The In-Betweens

Idaho Falls is fortunate to be able to enjoy all four seasons. Even though we live in a digital age, the transition between the seasons is rarely crisp and clean. Instead, it occurs in an analog mode, coming in and out of focus. Spring and eventually summer will get here soon, but since the snow is giving way to mud, it’s best to stick to the in-between activities.

Fortunately, when it comes to in-between things, Idaho Falls has a little something for everyone. For those folks that can’t get enough of the Second Amendment, we’ve got Guns N Gear Sports.  No need anymore to drive out into the desert and shoot at old TVs. Right in town, in climate controlled comfort, you can spray lead to your heart’s content. 

For those looking to get even more into the pioneer spirit there is On Target Ax Throwing. Hatchet throwing is not only a fun family activity for a Monday night in March, it also makes a great place for a fun first date. I once watched a local girl totally intimidate her would-be East Coast newbie Site engineer suitor. He may have been smart and suave, but she was cute and really on target with her ax. No doubt he was cautious about trying to get a goodnight kiss.

For those of a more genteel persuasion, countless opportunities exist. While not officially in Idaho Falls, our bedroom community of Ammon is home to Hobby Lobby, a mecca to those addicted to all things arts & crafts-like. For those who still have both ears but picture themselves more of the artistic type, then there is The Grape Van Gough. Serious artists may seek solitude but other folks enjoy this visual equivalent of karaoke.

Some people survive the in-betweens by consumption of food and beverages. Thanks to the burgeoning online ordering apps, you don’t even need to change out of your pajama bottoms to go pick up dinner from the fast-food drive-through.  If you muster enough energy to whip up an at-home gourmet meal, all you need to do is use your smartphone to have someone gather up all your ingredients and have them delivered to your home by the time your oven is done preheating.  

Since the delivery of adult beverages still isn’t possible in a timely manner, you can turn your quest for libations into an intellectual pursuit by taking part in a trivia night at one of our local watering holes. If you want to try and convert your skill and luck into cash then you can either run down the highway to Fort Hall or go online. Just be warned that the odds are always in favor of the house, whether it’s brick and mortar or ones and zeros.

Thanks to technology, you can fill your time during the in-betweens by getting up and out of the house or enjoying a virtual equivalent. Our library is overflowing with bound volumes able to transport you wherever you want to go. Likewise, it has an ever increasing amount of electrons piling up that magically combine into E-Books available for download. For those people who prefer to have their entertainment visually poured over their eyes rather than using their brains to process it, our local cinema complex now has a pass that for a relative pittance allows you the ability to watch movies all day long, every day. If theater-style popcorn isn’t enough to entice you to change out of your pajama bottoms then you can stay home and binge watch Netflix and HBO while gorging on microwave popcorn.

That’s the great thing about the in-betweens. There’s a little something for everyone, even those folks bold enough to explore the digital frontier in their pajama bottoms.