Looks like you have done very well with "make do" setups. I would suggest the Alien Bees packages (
http://www.alienbees.com/ )... These guys have done it right for the price range you are talking about. Wireless sensors, cooling fans built into the strobes, model light, full power adjustments, etc....
I am on many forums and these are the most commonly sought after/recommended lights for beginner to pro. Also I see they hold their resale value strongly, just like Canon gear [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]