The Slice: Briefly, it spelled trouble

There was a little typo in a local college’s online description of a program called Writers in the Community. It said Writhers. The program’s good-natured directors corrected the mistake. But they admitted that they first spent a few moments imagining their students writhing in the community.

“Planning the next New Year’s Eve countdown: In New York City, they drop the glittery ball. In Flagstaff, Ariz., a big pinecone descends from the top of a downtown hotel. And so on.

Which leads Elaine Fulton to wonder. “What should Spokane drop at the stroke of midnight?”

“Speaking of New Year’s Eve: “Eons ago, when the Earth was new, I baby-sat for the same family every New Year’s Eve for several years,” wrote Marlys Buzby.

The three little boys — the oldest was about 7 — would be fast asleep long before midnight. So Buzby would have to ring in the New Year by herself.

Well, one year she decided to change that. After the kids had gone to bed, she whipped up some marshmallow rice-cereal snacks and punch. Then, at 11:50, she woke the boys up. And they all watched the countdown on TV while enjoying the treats.

“Years went by. I moved away, married, started a family of my own. And one day the parents of the three boys, eldest son in tow (now in his 20s), visited my mother.”

The young man’s parents reminded him that this woman was the mother of their long-ago babysitter.

His eyes lit up. “I’ll never forget your daughter,” he said. “She let us have our very first New Year’s party.”

Said Buzby, “I guess we never know how big a seemingly little thing can be to other people.”

“One last New Year’s item: “On our way home from First Night downtown, right in front of us on Rockwood Boulevard, a coyote ran across the street — the prankster of myth and legend,” wrote Pamela Galloway. “It was just a few minutes before midnight and I suspect he was the remains of 2005 skulking away.”

“Family Phrases Department: When Jeffrey Cote’s younger sister was about 5, she once found herself on the defensive as her older siblings scoffed at something she had said. “She huffed and rolled her eyes and said, ‘It’s a fact of opinion!’ ” said Cote.

The family has never let her forget that intriguing phrasing.

One more. “Our second son always called those snuggly songs we sang at bedtime ‘love-a-byes,’ ” wrote Judy McKeehan.

That expression is now seeing use with the grandchildren.

“Slice answer: In the matter of a profile of you that neighbors might draw up as a result of mistakenly delivered mail, Darrell Keim wrote, “Is it possible to draw a profile of someone while mid-yawn?”

“Today’s Slice question: What aspect of your appearance would viewers obsess about if you were a local TV news anchor?