I am amazed by the number of people that have storage units for their stuff that they never use. My nieces rented a unit for $100 a month. They stored happy meal toys, beanie babies, christmas decorations, and other stuff that had very little monetary value. They have finally decided to unload it, and are discovering just how much money all this crap really cost them to keep. Talk about a 180, they really are purging now. Barbara

Thanks all. I actually looked around and everyone up here is running 90% down. Just can't avoid, though yes, I paid by MasterCard for the extra protection. Likewise, half of it is a rant, and the other half, is the principle of the whole thing. They argued that "on site" in their agreement means I should have known they were taking the sink. It doesn't. That same agreement said we'd discuss seam placement, and when I asked, they said it wasn't something they discuss with me. The agreement also said the price would increase according to templating, yet they waited 2 weeks to get approval on that increase from me. Needless to say, I'm frustrated with them. They also required the faucet and cooktop "on site" and neither of these were removed from my home. The sink and cooktop BOTH have CAD files available online...when I asked about these in the showroom, they told me that they'd use them for fabrication...yet took the sink. Why not the oven? Don't know. Heck, they have to cut holes for the bar counter and didn't take the mounts... I like consistencies. I like companies owning up to their mistakes. In the end, yes, I can polish the sink, or have them polish it. But I like knowing that a company prides themself in how they treat their clients, and I was upset that this wasn't the case. I'm awaiting a meeting with the manager and owner, to figure out how we solve this. Yes, a quick polish by them is more than acceptable by me. I'm reasonable. I chose them based on two positive reviews by close friends, and another couple of positive reviews from online folks. I thought that would be good, but of course, I sometimes just have some bad luck. Ranting done. Hopefully we're able to sort this out and I can enjoy my pretty kitchen. And be less accommodating in the future.

The awful Ranunculus ficaria. http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/rafi1.htm

The entire section from MIA Page 8 linked above: 14. ALLOWABLE REPAIR Stone countertops in need of repair require competent, experienced artisans to achieve the desired results. Repairing stone is permitted when the refurbished region is not in a structurally significant area of the countertop, and when it can be accomplished skillfully so that the repair is consistent in color and texture with the rest of the slab. Fissures occur naturally in many stone types. A fissure is defined by the American Geological Institute as “an extensive crack, break, or fracture in the rock, which may contain mineral-bearing material.” The term “fissure” is used commercially in the stone industry to describe a visible separation along intercrystalline boundaries or the voids between mineral crystals. This separation may start and stop within the field of the stone or extend through an edge. A fissure differs from a crack in that it is a naturally occurring feature in the stone. Cracks occur in stones as a result of mechanically induced stresses during handling, fabrication, transport, or installation. When cracks are detected in slab material prior to fabrication, the best method is to simply avoid them during the layout process. In stones with lesser soundness properties, this option may not be practical, or possible. When working with such stones it is common practice to repair cracks by cementing them together with epoxy or polyester resin, either with or without dowel reinforcement. Cracks that occur as a result of handling-induced stresses are often more difficult to repair, as they commonly include chipping in addition to the crack. Repair is frequently performed by injection of a penetrating resin adhesive, which may be dyed to match the stone, and then rebuffing the area after curing of the resin. In many cases, the entire stone must be repolished to make the repair unnoticeable. If the repair is attempted but unsuccessful, Chips can occur in stones either as a result of sawing operations or handling and restraint devices. Particularly in the igneous stone varieties, the exiting portion of the diamond blade will create many small chips. A small chamfer, called an arris, of approximately 1/16" x 1/16" (1.5 x 1.5 mm) can be used to eliminate most of these small chips. The use of an arris will make the seam appear wider than its actual dimension when filled. Larger chips may be repaired with epoxy or polyester resin if the completed repair is consistent in color and texture with unrepaired areas of the slab. In many materials, the resin used in the repair will appear more natural if it is not dyed. Pitting of the countertop surface, particularly in granite material, is a commonly seen characteristic on natural stone. Granites are made up of several different minerals, each mineral having a different hardness. Granites contain quartz, feldspars, biotite, amphibole, ferrous titanium oxides, and other mineral combinations. On the Mohs Scale (see insert on page 7), diamonds are the hardest mineral, with a rating of 10. Quartz and feldspar have a hardness of 6.5 to 7 and are very durable. Biotite (also known as mica) on the other hand is very soft (2.5) and flakes easily. All true granites have biotite in their composition. Because biotite is relatively soft and flaky, the first few layers are removed during the polishing process, causing pits throughout the slab. Some granites have more biotite throughout their composition than others. The higher the biotite content of the stone, the more pits it will have. Most polished igneous rocks will have varying degrees of pits, depending on the amount of biotite, muscovite, and phlogopite in their composition. The pits do not make the granite less durable or otherwise inferior, and do not in themselves qualify the slab for replacement. Pits are common in all granites and should be expected when dealing with a natural, polished stone containing several types of minerals of varying hardness. It is usually best to not attempt repair of pits, as most repair techniques will not cosmetically improve the countertop.