Fred Meyer Gas

Went down to Main Street Sumner today and for the first time I can ever remember, there were open slots at the Fred Meyer gas station. Put in my Alaska Airline credit card and it asked for my ID. Put my WA State driver's license in and the pump would not accept it. The pump said I had to go pay at the station, so I went there and the man asked me how much gas I wanted; I didn't know.

He offered to help me and walked to the pump with me. He said run your Fred Meyer club first, then the credit card, I did, he smiled and said approvingly, you just saved .03 a gallon.

Gosh, people in Sumner tend to be really nice and I really appreciate that. Have to go away for a week, but then we get three weeks in the Bonney Lake/Sumner area.

Beautiful day, Kathy and I went down to the lake, got some sun which is not a guarantee in Washington at this time of the year and we just saw an eagle. The Cottonwoods are starting to blow cotton and it was landing in the lake. I was thinking, this is going to foul the lake, but just then a mother duck with her ducklings came by and we realized they were eating all the cotton out of the water. God really knows how to create a planet!

Seattle physician patient records adrift (Proliance)

The official web site is here. But if you are a Proliance patient you should be getting a notice.

Big family meal deal at Aversanso's

Large 1 Topping Pizza, Large Garden Salad, Large Plate of Spaghetti, and Cheese Garlic Bread. Feeds 4-5 people all for the low, low price of 34.99. Sounds like fun!

Sex offender hosts underage drinking party

Saw this on the Patch, no good can come of this!
http://bonneylake-sumner.patch.com/articles/sumner-police-break-up-teen-party-hosted-by-sex-offender

These parties can get out of hand, remember the one where a guy pulled a gun in Tacoma?
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/crime/2012/12/30/police-say-suspect-pulled-gun-and-made-threats-at-underage-tacoma-party/

And it can do in a kid's future, Sumner PD participates in the Party Patrol Project:
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/news/17676354.html
http://bonneylake-sumner.patch.com/articles/party-patrol-busts-underage-party-on-lake-bonney
http://www.blscourierherald.com/news/121649834.html

RIP Moford's Hallmark

After 25 years the local Halmark store on 410 is closing. When I think about retail business ideas for downtown Sumner this is not one I would choose. The world is changing and handwritten cards become less used every year, especially the ones sent by the postal service who are also in distress.

I believe the stores in Puyallup and Gig Harbor are still open.

Quirky

Just read an awesome story about Quirky, a business that helps people become inventors and then shares an income stream with them. Why is this so awesome? For years, I have met people that had an invention, sometimes even a patent and the system found a way to steal their idea.

Sometimes outright intellectual property theft, more commonly they were working on a shoestring budget and a well funded company fielded a knock-off product. You may win in court, but it could take years to settle the case and many inventors just give up . . . and swear off inventing from then on.

Lake Tapps Polar Bear Plunge

You have to see this one to believe it. People jumping into a lake off Driftwood Park that is fed by a glacier in the middle of the winter. But Patch posted a video, maybe you can join next time. We might go see it next year ( New Years Day), but we aren't jumping in. It is for a good cause, bring some canned food for the food bank. It even brought in romance for this couple. There is even a facebook page for the event. It was organized by Scott Thorsteinson.

Here is an article on the event and here is another. Apparently, this is a big deal in Washington State, here is a story about a plunge in the Sound off Tacoma.