The Slice: Girl tries, but can’t wiggle her way around fuzzy rules

Mildred Scheel’s great-granddaughter had to think fast.

But let’s start at the beginning.

Riley, 7, was on a class field trip to a pumpkin patch when she made a friend.

“A fuzzy caterpillar,” said Scheel.

Riley hoped the friendship could last awhile. But there was a problem.

“When it came time to go home, Mom said the caterpillar was not allowed on the bus,” said Scheel.

So the wheels in the little girl’s head started turning. And in a moment, she had a counter argument.

Asking her mother to recall the field trip information sheet detailing expectations for the outing, Riley noted that it expressly prohibited food, beverages and gum on the bus.

There was, however, absolutely no mention of any caterpillar ban.

Therefore, was it not implicit that caterpillars were, in fact, permitted?

No, said her mother.

“Riley bid a sad goodbye to Mr. Caterpillar before boarding the bus back to school,” said Scheel.

Poor kid.

Oh, well. She didn’t win that one. But I have a feeling we haven’t heard the last of caterpillar girl.

A griller for all seasons: For some, backyard cookout time has pretty much run its course. But there is in our midst, a hardy corps of 12-month grillers.

These folks are not afraid of a little cold. They scoff at snow. They chortle at ice.

To them, cooked-out flavor is not a seasonal flight of fancy. It is not a warm-weather exclusive. It is a way of life.

In the Spokane area, there are grillers and then there are grillers.

The Slice salutes the latter.

Challenges facing the guy at work trying to get everyone to dress up for Halloween according to a certain theme: 1. Not everyone has the same definition of “fun.” 2. Some people don’t like to join in forced frivolity. 3. Some dislike the organizer. 4. Some people are not young at heart. 5. Some people don’t want to be a pirate or topless barista. 6. Some people don’t enjoy anything except being angry. 7. Some take a dim view of adult Halloween antics.

Today’s Slice question: In your extended family, have online-savvy little kids and baffled senior citizens bonded over tutorials on various high-tech issues?