The Slice: Ice cubes, plants seem to fit to a tea

Perhaps someone who actually knows a bit about this can weigh in.

After finishing a glass of tea, I occasionally dump the ice cubes into various pots containing house plants. It seems like an efficient, slow-release watering system.

And as the ice cubes in question are made from softened, filtered water, I don’t see how it can hurt the plants.

But questions arise. Is there a chance doing this will induce some sort of botanical hypothermia? Will the plants think we are experiencing sudden climate change?

There’s more. Would any trace amounts of sugar on the ice cubes promote plant obesity? Would it discourage them from enjoying a healthy, active lifestyle? And would a microscopic amount of leftover lemon juice constitute citrus-flavored herbicide?

Surgery on stuffed animals: Mike Storms recalled that life-saving “head reattachment” procedures were common when his children were growing up.

These were necessitated by the fact that the kids often carried the stuffed animals by the neck. Eventually that body part would become worn and thin. Finally traumatic head/torso separation-injury would occur.

Fortunately, stuffed animals are remarkably resilient creatures. They can, with proper medical attention and hugs, recover and lead a full, rich life.

Just when she thought she had heard it all: A local second-grade teacher reported that one of her pupils told her last week that he had been absent the previous day because he had “slept on his finger wrong” and was unable to hold a pencil.

That’s what he said.

His teacher suspects the poor lad was nonetheless able to rally and bravely grip a video-game controller.

In any event, let’s hope he told his parents something better than that “finger” story to actually get out of school.

Suggested band name: Didn’t Need to Wear This Jacket.

Possible epitaph: Jill Murphy’s gravestone could feature a WSU cougar-head symbol and the wording “Wait ’till next year.”

Today’s Slice question: Has people hunching over their iPhones messed up your ability to read body language from a distance?