Thanks... fortunately I found a palatable solution... first, I brought my Strat by a local music shop today and the guy had the balls to tell me it would be ~ $120 for a fret grinding/polishing, which may or may not suffice, and that if it required
refretting, it would run $500+. Out of his #*$@)# mind, if you ask me.
I also brought it by another shop, where the luthier spoke with me for quite awhile, and I am going to have him to fret leveling and grinding to the tune of $75 with a setup. It is my wife's birthday present to me...it will be great to have my old strat back in good playing condition!