The Slice: Going to the movies with your extended family

It’s almost that time of year when many of us find ourselves going to movies with our extended families.

These should be happy outings, what with holiday spirit, a fresh lineup of films and all.

But perhaps you have discovered that your taste in cinema is sharply at odds with the preferences of your relatives.

So where does that leave you?

It’s tricky, because you can all too easily cast yourself as a snob or a grouch. Who wants that?

So here are your choices.

1. Lobby your aunts and cousins to go see a movie you will enjoy but, face it, you suspect they will hate.

2. Suffer through a movie that your relatives chose, even though you knew it would be an insult to your filmgoing sensibilities.

3. Go to separate shows at the same multiplex.

4. Watch some flicks at home and take turns choosing what to watch.

I have an idea about how to handle this. But before I weigh in, I would like to hear from Slice readers.

How do you cheerfully handle the holiday movie question?

Maybe your answers will help others navigate these rough waters in extended family relations. Thanks in advance.

Local expressions: Laura Dalich suggested “Near normal, near perfect” and “Put a magpie on it.”

In the matter of teens wearing little clothing in cold weather: Joann Iverson remembered what her grandfather said when miniskirts first came into vogue. “He commented to my grandmother, ‘If that’s what they wear in the winter, what do they wear in the summer?’ ”

Slice answer: What is something big cites have that Spokane doesn’t? “A completed North/South freeway,” wrote Dick Parker.

An answer and a new question: “Yes, Spokane should be the capital of West Dakota (Sunday’s Slice),” wrote Bruce Colquhoun. “And Mount Spokane would have four heads carved in it. One of them would be Mark Few and the other three would be … ?”

Carry a tune right into your home: Last Sunday, Slice readers were invited to sing out. Some performed a bit of the suggested material. Others branched out.

Thanks to all who took part.

Today’s Slice question: What typically motivates people to get into your line of work?

Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. “Does anybody under the age of 30 ever look up?” wrote Robert Del Riccio. “The age is adjustable.”