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Lars, I am so happy, thrilled and not-so-secretly relieved that you like all the items I sent. A lot of thought went into each item and I read TONS of posts you've written in the past so you were fairly easy to buy for. LOL, yes I cheated but I thought it was all perfect for what I knew of Lars and I wanted him to have everything. I guess I misread the rules and by the time I was set right, I already had most of the items I wanted to send in hand and the others were on "order". I just had to wait for my sister to get back to send the package :) BTW Lars, that board that was made by a local artist... Did you catch in the letter that it was an artist whom I know intimately? Yes, the wording was deliberate. My HUSBAND made that board especially for you!!! It is end-grain wood, the lighter color is Ash and the accents are Cherry and Walnut. I didn't want to give it away so avoided posting on the cutting board thread that was on the front page at the time. End grain boards are the BEST boards you can own. They do not dull your knives and they are very, very hard to mark with your knives. They do require some care though and I realized I left the care instructions out of the package so here they are: Using and Caring for your end Grain Bar/Cutting Board Use your end grain cutting board for all of your slicing, dicing and chopping needs in the kitchen. To sanitize the board after use wash it with mild soapy water. Never submerge in water or place it in the dishwasher. If you're concerned about bacteria especially after cutting meats use a mister to spray the surface of the board with white vinegar and wipe dry with a paper towel. Proper surface treatment is important to guard against germs and/or mold growth. Cutting boards should be finished regularly (once a month is optimal) with a mineral oil to maintain their beauty and keep the wood from warping and cracking. Never use any vegetable or cooking oils to treat or finish the cutting board, as in time the wood will reek of a rancid spoiled oil odor. Wipe the mineral oil on with a clean cloth, let stand for 10 minutes or so and thoroughly wipe dry with a fresh clean dry cloth or paper towels. To further protect and beautify the finish apply a bees wax top coat. Apply the beeswax in much the same manner as the mineral oil. Rub the wax on with a clean soft cloth, allow to dry. Then buff to a lustrous shine using a fresh dry clean cloth. I hope you have many years of enjoyment from all the items.

tigerdunes, Sorry for the delay in replying. I've been out of town since Saturday morning. Trane XL-16c 16 SEER is $6880 after $1200 manufacturer's and local electric company's rebates. Am Std Gold XL 14 SEER is $7640 and no available rebates. Carrier 50VR-A is $7740, and Rheem RQPL is $5900. The Rheem guy is also quoting a 16 SEER 2-stage RQRM to compare with the other company's 15 and 16 SEER units. If it is priced similarly to the 14 SEER Rheem it should come in around the Trane price. MTVhike, Lots of heat pump threads, but almost none discussing recommendations for electric packaged heat pump units, which is what I'm replacing. Thanks, Steve This post was edited by artgecko on Mon, Sep 1, 14 at 21:37

I am not that familiar with the Lennox equipment. You can do some research on their web site to see what is available. Look for models that have the features I suggested. For you house and location I would think a 3 ton AC condenser and a 80K BTU furnace at 95%+ efficiency would be appropriate. But you should still have a load calculation to confirm the sizes. Low humidity in the winter is usually caused by leaky windows and air infiltration. It should not be a problem with a new house especially if it has a basement. Humidifiers become maintenance headaches so it is best to avoid them if possible.