Hooters and forensics pair well together
Dunno what you’ve done to combat the gray skies overhead and the rain/snow of the past few weeks. But Mari Meehan and sidekick CJ, sixtysomething femmes from the Rathdrum area who blog under the name Golly Gals, headed to Spokane Valley – to Hooters, to be exact. (And have pictures to prove it.) Seems Mari entered the joint with “The Way We Were” playing in her mind – you know, “Mem’ries, like the corners of my mind …” And quickly shifted gears to something along the lines of “The Way We Wished We’d Been.” All was as advertised: the chicken wings, the burgers, and, of course, Hooters trademark chests. The Golly Gals’ waitress was more than a bosomy airhead, however. The salary and tips she earns at Hooters are underwriting a forensics degree from Eastern Washington U. Summed up Mari on her blog: “We had a ball with a delightful group of young ladies. We’ll go back – and, yes, the tip was good.” Sounds like the Golly Gals brightened Our Miss Hooters’ winter, too.
Get outta jail free
Things weren’t going well for inmate Jacob Nichols on Tuesday. First, he was shackled and wearing an orange jailhouse jumpsuit in a Kootenai County courtroom while waiting for a preliminary hearing on three charges. Then, his lawyer was nowhere to be seen. And then Magistrate Gene Marano was calling his name from the bench. “Is Jacob Nichols here?” Marano asked. Nichols indicated that he was but his advocate wasn’t. Marano knew why and told the startled inmate that his charges had been dismissed. Slowly, Nichols made the sign of the cross and asked in disbelief, “Are you serious?” Marano assured Nichols that he was and ordered the prisoner set free. Wonder if Jacob has ever played Monopoly?
Overheard
In a Coeur d’Alene biz office, two femme co-workers debated the merits of a fair trial for Groene family murder suspect Joseph Edward Duncan III, while a Berry Picker listened in. Worker Bee No. 1 (while reading a newspaper article about a possible change of venue for Duncan): “Boohoo, they are saying Joseph Duncan’s not going to get a fair trial here.” Worker Bee No. 2 (huffing): “Well, he won’t!” Responded WB1: “Well, who cares?” Shot back WB2: “Well, if anything ever happens to me, I sure hope you’re not on my jury!” WB1 (as she walked away): “Well, then let’s just hope you never murder or molest anyone!” Mebbe the attorneys for the convicted child molester do need to look elsewhere for jurors.
Passion of the in-law
You probably know by now that the St. Louis Rams have selected ex-UI QB Scott Linehan as their head coach. But you may not know that Linehan, who played for the Vandals from 1982 to 1986, is related by marriage to actor Jim Caviezel (Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ”). They’re brothers-in-law. S-R sports writer Jim Meehan provided that little nugget in his new Idaho Vandals blog Friday. Quoth Jim: “I vaguely remembered that Linehan was related to actor Jim Caviezel. … I mentioned it to (former UI football coach John L.) Smith, and he recalled seeing Caviezel at several games. ‘Yeah, he came to our games, I think one or two a year,’ Smith said. ‘Really nice guy.’ ” The brothers-in-law hail from Washington: Linehan from Sunnyside, Caviezel from Mount Vernon. Caviezel’s last public appearance in the area, to my knowledge, occurred in August 2004 when Christian artist Michael W. Smith surprised a huge Riverfront Park concert crowd by inviting him onto the stage to sing a duet. No, it wasn’t “The Old Rugged Cross.”
Huckleberries
Poet’s Corner: “Annoyance turned/to outright fear/when she found moss/behind her ear” – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“33 Days of Rain”) … In a Seattle Times story about the inordinate amount of pedestrian accidents in the Seattle area, King County Executive Ron Sims is quoted as telling a pedestrian summit that as a third-grader, he had been struck by a car while walking to school in Spokane. The Lilac City’s streets are no safer today … Education reporter Rasha Madkour spotted this Sign of the Times on a Borah Elementary student’s T-shirt: “For Sale: Parents, Buy One, Get One Free” … On a readerboard in the Spokane Valley, this message: “Did you know that the Energizer Bunny was arrested and charged with battery?”
Parting shot
The University of Idaho Vandals haven’t won much since they moved up to Division I from the Big Sky Conference a few years ago. But they did fairly well in the first round of the “coolest nickname” competition sponsored by College Hoops Gazette last week. The Vandals captured 67.5 percent of a six-way vote, with the rest divided among such notables as the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (roosters), the Campbell Camels, the Delaware Blue Hens, Iona Gaels and Evansville Purple Aces. The competition continues with the Kent State Golden Flashes looking good in the second round. P’haps UI needs a motto, such as: The Vandals: Second in Idaho college football, second in Idaho college basketball, but first in the hearts of the nation’s mascot fans. Or mebbe not.