How true! Chocolate chip cookies have been playing "Ding Dong Ditch'Em" all day out here. And I am not even a sweets eater... Tikanas

I've thought about this thread and the great discussion and counsel I received her many times over the last three years. And having just got off the phone with DS, this seemed like the perfect time for an update. A few weeks after this thread started DS began to get involved with an activity in high school. (Yes, 'an' as in just one.) But he enjoyed it, made some new friends, and began to become more social and more happy, spending less time on the computer. Soon, he was excelling in this activity and won a few city-wide awards. Grades remained As and Bs and efforts remained spotty. Summer before Junior year, I enrolled him in a summer college class in an area of his academic interest in the region where he wanted attend college. He loved it and got excited about learning at the college level. He never talked so much as when he got home from that two-week course! We also toured colleges on the trip up, and he discovered what type of school appealed to him. Junior year he continued to take college prep courses, pull As and Bs, and scored 'OK' on his college boards. NOT Ivy League, or even second tier, so we lowered our sights. The two schools he liked best from our summer tour (one Ivy, one just below) seemed out of reach. But he did win a prestigious art prize (raw talent, not effort or interest) and began putting together an art portfolio. Summer before senior year he worked with a coach to write his essay (dynamite - but he did it himself) and application. Senior year was more of the same, though his grades actually improved a bit. He kept retaking his ACTs until one lucky Saturday he scored well enough to slide into the bottom of the 'middle-50% range' at his preferred two schools. Then we crossed our fingers and waited. He was accepted at his safety schools, wait-listed at my top choice (his #2) due to late paperwork (the disorganized dope!), and turned down at his stretch schools, including the Ivy, his #1 choice. Oh well... But then his luck turned, and the Ivy offered him a spot next year if his freshman grades were 3.0 or better. And his #2 school (my #1 for him) accepted him off the wait list. So that's where he's going, and he LOVES it. And things are going GREAT in every respect. First off, DS went back on his ADHD meds -- his own idea. He admits that he should have been on them all along (Duh! But Dad wouldn't hear of it!) and that now he is able to focus SO MUCH BETTER! Well, apparently it's true, because midterm grades are just in and I am thrilled to be able to brag on my kid! He is THE #1 biology student in the entire college, has an over-100 Chemistry average, and no lower than a B+ in any other subject. So it's all turning out pretty darn well, if I say so myself! (Amazing what a little maturity and Concerta can do for a teenage boy!)

Would like to know the complete model number of both furnace and evap coil. The XC17 is a nice AC condenser. However it is single stage and with a large unit like that, I would consider upgrading to the 2 stage XC 21 model. What is your location? You are replacing a 5 ton model? What size is your home? Not clear. Is new refrigerant lineset included? Any Lennox rebate? Post back. IMO

carter, while the cooling BTUs for a two ton are about 10% short, it probably doesn't matter since you are going up in size. I do recommend that your ductwork be checked to verify it can handle the extra cooling BTUs. you also should re-check the evap coil model number-probably one of these below. 3427218 Active Systems XR15 TRANE 4TTR5024E1 4TXCB004CC3 *UD060R9V3 21400 13.00 16.00 3427381 Active Systems XR15 TRANE 4TTR5024E1 4TXCB048BC3 *UD060R9V3 21200 13.00 16.00 nice systems, price seems reasonable.either qualifies for tax credit. I would add a 4-5" pleated filter media box cabinet. IMO Good Luck!