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The Slice: A different kind of audience feedback

Just when you think you’ve heard it all.

Patricia Mannan shared an unusual story of holiday giving (slightly condensed below).

“On December 4th, my grown daughter and I attended ‘The Nutcracker’ at The Fox. About 15 minutes from the intermission I felt something hit me from behind. While I was still trying to figure out what happened, my daughter informed me that the woman sitting behind me had thrown up down my seat, on my back and in my hair. Yes, she had leaned forward and thrown up on me!

“I quickly and very carefully hurried to the bathroom to see what I could do. I had to remove my blouse and wash it in the sink with hand soap AND wash the back of my hair. Did I mention I had to shake the chunks of food, including bacon, out of my shirt before I could wash it?

“After cleaning up as best I could, I rejoined my daughter in the lobby for intermission. (Freezing in a wet blouse!) We were allowed to move somewhere else and watched the rest of the show. But the whole experience was totally ruined and I’ll never be able to experience ‘The Nutcracker’ in the same way (or bacon, I fear).”

I asked Pat about the person who threw up on her. Did that woman seem to be intoxicated?

“My daughter pointed her out to me in the lobby. I heard her say she was feeling better and wanted to stay. Go figure! The two friends who were with her said they were sorry when I got up to leave but they never approached me in the lobby even though we were a couple of feet apart. I was thinking, as I shook the chunks off, that she was probably old and I was trying to be generous, but when I saw her, I was surprised. I’m 64 and my daughter is 35 and she was only slightly older than me.

“They looked like nicely dressed older women who had probably either gone out for a late lunch or dinner before the show, judging by the remnants. (Did not smell like alcohol.) I would have grabbed my purse or coat or anything rather than lean over and let go on the person in front of me. Every person I have told that story to was absolutely shocked. People were pretty critical that there was no apology or personal interaction. I told everyone The Fox was amazing, but the woman? Not so much.”

Today’s Slice question: Anyone in your extended family ever spent Christmas in jail?

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. The amount of grease that drains off a cooked goose is amazing.

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