Heh. With all the new stuff in 3rd ed, it's easy to become a little confused. But look, you saved that feat for something else
As to the monk, well, I do have to admit it's a class that doesn't appeal much to me. I like Neat Toys (the more lethal the better!), and of course that lets out the monk.
What I'm curious about is your remark that you've had other parties that weren't successful. What happened with them? How far did you get? Why did you decide to abandon them?
Nightowl2