Worst Mongolian Grill Ever - Shang Hai in Puyallup

Kathy and I did not have the puppy, so we thought we might eat out. We were coming back from JLBM and used the GPS to find restaurants as we neared Puyallup. I have always enjoyed the Riverside Mongolian so I thought I would give this a try.

I will say the lady that runs the place is very hard working, she serves drinks and soup, cleans up. Kathy could not eat the egg drop soup, too salty. I could not finish my hot sour soup, it was sweet. Egg rolls were a disaster. I did the beef and bbq pork as my protein for the grill, very tough. Not that much selection. Skip this one! I could kick myself, it is next to Ivar's.

Sorci's is dog friendly 50% of the time, Buttered Biscuit, 100%

Saturday, we finished Yogi's class at Sumner Parks and Rec. Wanted to get some food. Called Sorci's Cameron answered, asked if Yogi could join us at an outside table. He said he needed to ask Jennifer. They were not supportive.

As the summer, hence outdoor table, season comes to an end, we have tried to eat at Sorci's four times. Twice, Tyler answered and they were dog friendly, twice Cameron answered, they were not. Either is fine, it is their restaurant, this is why we always call. However, for the record, we usually order a high end Washington state bottle of wine and I tip 20% at dog friendly venues unless they totally mess up.

So we went to Buttered Biscuit, I had the stuffed grits, (awesome), Kathy had the pot roast, (nicely done), and Kathy had the cucumber margarita and said it was fantastic, I drove.

Buttered Biscuit - Sumner

Tonight was the Sumner wine walk. Kathy and I did not participate since I am not supposed to walk much, but we did go down that way to socialize our puppy Yogi. When we are downtown, we often eat at Sourci's at the outdoor table since they are willing to be selectively dog friendly, (Yogi is in training to become a service dog), but they were chock full.

We noticed the Buttered Biscuit. I had heard of it, but never knew where it was. They say the secret of business is location, location, location. This place seems to be doing well even though I did not know where it was.

They were willing to let us have our dog at one of the outdoor tables. They were even kind enough to bring Yogi water. The menu was a bit overwhelming, they had a gluten free menu, a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, and we had them all at the same time, (it was six PM).

Kathy had the hash browns with corn tortillas with eggs and artichokes and really liked it. I had the shrimp and cheesy grits. I have had this dish before, but this was the best ever. It came with salad with a sweet dressing, parmesan cheese slices and bacon. I am not big on sweet dressing, when we come back I will ask for no dressing. It also came with cornbread. Now I do not generally like sweet cornbread, but this was almost like cake. Basically if you like comfort food, this is your place.

If you don't, talk with them, they are quite flexible.

Sorci's Italian cafe - New hours

Mon - Thursday 11:30 - 9:00 PM, Friday, Saturday, 11:30 - 10 PM, Sunday 11:30 - 8 PM.

We went there tonight. They let us bring Yogi into the outdoor tables. We brought his mat and he was pretty good. Our server was Tyler who has a half rottweiler, half pitbull so he was comfortable around a dog.

Kathy had the Stuffed Avocado and Minnestrone soup, I had the Lasagna Di Giorno and Yogi had kibbles and salmon treats. We shared a bottle of Sleight of Hands Conjuror, a blend from Walla Walla. Great food, possibly the best lasagna I have ever had.

Hop Jacks - 410 Bonney Lake

The pack was out running errands on 410 when we got hungry and went to Hop Jacks. They have an outside patio and allow dogs there so long as no one complains. Since we were the only people outside, there was no one to complain. Stephen and Kathy shared the  edamame and hummus appetizers, Kathy had the fish taco, Stephen had the soup and salad. I had kibbles.

Several of the staff came to greet me, one even brought me water, but I think our server was afraid of me, you can smell fear you know.

Meeker Days in Puyallup

Friday, after work we hired the Paddywagon service to give us a ride to E. Main and Meridian for Meeker Days. We didn't want to deal with the parking, and this way if we had a glass of wine at the Wine garden driving would not be an issue.

We checked out the street merchants, I finally found a replacement for my Kangaroo skin wallet, it was getting pretty ratty. The brand is Big Skinny and I love it.

We spoke with a lot of nice people and met the most beautiful and well behaved five month old Rottweiler named Roxie. She looked just like Yogi, almost identical markings.

 We had a late lunch/early supper at The Forum, I had the Cuban sandwich, (best I have had in years), and Kathy had the Potato Skins, which she declared awesome.  We will be back. Very friendly wait staff. On the way out, one of the servers told Kathy about Ashley's Room, the consignment shop that had moved next door. She found a dress and a leather purse that she liked.

We walked around some more and were feeling done. So we ducked into Mazatlan, a Mexican restaurant, and called Paddywagon to come get us. A lovely evening.

First outdoor table at Sorci's for the season

It is kind of crazy, but we are enrolled in two different puppy classes on Saturdays. After the first one at the Bonney Lake Petco, we head to Sumner for their Parks and Recs class. We try to get lunch between the two and look for dog friendly establishments.

While we were driving I called Scorci's to see if they would allow a puppy at their outdoor tables. They said yes. When we got there they had a table waiting for us with a water bowl for Yogi. They were a very attentive wait staff, two strapping young men that must lift weights and a pretty young lady. The looked like college students home for the summer time and I think I remember the lady from last summer.

I had the Happy Hour special, three choices for $11 dollars, (meatball slider, asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and the artichoke dip). Kathy had the puttanesca pizza, Yogi had kibbles, (we did training while waiting for the food to arrive).

We will make every effort to come back before it gets too hot for an outdoor table.

Sumner Parks and Rec Dog Obedience Class

Kathy and I took our puppy Yogi for the first class in the Basic Dog Obedience class.  The instructor, Jim Grasley, seems to be quite experienced. There are other activities as well.

Lincoln Memorial 3 and Brank's BBQ

We were very touched by the Lincoln Person Memorial Ride for the family and memory of the little boy that was killed. Big thanks to Urban Timber Coffee for hosting it.

The wooden plaque was very touching and we got to sign it.

They served Branks BBQ there as an additional fundraiser. It was pretty tasty and we had never been. So we went today. They were dog friendly for the outdoor tables, (thanks guys). Turns out they have an all you can eat buffet on Wednesdays. Best BBQ chicken I have ever tasted, (other than my parents). The potato salad is also epic and clearly house made. I am soooooo stuffed. I accidentally dropped a piece of chicken and our puppy Yogi said he liked it too. I will be back!

Sumner Rd.

Not Washington State's Sumner, New Zealand. Sumner road was badly damaged in the Christchurch earth quake. This amazing video shows the situation.

Safeway on highway 410

As long as I have lived here, I have never been to the Safeway. We live on Kauai part time and the Safeway in Kapaa/Waipouli is incredibly expensive for most items. But since the Albertson's has closed I was looking for an alternative for some of the things WinCo does not carry.

We were up at the Home Depot to get some anchors for our floating dock, so this looked like the opportunity to check out the Safeway.

I was impressed. These days you have to be a smart shopper, but there are some good buys and some nifty items. I picked up a pack of wild caught rockfish at 7.99 lb, a pack of Nasoya Pasta Zero and some hot peppers that were USA raised. Put them together with some cremini mushrooms and used SAN J Gluten Free Szechuan Sauce as the seasoning and tossed in some chopped baby spinach just before serving. I will come back to this Safeway.

By the way, if you like my food ideas,  there are more Gluten Free ideas on this blog.

A wild day in Sumner - Heritage Bank on Main Street

We bought a couple lamps and the cardboard boxes were too large to put in the recycle bin so we dropped them at the recycle center. On the way down we stopped at Heritage Bank on Main St/WoodAve. They are my favorite bank bar none; the folks are so friendly. By the way, Google maps has them in the wrong place.

While I was parking someone went flying down Main St at least making 50 MPH, which is crazy, there is a high school there and the speed limit is 25. Then we went into the bank and handed over a few checks to deposit and got some cash as well. WinCo is one of my favorite stores, but will only take debit cards and cash and debit cards scare me.

Then this guy walks in asking for a paper clip, and then for a rubber band. He seemed very strange, Kathy wanted to stay and protect the ladies in the bank, but I was carrying a considerable amount of cash and it was also the worst polio day of 2014 so we got out of there.

We turned onto Traffic Ave/Main toward State St and just ahead of us a black Nissan 270Z, turned squealed tires, lost control and skidded into the other lane.

When we finished recycling we headed home and as we passed the bank there was a rescue squad vehicle and a police car at the bank. Wow!

A+ Auto Licensing Bonney Lake

It's a long story, but I just moved my mustang convertible to Washington from Virginia. Obviously I want to get Washington plates. I was a bit nervous, a trip to the DMV in Richmond VA generally entails more than an hour's wait.

Turns out in Washington, you don't need to go to the DMV for this, you can receive your plates and tabs from any number of private companies in the state. Using my best GoogleFu, I found A+ Auto Licensing. I gave them a call, they told me all I needed was my VA title, ID and oh yes, money.

When I arrived, there was one person in line before me and both of the ladies working the counter were friendly and knowledgable. Better yet, when it is time to update the cars, you can do most of the legwork online.

I was in and out with WA title, plates and tabs in fifteen minutes. Woo Hoo.

Geico, Korum Ford and Fix Auto Puyallup

You know those street signs on Meyer's rd, Forest Canyon and E. Valley that say "falling rocks. Well they are serious. One hit the hood of my garage kept 2011 Racer Red Mustang GT 5.0. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, for one thing it didn't damage the windshield.

I called Korum Ford and Larry in the service department and he recommended Fix Auto. I called Geico, they were very helpful and assigned me an adjuster. I called, went to voicemail, he returned my call in 20 minutes. The car was at Korum anyway, for a powertrain issue. The adjuster went to Korum and gave an estimate to Fix Auto. Korum actually drove the Mustang to Fix Auto for me.

They did a fine job, I can't see the repair. They gave me instructions on how to treat the hood for the next two months, were on time, Debbie stayed in contact with me and all the staff were friendly.

I can't say having a rock hit my car was pleasant, but a big thanks to all involved for making it the least painful process I can imagine.

MVP Physical Therapy - Angela Kroll, Chris Morris

My wife, Kathy Northcutt, has been suffering some mobility issues and opted to try Physical Therapy. I like the exercises and have started to some myself, especially the balance one. If you see someone falling down, or running into a sliding glass door, it is probably me.

She graduated today and wrote the following note that I think benefits anyone taking Physical Therapy.

Greetings!

I just graduated from Physical Therapy (today!) with Angela Kroll. I’d like to share what I’ve learned, hoping it will be of benefit to you.

We come to heal.  Consider this an investment in yourself, a gift to yourself.  “Begin with the end in mind.”  (Stephen Covey,  Habit #2, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.)  What are your goals for Physical Therapy?

Improved strength, flexibility, balance, or, I want to be able to do _____  are all fine answers.  For extra credit, consider creating  S.M.A.R.T. goals:  specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time based. For instance: I will stand on my right foot for a minute at a time without holding on for support by (fill in date) is a S.M.A.R.T. goal.


                                Physical Therapy Goals  
                                                       (fill in your name on the top left)

Goal # 1: ________________________________________

Goal # 2: ________________________________________

Goal #3: ________________________________________

Take a moment to ponder what you dream of doing.  Two I listed were to paddle, and roll my kayak again, to have the strength to train up another large dog.

Dreams






Now that you’ve set goals and given yourself permission to dream a bit, look over what you’ve come up with.  It’s time to commit to: achieving your goals, pursuing your dreams, and to heal.  Your therapist is here to show you the way.

See next page for a sample spreadsheet I used to track progress.  It was very simple:  the date column down the left side, names of the PT exercises listed across the top.  I just filled in the exercises and whether it was 1, 2 (or more) sets.

Consider using the margins to record a specific reaction to an exercise on x date.  It helps your therapist to receive specific, time based information. They may ask:  what were you doing before x happened, for instance, and it’s great to have it all there on the chart.  Looking back on it, I’ve kept a chart in two different physical therapies and it really spurred me on.

Listen to your body.  As much as I like having my chart all filled in, there were times I had to stop and rest during a set, or stop trying that exercise altogether for the day.  Let your therapist know when that happens.
“Do not despise the day of small beginnings”, ( excerpt from Zechariah 4:10, NIV).  Be patient with yourself and take joy in your progress.

Lastly, get creative about fitting PT into your daily schedule.  Any time you’re standing in line and there’s something to hold onto nearby, consider practicing standing on one foot, and then the other while waiting, or while chatting around the kitchen counter.  Is there a PT exercise you can do before getting out of bed in the morning?  If so, check!  One or more done before your feet hit the floor.  Watching the game? Do you have a favorite TV show, or watch movies at home?  That’s a fabulous time for PT.  Conference calls are, too.  Another benefit of PT during conference calls is it’s unlikely you’ll fall asleep during the call……

Happy healing to you,

Kathy

Sumner Sweethearts Wine Walk

What fun. I was the designated driver, so I did the taste and dump thing. I think it was $15 a ticket in advance and they gave us commemorative wine glasses and a heart shaped box of chocolates. We signed up early, which means going to the Will Call line. If we go next year, I think I will either pay cash or volunteer to help structure the Will Call line. It was very slow; both Kathy and I have a lot of experience from our years of putting on conferences, there are some simple tricks to speed things up and it is a way to give back to the community.

Our last store to visit was Off the Beaten Path and we acquired a couple treasures. I found a drawknife in great condition and Kathy found three bags of metal buttons. We watched Seven Days and Six Nights last night and Kathy sorted her buttons. I have not put the drawknife to use yet, but plan to hone its edge this afternoon.

We got there fifteen minutes early and that worked out well. This is becoming quite a popular attraction and parking can be limited. And we got out just as the snow started falling which was a plus.

Urban Timber Coffee Company

The dusting of snow this morning was gorgeous. The weather report says it will be sunny, but just in case, Kathy and I went to get some supplies. We decided to do our shopping at WinCo and since Urban Timber is in the same shopping center we decided to take a look. It is a very interesting concept bar that does wine tasting and has a number of beers and also cider on tap.

They let us split a pint and try two choices. I had the Mango Wiezen and Kathy had the Seattle Cider. Altogether the bill was $10.00 plus tax. They had a little corner area with incredibly comfortable chairs and a table that is guaranteed to spill drinks, it is made of four 8x8s, but one is a bit taller than its neighbor. We figured it out.

They have a very interesting menu, but we ate lunch just before we went to the store and were not hungry. I could not find a menu online, but it is a cross between bar food and some novel creations.  Looking forward to trying the food next time we visit.

Farrellispizza.com on Main Street

We were in the Fred Meyer since we have a few errands to run preparing for Thanksgiving. I was hoping for the enchiladas at the Taco Del Mar, but it has closed. No worries we love the Farrelli's and they are very gluten free sensitive.

Our server was Joie and she was alert and on it. Kathy had the "Mom's Salad" I had the Classic Sausage Lasagne. The food was great as usual and the portions were very generous, we both had to ask for a box. We also had a Long Island Ice Tea to celebrate something I cannot mention until next week. Pretty sure it is my first LLIT, and I am sure they did a good job, but I struggle with sweet drinks, with or without alcohol. Bill before tip was 34.79.

Mama Stortini's

Gosh I love this place. I had the Seafood Risotto, Kathy had the Cedar planked Salmon. Wonderful experience.

Could not finish my food, but managed to get two more meals out of the portion. I heated it up with some chicken broth in a non-stick skillet. Fantastic. S.

Frankie's Pizza

My wife is gluten free, but yesterday she wanted pizza and she wanted it delivered. We keep the various coupons that get delivered and one from Frankie's.

She ordered two gluten free pizzas and a Greek salad ( which is enough food for us to live on for three or four days).

She was very happy with the customer service and the delivery time and the pizzas were tasty though at this point in my life I could only try a slice of each (Hawaiian and Green Pepper/Mushroom).

She had tried to order pizza before from other groups, but they did not serve the Sumner area; Frankie's does so we will keep their data in our local events drawer.