wow. the **** really hit the fan on this thread.

I'm very appreciative of ALL the help and tips I've received so far. I've taken ALL posts into consideration and am combining ALL the advice to have a better general idea of what is right/wrong/etc... even if some opinions vary and contradict each other. As I go, I'm continuing to figure out which advice is working for me and which not so much.

Thanks a lot to all of you.