I feel good. Wait. Am I allowed to feel good?

You are. I think a lot of damage is done to people by telling them they're "supposed" to feel a certain way at a certain time. How you feel is how you feel. You may feel a different way tomorrow or even 30 minutes from now, and that's allowed, too.

A/C guy is here fixing the leak, and doing general maintenance, which hasn't been done in years. Far more than the two that I've lived here. On the plus side, he says the unit is a workhorse and looks to be in good shape. On the downside, he says I'm living on borrowed time, that these things last about 20 years, and it's from 1982. So when it goes, it won't be worth repairing, it'd be best to replace. Thankfully, not at that point just yet. Well, there is the downside of home ownership.

Oh, and for the first time, the repair guy isn't some stinky old guy. Dude is young, blond, and looks like he could be an extra in True Blood.

Well, there is the downside of home ownership.

Yeah, but any unit you get now (or in the near-ish future) is going to be WAY more energy efficient, which will make a difference in your electric bills. Plus -- although I'm not sure if this is still the case -- some energy-efficient appliances are eligible for a tax rebate and/or a rebate from your electric company.

Yeah, I'm looking at furnace tune-ups for winter. The furnace is in a crawlspace under the house, which I've never been in, and I don't want to. Which is why there are professionals in the world.

Which is why there are professionals in the world.

Word! That's what I thought when I had the flooring installed. Sure, it's an easy design. Snap together, and bam bam bam, ya got a row. Then I thought about all the wall edges, the cutting, the corners, the strange angles around cabinets and closets, and getting under doorsills, and said fuck it.

The furnace is in a crawlspace under the house, which I've never been in, and I don't want to.

My little bachelor house had a furnace in the crawlspace. To change the filter, you had to wriggle through tiny ground-level window, drop to the floor, crawl on you elbows across the moldy clay, spider webs, and dessicated chipmunks, and then lie on your back to access the furnace. Four times a year for 15 years.

After I had kids, I had to move to a bigger house. Now, whenever I feel burdened with the responsibilities of fatherhood, I remind myself that the little monkeys did get me out of that crawlspace.

There are lots of furnace deals right now, but they say Normal Access. I'll give them fair warning and see how much that boosts the estimates. I figure this is an excellent time to play the new widow card, because it's nothing but the truth, Hubby dealt with that and I'm clueless on this.

Now to find one with a good rep. Yay, Internet.

If you know you are going to have to replace the unit within the next few years, shop for it now. Don't actually buy one now. But know which brand and model you want. Or narrow it down to three or fewer choices. And then update your "wish list" every six months or so. That way, when your unit does break down, you won't be making a multi-thousand dollar decision under the time pressure of "I just want it to be cool again as soon as possible".

yeah, I was thinking that very thing. And sad I just let my Consumer Reports membership expire.

You'll find, though, that various HVAC companies will have preferences (and access) to particular models or makes. The labor and guarantee/ongoing service are likely to have much greater impact than choosing a particular model.