by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

When I was growing up we didn’t own any backyard games. We had to invent them with what we found in the house. Here are a few of the games I used to play as a child.


1. Broom Ball

What You Need:

• Two household Brooms. Straw brooms work the best, but you can also use synthetic brooms.
• Almost any type of sports or recreation ball except a basketball. Volleyballs, soccer balls, and those cheap plastic blow up balls work best.
  

How to Play:

Pick two ends of the yard to use as out-of-bounds. I was lucky enough growing up that my best friend had a small backyard. We used the back of the house as one end and the fence as another. Points are made when the ball goes into the out-of-bounds. Only the brooms are allowed to touch the ball. If any part of the player’s body touches the ball, the ball immediately reverts to the other player and they get a point.


2. Water Balloon Dodgeball

What You Need:

Balloons and a water faucet.

How to Play:

Fill up the water balloons and head outside. The goal is to stay dry. You can pick teams, but my favorite is every man for himself. Each person takes their balloon and aims it at another person (randomly). The goal for the thrower is to hit the person. The goal for the person about to be hit is to dodge the water balloon. If you get hit, you’re out. Play until only one person is left standing and dry.


3. Squirt Bottle Squirt Guns

What You Need:

Empty spray bottles. They can be purchased at the dollar store.

You can also use old shampoo, conditioner and dish soap bottles. Really anything that holds water and squirts with enough added pressure. Though, with old soap bottles, you’ll want to make sure that they are thoroughly rinsed and that no soap residue is left inside the bottle. No one wants a face full of soap.

How to Play:

Fill up the bottles with water and head outside. Don’t forget to set the spray bottles on squirt. This game, like Water Balloon Dodgeball, is played until one person is left standing and dry, or someone decides the spray bottle isn’t good enough and pulls out the hose for a mass attack.


4. Bean Bag Toss

What You Need:

• Two buckets. They can be five gallon buckets or open top mop buckets.
• Several packages of beans.
• Six old socks.

How to Play:

Fill the socks with beans and knot closed. Set a distance and place the buckets. Each person tosses a sock at the bucket. The person with the most socks in the bucket wins.


5. Backyard / Driveway Bowling

What You Need:

• Enough two liter bottles to make a pyramid (3, 6, 10). These will be used at the “pins.”
• A basketball, or another durable sports ball.
  

How to Play:

Fill the 2 liters with enough water to keep them standing upright. Line the two liters up just like in bowling and throw or roll the ball at the two liters. Points are kept by how many 2 liters each person knocks down.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Piper Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
  
• AVIA Memories
  

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

This apartment living horror story is from 2011, but there are still plenty of people living this rental nightmare. Here is my story.

From the time I got up this morning to right now, my neighbors have been absolute terrors. Their child started screaming at 8am this morning. They started slamming doors at 8:30am this morning. At 1pm they threw a bucket off the porch and into the yard. Two hours later, they moved it back onto the porch.

Currently, their kindergarten aged child is screaming his head off. He probably got slapped. In between the child’s screams are his father’s and mother’s telling him to shut the F up.

This is by far the worst apartment complex I have ever lived in. If I didn’t know better I’d swear it was in the inner city. It’s not. It’s in a small town. The buildings look nice on the drive in, the grass is mowed, and maintenance is all right.


Apartment Living At Its Worst Doesn't Usually Start Off That Bad...

Prior to moving into this building I met with the office lady, talked to her about the complex, and asked some very important questions. I also told her my needs. I told her I was a writer, and that I am in constant need of complete and utter silence. I don’t have kids. I don’t want to hear anyone else’s kids.

She assured me that the building was quiet and that all the kids played at the back of the complex. Most importantly, she told me there were no kids in my building. The latter was a lie. I found out two weeks after moving into the building that every other unit had at least one child and the unit below me had a screaming, whining toddler. The parents played music way too loud, and on occasion I could hear every word from their TV.

I told the office. I repeatedly told the office. Eventually, I was told that the loud occupants would be moving soon. That was six months ago or longer. They have not moved, and I still have days like today where I can’t get anything done because their child’s incessant screaming has put me in a murderous mood.

It is beyond frustrating. The worst part about it is that today is Sunday and the office is closed. Even if I wanted to talk to the office today, I can’t. It’s days like today when I really wished I had picked another complex, rented a house, done anything but moved in here.

Do you have a story about apartment living at its worst you'd like to share?

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Piper Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

In current times, it is no longer cheaper to eat out than it is to eat at home for the single person. A typical fast food combo can cost as much as eight dollars. Eating at a sit down restaurant can cost as much as $20. Multiply that by five days a week and we have $100 spent simply on eating out.

The trick is learning how to cook quickly and healthy for one. Meats can be purchased in bulk along with a box of ziplock freezer bags. Roasts are between $8.00 and $14.00 a piece. However, if you cut them into two and three ounce portions. you can freeze enough meat for well over a week. The same can be done for chicken. Simply cut the breast in half and freeze them in their own ziplock bags. Vegetables can also be bought frozen for between .99 cents and $2.59 for larger bags. Add in a bag of rice and you have enough meals for eight to ten days for about $35 to $40.

Once you have your meat portioned and frozen, preparing meals in 30 minutes or less is a breeze. To cook, put some water in a pan and take out a freezer bag of meat. Drop it into the water. Boil for 10 minutes or long enough to thaw the meat, then add your vegetables and rice. You should have a healthy and filling meal in about thirty minutes with no leftovers to put in the refrigerator.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Piper Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

America’s workforce is highly educated, highly productive, and eager to succeed. We strive for the American Dream – get an education, a good job or a career, and make a difference. Those values and goals are ingrained into us from a young age, but sometimes the positions we accept are toxic to our well-being.

Here are five reasons it’s time to quit your job:

You Don’t Get Along with Your Manager

When you started the job, your relationship with your manager was one of mutual respect, ideas, and the betterment of both of you and the company. You were listened to, and you listened to your manager. However, over time, your manager stopped listening, started berating you, and doesn’t treat you like the educated human being you are. You would rather keep your ideas to yourself then get into another argument. You avoid your boss at all costs.

The Job Hurts Your Self Esteem

All the conversations about how badly you perform your job, and what a worthless employee you are begin to take their toll on your self esteem. You now question everything you do on the job and off the job. Your self-esteem is at an all time low.

You Can't Motivate Yourself to Go to the Job

You have never had a tardiness problem prior to your current position, but now you can’t seem to get out of bed. You’re chronically late. The thought of going to work fills you with dread and anxiety until you call in sick. You would rather be anywhere but work.

You Always Feel Angry at Work

You have never been an angry person, but now you are consumed with anger. You find yourself starting arguments with your coworkers, boss, and even your family members. You are prone to violent outbursts.

You No Longer Care About the Job

You show up because they pay you, but even the paycheck doesn’t matter. You don’t care if the work gets completed on time or at all. You do just enough work to keep your job.

I had a position where I could check off all of these. I was berated and belittled every time I walked through the door. The constant harassment took a toll on my self esteem. I became angry. I became sick – chronic headaches, stomach problems, high blood pressure.

Eventually, I just didn’t care. I showed up for the paycheck, but even the paycheck wasn’t worth the destruction to my mental and physical well-being. I knew it was time to leave.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Piper Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

Don't get caught in a rental agreement where you will end up unhappy and can't wait for the end of your lease to come. Oftentimes, renters won't tell you a lot of important things up front. That's why it's important to ask these 5 questions before renting anywhere.

What is included with the rent?

Some properties include water, sewer, trash, heat, and gas or some variation. At the very least they should include water, sewer and trash. Properties that include nothing can add $50.00 or more to your rent bill every month. I rented an apartment that included nothing. The base rent was $574.00. Once they included water, sewer, and trash, it became $630.00 and sometimes higher. Can you afford it?

How is the rent paid? What types of payment do they accept?

Most properties accept cash, money order, and check. A few accept on-line payments, credit cards, and sometimes even PayPal. Many properties don't accept cash, including one that I've rented. It often has to be a money order or personal check. There is a drop box for after hours rent payments.

Another of my rental properties accepted cash, money order, and personal checks, but there was no drop box. She came around on the first of the month and physically picked up the checks. It meant I had to be at home every first of the month.

Find out what the grace period is for rent. Most apartment complexes give you until the fifth of the month. One of my last complexes had no grace period.

Who does the maintenance? What are you responsible for?

In one of my last apartments, we had one maintenance guy. I ended up doing or starting a lot of my maintenance myself. If I spend my own money; new faucet filter, toilet kit, paint, knobs, I do not get reimbursed via a rent reduction.

Figure out who does the maintenance and how much of it you are responsible for. Find out what they consider to be “normal wear and tear”. Otherwise, you could find yourself fixing a lot of someone else's property.

What types of people live in the community? Are they well-behaved? Are their children well behaved?

Get honest answers on who your neighbors are before you sign that lease. I was very clear with one landlord when I told her I was a writer, single, childless, and needed endless amounts of quiet. She assured me that there were no children in the building I was moving in to.

A week after I moved in I started hearing “Woohoo’s!” and a screaming toddler. It turns out almost every apartment in that building has a child. The other tenants are loud, slam doors, and stomp feet. The walls and floors are paper thin. That meant I was outright lied to. So, sometimes you may even have to ask around to find out the truth.

Is there a lot of crime, theft in the complex or surrounding area?

Contact the police department and ask about criminal activity on the block and surrounding neighborhood. Visit the complex at night and see how many people are outside. Observe their activities. After 11pm, you should not see people loitering unless it’s on their porches.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories