The Slice: Puppies leave their mark

Nancy Lindberg is not a bum. She just has what she called “Puppy Syndrome.”

You see, there are tiny holes in several of her garments. The lid on her water jug looks like it has been gnawed by a beaver. “Then there is the partially chewed strap on my briefcase,” wrote Lindberg, who works at a North Side insurance agency.

The culprit in each case is a young Lab mix named Sunny. The dog is a delight but has sharp little teeth.

As a result, a few of Lindberg’s belongings are slightly worse for wear.

“And I wondered if the rest of the world understands Puppy Syndrome,” she said.

“Agree or disagree: About a quarter of Spokane’s 20 coolest commercial signs are ones that say “PARKING.”

“Today’s baby names item: “We agree that the unusual spellings are becoming quite a problem in themselves,” wrote Tawnya Rux. “Having grown up with such, I can only offer that these parents don’t realize the difficulties that they are handing their children.”

Still, the urge to choose distinctive names is strong. So when her youngest child was born in December, Rux and her husband picked an old Hebrew name — Simeon.

In the Bible, Simeon was the second son of Jacob and Leah. According to one source, the name means “God has heard.”

There was a king of Bulgaria named Simeon. NFL defensive lineman Simeon Rice is another person with that moniker.

So we’re talking about a pretty substantial name here, right?

Well, there’s one little problem.

When people hear or see the baby’s name, they assume Mr. and Mrs. Rux simply saddled the lad with a personalized spelling of “Simon.”

You know, like Simeon and Garfunkel or Alvin, Theodore and Simeon.

“What difficulties have I handed my son?” wondered Tawnya.

“Every day I get in the queue: A conversation my friend Vince Eberly had with his wife prompted a couple of questions.

How many people remember when the shuttle from Spokane out to EWU was called the Magic Bus?

How many relationships leading to marriage have started on the bus to Eastern?

“Some have waited longer than Seahawks fans: “I am from New Orleans and have been a Saints fan since I was a child,” wrote Nancye Hensz, a Spokane resident since 1984. “My parents were season ticket holders and took me at least once every season to a home game in the Sugar Bowl stadium (before the Superdome). Being a Saints fan has been a burden I have willingly borne for many, many excruciating seasons.”

It could be worse. She could be a Detroit Lions or St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals fan.

For the record, Hensz is happy that Seattle is going to the Super Bowl.

“Today’s Slice question: Ever accidentally discovered someone’s porn stash?