The Slice: When all else fails, the check is in the mail

What’s the perfect gift for a far-away graduate you have never met and who has not shown any interest in your existence on the planet until now?

Let’s move on.

Agree or disagree: Spokane is a good place to live if you have been divorced because it’s big enough that you don’t see your ex every time you turn around and yet not so big that shared custody becomes a logistical nightmare.

Just wondering: Did you ever fly a kite so high that, in your delusional little-kid mind, you became concerned that it might interfere with …

What’s the perfect gift for a far-away graduate you have never met and who has not shown any interest in your existence on the planet until now?

Let’s move on.

Agree or disagree: Spokane is a good place to live if you have been divorced because it’s big enough that you don’t see your ex every time you turn around and yet not so big that shared custody becomes a logistical nightmare.

Just wondering: Did you ever fly a kite so high that, in your delusional little-kid mind, you became concerned that it might interfere with air traffic?

My ears were burning: A Spokane couple (Wayne and Jeanne) met a Bonners Ferry couple (Kathy and Don) in Utah’s Bryce Canyon earlier this month. They got to talking and decided they should send postcards to The Slice, which they did.

Thanks, folks.

So, as vacation travel season draws near, it must be time to remind other readers to send postcards from their own far-flung destinations. Last year, with the help of my colleague Gina Boysun, we put a bunch on The Slice Blog. I’d like to do that again.

Speaking of seasons: It’s almost time again to begin reaching conclusions about neighbors you do not know based on sounds you hear emanating from their backyards when they are entertaining.

There are a couple of ways you can go. One option is to do your best to mind your own business. The other is to engage in free and open speculation about the number of beers consumed by those with the loudest voices.

Enjoy.

Occupational tans: “Although I’m not a ski instructor any longer, I can spot one,” wrote Owen Fullmer. “They all have a raccoon-like face tan from wearing sunglasses.”

Truck driver Ken Stout said long haulers often get tans on their left arm and the left side of their face.

Warm-up question (suggested by a reader who wishes to remain anonymous): Is Cheney America’s least exciting college town?

Today’s Slice question: How much time have you spent listening to suspects being informed of their rights on TV shows and in movies? (Looking for estimated lifetime totals here.)

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. Sometimes hitting yourself in the head with the toy is just part of learning a yo-yo trick.