Grounded

Grounded: No one representing Washington state government will attend this year's Farnborough Air Show in Great Britain, where the Boeing 787 Dreamliner will make its European debut.

Officials cited the state budget crunch and the high cost of travel, but still were holding out hope of attending the air show until they found out the youth hostel in nearby Frimley Green was fully booked.

This, that and the other thing: Speaking of the state budget, the man who runs the Office of Financial Management will be in Everett this week to hear your ideas on how to deal with a $3 billion budget deficit.

It's a rare chance to make sure an important official hears your top priorities: slash your taxes, improve your kid's school, eliminate all wasteful spending and fix those I-405 traffic jams on your afternoon commute.

Br-r-r-r: The Snohomish County PUD offers financial aid to people who want to power their home's water heater or heat their pool or hot tub with energy from sunshine.

Official disclaimer: In this program, you must take nothing but cold showers, wash all your laundry in cold water, and consider 65-degree “hot” tubs to be invigorating.