We just got a new central A/C. It took about 10 days of suffering in 95+ days with humidity in the 90% range, too. Between the lack of central air, and the Atlanta ice storm last winter (no heat for three days), I've decided to sacrifice something to the climate gods and never take the niceties of controlled temperature for granted again. What common, everyday things, did you used to take for granted, but now truly appreciate, and why?

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

Answers

Whenever I get a cold/sinus infection, I always marvel at how I take for granted the ability to breathe/sleep normally and comfortably....

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

What Dwanollah said. Add to that earaches, headaches and sore feet. I very rarely get any of those these days, but when I was younger I did, and I'd always think that next time I didn't feel like shit, I should pause and enjoy that feeling. I do it a lot, now.

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

The ability to get out of bed in the morning and be able to stand upright. For a while, my back was so bad that I was nearly crippled in the morning until I warmed up a bit. In the past year, though, since I've been exercising consistently, I get up with *no pain at all*. Yippee!

The ability to smell. Seriously. I was at my mom's last weekend for a dinner party she gave Saturday night. Because of various medical problems, she's nearly lost her sense of smell, and, consequently, most of her sense of taste. She could barely taste all the delicious things she'd made.

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

The dishwasher. Enough Said.

And those cheap bars at college where a mixed drink in a pint glass cost around $3.

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

My car, and my e-mail.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2000