gosh haha my post sure was rambling post! OSH - oh, I will definitely wheel and deal. I do have a credit at the original store and while they don't stock much hickory white, they can order it so I will use up my credit with them. I will also work with the new store to get competitive prices. I honestly don't know how much was markup and how much was the higher grade finish. I am not shy about asking though-- or letting them know that I can get a better price elsewhere. Parma.. I can't imagine I will be unhappy with the HW piece. But as you noted, the key is really to have a person there to help guide me and reign me in when needed. I am very opinionated and I like things just the way I like them but I do need a second set of eyes too. I really feel like this designer gets that and gets me and knows just how to help me without pissing me off. (since we are so similar, I know you know what I mean!). I am really just so impressed that after an hour one saturday a month ago that she can go through all their manufacturers and pieces and select the very same buffet for me. The owner did pass along the fact that I was looking at the FH piece but still, that is so little to go on. I absolutely love the table--- it is just what I wanted for my dining room. I have been wanting a round pedestal table for years. I thought I wanted antique tiger oak, but everytime I saw one, it looked so heavy. I wanted something more "open". I wanted a table that would look stunning with just a vase of flowers. A table that I could sit the nieces and nephews at with grilled cheese and not have it seem silly. I really think that table meets all my needs. BTW, I never told you but I lust for your kitchen chairs (the metal ones-- harden, I think?). They also have that look I love. My pup will be ok, I think. He's very old and I suspect he may have a more serious problem that is causing the pancreatitis (which is usually caused by eating something they should not-- rich foods, etc). His system has settled down now (after 72 hr with no food and very limited water)and he's eating just plain rice now. I'll add some protein in tomorrow but already he is back to running and playing and behaving like a puppy again. Thanks to both of you-- thanks for sharing my excitement. :)

I typically just don't respond to the events that I consider to be spam... The event will go into the past event section after it has happened. I wouldn't totally block events even if you can... For one thing, birthday reminders are under the event category... but mainly I wouldn't block them because some people use them to invite you to real events and parties they are having not just some of the fluff you may be seeing. I guess if you know none of your friends would ever use it... but I've been invited to quite a few parties I've attended via the event notification. If there's a page or group you joined that is sending you a lot of spam-ish event invites that you don't want maybe you should consider blocking (or maybe hiding?) the specific page/group/person rather the entire "Event" category.... just an idea...

I would start by extending the four switches from their junction boxes to see if anything 'looks wrong'. 'Very old' installations can accumulate insulation, debris, corrosion, etc that can provide a high resistance path for limited current to flow through, especially if it gets damp. Corrosion can be internal to the switch(es) so replacement, as mentioned by Greg, is something I'd plan on. BTW, if you are not familiar with four switch hook-ups, you'll need two three-way and two four-way switches.

Sherry, I haven't been here long enough to notice whether I'm seeing all the notifications from things I've commented on. Either that or I'm just forgetting what I commented on. You can go to your profile and check your own activity and see anything new. Sherry and Ali, I have noticed some very rude comments on here by a certain few. Many, sadly, are by "pros". I try to tell myself that I'm reading them with the wrong tone, but after reading many comments from the same people I'm not so sure that's the case. They seem to think my way or the highway. Think how boring the world would be if we all had to follow one set of "rules". We'd live in a world à la Stepford.