I did an inventory around the end of last year, and came up with a large-ish number of things nearing the end of their useful lives: 35-year-old water heaters (two) 20-year-old mattress 18-year-old memory foam mattress pad 13-year-old car 7-year-old walking shoes 6-year-old air conditioner 6-year-old computer 5-year-old computer 5-year-old sofa winter and summer comforters of unknown age The car was the first to go, and financially, it went with a bang. Now one of the two water heaters has departed for that great basement in the sky, with the other soon to follow. The landlord has both apartments hooked up to that relict, a situation which cannot long endure. We're replacing both. The air conditioner is a must, and will probably be replaced in the next two weeks. I cannot sleep, think, or guarantee my sanity in temperatures above the low eighties. The mattress has been a champion, but it needs to be retired soon. The shoes, which have been worn almost daily, ar