Zip’s mead | Don't Blink

Just two weeks until Halloween Eve. You know what that means? Halloween is on a Friday this year…yay! Let’s jump right into the latest Thursday Rundown…

In-Laws In Town – Sidney’s parents arrived in Spokane yesterday! Coincidentally, they arrived on Oct. 15 exactly five years ago as well. As with that trip and the other times they have visited us over the past half decade, I know their time here will be marked by memories and fun. Autumn in Spokane is awesome and it is also pretty spectacular in Missoula as well—yes, we will be taking them to Montana over the next couple days. Let the good times roll!

My in-laws visited me on campus today! So glad to have them here.

Zip’s Shakes – This past Friday, I took Sloan and Beau for milkshakes at Zip’s. Sloan ordered a caramel shake and Beau ordered a banana one. This shake stop was right before I dropped them off at my sister’s house for the weekend so Sid and I could attend our retreat. Much in the same way that there isn’t anything more American than milkshakes on a Friday, there isn’t anything more “Spokane” than milkshakes at Zip’s on a Friday. An absolute fast food institution in the Inland Northwest, Zip’s is what Cookout is in the South.

Sloan and Beau drinking milkshakes at the Zip’s in Mead.

Andy Dufrense – Happy birthday to Tim Robbins! He turns 67 today. To be honest, I haven’t seen a lot of movies with Tim Robbins, but he does star in one of the few movies I can watch over and over. I have watched “The Shawshank Redemption” probably 30 times and I still get a kick out of it when Andy saves himself from a beating and wins his fellow inmates beers when he offers tax advice to the top prison guard.

Tim Robbins does a great job portraying Andy Dufrense in “The Shawshank Redemption.”

First Reaction to Taylor’s New Album – Thanks to my wife, I have listened to the new Taylor Swift album non-stop for the past several days. My initial reaction? It will have to grow on me. “The Fate of Ophelia” is catchy but I am not sold on much else. I am also completely turned off by her more explicit lyrics. I liked it more when Sloan could listen along.

Not too impressed with Taylor Swift’s new album.

Pumpkin – Although I think our country’s obsession with “pumpkin” has gotten a little out of control, I am still a fan of the flavor. In October 2016, I ranked my top five favorite pumpkin-inspired items. This is how the countdown went: 5. Pumpkin beer | 4. Pumpkin soup | 3. Pumpkin frozen yogurt | 2. Pumpkin dip | 1. …..you wish I would tell you, right? If you want to know my top pumpkin item, you will need to go back in time nine years to reference my post. Yep, you just said “trick-or-treat” and I gave you the treat.