Wednesday, January 6, 2010

You know that girl?

The one who strings along four guys at once, and the one she likes best is the last one she made out with?

I feel like that girl.

I am courting several granite countertop guys. First there's Steve. My sister introduced me to him. He did countertops for her last townhome project (her husband is a builder). Steve is the lowest bidder, but doesn't have the expensive high tech CNC machines and water jet cutters. I find myself wanting to hire him because of my sister's recommendation, but I just don't feel right about it.

Then there is Juan. Juan got our number from the building permit we filed with the city. He talks too much, and I always find myself cringing when I see his number on my phone. But he's attentive, and other people who have used his company are very happy with their work. He doesn't seem to know exactly what kind of tools they use at his shop. But his bid is only a few hundred more than Steve's. I'm going tomorrow to see some of his work.

Dave is kind of the strong silent type. I've never actualy met him. When I talked to him he seemed a little annoyed when I challenged him on the cost of a certain type of granite. He claims they do it better than anyone else, with fancy schmancy equipment, water cooled diamond tipped saws (aren't they all diamond tipped?), and computerized laser templates. Whatever that means. His bid is $500 to $1000 more than Juan's. I haven't talked to him in awhile... and I'm not sure why.

BJ is a tall strapping young man who is sure his product is superior to anything else. He may be right, but that's what everyone else is telling me as well, so it's hard to know. His website is flashy and comprehensive and lists an obscene number of projects. I'm waiting for him to get me some contacts so I can talk to real customers. His bid is about the same as Dave's.

Then there is Matt. Matt runs his family's countertop business, which has been around for decades. That is encouraging. However, Matt's bid came in far and away the highest -- and it is completely out of my reach. Maybe his granite is laced with gold, but it's too rich for my blood.

So here I am, keeping them all on a string and I'm afraid to break up with any of them. What if I break up with "THE ONE"? How do I know I'm making the right choice? And I really hate to hurt them. But since I'm pretty sure polyandry is illegal, not the mention the fact that I'm already married to the perfect man, I'm going to have to break some hearts.

Wish me luck!