Did We Survive Hurricane Katrina or Not?

Our potential cabinet-refinisher came by yesterday to have a look at our cabinets as promised. We are still not totally convinced that this is the route we want to take with our kitchen cabinets though -- and we're going to wait until we get a second estimate on Monday from Grimes Cabinets in Biloxi. We know that the refinishing approach would be much cheaper -- but in our newly gained experience with such matters we have found that the much cheaper approach often brings fresh nightmares for us... and costs more in the long run.

Growing up, I remember these plaques that my dad had hanging all over the office building featuring a quote from John Ruskin:

"It is unwise to pay too much, but it is unwise to pay too little.
When you pay too much, you lose a little money; that is all.

When you pay too little you sometimes lose everything.
Because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do.

The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot.
It cannot be done.

If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run and if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better."

I have one of those plaques somewhere around here. Maybe I should hang it in plain view to help us think straight throughout this process....

We're currently waiting on the installer guy with our laundry countertops. He's due to arrive around 4 pm. On the one hand - I can't wait to see the counters in the laundry finally... on the other I sort of dread it knowing that we still need baseboards and doors to finish the room. Oooooh to have a finished room....