On Call, Off Payroll
There’s this guy who got laid off at a Spokane business recently.
That by itself would be bad enough. But it got worse.
Workers at that business kept phoning him and asking for free advice about operating a certain machine. After about the sixth call, he had to tell them what to do with their questions.
Come to flavor country: A friend cross-country skiing at Mount Spokane couldn’t get over the sight of another skier who was smoking a cigarette as he poled along.
Lighten up: If you didn’t pick a few upsets in your office NCAA pool, you’re taking it way too seriously.
It doesn’t cost anything to dream: If you started a small high-tech company expressly in the hopes of being bought out, what would you name the business?
Our picks: Cashcom or Nextcheck.
Slice answers: Shopping cart handles, escalator hand rails, vending machines, public library computer keyboards, elevator buttons in government buildings, chained ballpoint pens in banks and door handles/knobs were among the surfaces readers said they would rather not touch with their hands.
Joyce Nowacki added public telephones to the list.
And a reader named Darlene, whose job includes cleaning the restroom at the convenience store where she works, said people would be wise to avoid touching anything in a public lavatory.
Just wondering: Can a house be cute without being cramped? (We all know the Spokane area has more than a few classic charmers. Several nifty Cape Cods come to mind. But would the people who live in them trade a little curb appeal for a bigger kitchen and another bedroom?)
Today’s Inland Northwest flirting tip: Saying “I believe in frontier romance” isn’t a great opener.
One of the moments to cherish: When someone unnecessarily blocking a supermarket aisle shoots you a dirty look after you politely ask if you can get by.
From a political column in The Seattle Times: “Spokane is doing OK economically, yet focus groups and vote analysis show residents bristle at good things happening elsewhere, particularly Seattle. They feel insecure.”
And here all this time we thought it was just a rash.
Today’s Slice question: What local neighborhood is regularly visited by the loudest early morning joggers? , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo
MEMO: The Slice appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; fax (509) 459-5098. Can you identify friends and co-workers by the sound of their sneezes?