The Slice: Lining up to spread good vibes

Keli Cunningham pulled up to the drive-through window at a downtown Spokane coffee stand.

She was told that the customer ahead of her had paid for her order. So her drink would be free.

In fact, the previous 35 customers had each paid for the next person’s order.

Apparently it had all started when some guy paid for both his coffee and the next person’s. Everyone after him had elected to keep it going.

Cunningham, of course, did not break the chain.

OK, it’s not world peace. And if everyone is essentially paying what they would have paid anyway, the gestures could be seen as sort of pointless.

But Cunningham said she thought it was a neat experience.

I think I know what she means.

Even on a modest scale, encountering the good will of strangers can be a happy surprise.

Early returns: Middle school student Caitlin Foster said either “Tequila” or “Forever Young” should be the official song of a new state created by merging Eastern Washington and North Idaho.

Cheney’s Sue Murphy said the magpie should be the state bird.

Slice answer: “Given Spokane’s recent focus on attracting organizations holding conventions, signs at the entrances to Spokane ought to say ‘Home of Convention,’ ” wrote Joe Potter.

Not to be confused with Mothers of Invention.

No translation necessary: Melinda Norman’s 7-year-old nephew, Zackary, was at a garage sale. He overheard another family speaking a foreign language.

A little boy in that other family got scared by a friendly dog and started running and wailing. Members of that family called after him and chased him down.

Zackary asked his aunt what language that little boy’s family was speaking. Spanish, he was told.

“Well, at least he knows how to cry in English,” he said.

Slice answers: Tess Lynch said her co-worker, Sue Maggio, uses the most calendars. She counted nine.

Marjorie Lefevre said she has been known to write reminders on one of her calendars instructing her to check her other calendars.

Recycling Christmas cards: You can send them to Arlene Stephenson, 6595 West Timberline, Rathdrum, ID 83858. Her group, Daughters of the Nile, fashions artistic baskets out of them. The baskets are then filled with goodies and knickknacks and distributed to nursing home residents and shut-ins at Christmas.

Warm-up question: What’s your best first-kiss story?

Today’s Slice question: What child holds the Inland Northwest record for demanding to be read the exact same story at bedtime the most nights in a row?