Spokane Tribe Casino | Don't Blink

It is once again Friday Eve. By this time I hope you are over the disappointment of Groundhog Day and ready to give the next six (make that five) weeks of winter everything you have. I am ready to give this Thursday Rundown everything that I have…

NICU Memories – These past few days, as I will for the next several, cause me to reflect on the events that transpired three years ago at this time. I am talking about Beau’s stint in the NICU at McLeod Children’s Hospital. For 10 days, Sid and I made daily trips from Myrtle Beach to Florence to be with our little guy as he got better. It was an experience that will undoubtedly always remain with us. The blog post I wrote on the saga was ranked the #1 all-time best in the history of Don’t Blink. Thanks Be to God for his many blessings during a trying time.

By the time this photo was taken, Beau was steadily improving and we were all so relieved.

Guys Night – Up until this point, I haven’t had the opportunity to do too many things with just Beau and me. Now that he is 3, I know this will start to change. Last Friday night I had so much fun taking him to the local high school to watch basketball. We visited East Valley High School to watch the girls and boys teams play. Beau had fun watching the action, listening to the band, and eating/drinking concession stand fare. He also enjoyed the intense attention he received from the high school girls who enamored by him. At the end of the game, one particular student came up to me and gave me her number and offered her babysitting services!

I had a great time with Beau at the East Valley vs. Shadle Park basketball games.

Bag Limit – I have written about Washington state’s plastic bag tax before and what I saw on Monday night made me laugh. When I was checking out at Walmart, noticed that there is now a prompt on the screen that sets a plastic bag limit of 99. I asked myself, are people really coming into the store and buying copious amounts of plastic bags? They are extremely high quality and useful but I don’t know if I would buy them to bulk. Needless to say, I don’t think the plastic bag reduction efforts went according to plan in this state.

Do you notice the red bag limit notice or are you too busy deciphering the groceries I bought?

Hearts on Fire Men’s Conference – Last Saturday, I was blessed to spend the day at the Spokane Diocese Hearts on Fire Catholic Men’s Conference. Held at St. Thomas More in North Spokane, the event was comprised of mass with Bishop Thomas Daly, music, confession, adoration, reciting of the rosary, small group sessions, testimonials, meals, fellowship, and more. The speakers brought in for the conference were Deacon Bob Rice and Deacon James Thruman. The best part was meeting new Catholic brothers and just being in the general presence of so many devoted men.

I photo I took of St. Thomas More Parish in North Spokane upon walking into the Hearts on Fire Men’s Conference sponsored by the Diocese of Spokane.

Birthday Dinner – Although sickness derailed Sid’s birthday dinner date night, we made up for it this past weekend. My parents watched the kids for the night and we went out to Airway Heights. We ate dinner at Spokane Tribe Casino and Sid tried her luck at the slots. We then drove a couple minutes to Northern Quest where Sid continued to play and we both drank a lot of soda.

Sid and I ate dinner at Three Peaks inside Spokane Tribe Casino. I had the Cougar Gold mac and cheese.

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That will wrap up another Thursday Rundown. Thanks for your time this evening and enjoy your weekend. Don’t Blink.

Greetings my friends! Not much small talk this evening, just five topics coming your way…

Golf With Dad – Since my family was still in Myrtle Beach last weekend, I did something that I normally don’t have time to do: I golfed. My dad and I went on a father-son outing and played 18 holes. We golfed at Esmeralda, my first time ever playing the course. We were paired with two other young men and we had a great afternoon. My game needs a lot of work but it was so nice to hit the links on such a beautiful day.

My dad and I golfed 18 holes at Esmeralda in Spokane.

Honeymoon – When these mid-June dates come around, I always get giddy looking at my Timehop as it takes me back to our honeymoon. Five years later I can still mentally put myself back into our Cancun resort and remember the sights, smells, and feel of the air. All of these sensory memories are so pleasant because there was so much joy those five days in Mexico. I wrote about our honeymoon and discussed some of the tangible things that made the trip the best ever (hint: going with the best person ever sure helped).

I wrote in depth about our honeymoon.

The Departed – The best movie I saw this past week was 2006 Academy Award winning best picture “The Departed.” I had never watched it from start to finish and I am glad I finally did. Jack Nicholson is perfect as a gangster and one of my personal favorite actors, Leonardo DiCaprio, did not disappoint. I also didn’t realize key roles that Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin played in the movie. The last 20 minutes of the film is a real trip and just the general premise of the cops and gangsters both trying to figure out who infiltrated their organizations is highly entertaining. Definitely recommend.

“The Departed” will keep you intrigued!

Spokane Tribe Casino – On Saturday night, I went with my parents to the Spokane Tribe Casino for dinner. The gaming center/resort opened just a few years ago to compete with Northern Quest Casino and this past weekend was my first time visiting the premises. It is a spotless facility with a nice restaurant area. The menu has several enticing options as I went with the spaghetti Bolognese. But what makes the Spokane Tribe Casino stand out is its beer special. All pints are just $2. It doesn’t matter if you get a Bud Light, a Blue Moon, or an IPA, it will only set you back $2. In an era where 16 oz. of beer usually costs $5, the low cost of $2 for a large selection of brews is much appreciated.

It is $2 for all draft beer at Spokane Tribe Casino.

An Incredible Force – This meme is right on, man. I have spent some frustrating moments in my life trying to separate buckets like these. If teams stuck together like 5-gallon buckets do, I don’t think there is any doubt that they would win championships. Thanks for the meme, Lindsi.