I have spent the last two days in air conditioning hell. Our air conditioner has never been the same after hurricane Isabel - but it decided to die a horribly painful - and damp - death.

It's always special when you have to play the modern day Henny Penny because the sky - or in this case the ceiling - is falling. Umbrellas inside would have definitely been the order of the day if one was not so suspicious of such things...

Suffice it to say that we now have interesting stains on our ceilings upstairs. I like to think of them as a new form of abstract art....but that doesn't always work.

In any event - $4300 unexpected dollars later - we have a new air conditioner.

Ah...the joys of homeownership.