It's been just over three weeks now since my wife and I moved into our new home together.

We're first-time homeowners, and -- naturally -- we're learning a lot about what responsibilities come with that and what nuances we need to now be aware of. For instance, we've learned that garbage gets collected every Friday, recycling every other Friday. We discovered this past weekend that the previous owner may have had a wasp issue he didn't disclose. Incidentally, I also learned this past weekend that I get a thrill hunting and spraying wasps with wasp killer. I learned that there's a handle in the basement to turn the outside hose/water access on and off and how to seed/fertilize a lawn. Another home-owning nuance I've been learning the past several weeks is the simple habit of making sure all doors are closed and locked at the end of the day when my wife and I call it a night. We've got a great neighborhood and lovely neighbors around us, but still -- better safe than sorry. Unfortunately, I'm still learning this one.

I spent most of Sunday outdoors working on various lawn projects. At one point, I'd opened the back/basement door to open the outdoor water spout. My dog Rosie was watching me from the door and -- believing I'd remember to go close it later -- I left the door open. I forgot to close it later. As I left for work Monday morning, I noticed the back door wide open and -- for some reason -- thought my wife had opened it to let in some fresh air. A couple hours later, she texted me at work to say we (I) had left the backdoor open overnight and a basement light on! Whoops!

Fortunately, nothing more happened. But it still felt alarming to know we'd made such a rookie mistake that could have had bigger consequences. Were we not in a nice neighborhood, who's to say who -- or what -- may have made its way into our home overnight!