only on Vashon- the weekly rundown 10/29/2021

We have a few themes that continue to resurface on the groups. One is scam calls. This week we have this post: 

 “God dam it! Phone is ringing all morning. Vashon numbers but saying Amazon charge blah blah blah do you want to dispute. $70 some dollars. $100 and some dollars. $700 and some dollars”

The scammers use Vashon numbers, so caller ID doesn’t work. The best thing is to never answer the phone.

If someone spoofs my identity, I hope they do something really cool, like a diamond heist, and not just scam people out of $30 with fake Amazon charges.

Another common theme is animals. We have this post: 

“What is it about posting ANYTHING pet related that incites unsolicited advice??

UPDATE: I will never feed my dog a raw diet, I let my cat outdoors to roam, and I’m going to breed my MIXED breed dog — not to improve the breed but just to make some cute puppies and sell them. SUCK IT VASHON!”

I didn’t even know there was a raw food diet for pets. I thought the whole reason dogs let us domesticate them was so that they could eat our tasty cooked meat. My dog’s favorite thing to eat is an entire stick of butter that he’s stolen from the counter and buried between the couch cushions until it’s reached peak ripeness. I’m afraid to even imagine where he would hide raw meat if given the opportunity.

Then there’s the yin and yang of people who feel cats should never be let out because it’s too dangerous, contrasted against people who think all cats should always be let out because they need freedom. No matter where you stand on the issue, be sure to make your convictions clear to anyone who mentions that they have a cat. 

Another tried and true theme are all the sunken boats we find. 

Here is a  small boat having a big mood in Dockton. 

This bugger has been parked partially submerged in Dockton for over 16 years. Some have offered to bail it out. Others say to leave it alone. it floats perfectly fine, at least for brief stretches of time.

By far our biggest theme is complaining about other drivers. I’m happy to report that we didn’t discuss the speed limit this week. (Thank you!) We were too busy with the issue of the dead deer. 

A driver hit a deer and left the carcass in the road. 

Some of us are mad at how inconsiderate leaving the carcass was because it poses a hazard for other drivers. 

Some others are mad that the first group got mad because what if the driver couldn’t move the deer and instead called the sheriff, who just hadn’t arrived yet because they don’t prioritize road deer? We should not assume we know the whole story. 

Or should we be mad at the people who told us not to be mad because there were plenty of things a driver could have done, so don’t act like we’re making accusations based on minimal evidence.

Clearly we need more deer crossing signs. 

And we love to discuss where to shop. This week we want to know whether Costco delivers frozen food to Vashon.

The online system works for some of us, but not for others. What is the magical sequence of buttons to press and tabs to open to get to the portal for frozen food delivery? 

And since we’re all about answering yes/no questions with tangential information, we learn that instead of Costco, you can order from the Misfits Market, a place that will sell you unloved food. Perhaps you can get rejected raw meat to feed to your rescued purebred dog.

And our final theme is looking for specific stuff that, until I read the post, I didn’t even know existed. An islander is looking for a boot-calf-stretcher to borrow. 

As someone with what are colloquially known as cankles (a lack of proper ankles, or calves that go straight into feet without any lower-leg tapering) I know how she feels. Boots just don’t fit. 

Many of us share our problems with boots that don’t take calf-diversity into account. Bodies come in many sizes, and mass-produced clothing and shoes don’t account for all body types. But apparently you can bring your shoes to Nordstroms, say that you bought them there (wink wink) and they will stretch the calves for you. 

Six low-flying jets buzzed over the island, causing the windows to shake and birds to fly from trees.  We’ve identified them as cargo planes headed for JBLM (Joint Base Lewis-McChord). 

Plane noise has become such a problem for many islanders, especially on parts of Maury and the South End, that they’ve created a group to address the problem and bring it to the attention of local government. Unfortunately, the planes that flew so low were military and not commercial, so the chances of oversight and regulation are slim. 

Someone in the comment thread said, “It doesn’t bother me.”

To which we get the reply: “I’m glad it hasn’t bothered *you*, but it *has* impacted a huge swath of the island.” I’d just like to stop and appreciate the emotive work that those asterisks are doing in conveying information about tone and attitude. 

The responder then apologized for her snark and pointed out that planes fly low over her house every 2 minutes all day every day, which is deeply disruptive. And she makes a good point- Just because something doesn’t bother us personally doesn’t mean we shouldn’t learn about it and engage with it.  As she so eloquently put it “ We are neighbors and fellow citizens – what happens to one, should matter to all.”  

Finally, Penny the Unofficial Mayor is looking for old trampolines and play equipment for her fellow goats. If you have any that your children have outgrown, pass them on.