More Set-Backs/How I Select Lumber

I originally planned on getting lumber on Friday, but that was canceled after I found out that the store I was planning on buying from had decided to close early.  So instead I will write about how I select lumber for a project.
Luckily the hardwood store I use, Danby Hardwoods, has a good selection and does not mind letting me sift through the stack to look for exactly the wood that I want.  For every project, I decide on the type of wood I am using, and I write myself a note with the rough dimensions of the larger and more important components.  When I get the the store, I look for boards the are long/wide/thick enough to be used for my project.  I look for defects suck as checks (small cracks), knotholes, and voids that could potentially be ugly or un-workable.  Unfortunately there is rarely a perfect board, so a tape measure is essential to determine whether or not the board defect free enough to be able to get all the components from.  In addition to size and quality requirements, I also look at the grain.  For example if I am making a table top, I look for flatsawn grain, which is more visually interesting that quartersawn grain.  However quartersawn wood is perfect for straight components such as legs, as the straight grain follows the straight lines of the leg.  I also always factor in about 30% more than I really need, which gives me room for mistakes and leaves me some scraps for smaller projects in the future.