Do The Locomotive

Here are half a dozen reasons to check out The Great Inland Northwest Train Show Sunday at Spokane Community College.

1. Model railroading stuff has a special appeal.

2. Good parent/kid activity.

3. “It Came from the Basement.”

4. Free parking.

5. It’s still a great hobby.

6. Would require getting off the couch.

The show runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. SCC is at the corner of Mission and Green. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for those 12-16. For details, call Bud Flanagan at 926-2009.

A reader passed along her brother-in-law’s mid-life crisis motto: “Cooperation is over.”

Make a donation of $25 or more to the Spokane Food Bank by Saturday: And a foundation in Rhode Island will match your gift. Call 534-6678.

Lunchtime eavesdropping revelation: It’s difficult to take women seriously after hearing them sound all excited about their Hawaii-trip tan lines.

Tough cats: After we asked what local house cat could go 15 rounds with a coyote, we heard from Sheri Hatley in Thornton, Wash. “We have a cat named Mama (not the nurturing kind) who likes to chase our dog, Curly, a cocker/shepherd mix,” she wrote.

Mama hisses and swats at Curly during the pursuit.

“She also won’t let any of the other cats eat until she is finished,” added Hatley. “She’s downright mean.”

Colville’s Phyllis Hyatt told us about a battle-scarred cat named Big Al. He won’t back down from anything.

And Valleyford’s Ann Bowers reported that her cat, Chip, has gone toe-to-toe with coyotes and lived to tell about it.

This might shock you: But it’s a good idea to read your company’s employee handbook. Recent court decisions suggest that, get this, employees are actually supposed to be familiar with their company’s policies and procedures.

Warm-up questions: Don’t those junk-mail promotions for books about the history of your last name crack you up? (“I have exciting news for you and all Turners!) What if anything do your neighbors wear when stepping out to get the paper in the morning? In what year will area code 509 be split up?

Today’s Slice question: In this age of camcorders and floppy disks, does anyone still compile scrapbooks?

Tell us about yours.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Drawing

MEMO: The Slice appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; fax (509) 459-5098. Tylwyth Hill in Australia is trying to get a Valentine’s Day message to a friend in Coeur d’Alene.