Over the Prickett Fence

See my other articles in the section 'About the House'

Beware of Dog attempting unaccompanied walks while youre not around.

Dare I say it: “Who let the dogs out? You, you, you!” While my good friends at Anthem Pets are always willing to help lost puppies, cats and who-knows-what-else find their way home, it’s safe to say they’d rather be underemployed. Well, that assumes they get paid, which they don’t. Along with the (sadly) usual abandoned pets, there seem to be more cases of “Whoops!” lately when it comes to furry friends running the streets.

Im, Like Soooo Bored

Believe it or not, kids had a lot of fun in the days before Internet and video games. Kids even had fun (gasp!) before TV. When my kids whine about having nothing to do, I wax nostalgic about my childhood during the stone age. They scatter faster than you can say “When I was a kid…”

My 51-Percent Decision and the 7 Things I Learned From it

Veterans Day is a celebration of the men and women who have served in the military. But if you talk to a vet, they are more likely to want to talk about what serving our country meant to them.

When it is What Not to Wear Where to Put Your Peanut Butter Cup

How can you tell it’s Halloween? All the department stores are stocked to the gills with Christmas displays. If that doesn’t shoot you face first into the (politically correct) Autumn Harvest spirit, I just don’t know what will.

Peace of Mind... & A Whiff of Fall Heres How (and why) to Get a Security Door

In most parts of the country, the arrival of autumn means changing leaves, trips to the apple orchard and hayrides on a cart. Here in the Valley of the Blisters®, fall has its own unique set of traditions. For me, it’s removing the 1-inch-thick slab of Styrofoam insulation protecting the southwest-facing window in my home office, suspending auto-delivery from the Vat-o-Zinc Oxide Company and—ahhh—opening the house to let out four months of summer stink. It’s this time of year when I really appreciate my security door.

Put This Recycling Concept in the Trash

On Saturday, Oct. 2, the Anthem Recycling & Shredding Event took place at the Community Center. (Who says there’s nothing for the kids to do?) I did find the method of promoting said event somewhat contradictory.

The Top 10 Signs The recession is Over

I read it in the paper: The recession is over. For those who hadn’t gotten the memo (like me), it was officially over in June of 2009... but the government is just getting around to telling us. I’m going to celebrate by making a big ol’ fondue with my last brick of surplus cheese. Look for your invitation in an upcoming Twitter blast. (Who can afford the stamps?)

Making memories in a down economy requires Using your Noodle

When life gives you lemons, you make a refreshingly pleasant dish detergent… or something like that. So, what do you when life gives you noodles? Obviously, you wage the Great Noodle War of 2010.

Money-Saving DIYs

Sometimes you need a plumber.
Sometimes a little duct tape and hot water will do.

6 Things I Learned by Dropping Weight

“You don’t have time to work out and you definitely don’t have the time to eat a special diet.”
That’s what I’ve told myself for the past 15 years since my metabolism stopped allowing me to eat whatever I want, and exercise if, and when I felt like it. Right about the same time, I remember reading in a self-help book that the “I-don’t-have-time” excuse is a bunch of horse hockey. It just took me this long to accept the truth.

Don't Pass It On!

In an attempt to clarify what is and isn’t freedom of speech, the expression, “you can’t yell ‘fire’ in a crowded theater,” is often cited as an example of what you can’t say. In reality, you can scream “fire” at the top of your lungs... as long as the theater actually is on fire. So, what if you simply think there’s a fire, because somebody whispered the word “fire” to you, after somebody whispered it to them, and down the row, like that kids’ game? Are you at fault for the casualties when the crowd stampedes the theater?

Meet Our Sister City

According to Google—master and final authority of all things Internet—it takes 45 minutes to get from Anthem to downtown Phoenix. It then qualifies that estimate by adding “up to 1 hour 0 minutes in traffic.” Obviously, Mr. Google has driven from Anthem to Phoenix, because unless you’re making a 2 a.m. donut run (yeah… donuts… that’s it) there is always traffic.

Hooray for Homework

Hear that whooshing sound reverberating throughout the land? That is the simultaneous collective sigh of relief emanating from the work-at-home parents near and far. The new school year has commenced. Yippie!

My Wake-up Call

In every man's life, some thing comes along and smacks him in the face and sets him straight: “Damn, I’m old!” For me, that “thing” was the prescription bottle on the nightstand. No, not that prescription bottle…

Love Thy (renting) Neighbor

We did (and do) have our share of distressed properties, but the foreclosures have started dwindling. As real estate agents, banks and sellers got the hang of short sales, investors saw the situation as an opportunity. Rather than going back to the bank, many of these homes were short-sold and turned into rental properties, creating cash-flow. Today, foreclosures are only 12 percent of the Anthem market and are selling pretty quickly. But that’s only part of the story.