Mary’S Spokane Home

Therese Babler’s little boy got all excited when he saw the Clock Tower the other day.

“Mary Poppins’ house!” exclaimed Robby, who will turn 3 on his next birthday.

His mother thought about it for a moment. Then she realized he was making reference to Big Ben in the beloved Julie Andrews movie about a practically perfect nanny.

“Do you think Spokane has anything else in common with London?” Babler wondered.

Well, other than people frequently driving on the wrong side of the road, no.

* Two-fer: On Wednesday, you’ll have your choice. You can celebrate Canada Day — perhaps by heading north and cashing in on the currency exchange rate. Or you can take another shot at sticking to your 1998 New Year’s Resolutions. Hey, half a year is better than none.

You say you’ve forgotten your resolutions? Well then, try these.

1. Try actually listening. (As opposed to merely waiting for your turn to talk some more.)

2. Vote against incumbents.

3. See no movies with titles that include Roman numerals.

4. Always ask yourself, “What am I being sold at this very moment?”

5. Buy nothing endorsed by celebrities.

6. Exercise, floss, save more money, eat better, watch less TV, try to be more patient, look people in the eye and start saying what you really think in meetings at work.

7. Leave earlier, drive slower.

8. Thank everyone who does right by your parents or your children.

9. Never laugh unless you mean it.

10. Stop swearing.

11. Avoid people who talk loudly.

12. Schedule a colo-rectal exam.

* Recycled Slice answer: Leonard Riley said a romance novel inspired by his life would be called “The Life of Riley.”

If that sounds familiar, it might be because that’s the same answer he gave (Jan. 20, 1997) after we asked what readers would call their homes if they turned them into bed and breakfasts.

* Notes from listening to “A Prairie Home Companion”: 1. Judging from the laughter, there were at least a few people in the Opera House audience who thought the supposedly common-knowledge story of how Bloomsday got its name was a joke.

2. One of the funniest things was the idea that anyone from Minnesota would believe that we have impressively rough winters.

3. People who don’t live here almost always say “northern Idaho.”

* Today’s Slice question: What’s the worst way to deal with being bald?