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The Slice: In need of a fast break in Davenport
Not many Inland Northwesterners can say this.
Davenport’s Arlene Stromberger lives in a restored 1904 house that was a hotel for more than 30 years. “It has six bedrooms and five bathrooms,” she said.
“People around town know it as the Pease Hotel. … In 1963, the Harlem Globetrotters stayed here when they came for an exhibition game at the Davenport school gym.”
Let’s move on.
A question for men: How did you react when you looked in the mirror and first realized your hairline was in retreat?
Following up: “Your charming vignette about seemingly seedy behavior in a liquor store parking lot triggered a fond memory,” wrote Bill Brock.
“For years, the state liquor store in Pullman was in the same strip mall and virtually next door to the office that dispenses Washington driver’s licenses.
“Needing to obtain my first ever Washington license, I popped down to the license bureau one day — only to find a note on the door, announcing that the examiner was out giving a driving test and the office would reopen on his return.”
A minor setback.
“Remembering that I was fresh out of gin, and with a little time on my hands, I bent my steps to the liquor store and bought a bottle of the firewater.
“As I walked out of the store, the driving examiner pulled up right in front of me. He took note of me and my bottle of gin before unlocking his office and heading inside.”
A sizable line was quickly forming at the licensing office, so Brock went straight to the queue. Still holding his bottle of gin.
“When my turn arrived, I was ushered to a computer where I would take my written test. The examiner eyed me and my bottle sternly.”
OK, it’s not like Brock was taking swigs. Still, the presence of the gin seemed to cast doubt on him.
Then he missed the first two questions. A third wrong answer would result in him failing the test. But he rallied and aced it the rest of the way.
Perhaps he toasted his accomplishment after he got home.
Today’s Slice question: Who was Gen. James Mattoon Scott?