Jim Carson

We took the kids to the Museum of Flight Monday. While we were in line, I fished through my wallet trying to find my membership card. I found it -- after we reached the front of the line, my wife put down the youngest, dug out her purse, and flashed the card. This is a sign that I may soon need an European carry-all for all the stuff in my wallet. A quick inventory:

Important stuff:

• Cash
• Driver's license
• Proof of Auto Insurance -- one for each car
• Two credit cards -- yes, only two
• ATM card
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance

Grocery store affinity cards - Taking a cue from Jennifer Government, QFC, Albertsons and Safeway have these ridiculously stupid "discount cards" that one has to carry around to get normal prices for items.

• Quality Food Center -- convenience store prices
• Albertsons -- no hassle registering anonymously
• Safeway -- my Safeway Card still has Rob Cockerham's bar code sticker. I wondered why the cashier was chuckling.
• Costco -- membership warehouse; the biggest value is saving $0.10/gallon on gasoline.
• PCC natural foods -- I don't know that there's any real discount except on the 1st and 16th of the month. The cashiers are very cool.

Various memberships:

• AAA -- American Automobile Association, discounts galore
• Homeowner association card -- so I can use the pool.
• King County Library -- otherwise my Amazon.com bill would approach that of my mortgage
• Seattle Children's Museum -- the kids dig this place, but it's so noisy
• Museum of Flight
• Woodland Park Zoo
• Seattle Aquarium* -- I'll renew this when the kids want to look at more than just the octopus.
• National Parks System -- bought when I went to Great Basin NP in December

Aviation-related:

• Pilot license -- I tried using this as a "government issued ID" once.
• FAA second class medical -- in the unlikely event that I exercise my commercial pilot privileges and fly for hire.
• WA state pilot registration
• AOPA membership
• SPA -- Seaplane Pilot's Association* membership
• NAFI -- National Association of Flight Instructors*

Discount cards:

• Performance Bicycle -- 10% rebate on cycling toys
• Ritz Camera -- free extra prints or film
• REI --- 10% "dividend"
• Cold Stone creamery -- buy 9, get one free
• UW Alumni Association -- instructions for the secret handshake
• Barnes and Noble - 20% off
• Jiffy Lube -- $7 off an oil change
• Adventure Cycling

Gift cards:

• Barnes and Noble -- $10
• Sears -- $25

Miscellaneous:

• Puget Sound Blood Center -- I am almost ineligible to donate because I've spent too much time outside the U.S.
• University of Washington Student ID*
• Blockbuster Video rental card (x 2)*
• Blockbuster Video discount card*

* = so expired, it's not even funny.

Noticably missing: pictures of the family, soda crackers, spare change.

Not in my wallet because I don't travel any more:

• Frequent flyer cards: United (gold), American (platinum), Continental, Northwest, America West, US Air, Alaska Airlines -- most of these have been converted to tickets or redeemed for magazine subscriptions.
• Hotel: Hilton, Holiday Inn (yeah, I know, don't say it), Hyatt (platinum), Best Western, Sheraton, Marriott
• Passport
• Canadian currency