When we move I will definitely be sure to find a house with a nice big kitchen! Heck, anything is better than what we have now! I know what you mean about the microwave. That thing takes up so much space and I don't even use ours anymore. But hubby does. I doubt he'll ever give it up. He's not too thrilled with the changes I've made. Maybe someday he'll become interested.
USAA, love them! Yes, we are members and they've been very good to us. In fact on our move down here we were towing our 70' chevy pickup with our 99' land rover and totalled both of them on the highway in Colorado. It was not a nice experience but thankfully our insurance covered everything. Do you work for USAA?