Being able to haul a defective BS back sounds attractive as a political statement if you got a lemon, but, unfortunately, getting your money back usually requires going through your retailer. If you've been reading the BS threads here you have seen that, nothwithstanding some posters' fanboy/cult tendencies, BS warranty service and support has been uneven. Seems that most folks are pleased with the purchase but some number of people do need service. Some of those have been pleased with warranty services they've needed while others have reported dismal tales of shabby treatment as bad as or even worse than what happened with you and Duro/NXR. Some stories fall in the middle. Some people just seem hapless. The kind of mixed bag that bears some thought when considering a small-brand appliance purchase. I see that Plessers is offering that Dacor DR30 at $2899. If the BlueStar RCS is $3200, does it include the mandatory (additional cost) backsplash/trim piece? Last spring, our local BS vendors had a special promo pricing where the RCS models could be had for $2899 with a trim piece for another $100+, but I think that promo ended in June. Is there another promo or is the $3200 for a demo/floor model/used BS stove? With Dacor, my recollection is that most of the problems reported here have been with out-of-warranty failures in the fancy electronics that Dacor installed in their electric and dual fuel ranges. I also recall that there were some complaints about maitaining the stainless surface and maybe the black porcelain enamel of the cooktop. (Doesn't the Dacor have a black porcelain enamel top?) You might want to check through the Dacor complaints posted at www.consumeraffairs.com. (There were something like 250 complaints the last time I looked, although those covered every kind of product from fridges to dishwashers as well as stoves. IIRC, very few about the company's gas ranges). Anyway, since the the DR30 "Dacor Distinctive" model you are looking at is a line with practically no electronics --- only some oven temp sensor circuitry and the surface burner re-ignitor, I think --- you likely avoid most of those problems, FWIW, the DR30 was number 4 in Consumer Reports ratings of 30" pro-style ranges, after some dual fuel ranges by KitchenAid and Wolf.. It was the number 1 rated pro-style all-gas range. While you are considering spending in in the $2800 price range, you might want to look at the GE Cafe all-gas models, too. For the last three years or so, the current Cafe lineup has been getting pretty favorable discussion here. Has a stainless cooktop rather than paitned black porcelain enamel. Also, holiday sales pricing may result in reduced prices, too, although that cost savings would likely be offset by getting an extended warranty for the electronics. There's also a Cafe model with two actual ovens, if that would be of interest. Probably (though not certainly) can get one delivered before Thanksgiving, too. This post was edited by JWVideo on Tue, Nov 19, 13 at 16:02

Good Friday all, TGIF!! This has been a long week at work. I have been filling in for two who are on vacation for the month of August and I have been juggling. One more tough week and it will seem like I am on vacation at work when they return to doing their job!! Donna, your project sounds fun! Did you do the design work yourself or have someone help you? I love remodeling projects! Jan, don't be so hard on yourself! We are allowed to be as long-winded as we want here without judgment! What did you and DH do for your anniversary? Patty, good to see you here. I miss you since you went over to Facebook! Hope your meds are doing their job. Please don't stay gone for so long! Marci, sounds like you should be thinking about retiring! I really hope this school year goes well for you. When I am stressing I try to remember my favorite mantra "Be here now" it reminds me that I need to focus on the right now and not on one minute from now or one minute ago, etc. The other thing I do when I am obsessing is something our good friend Raeanne told me once: "Throw your troubles to the ground and let your spirit soar" These sound simple but for me they really work. Try it. Now!! LOL Let your beautiful spirit soar today! Raeanne, I am thinking of you. Good luck tomorrow I know it's going to be a smashing success! I hope we get another youtube of the event - especially the horse-drawn wagon. QOD: What are your weekend plans? We may have Bill affects here so I am kind of praying for some rain so I can stay inside and get some housework done! Also, I will be making a batch of my zucchini relish.

Hi and thanks for all the birthday wishes!! It was nice to be remembered!! I have had a fun few days. Yesterday's lunch with my family was nice and my friend and I had a great time at the show today. I got a pink pig that is just adorable. My maiden name was Hogsett and I have fondness for pigs, even though I was teased as a child. Here is a picture of my newest wool ornament. I also got a santa carved from a reindeer antler. The gentleman who carved them goes to a reindeer farm in Alaska and gets the antlers that have been shed, brings them back and carves them into ornaments. He was written up in several woodcarving magazines. We got to talking and I told him that several of my favorite ornaments were from a woodcarver that I met at a craft show in my hometown and it turns out that was his father. Small world. I was glad to hear his father is still alive and kicking, but he can't carve anymore due to arthritis. Patti - I think BJ said her surgery was later in the month, aroung the 21st. I too hope we get to meet someday!! Give Dave a hug from me and please get better soon. DeeMarie - The book arrived (thanks) but I am mad at you for that little something extra you included! LOL You know that wasn't necessary, but you are a sweetheart and I will graciously accept. (:~) Raeanne - Even though you didn't get pictures of Rich being surprised, I am sure you have been able to get many other Kodak moments this weekend. Hope you are enjoying every minute of DD's visit. Besh - Are you done with the benches yet? I can't wait to see the meteor shower. I remember sitting outside with my kids and watching them. Lynn - I hope you had a great day "winging" it. Where did you end up?? Donna - How sad that your sister can't see that she needs help, or sees, but just refuses to accept help. I can't imagine how painful that must be for those love and care for her. I've got to go and pick up DH at work. His truck sprung a leak in the gas line and he is going to try to drive it to a mechanic's close by and leave it there so they can work on it on Monday. Later, Marci

Wood - the Sarton book was "The House by the Sea" which was written when she was older and had moved away from the small town where she had lived. As I mentioned before, I found it to be an interesting meditation on life... I have put Maeve Binchy to the side for right now (temporarily) and in its place picked up "The Understudy" by David Nicholls (he who wrote "Starter for Ten" and "One Day" which I know other RPers have read)... "The Understudy" is another winner. A good plot involving an English superstar actor, his understudy (the hero of the book), and his friendship with both the star and his wife. Great fun to read -- one of those rare books which suck you in and he has his characters doing things that you (i.e. me) would do. For example, the protagonist is in his agent's run-down office and is sitting on a chair with the yellow foam sticking out and he has to remind himself not to pick at the foam... Maybe not the best example, but I honestly felt that I had known his characters by the end of the book. Anyway, if you like his other work, you'll like this one. (Also found out that David Nicholls was one of the creators of the tv series Rescue Me which has a great sly sense of humour in it...) Then picked up a NF book about extreme weather events, but the author has such a drive to talk about his agenda and take on global warming, that "everything" is put into "quotation marks" and it gets a bit "irritating" after a while. Additionally, he sucks the "interesting" out of any of the weather situations he talks about. How can you make a tornado boring? I don't know, but he does. Not too sure what to read next... but isn't that half the fun of reading?