Blown Head Gasket......Female needs help

I need help fixing a blown head gasket in a 1992 Geo Storm.
Definite diagnosis. Water in oil, over heating, white smoke/steam from both the exhaust and under the car.
I have a Haynes manual, and in reading and looking at the diagrams I have to disassemble from under the car. I thought it was on top or am I confusing the tappet cover and the head gasket.
I've done minor repairs my self changing the oil, spark plugs, wires, installed rebuilt tranny and it's no doubt that I will need help with this one because I know it's not minor.
Pep Boys (local Garage/Nat’l chain) said that it would be around $1000 bucks for the job including $250 for parts. Is it really that difficult to warrant $750 for labor?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The tappet cover sits on top of the head. The head is what you have to take off. Take the tappet cover off, then take the head off. There's your head gasket. Mark your timing belt with some chalk and everything like that, so if anything moves you know where to put it back to, I'm sure the book covers that. It's pretty easy to do, and it can be done by a couple people in an afternoon. You'll probably need help to lift the head off the block, unless you're real strong...

I a lot of times dont charge 750 for the labor/machine work for a standard engine rebuild....pep boys should be bulldozed into the ocean.