Thanks, everybody! Lots of great input. I just might do the tile work later on. I have a box of 6" tiles left over from some work done in a bathroom a while back. I've done just about every other home DIY job, it's time I learned to do tile. 
One thing I will say about cement board, if you score it with a knife and snap it, there is minimal dust, but the edge is rough. I used a circular saw with a masonry blade. Makes a nice, clean cut, but generates a huge amount of cement dust. You do not want to breathe that. I used a good respirator, and a face shield to protect from flying particles. Silica dust is nothing to mess with. Hindsight: I should have cut it outdoors, and not in my wood shop. There was a layer of fine dust everywhere!
One thing I will say about cement board, if you score it with a knife and snap it, there is minimal dust, but the edge is rough. I used a circular saw with a masonry blade. Makes a nice, clean cut, but generates a huge amount of cement dust. You do not want to breathe that. I used a good respirator, and a face shield to protect from flying particles. Silica dust is nothing to mess with. Hindsight: I should have cut it outdoors, and not in my wood shop. There was a layer of fine dust everywhere!
