I SAW YOU
DONNA, DESIREE, SHELBY AND GARY... Thank you for being lights in what was once a very dark future for me and Emily. Sometimes I wonder how things could be so difficult one moment and completely heaven sent the very next. My child and I are lucky to have family like you. You deserve to be acknowledged for making a way for us where there was none for us. I hope we have made the effort worth it. Thank you with everything I am. You changed our lives. <3STYROFOAM T-REX AT TOSSED AND FOUND: I was a day late in buying you, Mr. T-Rex. Wondering if the lucky owner is interested in selling you to me. I was dreaming of adding you to my school library. Hoping to hear from you, or anyone else who has a Kinner "Rex the Tyrannosaurus" who is looking for a new home in a middle school library.
TO "HIGH CALIBER" FROM "AUNTIE GOLDFISH": I saw u and u saw me a couple of times again last week; I believe you are aware I have quite a crush on you. I have tremendous respect for your position and professionalism and do not want things to be awkward, so asking "anonymously" if you are single?
SUNDAY BINGO AT THE JACKSON TO J: The devilishly handsome bloke that allowed me to commandeer his company. You offered me drinks and nachos, but alas, I was prudish in that department. I wish you would have stayed a little longer. I ended up winning the cash bingo jackpot. I could have bought you a drink! Instead I have to lean into the hope that you read the Inlander and see this blip of gratitude. I really appreciate that you accepted my invitation to sit together. You sheltered me in my social akwardness, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you for it... **Boop!**
CHEERS
EMILY ROSE CARTER: Cheer's to you!... You're the No. 1 reason I have to make my life something worth living. You have been through so much and without letting your spirit become dim. We will be in our own place soon, I couldn't be happier sharing this progress with and for you. Life is about growing and adapting to the changes each day brings; you have inspired me to be brave during hardships and to celebrate the good times. You changed my heart from fear to fierce just by calling me mom and speaking the most beautiful words: "I love you." I'll be here when you need me. Keep your head up. And don't forget to smile!
LIGHTS NOT ABOUT CHRISTMAS: Cheers to the person demanding everyone take down their Christmas lights. Not because I agree with you, rather because you need some cheer to fill that colorless, wintry void where your heart was supposed to go. Maintaining light during the darkest, coldest part of the year is an ancient tradition that reminds everyone the human spirit is strong enough to survive whatever harsh circumstances the world throws at us. The practice transcends holidays, and even the concepts of day or calendar, which means the only stopping point is when we have given up on ourselves and no longer care about... anything. So, let me be the first to invite you to remove your head from your chimney and bask with us in the electric radiance of hope, and the knowledge that, whatever darkness is plaguing you to the point of wishing it onto other people, it too shall pass.
NO PARKING MEANS YOU TOO! Thank you to the cool mom at pickup for telling the NIMBY soccer mom not to park in front of a fire hydrant! It was awesome to watch! Way to stand up against the slow erosion of our society!
CHEERS TO THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT OUR WORLD: Short and sweet - Millennials and GenZ (including myself) we must not be hypocrites. If we are to improve this world, we must do it ourselves, instead of blaming dying people. We can do it. Let us start now - Peace be with you.
CHEERS TO TRADER JOE'S EMPLOYEES: Unlike many big local grocery stores, when you walk into Trader Joe's you instantly feel welcome and genuinely appreciated by all the employees. That feeling carries through to the checkout. The people are smiling, glad to see you, they are engaging, and they live and breathe customer service with a great attitude. A big contrast to many other stores. Big Store Grocery Management needs to do some secret shopping and see how real customer service works. And then have some training sessions to get rid of the glum and ramp up the service.
CHEERS TO KHQ'S NEWS DIRECTOR: ...for hiring the most polished, most professional, national quality TV news reporter on the air in Spokane. John Webb, while likely the youngest reporter in town, is remarkably seasoned. Enjoy him while he's here because you'll soon see him on a network newscast, like Ana Cabrera and Peter Alexander.
JEERS
HIGHWAY ROBBERY: Jeers to the second hand store who recently moved to a new, northside location. You should be ashamed of your greed! A pair of smelly, used sneakers for $17.99. How about a sweater for your little dog? That'll set you back about $10! And who is benefiting from this store? The owners, that's who! Everything you're selling was donated, and your prices are higher than Macy's sale prices. On top of that, your cashiers have lost their jobs, being replaced with self checkouts. You won't be getting any of my donations, I'd rather give to the stores who give back to our community. How do you sleep at night?LIGHTEN UP ON YOUR NEIGHBORS: Your neighbors' lights are still up? What a delightfully charmed, borderline utopian existence it must be to have lingering Christmas decor top your list of woes. While the rest of us decide between fixing a broken tooth and paying rent, you had not only the time but the honest to god inclination to contemplate, articulate and disseminate a detailed description of the unbearable displeasure you have endured at the hands of your neighbors who are surely being deliberately discourteous and not just busy living a life far more difficult than you could imagine.
LIGHT IT UP, SPOKANE: What an awful jeers last week in the Inlander admonishing people who still have Christmas lights up. Spokane is an extremely depressing place to live from November through at least February and some years more than that. The skies are dark. The inversions are awful. To me, there isn't anything more wonderful than seeing bright lights to alleviate the dullness of Spokane at this time of year. So, "boo" to the person who wrote that and "yay" to those who keep their lights up. Although I don't live in a place that's conducive to having outdoor lights, I sure am thankful to those who keep them up long past Christmas. Please, please, please keep it up. You bring some light to an otherwise dreary place. Spokane is wonderful when the sun shines and it's warm out. Otherwise, I look forward to the lights. The insulting jeer was duh, duh, duh, dumb! Light it up, Spokane, please.
DOWNTOWN LIBRARY: Thank you to the Inlander for writing a relevant article about the newly designed multimillion-dollar library downtown. Ironically, my family was just there to use the library for the first time a short while ago. How disappointing to find that it already looks dirty in places, with transients milling about and people eating food, drinking and spilling in multiple places while other people sleep at a table or in a corner. One person had an entire setup in a prime spot that overlooks the beautiful Spokane River. However, we couldn't really take in the view because all of their junk was in the way. Then along came the article in the Inlander highlighting some of these issues. Remember when libraries used to be for people to look at and check out books? Boy were those the days! Ray Bradbury even wrote about it in some of his seminal works. Then along came other types of materials like films, which are great too. Then came passes to various activities and events. Those are equally fantastic, and thank you to the library for all of those resources. But, it's too bad that those who aren't "paying" for the costs are taking up the most room. I would like to go back someday and find a book to read. I'd also like to see the view someday. Remember the slogan "Spokane doesn't Suck"? Actually, it does.
FAR RIGHT CHRISTIAN COUP IN COEUR D'ALENE: A recent Washington Post article about the invasion and takeover of North Idaho in general — and Coeur d'Alene in particular — by "Christian Nationalists" is so not news. Every day the rest of us wonder how long we can last in this poisonous environment. Do we stay hunkered down and hope the occupying army will self-destruct under the weight of its own hubris and power hunger? Do we put the house up for sale and flee to a saner place? And where would that be? We're living in a nihilist novel. No Exit.
RE: CHRISTMAS LIGHTS BEING LEFT UP: I laughed so hard when I read this! Did you ever think that maybe the person is Elderly or a Disabled Veteran? It must be keeping you up at night, because if that's your biggest concern my life is awesome. Make a nice neighborly gesture and help them. Good lord, I hope they don't ever get dandelions in their front yard, you really might lose your s$&@! ♦
