The Slice: Anybody else’s flame flickering?

A friend wondered if others find that using the fireplace produces lethargy, drowsiness and an urge to take a nap.

Slice answer: Here’s one from Arlene Stromberger of Davenport. “If a memorial service were held this week, attendees would be surprised to learn this about me: 1. I was one of five students my senior year. 2. I had a rock band in high school (played lead guitar). The band was called Short Circuit. 3. I had a pet pig named Alice (not a potbelly, but a real 400 pound pig).”

Speaking of Lewis and Clark and names (Sunday’s Slice): Back in the 1970s, Deborah Dann babysat for a family back in North Dakota. “There were three little boys, named Lewis, Clark and Trail,” she wrote. “Seriously.”

Reader challenge: Come up with a Gilbert and Sullivan-esque title reflecting life in 2012 Spokane.

There’s a coveted reporter’s notebook in it for somebody.

Looking ahead to Friday the 13th: Janet Culbertson is getting her hair cut. “Maybe I should reconsider,” she said.

Tim Schmidt will undergo a colonoscopy. “What, me worry?” he wrote.

Feedback on some feedback: Several readers wrote to emphatically support The Slice’s use of “Let’s move on.” But Jill Carlson proposed a compromise. “As I’ve expressed previously, I don’t mind your use of ‘Let’s move on’ in the least. That being said, if you decide to kowtow to a vocal minority, I hope you’ll consider replacing the phrase with ‘Let’s carry on,’ a saucy idiom pregnant with possibilities, yet oblique enough for a family newspaper.”

Today’s Slice question: What do you say to a little kid who has a habit of flopping onto the floor and reading right in the middle of a high-traffic pathway in your home?

A) “Move, please.” B) You say nothing because early reading trumps almost everything. C) “Do you mind if I step on you?” D) “Honey, I’m afraid that if the dog sees you lying there he is going to copy you and then we might trip over him.” E) “Move it or lose it.” F) Other.