What's for Dinner? A Renovation Tale: Day Thirty One

We. Have. Countertops. GRANITE countertops!

Picking out granite was an adventure. We had started this whole construction process in April, meeting with the contractor, getting names, and picking out appliances. But then we needed to pick out all of the other details. First the granite, then the floor, and finally the backsplash.

So in June, we went to the stone place that was recommended to us. I had called to make sure they would be available, and the husband and I went to the showroom. There were a number of small samples, but it was all very hard to "shop", and nothing matched my vision. The sales associate gave us some recommendations, but for the most part, she acted as though we were an inconvenience. We did the necessary paperwork and left with the hope of hearing about a sample of a stone they didn't have.

A week went by and I hadn't heard from her, so I emailed the associate. The response I got was from the another person and it was rather terse and little snooty (I know that emails can be read in a number of different tones, but that's how I took this one.) They couldn't get stone they didn't have a sample of in the store, and she'd get back to me on a quote.

So I waited. And I waited. Another two weeks went by and I emailed again. The response I got was that they never received the information from our contractor. So I called the contractor; they had faxed the floor plan and specs, but they'd do it again.

Then nothing...

...I may have mentioned that I'm not the most patient person. The husband is ridiculously patient, and he was getting annoyed at this too. After not hearing from them for a month (everything else was on hold because I couldn't possibly pick out a floor tile or back-splash without knowing what the tops would be), despite the fact that I'd been contacting them, I decided enough was enough. Our job may not have been the largest, but we were determined to have granite. Money is money, right?

I did a web search for "granite in my area", wrote down some addresses, made some phone calls, and went exploring.

The first place I visited on "granite day" was an entirely different experience. The owner greeted me, gave me his spiel and led me out to a yard full of huge slabs of stone. Then he let me wander. When I had picked out a few that I liked, I gave him that information and my floor plan, and I left with a quote. An actual quote--written on paper, without feeling like I was being a hassle. Crazy, right?

The second and third place wasn't as helpful, but I learned a bit more about what I wanted and what to ask. The final place was family-owned, and I worked with the son of the guy who owned it. He was incredibly helpful. He also showed me the slabs that they had, but their selection was not as extensive as the first place and nothing really fit the bill. But this place also had tile, so when it was time to pick that out, I went back there and worked with the same guy on the floor and back-splash.

Ultimately, I ended up back at the first place I started on "granite day", asked my new questions, got great answers, and then put down the deposit. Immediately after, we walked out to the yard and wrote my name on the slab. I knew what I was getting.

And it's here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, that number of exclamation points is necessary.)