The Slice: She thinks most umpires really do bite

Apparently a friend’s 4 ½-year-old daughter has an unflattering opinion of those who call balls and strikes.

Because the other day, during a lull in her brother’s baseball game, she stepped behind home plate, donned a face mask and announced, “I want to be the vampire.”

“Grills with character: You didn’t think I could stop with just one, did you?

Readers have been filling a Slice folder with snapshots of battle-scarred backyard barbecue grills, one of which appeared in this space Saturday. But there is still time to send in a photo of your own seasoned summer veteran. (Please include a family member in the picture.)

The Slice plans to salute several high-mileage grills on July 1 — the first day of the second half of the year.

“Slice answers: If the Spokane area were one big summer camp, Cathy Rubow said it could be called Camp Bloomhooppigoutawatha.

And C.K. Schoen said the name should be “One time, at band camp.”

“Lucky 13: 1. What happened after you got trapped on an elevator?

2. Is there any reason not to scoff at the idea of basketball and hockey in June?

3. Who around here is most freaked out about becoming a grandparent?

4. What do you think of underwear styles that seem to be self-inflicted wedgies?

5. What’s your best story about a time you richly deserved to get fired?

6. Does it bug you when someone is out of view in another room and yells “Hey, what’s this?”

7. Heard enough references to Orange County Choppers yet?

8. Do you remember radio station KNEW?

9. In your life, who is “us” and who is “them”?

10. So why didn’t the world come to an end on this date in 1906 or 1966?

11. When buying nine different items, should you really have to make a special request for a bag?

12. Is there a little kid who doesn’t get excited about seeing trains “up in the air” just west of downtown?

13. Did the first 20 minutes of “Saving Private Ryan” reduce you to tears?

“Weighing in: Readers offered seven different answers (from 10 to 18) to the question of how many times I-90 crosses the Clark Fork.

“Today’s Slice question: Do you have any friends or family living in other parts of the country who are skeptical about your assertions that we don’t get much precipitation in this part of the Northwest because every time they come here for a visit it rains?