Good Morning. I have caught up on the posts and need to get an address for Jen. I e-mailed her via this site, but have gotten no response. I have her in the b-day exchange and I need to send her a package. NH Suzanne - big HUGS for you. I hope DH snaps out of it. Sounds like you have the best therapy for it all....taking a ride on our favorite horse...Sweet Pea. I have be MIA...sorry. I have had 4 teenagers in the house for the last week and a half. It has been very trying for us as DH and I are not used to kids. It is fun, exhausting and expensive. We have been boating this weekend and my neice got a nasty sunburn. A blister has formed on her back about the size of a quarter. I feel bad, but I witnessed all the sunblock being applied, so I guess it comes with the territory being in florida and all. We have them for three more days so I will post agin later.... two of them just got up, so breakfast duty calls.

cymraes Wrote: Well it appears some people must be fortune tellers...to say that the market is not going to turn around by spring is a guess, nothing more. We don't necessarily think the market will improve in spring. We do know that in our area there's many many homes on the market, and not much moving. As susanelewis said, it appears, as predicted, that the home buyers credit sucked all the buyers out of the market for the rest of the year. From what we've seen in our area, not a lot of new stock goes on the market in the winter, and in fact many listings get put on hold. That's certainly the case in our suburban/family area. Also, not many folks want to pull the kids from school mid-year and move furniture thru 2 feet of snow. (We certainly don't!) Unless they really really have to. Otherwise, the "move up" buyers will act on convenience. We're hoping that if we relist in early spring we can be at the head of the spring buying surge, if that happens. Might be easier to get noticed when/if there's less stock on the market, and people are starting to plan their summer moves.

I have been shocked by the responses on this site that in so many ways elude to justifying the manufacturer for not finishing the job. I would have thought if any site would side with the consumer it would be this one. I have no intentions of doing business with either of them. That is not that point. The point was for others who may be considering them thru other dealers to be aware of the attitudes of River Run And Touchstone. I gave a very long background so the story would be complete with details instead of bad mouthing for spite. Touchstone products are well made if nothing goes wrong. If something does do not expect it taken care of in a timely manner. I have paid more for the cabinets then I have collected to date. I had to pay in full for them when they were delivered. I did that so the owner could get them installed on time with their contractors schedule. As a result of Touchstone not making them correctly and having to deliver 4 times to the project instead of what should be 1 the owner does not want to pay untill complete so I am motivated to get it finished. Touchstone could care less about that. Suppliers like that will put you out of business for paying for everything. I mine as well have a sign on my door that says looking for cabinets? I will buy them for you!!!!! That only lasts so long before you are out of money. I will be fine I was just so surprised the companies stated their postitions when they are clearly not professional in their approach to problem solving. Lastly..... I was in the owners house friday night till 8:30 pm installing the last delivery of doors that showed up 6:00 pm. The national sales manager told me the doors would arrive thursday when he said he was going to replace my business with another one meaning I do not sell enough of his products for him to care.... I called the owners to tell them thursday was the day and to be home if possible to finish. Thursday comes and I get a call from the plant thursday afternoon saying the truck was finally loaded and just left and would arrive to me late friday. I had to call the owners and say false alarm should be tomorrow now. The manager knew that he did not have the courtsey to explain what he meant by thursday was my day..... The owners said to me friday they never know if I am telling the truth because what ever I say will happen never does. I am always miss lead by the company I immediately let the owners know what the plan is when I get information from Touchstone to find out the day of that I was not told the right thing. I have had 3 drivers deliver the 4 times they have been there. All of them have said they hate working their and are looking for other jobs as what happens to me all happens to them and the other employees. I do what ever is possible to give the best service I am able to. It amazes me there are so many companies who have enough people to work with they do not have to do the same. This business is awfull everyone wants you to give them the world for service value and quality and always beat you down to get it. It is a struggle every day to justify your products and services are worth the purchase. Reputation is everything and easy to lose when you have a finite number of repeat clients. Most of my business is repeat with various types of professionals in the Remodeling industry. I do all I can to make what I do professional and acurate the first time. The longer I am in this business I learn that a national company does not need to do the same thing as there are many fish in the sea for them to switch to.

At Swm Two Boys, It may be a bit of a challenge, because it is so Irish lol. Very lyrical. It took me a bit t get into it but it is one of my most favorite books. And of course, Angela's Ashes. I read that one in a day. Completely enveloped me. That was my father and mothers Ireland. My dad says he could never read it, that McCourt should never have written it, it was a very "disrespectful" book. I said well at least he waited till after his mother had died. My dad said, doesn't matter. Us irish are good at being totally in denial lol. Roddy Doyle is another writer that my sister and I enjoy.