Not to be a bummer. But, while I warmly welcome nice weather, I can’t help but feel the impending doom of the additional work that accompanies the sun’s rays.

My to-do list is already five pages long. Now that it’s warming up, that list is bound to grow just as fast as the weeds that mar my backyard.

Besides the typical lawn and flowerbed maintenance, we’ve decided to tackle the organization of the garage this spring. Just thinking about it makes me sigh heavily. Is it bad that the knowledge of this looming task makes me long for a bit more snow? I could handle just an ice storm. Is that asking too much?

Perhaps I’ll whittle down my task list this spring and go ahead and bring in the pros. After all, I’m lucky enough to have access to a List of people who may take pleasure in tilling the garden or organizing a bunch of G.I. Joe comic books.

That will leave me some more time to take care of the things I conveniently forgot to do this winter. Then I’ll have the opportunity to start checking things off that list. Maybe I should also find someone to install a fire pit in the backyard. That should take care of that to-do list once and for all.

One of my absolute favorite things to do — much to my husband’s chagrin — is to get rid of stuff. He’s a “keep it” guy, and I’m a “get rid of it” gal. But somehow we make it work.

Spring is a great time to get rid of the extra stuff in your life – whatever that may be. The warm weather encourages us to throw open the windows and doors and clean everything out. I typically walk through my house with industrial strength garbage bags designated “toss,” “recycle” or “donate.” I can tell you though, that my “toss” bag usually fills up first.

Occasionally, I’ll come across an item that’s in need of repair and worth keeping. Luckily, the List has oodles of repair shops available from which to choose – jewelry repair, china repair, grill repair … even someone who can fix a clock. 

With all the repair professionals available, you’d think we’d never have to buy anything new ever again! Alas, my “tossing” habit usually gets me in trouble sooner or later. Inevitably I’ve pitched something that was “necessary” and life as we know it might cease to exist if it’s not replaced.

I should hire a professional organizer. He or she would be able to come to the house and tell my husband that everything must go! At least, I hope. 

My husband and I visited Paris when our 401(k) plans made us feel rich and a trip to Europe didn’t seem like a foolish use of money. Like many travelers to the City of Lights, we were seduced and became Francophiles on the spot. Surprisingly, though, we starved. The French scared us, especially around dinnertime.

Most nights, we wandered the streets, peering in restaurant windows, too afraid to inquire about a reservation. We’d wind up at a brasserie, the French equivalent of a pub, where the atmosphere was less intimidating. It was there in those smoky, late-night eateries that we also perfected our favorite French phrase: “Un pichet de vin rouge, s’il vous plait.” Translated that means: “A pitcher of red wine, please.”

Though we missed out on the finest la gastronomie that trip, we never skipped a pichet de vin. We left Paris with a new understanding of good cheap wine.  In other words, bye-bye Two Buck Chuck.

I was pleased to find how handy the List is to a budding wine enthusiast. I’ve already checked for custom cabinetmakers, perused reports on having wine racks and wine refrigerators installed and reviewed the ratings of alcohol rehab centers – for when our hobby really takes off.  Maybe when our 401(k)s recover, I’ll talk my husband into a wine cellar for the basement. In the meantime, I plan to call one of the highly rated steam cleaning companies I found on Angie’s List. Only a professional can handle that red wine stain on the carpet.

I’m weird about the phone. If a conversation lasts more than two minutes or contains anything other than essential information, I’d rather not participate in it. If I don’t know who’s calling, I don’t pick up. And, I prefer to write a 100-word-long text message rather than calling my wife to ask her how her day is going.

That’s why I find it irksome how much my phone rings from service companies lately. Granted, some messages are helpful and appreciated. For instance, my dentist’s office called to remind me that I have an appointment in a few weeks. If they hadn’t, I probably would have forgot to show up. Good communication is essential to good service — that’s why “responsiveness” is one of the five criteria for a company’s grade on Angie’s List. But it seems to me that some companies go for overkill.

The call from the vet who I haven’t frequented in more than four years, reminding me to come in for my pooch’s annual shots? Unnecessary. What about the car dealership where I purchased my vehicle two months ago calling me with an automated message about how it’s time to come in for an unreasonably expensive oil change? No thanks. I already use a trusted, well-priced shop.

There are two things I can do. No. 1: Pick up the phone when they call and politely ask them to not call me anymore. And, No. 2: If I didn’t give a company my number, I can sign up for the Do Not Call list with my state’s attorney general. There’s also a national registry you can sign up for.

But for the time being, I’ll more than likely just ignore their calls and try to do business with companies that don’t bother me with aggressive communication. Who wants to spend money with companies that annoy them?

After two years in my apartment, it’s time to move on. My lease is up at the end of the month.

While I’m hoping to become a homeowner this year, I haven’t found the house of my dreams yet. Instead of renting another apartment in the interim, I’m going to spend a few months living with a couple of friends.

One of those friends bought his house in July and has done a handful of projects on it — some were DIY, and he hired professionals for others. Every time I visit, he shows me the updates he’s made. I also hear about the next project to come, which is always followed by, “Now if only I can find someone to do [insert project here].” Luckily for him, his soon-to-be roommate is an Angie’s List member.

I’ve accessed the List quite a few times, mainly for auto issues. However, there have been times I felt I was missing out on the chance to use some of the other great resources the List provides.

Living at my friend’s house will give me a chance to expand the use of my membership, and my friend will be able to cross a few spring projects off the list.

But when I buy my own home — and when my membership and I pack up and leave — my friend won’t have to worry. A perfect “thanks for letting me live here” gift will be to get him a membership of his own.

With winter all but gone, my wife and I spent the weekend cleaning up the backyard and letting little Armand Zefram Pogue, otherwise known as Racer-Z, toddle joyfully around the yard and rev up his mini-Mach 5 on the sidewalk. (Wow, did he ever miss getting to scamper around outside!) And in between clearing out branches, planning spring planting and rescuing Armand whenever he got his car stuck in a hole, we got to thinking about possibilities for the future.

Spring is upon us — a time to plan, to think big thoughts and big dreams and see what you can accomplish before the August doldrums set in. We have a few DIY ideas, but we’re also pondering what the good people of The List can offer.

We’ve wanted to install a swingset for Armand for a while now — perhaps a “playground equipment” search is in order? Or a call in to some landscapers — we’ve wanted some nifty stone sidewalk extensions for at least the last few houses, but never quite got to it. All worthy projects, all things we might be able to pull off ourselves. But let’s face it, neither of us are particularly handy, and when you’ve got instant access to The List, sometimes it’s best to just leave it to the professionals.

In the meantime, Katrina and I will sit on the porch in our newly pristine backyard and keep half an eye on the little one as he zooms around. Right up until the point he figures out how to unlatch the gate, anyway. In which case we have an entirely new set of jobs to consider!

Have you ever been thankful for a hailstorm? I have. Sounds crazy, right? Here's why:

Last May, a tiny, but powerful thunderstorm blanketed a North Carolina town with golf-ball-sized hailstones. That swift-moving storm set off a chain of events that culminated in a new job in a different state.

Those hailstones shredded our home's roof, turned our vinyl siding into Swiss cheese and gave our new minivan hundreds of dimples. Suddenly, I needed a great roofer and a quality auto body shop. 

I had heard of this outfit called Angie's List and decided to  give it a try. Thanks to the List, I found an excellent company that installed a top-notch roof and new siding. I also discovered an auto body shop that returned our van as good as new. The List worked, and worked well. I was impressed.
 
Then two more unexpected things fell out of the sky – thankfully, not literally.
 
First, I came across a publication in the mail I wasn't familiar with  – Angie's List Magazine.  As a journalist and avid reader, I had to check it out and immediately became a fan.
 
Second, I stumbled upon a job listing for the exact position I was looking for – a high quality magazine featuring topics that help readers make informed decisions. I applied.
 
Now, 10 months after that fateful day in May, I find myself working in the Blue House. That Carolina hailstorm is a distant memory, now replaced by the snow and bone-chilling winds of Indiana. At least it's nice and cozy here in the House – right where I want to be.

Warning: Black smoke should never come out of your electrical outlets

That happened to my best friend and his wife a few weeks ago. A lightning strike or power surge caused electrical wires to melt and smolder in their attic. This led to fuming outlets reminiscent of the Smoke Monster on Lost.

Fortunately there were no flames and firefighters prevented any serious damage from happening, but the home’s 50-year-old electrical system needed to be replaced.

Luckily, a thoughtful person (me) gave them an Angie’s List membership for Christmas.

Once the smoke settled and my friend and his wife were safely lodged at an extended-stay hotel, they logged into the List and found a highly rated electrician to bring power back to their dormant home.

It took a few weeks, but my friend and his wife are back in their newly rewired house with the peace of mind that smoke won’t be coming out of their outlets any time soon.