The Slice: Might be more than one can stomach

I’m OK with being a homebody.

It has been years since I pretended to be a man about town, if I ever did.

Something tells me this doesn’t exactly brand me as an oddball in Spokane.

But it wasn’t until just the other day that I realized the startling extent to which I am not, as they say, a happening guy.

A fine local publication touting life in the Spokane area had something printed on its cover that stopped me in my tracks: “400 Must Try Restaurants.”

I don’t mind telling you. That’s a bit more eating out than I usually do.

But if I must. Well, I suppose I could do it. In fact, I could make it my theme for 2011.

It might come in handy.

At work: “Paul, would you be able to attend a meeting about some new TPS forms?”

“Sorry. Wish I could. But I have a must-try restaurant to visit.”

At home: “Do you think this weekend might be a good time to tackle that basement project?”

“You know, it would be. But there are several must-try restaurants on my agenda.”

Social life: “Hey, we’re going to have a party this Saturday and we’d love it if you could come.”

“Well, ordinarily, I’d be there. But there’s this restaurant I must try.”

Civic life: “Hey, Paul, I’m getting together a committee to see if we can do something about getting bicycle helmets for dogs and I was wondering if maybe you would like to sit in on a brainstorming session.”

“That sounds great, but …”

Even if I pre-emptively cross off the dining establishments with which I am already familiar, I figure I’d still need to visit one new restaurant every day in 2011.

That’s a lot of menu scanning and tip calculating.

Frankly, I’m not sure all of these places would have something I’d want to eat. And I probably couldn’t get away with expensing all that dining out.

Still, there’s no question the experience would broaden my horizons. I’m sure I would meet some fun people and discover a few overlooked gems.

Of course, there’s another option. I could resolve that, in 2011, I’ll decide for myself what I must or must not try.

Today’s Slice question: So what are you going to do next year?