The Slice: Let sleeping granddads lie

I hear rumors about what happens to grandfathers after they fall asleep in their chairs.

It seems mischievous grandchildren delight in loading up the slumbering gentlemen with all sorts of household objects – spoons, slippers, magazines, plates, TV remotes. You name it.

The idea is to see how much stuff they can pile onto the old boy before waking him.

Just one more reason why it’s a good idea to keep a guard cat on your lap.

Slice answers: Here’s an email from Les and Amy Graham.

“We bought a house in Spokane Valley mostly for its location, about 10 miles from downtown where we worked and 10 miles from Freeman High School. Solemnly assured ourselves we’d live there only until our two youngest graduated, in four years. Now 23 years later, we are retiring but find ourselves in love with our home and the community.”

Malcolm Montgomery of Palouse, Wash., shared this about coming out from Ohio.

“On June 1, 1976, I arrived in Moscow, Idaho, to finish two years of college at the U. of I. I’m still on the Palouse.”

Janice Karst, who has lived in both North Idaho and Spokane since 1989, expected to move back to Seattle after about a month.

“I’m still here.”

Seeing your donated clothing after you parted ways: “I live in Sandpoint and many years ago bought a wonderful coat at a second-hand store somewhere to wear with a fabulous scarf I had been gifted,” wrote Robin Jelinek. “The coat was too big for me but I wore it for a few years anyway, so I could wear the scarf. I finally gave it up and donated it. Quite soon thereafter, I saw it in a grocery store being worn by an acquaintance. I chatted with her and did not tell her that her lovely red coat used to be mine.”

Kathleen Urice shared a somewhat similar story. Hers involved donating an unloved necktie that belonged to her husband and then seeing a fellow teacher wearing it at school, many times. “There was no mistaking it,” she said.

Like Robin, she said nothing.

Today’s Slice question: Are you like me in that you repeatedly demonstrate a failure to grasp the true nature of change by telling yourself you will magically start a strict self-improvement regimen on, say, the first day of the month, the vernal equinox, Arbor Day or Rosemary Clooney’s birthday?

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. I’ve decided not to report the diaper-changing horror stories readers were kind enough to share.