The Slice: What’s said to Fido, stays with Fido

It says here that talking to your dog during walks isn’t the same as simply talking to yourself.

For one thing, anecdotal evidence suggests the dogs enjoy being sounding boards.

Yes, they might hear – as cartoonist Gary Larson once suggested – “Blah blah blah, Ginger.”

But at least you can imagine that they’re actually listening.

Just wondering: How did it go when you decided you wanted to learn to fly?

Just wondering 2: Has the apparent decline of phone mail made you wish you had been saving over-the-top angry messages over the years? You know, “greatest hits” from apoplectic haters, to be played for entertainment value at social gatherings.

Just wondering 3: If you had to guess, how many different people have set foot in your home during the time you have lived there?

Slice answers: “My wife and I were traveling to Pittsburgh one Sunday morning last fall with our brand new known traveler numbers,” wrote John Hughes of St. Maries. “We checked our luggage and got to security just behind the entire Weber State football team who were fresh from their one point loss to EWU the day before. Absolutely worth it to be able to scoot down the Pre-Check lane rather than wait in line with a bunch of understandably grumpy football players. And we got to Starbucks first.”

Anne Albrecht seconded the motion. “TSA pre-check? YES, YES, YES, especially in large airports.”

Janice Karst said, “Oh my, yes, it does work.”

Una Zeck wrote “YES! No doubt about it. I smile on the inside every time I go through security.”

And Herb Postlewait said it was absolutely worth it. “We have bypassed long lines at airport security, and don’t have to take off our shoes or light jackets.”

Warm-up question: It’s fine to be attractive and funny. You know, life of the party.

But are you someone to whom others turn when they absolutely, positively need to be picked up and driven somewhere at a certain time?

Today’s Slice question: If Spokane existed in a comic book universe, what would be the incredible, improbable story of how one mild-mannered resident came to acquire strange, mysterious superpowers?

Lab accident at PAML? Bitten by a radioactive marmot? You tell me and you just might win a coveted reporter’s notebook.

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. When Tim Groh was 11 in 1957, he got the autographs of the Lennon Sisters (Kathy, Peggy and Janet) at a sports and outdoor recreation show at the Spokane Coliseum.