Rant & Rave: Seattle-area residents start the new year with kindness

RAVE to the woman who rescued a large yellow dog from the Sammamish River at Marymoor Off-Leash Dog Park recently. The weather was very warm, the river was high and fast. Somehow, a big yellow dog was stuck in the water next to a downed tree branch. Then a good Samaritan waded into the water (brrrr!) up to the neck, untangled the dog and helped it get around the tree to shore. I don’t remember a dog accompanying her, so it appeared she rescued someone else’s dog. I’ll never forget this scene.

RANT to car tabs. I was just in Texas and with my son when he bought a new car. The car tabs were $75, good for two years and $75 yearly thereafter. This is a flat-rate, good on all cars regardless of age or value. I just paid over $600 to renew my car tabs here! How is this justified? Our taxes are too high and are driving people to rethink where they live.

RAVE to the kind young woman who helped me, a 78-year-old, as I struggled to download the parking app on my phone prior to going into the Van Gogh exhibition. She added my car to her app and I gave her the money to cover the charge! So grateful. She reminded me of my own daughter who lives in San Francisco and would have done the same thing! Thank you!

RANT to the person who walked into my Woodinville garden and walked out with my metal garden art. It must have been awkward for you to haul it quietly away. I miss it as I really liked it. Creating a lovely garden so people can steal is so discouraging.

RAVE to our daughter-in-law, who upon hearing her mother’s purse had been snatched at Sea-Tac Airport jumped in her car, tracked the stolen phone therein to a Northgate bus stop, boarded the bus in her PJs, found the thief casually going through the purse, grabbed it, lectured him sternly, offered to drive another frantic bus passenger to work and gave her mother back the purse with all contents on her Seattle return.

RANT to the U.S. government. Why don’t they save our time and tax dollars and just send the coronavirus test kits to every family who submitted a 1040 tax form last year? We don’t need another website, don’t need to sign up and don’t need to wait any longer while they “process” the requests. 

RAVE to the family who stopped to help me when I took a bad fall at Discovery Park on Jan. 16 when I was walking with my dog and young son. Your kindness and concern was greatly appreciated!

RANT to the Seattle Kraken announcer who refers to Seattle as “Sea Town.” Please come up with something better.

RAVE for the Seattle Kraken’s play-by-play guy. Best game narration since the beloved Kevin Calabro!