I SAW YOU
CUTE CUSTOMER AT EDDIE BAUER: To the tall guy who was a customer at Eddie Bauer on a random Wednesday morning. Thanks for laughing at my jokes and holding the door for me. If you're interested in going on a hike let me know. Email me the name of the brewery or the town we were talking about, and I'll know it's you! [email protected]
THE "IMPORTANT" THINGS IN LIFE: You're into: movies, music, March Madness, downhill skiing, weed, home improvement, gifts, holidays, biking, cross-country skiing, Zags, facial hair, old whyte dudes, cowboy politicians, landscaping, TV, sake, cupcakes. You're not into: news. I love you anyway. Who's hungry?! Restaurant Week is coming!
SAY IT WITH ME: If your car doesn't cost $100 to fill, then use smaller bills! The gas station doesn't want your hundred-dollar bills! We are not a bank!
CHEERS
DAKOTA AT BROWN BEAR: Dakota, you rock! Today at the Sunset Boulevard car wash where you do maintenance, we had a friendly conversation about what it takes to keep that place looking good. Thank you for helping anchor your business as a clean, safe place in a challenging neighborhood. Thank you for your dedication and care. You are an unsung hero for our town, and we admire you.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT ANNA: A big thank-you to a lovely young lady that paused her training run on the High Drive Bluff upper trail to help me. I was doing some trail maintenance and was straining to move a very heavy boulder. Without your help I would still be there struggling, or in the cardiac ward. Happy trails to you, Anna.
JO KOY SHOW: I want to thank everyone associated with the Jo Koy show at the First Interstate Center on Feb. 2. I have cancer and severe arthritis, and I have not been to a concert or event since before the pandemic. My son bought me tickets for a birthday gift. Everyone from the venue was beyond kind and helpful, from letting my son drop me off in front and then going to park, and everything else all the way to the end of the show. Getting in and finding our seats was easy, even the people who shared our row were kind when they found out I couldn't keep standing to let them out easily (even though I was on the end). They gently stepped over me. Then at the end of the show, many offered help for me to get to the elevator while my son went and got the car. I am not sure, after a lifetime of going to concerts and events, that I am going to be able to do any more. But, this was a great way to end. Thank you everyone. Spokane...you rock!
FOUND A PAY-IT-FORWARD MOMENT! To the tall dark gentleman who helped me at Rosauers on Feb. 3. I need you to know that a gentleman, taxi driver... from M.I.S.S.I.S.S.I.P.P.I... Mr. FRED... MELTS MY HEART AND DESERVED THAT AND AN EXISTENCE, AS DO YOU.
HIDDEN GEM: From the outside, I would never have guessed. A little bar and grill tucked between two car lots on an industrial stretch of Sprague Avenue in the Valley. But by happenstance, a friend and I ventured inside the place, The Bearded Ginger, to discover a welcoming little hideout, with a nice-looking bar, but an even better looking menu of BBQ favorites. The staff was warm, the food was reasonably priced — and excellent. After one unplanned visit, I'm feeling protective of the place: Let's keep this local gem in business.
MOTORIST STOPS TO HELP: Thank you to the gentleman in the silver pickup that stopped to offer help. I had a flat tire on I-90 halfway up Sunset Hill by Exit 277. AAA was on their way, but standing by the freeway waiting was stressful, and your gesture of caring was greatly appreciated.
MOVIE THEATER CRIERS: I saw "The Whale" at Regal in Coeur d'Alene. Some folks left immediately, but about six of us stayed and cried. We really shared a moment there! What a movie!
RETRO DONUTS CUSTOMER SERVICE: Cheers to the young ladies at Retro Donuts, great customer service, which is hard to come by nowadays! You brightened up this guy's gloomy day!!! And thanks to the owners for putting, great REAL bacon on the maples bars, and hiring people who clearly love their job!
JEERS
"CHRISTIAN" FINANCE GUY: Jeers to the "Christian" finance guy who thinks he can fool everyone about his true character... and his affair with the secretary. You advertise "integrity" and "Biblical responsibility" while feeding calculated lies to those who trust you based on your "faith." I have to hand it to you, your lying and manipulation skills are impressive. You may have many people fooled, but the God you are mocking won't be deceived and you will be called to account.
DISAPPOINTING SPOKANE: Spokane sure has a pretty river, and a lot of garbage around and close to it. The Centennial Trail is beautiful, but the junky tents along the river between Avista and the Greene Street Bridge ruin the view. Cheers to Spokane for building a walking, running, and biking trail along Illinois Avenue just above the river. When it was completed this autumn, it was beautiful. Now, there is a junky blanket that has been discarded as well as garbage littered all along the path in the vegetation just due south of the trail. Cheers to Spokane for having built and maintained so many beautiful bridges in Spokane, but jeers to the cowards that paint all over the underneath during the evenings when they're not likely to get caught. To those doing the damage, may you fall into the river someday and let it sweep you away to another place you can destroy. Garbage for the Garbage!
MURDERTAINMENT: Shame on the local news outlets petitioning the gag order on the U of I case. Leave it alone. It's not "freedom of speech" — it's using tragedy for entertainment. So many cases have been ruined by the media. Not classy at all.
WHY NO HARVEST DATE? Why does the LCB no longer require that I-502 flower producers put a harvest date on their product? Is it so vendors can continue to sell their terpless dust buds? And no, a package date is not the same. If we could buy it bulk style, where we could smell it, it would put a lot of the bottom feeders out of business. Get rid of the packaging. It just generates waste.
RE: COLD CASES: While I fully agree with your message that resources should be allocated to our region's cold cases, I'm disappointed that you relied on tropes to prove your dear friend and their cases worthiness as in: not a party girl, didn't live in a group house, no weird boyfriend or substance abuse. Crime isn't reserved for high-risk populations, clearly, but those populations are also worthy of justice and attention. Casual language such as this promotes stereotypes and bias. Let's work together toward justice for all, then and now.
HMM... WHAT COULD HAPPEN? Apparently the great minds in the Washington legislature haven't grasped the concept that streets are safer for pedestrians when they use crosswalks. What is the impetus for the "Jaywalk at Will" bill? More money for hospitals and funeral homes?
TALKING TURKEY'S TURKEY: JEERS+ to the earthquake in Turkey/Syria that as of now has killed the equivalent of the entire population of Post Falls, Idaho. The entire population. Plus. And a special jeering shoutout to Erdogan, who can't account for a missing billion-dollar earthquake relief fund, funded by over 10 years of taxes.
PITIFUL PARKING: Like so many others, I work downtown, and as such, have to find and pay parking. Why are there so few all-day meters? I see blocks and blocks of empty two-hour parking spots while I'm searching for an all-day, hoping it's less than a mile from where I work. City of Spokane, please be a little kinder to those of us who have to pay to go to work. Bump some of those empty two-hour spots to all day spots. Since you've doubled the fine of a parking ticket, you should be able to afford this.
BAD NEWS ON THE DOORSTEP: Once again, like every other day it seems, there's "Bad news on the doorstep." The NoNewspaper gets more disappointing than ever, every day (except Saturday). The semi-daily paper has slipped so far, it's like people are running for the exits down at Riverside and Monroe. And that's sad, because it used to be a pretty good paper. Not so anymore. Whoever is leading it is pushing it further downhill, and at this rate it won't be long before it is gone. Very, very limited new, and most of it is days old. Local news, other than crime, Zags and Cougars, is virtually nonexistent. Most bylines are not local reporters. Washington Post. Seattle Times. New York Times. Long, really long, stories on subjects that very few people care about. Cute games and puzzles, but no news. Looks like it's too late, but it would be nice if they woke up and put some effort into saving the paper. At least it doesn't take a lot of time to read it and the coffee doesn't get cold. ♦
