The Slice Slowly Slip Slidin’ Away
We suspect someone is putting hallucinogens in our Snapple.
Because we keep having this bizarre dream where, the first time Spokane’s streets get seriously icy, all the drivers actually slow down.
Some even act like they’re from another planet: Occasionally we’re asked if any of the reporters who work at the Swell Paper look like the actress and actor in TV’s “Lois & Clark.” Usually we mumble something incoherent. But the real answer is, yes, dozens of them do.
Nothing to do with O.J.: Tonight on PBS, “The American Experience” presents “Murder of the Century.” (Hint: If you read E.L. Doctorow’s “Ragtime” when it was a bestseller years ago, you should be able to guess what famous case the show is about.)
Paradigm shift: We don’t actually have anything to say about that. We just felt like typing those words.
Why travel guidebooks are useless when it comes to rating bed-and-breakfasts: They never tell you if the proprietors are weird.
We once stayed at a place in Oregon where the old guy who ran it, besides being off-the-chart creepy, simply would not shut up about how everyone loved his house and his singular hospitality. His pewter holders for hard-boiled eggs were supposed to be mind-blowing or something. We still get chills.
Spokane excuses: “What red light?” - Mary Schenach
“The traffic lights aren’t set correctly.” - M. Anderson
Today is World Food Day: If you doubt that hunger is really an issue for people in and around Spokane, call one of the area’s food banks.
Warm-up questions: What are the rules in your family for deciding who gets to use the computer and when? What Inland Northwest occupation involves getting to wear the coolest hats? (Our pick: chefs.) What do families do if there isn’t anybody willing to sing “Happy Birthday”?
E-mail etiquette: “Don’t ramble. Don’t pretend you didn’t get it. Do punctuate. Do reply quickly.” - from The Wall Street Journal
Today’s Slice question: Short of turning into an anal retentive grouch or throwing a left hook, what’s the best way to deal with a neighbor who persistently rakes leaves into your yard?
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Drawing
MEMO: The Slice appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; fax (509) 459-5098.