For the Adorama question: I love Adorama. Shipping is snappy fast. If you want it by Christmas, though, you might be a little late. I got my18-55 lens in about 3 days, but it's the holiday season and they're super busy. B&H, Adorama, and Cameta are all great with quick shipping.
For the 35mm f/1.8G question: Yes. Do it. It should be roughly 50mm f/1.8 on a cropped body. Go for it. Now. AF + narrow DOF for under $300 iswhat's up.
Kickmatic: You can get a cheap flash from Besty Buy (Sunpak?) for about 45 bucks and it should shoot TTL okay and have a swivel head andbounce. That's really your only option unless you wanna drop a couple grand on a 50mm f/1.0...That was a joke. Also, you probably don't need to hitf/9, but if you could do f/3-f/4 then that'd probably give a wide enough DOF for 2-3 people in the shot. ISO400 might be too low, unfortunately even atf/3-f/4. But ISO800 should be okay in RAW. Just ETTR (expose to the right) in RAW and you should be able to figure it out in PP.
Santi: I love having a grip. I have one on my D40x and the shutter release only works if I turn on the IR, but for my hands it's awesome.It really gives the camera a full body feel and I find the extra weight (for stability) and battery life beneficial. I would love a hand strap, but I could seechanging lenses being a huge pain. I'll probably be grabbing the POTN strap from their store. Everyone says it's awesome and it looks comfortable. Youcould also check out R-Straps. I don't have a link, but they use a d-link that freewheels at the bottom so your strap doesn't tangle up. It'spretty snazzy. The Crumpler Industry Disgrace looks solid and comfortable, but it looks a little bulky for me, personally.
Edit:
Originally Posted by thekryptonite
Canon 40D or Nikon D90?
I know the D90 is more expensive and therefore probably better but just want NT's opinion.
If it's in your budget, check out the Canon 7D. What do you shoot?