I have some JCP panels I'm fixing to hang after I get the curtain rods right. The law here in Texas is specific, and consumer oriented, and I'm not going to be rooting around in some store trying to find matching lengths if mine don't match. Here in Texas we have the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. It is not about cost, it is about truth in advertising. If it is advertised as 84 inches it dang well better be. If two panels are off by 1/4 or so I probably wouldn;t fuss, but much more than that? Yeah. Would I take them to court? Yeah. Many states have similar consumer friendly laws, to protect consumers. I do believe that a custom panel might have finer materials, finer workmanship. But a panel sold new at any cost which announces that it is 84 inches long, better be. I'm not a rug that manufacturers can walk on me, and being from Texas, I'm not afraid to rodeo with them. If consumers insist that 84 inches means 84 inches, there's no question in my mind that in a short while, 84 inches WOULD mean 84 inches. Made in China or anywhere else does not have to mean shoddy and mismeasured. After all, Swiss-made watches are said to be some of the finest anywhere. It is all about consumer expectation, and I expect that 84=84 and I believe it is the manufacturer and not the area of origin that is responsible for lax practices in manufacturing. One last comment: Sellers love to make YOU dance when THEY are at fault. No, I'm not coming into the store. If my panels are off, THEY can find a seamstress local to me.

Caroline I don't live in Rapid City. I live N of Pierre. Its even closer than you think. Someone mentioned a humidifier. I can tell you right now it makes a huge difference. My DH keeps telling me, he can't believe how much warmer it feels in the house when it is on. I think it is the moisture that makes it feel warmer. I can tell the difference right away. The minute I turn the heat on in the fall I start the humidifier. I used to have two of the gallon ones going at the same time. A few years ago I went to a yard sale and someone had one of the console ones. I think I paid about 5 dollars for it. for it. It runs all the time now. Every night I have to fill at least one of the 3 gallon tanks but it is worth it to me. WE have our thermostat on 57 at night and after I come home from work we turn it up but only about to 65

Yikes ravencajun! That is certainly a major project! I had issues too, because my flat roof is so large and I did not want gutters. I had roofers tell me they werent interested. One roofer gave me a price of 65k! I think the roofer I used said with carport and patio overhangs it was 7000 sq. ft. (!). I have had issues since it was installed, not with leaking, but with trying to direct the water away from the new concrete patios. The patios are not sealed and the water was leaving white spots (I guess from the roof materials). This is also why we put the flower bed in the middle of the back patio-to catch some of the runoff. Now that he's redirected it, it's leaving white spot at the front entrance. Argh! Maybe ask your roofers where the water will run off when it rains? You will love having a new roof though! Thank you jakabedy! It will look better when that damn electrical wire is buried, the pool equipment hidden, and the chain link comes down. I just have to wait a couple more weeks. With all the GW people visiting, I should buy that anthropologie bar and learn to make a good martini! Where I live, there are a lot of critters. When moving the patio furniture from the carport to the back yard, I had to leave multiple doors open. I also left the doors open while cleaning the kitchen floor that night. I should know better than to do this, because last time I did this, a kangaroo rat got in the house. This time, a thrasher got into the house (got him out safely), and this guy! Argh! I WAS NOT HAPPY SEEING HIM IN MY HOUSE.

YES they do. The grandmother spied on us the whole time my company was here. And she thinks we can not see her through or over the fence but we can. Sh would stand there and listen to what we were saying. Then yesterday grandson was hiding out in the little shed that has a window watching me. He is 20 years old. He has said some very sick things to me and should have been slapped silly but I am not that way I just told grandmother I do not want anything more to do with him and to keep him off my property. And I told her why. Grandmother has no idea what is really going on over here.Right after my husband died she saw men coming here and assumed I was already seeing new men. NOT NOT NOT. The men coming here were my investors and we were dealing with the death benefit . Thing is they wanted me to do one thing and I had a totally different idea so they kept coming here to try to talk me into their way putting more money in their pockets. OH NO!! but she thought I was having dates already. And she watches me like a hawk. I am 5 years older than she is and do not need her telling me what to do. Or making assumptions about my life. And see her kitchen window is just such she can see who comes and goes here and I have nothing to hide so I am not asking people that come to not park so she can not see them. And the really funny thing it I actually have several men friends that have come to help me do one thing or another. ALL of them are married and I totally respect a marriage. So now I try to bring them in the side door so they are really in full view just to frost her nosy self. I do not get mad I get even. Sorry rant over. LOL