April showers bring May flowers but lately we have just had sunshine here in Spokane. That’s a great outcome for a couple kids who are living under our roof who happen to be on spring break. That time has arrived for me to quickly (and sometimes not so quickly) cover a handful of topics. Here we go with my latest Thursday Rundown…

S’mores Dip – Once again, I brought a special dessert dip to our family’s Easter celebration. At Sid’s urging, I prepared a s’mores dip. With Beau as my sous chef, we made the dip after church as we mixed marshmallow cream, fudge, cream cheese, and a couple other ingredients. The verdict? Well, the funfetti dip and monster dip I made in the past were both better but it was still pretty good.

Beau sprinkles marshmallows on our s’mores dessert dip.

Easter Vigil 2026 – I extensively described our Easter Sunday but I didn’t write anything about our Easter Eve. On Saturday night, Sloan and I attended the Easter Vigil at St. Mary Catholic Church (Spokane Valley). The Easter Vigil is the “mother of all vigils” and is the high point of the liturgical year in the Catholic Church. The service is marked by the lighting of the Paschal candle, extended readings, and the welcoming of new members into the Church. As the Catholic Church enjoys a surge worldwide of people converting to the faith, it was cool to see it at the local level too. St. Mary had more people become Catholic on Saturday night than they have had in years. Thanks be to God!

Sloan holds her candle at the Easter Vigil held at St. Mary Catholic Church (Spokane Valley) on Saturday, April 4, 2026.

Gas – Back in the early 2020s, I wrote about some pretty out of control gas prices. At one point, I was paying $5.29 per gallon to fill up. With the current Iran conflict, gas prices are climbing toward that direction. Earlier this week I paid $4.89 to fill up which racked up a final total of $70.22. It is hard to believe that I was paying $1.56 per gallon less than 10 years ago.

I paid $70.22 to fill up my tank this week at a station at 32nd and Pines in Spokane Valley.

Hoopfest Tip-Off Party – I will return to Hoopfest in 2026 for my 10th year as a court monitor. The kickoff to the June event was this week at the Hoopfest Tip-Off Party at Northern Quest. I received a couple invites to the bash because of my service as a court monitor and because EWU sponsors the tournament. I took my dad and we had a really nice time. We were given drink tickets, a catered meal from Qdoba, and the opportunity to watch the NCAA men’s basketball championship game on several big screens. We also witnessed the poster reveal and the ball reveal. I can’t wait for Hoopfest 2026!

KHQ sports director Austin Getz (left) and Hoopfest executive director Riley Stockton (right) reveal the poster design for Hoopfest 2026 at the Hoopfest Tip-Off Party earlier this week at Northern Quest.

Cruise Memories – This week has marked the one-year anniversary of our cruise through the Western Caribbean. It was the only cruise I had ever set sail on and a year later I am filled with so many happy memories. I wrote about the experience and what made it such an awesome vacation. If you have never been on one before, you should give it a try just to see if it is an escape that meshes well with your vacation expectations.

Sloan and I living our best lives on Freedom of the Seas during our family’s first ever cruise.

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If I am counting correctly, that’s five topics, meaning my work here is done (for tonight, at least). I am looking forward to a day off tomorrow to spend time with my kids as their spring break winds down. Have a wonderful rest of your week, friends. Don’t Blink.