The Slice: Some selections are not currently on the menu

Readers’ recollections of having breakfast at their grandparents’ homes reminded Jeff Neuberger of a treasured family story.

“When our daughter was learning to talk she would mispronounce words, like most kids. For a while we thought she’d need a speech therapist. My parents thought she needed counseling after a short discussion at breakfast one morning.”

Here’s the story. (For what it’s worth, Jeff spent years as a military chaplain. And the daughter in question is now 35, with kids of her own.)

OK, Jeff’s parents were talking to their granddaughter and …

“They asked her what she wanted for breakfast and she replied, ‘dog sh*t.’ She couldn’t say ‘sausage’ correctly.

“My parents were dumbfounded but recovered when they realized what she was saying.”

The story became a family classic. “Though we don’t use that language. When the word ‘sausage’ is heard, we all tend to substitute that story. It cannot be un-heard.”

Just wondering: How many times did you fall on some slick pavement before you began to question the whole concept of living in Spokane at this time of year?

Slice answers: Ken Stout has an art project in mind that involves pieces of old wood-burning kitchen stoves.

And Randy Severson has a bag of small mirrors potentially destined to become a disco ball. I guess that could be considered art.

But it should be noted that neither Randy nor myself are to blame if you find yourself hearing “Disco Inferno” or “Boogie Oogie Oogie” in your head for the rest of the day.

Warm-up question: What is your tolerance for food mold?

A) Zero. B) I’m willing to excise the moldy part of the food item and eat the rest. C) My theory is if any mold is visible, there must be plenty of it nearby that I cannot see without a microscope. D) Isn’t it like penicillin? E) I lose my composure at the sight of it. I’d rather eat spiders. F) Other.

Today’s Slice question: It takes a little effort sometimes to keep in mind that Spokane is populated by numerous and diverse demographic subsets. Our individual realities can be rich and rewarding yet complex. Still, it can be easier to think in terms of group stereotypes, the shorthand version of getting your arms around Spokane. At least that’s the temptation.

So here’s the question.

What broad-brush Spokane stereotype do you feel like you’ve been painted with by others over the years?

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. Who is the most liberal Air Force retiree in the Spokane area?