The Bills Week (And a Few Other Things)

There are weeks where I do a lot of actual physical things — change a filter, test a door alarm, haul stuff to the garage. And then there are weeks like this one, where most of what I did was sit at the kitchen table and log a small pile of bills while the kids watched something loud in the other room.

Not glamorous. But useful.

The Saint Paul Rental had a full stack of expenses drop at once: utilities, two separate lawn care charges, and I noticed I'd never actually added a task to swap the HVAC filter over there. So I added it on July 31st and marked it done on August 1st. That turnaround sounds impressive but I'll be honest — the filter was already sitting in the utility closet. I just hadn't made it official. That's kind of the whole thing with epBode for me. The work happened; the record just had to catch up.

I also updated the furnace inspection schedule on the Saint Paul Rental while I was in there. That's something I keep meaning to get ahead of before fall and then don't. Updating the schedule is at least the first half of getting ahead of it.

Naples got a little attention too. The water heater flush has been on my list for a while — I added the task on July 30th and marked it complete on July 29th, which looks weird in the log but just means I did it and logged it out of order. I also updated the hurricane shutter inspection schedule and logged the maintenance cost. Hurricane season is not the time to realize you've been putting that off.

Back at home, I changed the filter in the kitchen and updated the one in Maya's bedroom too. And I added a task I should have added sooner: "Replace door alarm batteries" on Our Minneapolis Home. Those don't get to slip. I know I keep saying that, but I mean it every time.

There was also a $53 safety lock expense I logged — some replacements I'd picked up and finally installed. Small thing. Exactly the kind of thing that doesn't feel like a home maintenance task until you're standing at the hardware store guessing at the right size.

Anyway. Bills week. A few filters. A task or two. August is here somehow.