A pithy comic strip about life, love, lust and puthy cats.

Est. 1985

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The Cat Gets His Tongue

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
I rarely let April Fools’ Day go by unremarked. Lately, I’ve been on the “April Fish” kick, playing on the French version of April Fools’ Day. I don’t know why, but the idea of sticking a paper fish on someone’s back just strikes me as charming, strange and—for some reason—very French. It’s a bigger deal than you might think. I do know that the chocolate shops in France begin to fill their windows with large chocolate fish in late March, just like chocolate Easter bunnies. Before the April Fish thing, April Fools’ Day often was a day for letting Ludwig speak his mind. I enjoy doing that, too.

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114 responses to “The Cat Gets His Tongue”

  1. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    I’ve never much cared for golf as a spectator sport, but perhaps that’s because I haven’t stayed sufficiently abreast of developments in the game.

    http://www.cbssports.com/golf/eye-on-golf/25132852/look-lexi-thompson-scores-shirtless-golf-magazine-cover?FTAG=YHF7e3228e

  2. Jackie monies Avatar
    Jackie monies

    One has to see the future to say goodbyes with a true composure of the soul. I told my cousin this when she asked me how I had done this because she is truly distraught and it is like a weight lifts. There are still goodbyes but this was a major one to the only home and family I ever knew. Virginia Wolfe and Thomas Wolf were both right of course and I probably spelled both nan wrong. Ghost will know.

  3. Mindy from Indy Avatar

    Jerry – Stir the pot. It’s the best way to see what’s in there. ? I miss your weather reports too. How IS the house coming?

    Ghost – Still kicking. Still losing to the cat. She woke me up twenty minutes before my alarm went off this morning. She comes thundering into the bedroom, sounding like a one-kitty cattle stampede. Annoyed, I shuffled my way into a semi-presentable state for work. By the time I wandered back out into the living room, Blacklight *was* sound asleep in her kitty bed in front of the fireplace. *Was* because MY fumbling of my cell phone woke HER up! And then she had the NERVE to grumble at me! I countered with the reminder of my wake up only a few minutes earlier. She stop grumbling, thought about it a moment, then started to purr. Too cute to be mad at her. Darn it.

    Life is … well, life. I have survived the past few weeks in extreme minimal coverage mode at work – 24 hour location = three 8 hour shifts. Eight hour solo shift for me means I don’t get much else done except book work and register. We won’t discuss my cooler, or the impending cooler reset on Monday.
    (BUT came up with a great fix to an ongoing cooler shelving issue today! Yay!) Had another rotten inventory audit Monday. I knew it was coming though – a new and large batch of low-life, ne’er do wells have infested the already questionable neighborhood. Shoplifting is back on the rise again. Our SOP for all of the drug deals in the parking lot is to just stay inside and keep the phone handy in case the deal goes sour. Unless LEOs see the deal first-hand, not much they can do. And this isn’t just at my location either – a Lafayette location has recently had issues with syringes left in amongst the potato chip bags. Our heroin users are too cheap to leave theirs behind, a small blessing I suppose.

    But then again, I meet awesome people like G* who leaves Monday, just shy of his 60th birthday for Georgia so he can hike the Appalachian trail up to Maine. He did it once already ten years ago and wanted to give it one more go before he “got old.” ? He said he would be back some time in September. I personally wouldn’t last one day. Amazing guy.

  4. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    GR πŸ˜‰ just because not all angels come with real wings..

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD4wfNzfm-w

  5. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    I hear thunder in the distance…..and there is a song about that too…..as a matter of fact…more than one πŸ™‚

    good night all

    Indy Mindy…damn junkies…..be careful, really careful. I think it’s time for you to find a more ‘passive’ occupation.

  6. TruckerRon Avatar

    16 year-old freezer bit the dust this morning. Glad I haven’t spent my tax refund yet!

  7. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Dear Indy Mindy, Debbe is right, as usual — please take great care in this demanding occupation you have chosen. I bet your good customers love you! What a good sport “G” is, to hike the trail again. I sure hope he makes it okay; he will enjoy it.

    Lots of love, from me and all the other Villagers.

    Dearest Ghost, great news about your eye doing so well. I’m very glad.

  8. Mindy from Indy Avatar

    Debbe – It’s not just me out there. My company alone has seven stores in here, and we all run 4 – 8 employees. Add in all of our competitors (and indirect ones like Walgreens, CVS, and all of the dollar stores), first responders, and fast food places, and you realize a HUGE segment of the population sees the same stuff I do, only on a much larger scale. You should see how thick the bullet-resistant plexiglass is on the locations where things are even worse. At the end of the day, all anyone can do is minimize the risks as best as possible and accept what so many don’t want to admit – the only person truly responsible for your own safety is you. And even if you do your best, there is still random chance, and no one gets out alive anyway.

    And speaking of grieving and healing, above, I heard my mother speak to me in a dream as I flung myself down (in the dream) in despair. Quite clearly I heard her tell me to see it through, and things would get better. I was dreaming about work. Whether it was my subconscious giving a pep rally or some serious effort on my mother’s part, I have no way of knowing. I am too small a piece of the cosmos to claim any certainty of its inner workings. All I claim to know for certain is I think of her and miss her so much more than I ever realized I would.

  9. Mindy from Indy Avatar

    And Miss Charlotte, I feel the same way about Debbe! Hers is a job I could not do – Go Debbe!

    And to the Village – I have learned, laughed, expanded my world, and am an all around better human by “knowing” you all. Thank you JJ for giving us a place to enjoy your works and each others’ company. πŸ™‚ <- THIS smiley ought to work!

  10. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    I’ve mentioned Spider Robinson on here before. I don’t check his website often because he’s been too busy to post on it. However, I just looked it up, and he had a rough Christmas, too. On the order of Jackie’s, except he lost his father and his daughter. But read his latest post to see his take on this: http://www.spiderrobinson.com/index2.html

  11. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Lady Mindy et al: Never pass up a chance to tell loved ones how you feel about them. I am so happy that the last thing I said to my sister as I was leaving her the evening before she lapsed into a coma was, “I love you.”

  12. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Debbe πŸ˜‰ Because I’ve been asked that.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpkDdLZGg30

  13. galliglo in Ohio Avatar
    galliglo in Ohio

    Thank you, Mark, for the moving and inspirational link. I am in awe.

  14. galliglo in Ohio Avatar
    galliglo in Ohio

    Debbe and Mindy, both of you are also inspiring. Your ability to put one foot before the other is a life lesson for us all. Prayers for strength for all of us. Thank you, Village!

  15. Jackie monies Avatar
    Jackie monies

    Have to admit I ran into Duck Diner tonight 12 minutes before closing. They seated me, whipped out a fresh oyster poboy and small side of red beans in minutes. It was delicious, service was great and friendly, fast and I resisted the deserts. I hereby eat my words and wish I had tried them sooner. Good tea, lots of lemons and some to take back to room.

    I will go back, after trying several other hotels.this one is my favorite and I will be regular here, at three stays recently I may already be one.

    Good thing I did not know I had a group of special agents in rooms across hall. I was so enthralled by the fantastic guy in elevator this morning we sat and chatted until I asked if problem with elevator? I didn’t push a floor it seems. If they didn’t all call me m’am so politely and tell me to be careful driving on wet roads. The FbI shirt was a tip off, along with physique.

  16. Jackie monies Avatar
    Jackie monies

    Also, when Did special agents start looking so buff? All the old ones I knew when I was a fed myself were nothing fabulous. But all the special forces, Seals, guys I meet on the water look like central casting called them. And why are they so polite and call me mam?

  17. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Feeling misty-eyed over the inspiring and emotional last few posts. Wish I could find the right words, as Mindy, Debbe, Denise, Ghost, Galliglo, and more Villagers — and Jackie for sure, are so adept with. Maybe my writing will improve with age (ha, that’s meant as a joke.) You are a wonderful bunch to hang out with, and so good for my mental health, no kidding.

  18. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Because you are a mam – mam and I am a sir-
    the guy looking out isn’t but the guy he sees in the mirror is (Dad what are you doing here)
    just cringe and sat thank you.

    Where did you find polite gvmnt employees?

    Practice safe eating – always use condiments.

  19. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Jackie, if you like buff, your tongue would probably have been hanging at the sight of some of the local LEO’s participating in the recent self-defense classes. Except for the female K-9 handler, who could handle me anytime she wished. (Defeated me in hand-to-hand. What did you think I meant?) I didn’t look entirely like chopped liver compared to them, so that was good for the old ego, anyway.

    Fitness is in, again. I know a formally pudgy local surgeon who has been doing Cross Fit for a couple of years and now looks more like an “operator” than someone who does the medical kind of operations.

  20. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    GR πŸ˜‰ because you are…..because all and each of you are πŸ™‚

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYpA2YamqPA

  21. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Good morning Villagers..

    Golly guys, (blushing) thanks. If I can put one smile on one face, I feel I have accomplished that day’s blessing.

    And Mark, thanks for taking me back to the Deep Purple days. Ah, memories around a campfire with Deep Purple playing in an 8 track ‘stereo’…..lol

    It’s been really pleasant working with the other lady from house #1. Marlene has been with the family business 20 some years. She is 68…I plan on plugging along until then too.

    Rachael came to pick up Kyler early, in a huff, mad as a hornet, and Ian was with her. Seems someone promised the teens they’d buy them some beer if they could finish cleaning the cages last night…..wrong thing to say. I wonder if theyr’e still cleaning πŸ™‚

    Rain, rain and more rain….60 right now and down to 30 tonight.

    And it’s PAYDAY, plus the bank account showed our IRS refund deposited. We rent property, 50 acres out to a rancher with beef. So I’m always afraid we’ll have to pay. Got a whopping $2.00 refund from the State of Indiana….beats paying them.

    Steve….the hick from French Lick…I think I know who you are referring to.

    Ya’ll have a blessed day.

  22. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Debbe πŸ˜‰ Thanks, hon, for the thought and the tune. Still miss The Big Man.

    Those camp fires can get smokey, can’t they? πŸ™‚