Free Pass to Phoenix Museums and Zoo

A new program begins on April 1 at the Chandler, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe libraries. Patrons will be able to check out a free Culture Pass at the circulation desk. The patron will then be given a voucher good for admission for up to four people which will be good for seven days for the museum of their choice. At the end of seven days, the voucher will expire and another patron can check out that pass. There are a limited number of passes available at each library.

The museums that are participating are: Arizona Museum for Youth, Arizona Museum of Natural History, Arizona Science Center, Bead Museum, Cave Creek Museum, Children's Museum of Phoenix, Desert Botanical Garden (starting June 1), Heard Museum, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Zoo, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and Taliesin West.

More Information regarding The Culture Pass

Fix a Leak Week

Did you know that this is Fix a Leak Week? The EPA launched its program with a demonstration in Phoenix. They set up two demonstration toilets, 2 facuets, and a shower head in a Phoenix residents driveway to demonstrate how much water can be wasted from leaks.

Fix a Leak Week in Phoenix

The EPA's Watersense site has lots of information on how to save water including information to consider if you are purchasing new toilets, faucets, or showerheads.

Does Your Dog Need a License?

If you live in Maricopa County and your dog is at least three months old, it needs a license and it must be vaccinated against rabies. If you fail to license your dog, you can be fined and charged with a misdemeanor. When purchasing a license for your dog you must present a certificate of rabies vaccination. It costs less to license a dog which has been spayed or neutered.

• Altered Dog (Spayed/Neutered) = $16.00 (Note - "altered" is the county's term not mine)
• Unaltered Dog = $40.00
• Senior Citizen Household (Altered Dog/limited two dogs) = $6

Maricopa County Animal Care & Control offers programs with low cost for vaccinations and to assist with the care of your dog. For more information: http://www.pets.maricopa.gov/.

To apply online for a dog license - Maricopa Dog Licensing

Credit Card Bills - Need Help?

The major credit card companies have gotten together to provide help to people having trouble paying their credit card bills. VISA, MasterCard and Discover are all participating. They have launced a new site - HelpWithMyCredit.org and a toll-free number - 866-941-1030.

They recommend that you first talk with a representative of your credit card company to see if you can negotiate lower fees or modify your payment plan. They can also refer you to a consumer credit counseling service.

Arizona Republic article - Credit-card Companies Offer Help

Goodreads

Do you like to read? Whether you read a lot or just a little, I have a website for you. It's called Goodreads. A place you can search for the perfect book. But, also, a place to keep track of those you've read, rate them and write a review. There's so many good things in Goodreads, you're better off visiting the website and seeing for yourself.

Below is a book I read late last year. I was able to copy and paste this from Goodreads right to this blog.

Bowerman and the Men of Oregon: The Story of Oregon's Legendary Coach and Nike's Co-founder by Kenny Moore

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Running, history and a biography. What more could I want.


View all my reviews.

Huge Used Book Sale

The 53rd Annual VNSA Used Book Sale is scheduled for February 14 and 15. This is one of the largest used book sales in the country. It is held at the Arizona State Fairground Exhibit Building located at 1826 W McDowell Rd in Phoenix. They accept donations of books prior to the sale.

For more information about the sale or for information regarding book donation - vnsabooksale.org.

VNSA = Volunteer Nonprofit Service Association

A New Year - A Fresh Start

The Federal Housing Administration has a new website page full of information that will help you get your financial house in order. The page is titled My Money, My Home, My Future. This is for anyone wanted to review their finances and finacial plans not just home owners.

FHA - My Money, My Home, My Future

New License Plate Law

You may or may not have heard that Arizona has a new law regarding license plate frames that goes into effect on January 1. License plate frames cannot cover up the state name, "Arizona". We've removed the frames from both of our cars.

For more information:

AZ Republic Article - Law Targets License-plate Frames

Value of Home Remodeling

The 2008 Cost versus Value Report for home remodeling projects is now available. It ranks various home remodeling projects based upon the expected percentage of the projects cost that could be recouped when the home is sold. Keep in mind that these are national averages. Some of these figures would not be the same in Arizona. For example, it lists the addition of a deck to a home. In most Phoenix area homes there is a patio not a deck. A covered patio is much more valuable that a patio without shade. Costs for adding a patio would be different than costs to add a deck. Features included in the patio such as a built in cooking area would also affect value.

There are many factors which will affect how much you will recoup on remodeling. If you are planning on selling within a year, consult a real estate agent before engaging in any remodeling projects. The agent can advise you as to which projects will most help the sale of your home. If you are planning on living in the home for many more years, you should not expect to recoup the same percentage as if you sold your house within a year of the remodel.

2008 Cost vs Value Report

Do You Live in a Flood Zone?

It may sound crazy but there are flood zones in Maricopa County even though we are in a desert. Most home insurance policies do not include flood insurance.

More information about flood insurance and link to Maricopa County 100 Year Flood Plain Map

There are some roadways that have washes instead of bridges. These washes may only be full of water a few hours a few days of the year when we get heavy rain and flash flooding. If you encounter a flooded wash, do not attempt to drive through it. The Flood Control District of Maricopa website indicates that many cars will float in 2 feet of water. Don't take chance, take another route or wait for the wash to be clear of water.

How Do You Cook Your Turkey?

There are several different ways to cook a turkey. For many years, I have been using the Reynolds Oven Cooking Bags. I follow the directions on the box. I shake the flour in the bag. Then, I put a lot of cut up carrots, onions, and celery in the bottom of the bag. I place my turkey on top of the vegetables in the bag. These yields some great tasting carrots and lots of flavorful juices/broth to use in making gravy. One year, I had my oven stop working on the night before Thanksgiving. I cooked a turkey in my microwave in one of these cooking bags and turned out just fine - it was even browned some.

One other thing that I do that works well is that I cook additional stuffing in my crock pot on low. I put the stuffing in the crock pot at the same time I put the turkey in the oven. I used store bought stuffing mix and add the usual ingredients on the box plus a chopped up granny smith apple.

How do you like to cook your turkey? Leave a comment and let us know.

Chandler GIS Day

GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems. This is the type of system that is used by 9-1-1 to locate callers but it has other uses. Chandler is offering a seminar on the real-world applications of GIS technology. The Chandler City Scope indicates that "Residents will learn how the Police and Fire departments utilize GIS to respond to emergencies and track crime information; other City departments will demonstrate how they use GIS, and residents will learn how to view the City's GIS Data" The event is free and will be held on Wednesday, November 19 from 8:00am to noon at the Community Center rooms 109-110. The Community Center is at 125 E Commonwealth Ave. For more information call 480-782-2468 or click here.

Consider a Credit Union

If you are not a member of a credit union, you might want to consider joining one. They typically offer lower rates on auto and home loans and often have higher rates on CDs than some banks. Deposits are still FDIC insured up to the allowed amount. You do have to qualify to join a credit union but the criteria is often broad and it is likely that you will qualify for at least one credit union in your community. For example, Desert Schools Federal Credit Union has this statement on their website with regards to who qualifies for membership - "Persons who live, work, worship or attend school, including businesses and other legal entities, in Gila, Maricopa and Pinal Counties"

Here are some resources for more information:

US News audio commentary on the benefits of credit unions

America's Credit Unions - Credit Union Locator

Rebates Available for Appliance Purchases

If you are an SRP customer and considering buying a new clothes washer or dishwasher before the end of the year, then you should check the rebate offers available by clicking on the following link. To qualify, purchases must meet the defined energy ratings.

SRP Appliance Rebate

I couldn't find a similar program for APS customers; but, if someone knows about one, please leave a comment.

What Style is Your House?

The National Association of REALTORS® has a web page that describes all of the common architectural styles of homes in the United States. While the page is meant for real estate professionals, it is also assessable for the public. Styles discussed include: Pueblo, Contemporary, Ranch, Prairie, and many more.

NAR Residential Styles

Earning Airline Miles without Flying

Like many people we fly occasionally but not frequently. We still like to earn and use our frequent flyer miles. It used to be that those miles could just sit out there without expiring. Well, those days seem to be gone. With U.S. Airways/America West, one of the major carriers out of Phoenix, in order for miles to remain usable you have to earn some at least every eighteen months. Usually this is not a problem for us but sometimes it is. We don't want to get every airlines credit card in order to earn miles. So, we've started using their Dining Dividend Miles program. We recently tried a new restaurant for lunch that was on the program called Sandstone Cafe. It is a small place that is locally owned located at the intersection of Ray and Rural in Chandler (near the Hollywood Video). The food was good and reasonably priced.

Buying a new PC without Vista

I have been putting off replacing my "old" desktop computer because I didn't want to buy a new one with Vista on it. I have heard so much negative feedback about Vista, that I would like Microsoft to iron some more of the bugs out before I start using it. I have found two on-line sources for PCs without Vista. There are probably more. Dell has some small business desktops that come with a Vista downgrade to XP. You get XP installed and the ability to upgrade to Vista when you are ready. The other is AVADirect which will build you a desktop with XP.

Planning Your Move

We have added a button "Moving Checklist" which is just below the "Condo Search" button. This will link you to a Moving Time Table and a Moving Checklist. You can print either or both out for your use in planning your move. A few more tips are listed below.

Packing Considerations
· When obtaining boxes look for medium size ones that will be easy to lift when full.
· Compartmentalized containers (with cardboard dividers) are great for packing glassware and other small fragile items.
· Don’t use newspapers to wrap items that could be damaged if the ink rubbed off. Use tissue paper or plain paper designed for packing. Towels and linens can also be used for wrapping items.
· Empty and clean your refrigerator prior to the move.
· Be careful packing any containers of liquids that could easily leak. Seal them tightly with tape and place in plastic bags.

Small Bits & Parts
Whenever you dismantle an item for the move. Place small pieces, screws, and wires in a zip lock bag labeled with the item. Tape bag to item or place all such zip lock bags in one clearly marked box.

Street Light Repair

Most cities have a phone number you can call to report a street light that is not working. Some cities now have an on-line reporting option as well. Here is contact information for requesting street light repair for East Valley cities.

Chandler Street Light Repair - Hotline 480-782-3460

Gilbert Street Light Repair - 480-503-6488

Mesa Street Light Repair - 480-644-3191

Tempe Street Light Repair - 480-350-8033

SRP Daily Energy Usage

When I got our electrical bill from SRP this week I noticed that it had a note on it - "As a customer with a Smart Meter on your home, you can go online anytime to My Account and view your daily electricity use. Sign up at www.srpnet.com/myaccount." So, today I went and signed up for an on-line account. Sure enough, I was able to click on "Smart Meter Daily Usage" and see our daily electrical use for the last month. It even breaks out off-peak usage and on-peak usage. I'm going to try to use this to see if we can reduce our electrical usage. It is a bit difficult to see if small changes at home will affect this because the outside temperature obviously has a big impact on electrical usage from day to day.

Not all SRP customers have a smart meter. For more information - Smart Meter.

You should also know that SRP has a discount in conjunction with ACE Hardware for 20% off new or rebuilt solar shade screens purchased between 7/1 and 9/30. For more information on this and other offers - SRP Offers.