The Slice: Spring fever, Spokane style

The vernal equinox is still more than two weeks away.

But that’s not the only indicator of seasonal transition.

Can you identify a few others?

Go ahead and find out. Take the Spokane Signs of Spring Quiz.

1. You can tell winter is pretty much over around here when …

A) There are no lane stripes left on local roads. B) GU basketball fans are blaming the refs. C) Oblivious to the existence of others, people training for Bloomsday are running three abreast on sidewalks. D) Yet another Slice contributor suggests retiring the GEG airport code. E) All of the above.

2. True or false: Simply grimacing when you remember the uncleaned “Caitlin’s vomit night tent” rolled up in the garage is almost as good as actually going out there and doing something about it.

3. Fill in the blank: In Spokane, a guy staring out the window at work this month is almost certainly daydreaming about ().

4. The following statement is a sure-fire indication of which mental disorder: “If I get out there and really work on my swing, there’s no reason I can’t consistently shoot in the low 80s.”

A) Golfer’s dementia. B) Duffer’s delusion. C) Putter’s postulate. D) Spokanian syndrome.

5. True or false: A deep, forlorn sigh can be a telltale sign that someone just flashed on the idea of shopping for a swimsuit.

6. Fill in the blank: When people start (), it’s a good bet they have heard all they care to about your softball team’s prospects for the upcoming season.

7. One way to trigger a winter-weather comeback is to …

A) Bring your Hawaiian shirts back upstairs. B) Say, “Boy, the days are getting longer.” C) Put the summer tires back on. D) Declare your intention to start walking to work.

8. Complete this sentence: “It’s not unusual at this time of year to hear people talk about moving out to the country, away from everybody, because of …”

9. You know spring is almost here when …

A) You start noticing buds and birds. B) EWU wins another Big Sky basketball championship. C) You see lots of people in unflattering, too-tight T-shirts.

10. True or false: It’s probably too early to say, “Pass reports? I don’t need no stinkin’ pass reports.”

11. Complete this sentence: “I like my neighbors and I’m glad they’re back, but there’s a limit to how much I want to hear about ().”

12. Fill in the blank: This is the time of year when we are reminded that there are two kinds of people around here – people who enjoy () and those who don’t.

A) Yard work/gardening. B) Cooking out. C) Garage sales. D) Mariners talk. E). Any of the previous.

Answers

1. E. 2. False. 3. Spending time at the lake or Jessica Biel coming to Spokane to shoot a movie. 4. All of them. 5. True. 6. Snoring. 7. All of them. 8. Litter and dog droppings no longer covered by snow. 9. C. 10. True. 11. Arizona. 12. E.

“Today’s Slice question: What was the most cinematic moment in your history of taking the dog for a walk?