It has been an insane week for me. Even with the day off (Veterans Day) on Tuesday, I am wrapped up in work. More on that in the future. But even a packed schedule can’t prevent me from writing a Thursday Rundown so let’s get to my latest five topics.

Tour of KSPS Studios – At Eastern Washington University, we partner with KSPS, the PBS member television station in Spokane. On Friday night, the station held an event for friends and supporters. Because I oversee EWU’s partnership with KSPS, I was invited to the event and had the honor of taking Sid with me. After the evening’s presentation, Sid and I were given a private tour of the station. The studios, control rooms, and editing bays were all impressive as we received a first-hand glimpse at what fuels “the machine.”

Sid looking around one of the control rooms during our KSPS tour.

Cherry On Top – About four years ago, I detailed how one Mexican restaurant can set itself apart from another. The answer? Well, it depends what blog post you read. In February 2021 I answered with chips. But in August 2021 I said free dessert. When we ate at Rancho Viejo on the South Hill this past weekend, it was the latter. In one of those rare occasions, at the end of our meal, the server brought us sopapillas topped with whipped cream and cherry sauce. After a rocky start, the complimentary sweet treat left us with a good taste in our mouths.

We were brought these sopapillas at the Rancho Viejo on the South Hill.

The Set Up – Downtown Spokane is a truly magical place during the holidays and River Park Square is a big reason for that. The mall is beautifully decorated with the focal point being a 50-foot tree that ascends throughout all five levels of the structure. On Veterans Day, we had the rare chance to see the actual construction of the tree as a crew worked to assemble its frame. It is a pretty involved process.

A crew works to build the infrastructure of the River Park Square Christmas tree.

Best Snack Mixes – On this day nine years ago, I wrote about snack mixes. I highlighted a couple that I enjoy but then I revealed the snack mix that changed my life. Called Rudolph’s Mix, you can only buy it at Target during the holidays and it is flat out indulgent. With chocolate & white chocolate-covered cereal pieces, graham bits, M&M’s, and peanut butter cups it truly is a mouth-watering experience. The best part? It tastes exactly like Christmas! Almost a decade later I still look forward to its release.

This is me holding our tub of Rudolph’s Mix in 2016. It is incredible.

Gangs of New York – While browsing Paramount+ the other night, I stumbled upon “Gangs of New York” and thought hey, I’ll watch that. I didn’t really know what the movie was about but after watching it I can say that the title describes it perfectly. But what the title doesn’t do is allude to how violent the film is. Dang, for a 2002 movie, I didn’t expect all the gore. But nonetheless, it was excellent. Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio give outstanding performances and I was surprised that Cameron Diaz had a significant role as well. “Gangs of New York” is a vintage Martin Scorsese production and if you like mid-19th century American history with a twist, you will like this film.

“Gangs of New York” was pretty entertaining…and violent.

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Big Friday for me tomorrow! Whether it is big or small for you, I hope your Friday leads you into an awesome weekend. Don’t Blink.