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The Slice: Some dodged success
Paul Turner is taking some time off this summer. In his absence, we dive into the archives at Slice Central. Today, we revisit July 5, 2012.
It’s tempting to suggest that cutthroat dodgeball offered a better preview of real life than the trophies-for-everyone self-esteem affirmations of years later.
Except that both were flawed lessons. Sure, not everyone wins when the competition is in earnest. But the skills that made a kid a terror in dodgeball seldom translated into success in life.
ONE OF THESE ARGUABLY MAKES YOU A BAD PARENT: The other doesn’t.
1. Being an ineffectual, enabling bystander as your kids live down to your insanely low expectations of them.
2. Enjoying the fact that they are away at camp for the week.
UNAUTHORIZED CANINE SNACKING: Cherrie Rodrigue’s son has a basset hound named Monte Crisco. The dog has been known to help himself to people food. Once he got into a big container of cocoa mix.When the family got home, Monte had incriminating chocolate powder and mini-marshmallows all over his face and ears.
Tina Bredeson’s dog, Sassy, likes tomatoes. “When I make burgers I slice the whole tomato and give her the end bits,” she wrote. “One day I had gotten to that step in the preparations when I had to leave the room for a few minutes. When I came back I found one slice of tomato left on the plate on the stove, and Sassy licking her chops and looking guilty.”
READY TO RUMBLE: Several readers offered theories about why someone who isn’t a car guy might get revved up by a big automobile engine. Let’s hear from a few of them.
“I truly believe that it is endorphins and adrenaline that kick in when a car (especially a muscle car) starts its engine,” wrote Barb Beck. “It’s just pure, raw power.”
“It is the sound of power,” said Laura Parker. “Pure, man-made power.”
“Gets your motor running,” said Patti Nelson.
“It’s in your genes,” said Gary Rust.
SLICE ANSWERS: A number of readers said they would not eat fish from Lake Roosevelt or the Columbia River, or from any body of water fed by Silver Valley drainage.
TODAY’S SLICE QUESTION: Is it a wise business practice to put political stickers on clearly marked company vehicles?