Isn’T Kimberly In B.C.?
So it turns out Spokane isn’t the only good place residents sometimes regard with muted enthusiasm.
We were on the phone long-distance with a woman named Kimberly, trying to sort out something on an American Express bill. She mentioned that she had just come in from the cold. So we asked where she was.
“Toronto,” Kimberly answered.
We said we had heard good things about that city and guessed it must be an interesting place.
“It’s OK,” said Kimberly.
Maybe she would sound more enthusiastic about it if we call back in, say, June or July.
* Saved phonemail messages: Wilma McMahon has a romantic one she’s kept since October of 1993.
* Feedback: “Being a great rat fancier, I do not feel it is appropriate to use the word `Rats!’ as an expletive.” — Barbara Paulson, Pullman
* A dozen things you don’t need to mention when filling out those new-patient medical history forms:
1. “After I eat asparagus, I have a little problem.”
2. “Fish tacos have never agreed with me.”
3. “I have certain thoughts about supermodel Heidi Klum.”
4. “My stepfather used to hit me with a Bible.”
5. “I sometimes think drivers make a point of trying to zoom through puddles and splash me.”
6. “Watching the `Donny and Marie Show’ gives me hives.”
7. “My Bloomsday times stink.”
8. “There used to be just six teams in the National Hockey League.”
9. “We have a family history of outstanding SAT scores.”
10. “The original `Halloween’ was based on my sales manager’s wife.”
11. “I actually enjoy scratching.”
12. “I think I pulled something last year at Hoopfest.”
* Slice answers: After asking how long it took newcomers to get over the urge to maintain a busy pace of exploring this area, we heard from a reader named Paul. “I don’t know the answer,” he said. “Because I’ve been here only 19 years.”
In the matter of guessing that someone has a 4-wheel-drive vehicle just from his or her appearance, a reader who said she is 81 and walks “Like a snail” expressed doubts that it can be done. “I have one and I don’t think you would know it from looking at me.”
And several parents and teachers assured us that at least some young drummers still play “Wipeout.”
* Today’s Slice question: What was the most interesting hand-written dedication or other personal note you discovered in a used book?