Making sure the sprinkler lines don't have any water in them so that they don't freeze and burst over the winter. I'm also having them aerate and fertilize my tiny lawn.

See, this is the sort of thing I worry I am failing as a homeowner. I wouldn't even know this needed to be done? I worry there are things I'm supposed to have done that aren't happening and one of these days the house will blow up. Like my roommate was all "I didn't turn the heat on because I wasn't sure if there was anything that needed to be done first to prep it or whatever" and I was like "...good question, no idea, hope not!"

Yeah, I'm learning as I go. I was fine in California, for the most part. But this winter thing is so different. I have been asking friends for seasonal to-do's.

The only thing I did when turning on the heater was change the air filter in the furnace.

Suzi's issue is exactly why I have no desire to get an in-ground sprinkler system. I do need to remember to drain the garden hoses and turn off the outside water supply before the cold sets in, though.

For Halloween, I'm tempted to stay home with the lights off in the front of the house. I generally only get 2-3 trick-or-treaters each year. This is because a) we have no street lights or sidewalks on our street and b) a street two blocks south of me closes off the entire street to vehicular traffic and everyone tries to out-do each other with decorations and goodies. Full-sized candy bars are the norm there, not the exception. I may go take a walk through the area before full dark just to get a look at things.

change the air filter in the furnace.

I still need to do that this year, but I am beginning to wonder if it will ever get cold enough to turn on the heater.

I turned on the heat for the first time yesterday. Finn was very quick to plant his fat, fluffy butt on the heat vent.

I actually turned OFF the heat today. It is 63 out and it was 77 in my bedroom and hotter downstairs. I had to open windows. Too much! (It's radiant heat, so there's only so much I can adjust it).

I turned on the heat for the first time yesterday. Finn was very quick to plant his fat, fluffy butt on the heat vent.

Toke has one specific heat vent that is her vent. It's a big square vent (our house is old), and she almost covers it entirely.

I am ready to face humans!

Maria, I forgot to actually post it, but thank you for the info; I feel like I made the right decision by cancelling the ticket!

I've turned off the outside water supply but I still need to unhook the hose from the house spigot. I don't want a repeat of this spring's burst pipe.

I just changed my HVAC filters today. They're supposedly good for 3 months, but with the cat hair and the not vacuuming a whole lot, I change them every two months. They're usually kinda furry.

Off to have fun, dammit.

I've been watching 80s and 90s game shows on YouTube, for nostalgia and stuff, and you guys, Alex Trebek is such a jerk. In this episode of Concentration, he asked the contestant if she'd keep teaching kindergarten after she got married. When she said yes, he said "Until you start a family, right?"

Later, he made a big deal about how she didn't find him funny.

I feel very similarly to you sometimes, meara. I'm always worried I'm forgetting something important to do with the house.

Forgetting to turn off the water led to the broken pipe after the first winter we were in the house in Frederick. I swore the water was turned off after Rob died, but evidently it wasn't, which led to the great basement flood of January 2014. Here? I haven't turned ON the water outside yet. We get enough rain that I don't have to water my grass, and my landscaping needs no additional hydration. I was going to redo everything this year, but then the job uncertainty made me wary about spending money on frivolous things.

Ack, I need to change my filters too. Thanks for the reminder, Zen. I'm glad you were able to cancel the ticket. Have fun!