Hi all.  We will probably cancel our appt. at DirectBuy for next weekend.  Our neighbors said they looked into it several years ago and it was &#036;2000 to join then and have heard it has gone up.  They said they really didn&#39;t think it was worth it.  We went to Carpet Exchange today and picked out our carpeting and also our hardwood flooring.  Greg told the guy we were having the kitchen cabinets painted white so I wanted a dark cherry flooring to go with it, so guess it is a go on the white cabinetry.  So now I have to find a painter.  Greg asked the salesman if he knew anyone who did granite countertops and he said that they did (that really surprised me).  Anyway, we looked at their samples but think they were really high - theirs was &#036;50 a linear ft.  Then we went to Lowes and talked to them about countertops, but frankly, I was completely confused when we left there.  He kept adding in surcharges, fabrication charges, premium charges and lots of other stuff and basically I wanted him to tell me exactly how much it was going to cost per linear foot to have the existing countertops removed and the new ones installed - everything done - just give me a cost per ft.  He kept hemming and hawing about how it all depends.  I am waiting on a quote back from Boulder Granite - they are supposed to be one of the most inexpensive places around.  Carpet Exchange is sending 2 different people to take the measurements -one for the wood and one for the carpeting, so I will probably have to wait around on them next week.  We have discovered that cash carries no influence nowadays - couldn&#39;t get a discount for the fact that we are paying for it up front.  <br />
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Maria - it was great to see you posting.  Good for Ken for taking such good care of you - milk it for as long as you can&#33;&#33;&#33;