The Slice: Even go-getters have a right to be here

We’ll know Spokane is over its insecurity and self-doubts when residents with degrees from big-deal universities and impressive major-market job experiences on their résumés no longer find themselves being asked “What are you doing here?”

Just wondering: In your workplace, what’s the approved method of getting the attention of someone hooked up to earphones?

Slice answer: “Dear Sir, I have always addressed people I don’t know as sir or ma’am,” wrote Harold Dexter. “I’m 82 years old and most of the people I’m talking to are considerably younger than I. I learned from my mother ages ago.”

Connections: Sometimes readers see a Slice item and have something to add.

“Here’s a follow-up to your elevator story (Friday),” wrote Spokane’s Thor Chellstorp. “The Angell twins that Dennis DeMattia referred to were my wife Sally’s uncles. They were both engineers, worked for Kaiser Aluminum, and had offices in that Oakland, Calif., building and were indeed identical twins. My wife could tell them apart, I usually could not.

“Once while visiting with my wife’s relatives, including both uncles, one of them and I discussed some problems he was having with his automobile. Later in the day I had some further thoughts on the subject and sought him out to tell him. To which he said, ‘I think you’ve got the wrong brother and the wrong car.’ ”

Chellstorp said the brothers grew up in Moscow and graduated from the University of Idaho. They lived in Spokane for a time while working on the design of the Trentwood aluminum plant.

“Don and Rob Angell lived well into their 90s. I have fond memories of both of them.”

Speaking of being able to relate to a Slice item: Beth Adair raised her hand.

She had read about a certain kind of confusion. “I have a lift chair that has a pushbutton wand to control its actions,” she wrote. “I cannot tell you how often I have tried to use the wand to change TV channels.”

Today’s Slice question: When you first wake up, do you usually know right away what day it is?