Reconditioning. For some reason, the greatest number of search engine hits I've had--by far--is for "Build Your Own Air Conditioner." In honor of this, we bought our own air conditioners today to replace the two that came with the house when we bought it. Happily, they're both so energy effecient they're off the charts. (Literally. On the standard scale given of 8 to 10, one is a 10.8 and the other is an 11.2.)

I wonder if I'll ever get nostalgic for the ones we're getting rid of, with their attractive duct-taped louvers and their tendency on humid days to sound like some of the first season monsters on Buffy...

Nah.