The Slice: If only they were better drivers

So I’m watching these two little girls playing on the floor at a downtown Spokane day-care center.

Each has a toy dump truck carrying a plastic dinosaur. And they are crashing the trucks into each other, over and over.

Neither kid is upset (though I can’t speak for the dinosaurs). They’re clearly having fun.

And I find myself thinking that a dynamic generation of women is on the way to save us all.

“And then Hummer could come out with the 2007 Athol: Carl Gidlund knows there are cars and trucks named after Tacoma, Tucson and other cities. “But as a resident of North Idaho, I’m holding out until some automaker builds a Coeur d’Alene,” he wrote.

He wonders what sort of vehicle it would be.

My guess? It would be an SUV that can be configured to seat 16 in summer and four for winter. And its horn would sound like a gull.

“Confusion: For a moment, Patty Stewart found herself thinking local law enforcement officials were really cracking down on speeders.

It seems her husband, Joe, was telling her about seeing a motorcycle cop with a gun. And instead of picturing a radar gun, which was what he meant, she visualized a patrolman poised to shoot out someone’s tires.

And when Sue Hallett’s eyes fell on an S-R photo caption — “The balls are fired at about 100 mph to test the bats’ reaction to the impact” (Thursday story by Shawn Vestal about WSU research on sports equipment) — her first thought was “Poor little bats.”

“The No. 1 key to getting it all done: Here’s reader Patsy Pinch’s advice: Get a plaque that says “Boring women have immaculate houses.”

“Readable rant from a woman who wishes to be identified as a “Crabby old lady in favor of subdued approval for a change”: “I’m wondering if anyone else out there gets upset by audiences screaming,” she wrote. “What ever happened to just clapping? Seems like audiences will get hysterical over any celebrity — not because they like them particularly, but just to hear themselves scream.”

“Novels/pet names continued: “There is a certain male cat that roams our neighborhood looking to steal the virtues of young female felines,” wrote Michael Lynch. “This behavior has earned him the nickname ‘Mr. Wickham’ after the deceitful character in ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ “

“I’d have to go with J.R.R. Tolkien,” wrote Lydia Kinne. “My little brother decided that when we get our pair of kittens, they’re going to be named Merry and Pippin.”

“Today’s Slice questions: What local early-riser living in a home with others does the best job of being quiet in the morning? Who, on the other hand, manages to make the most noise?