This A&J strip from 2015 is about as close as I come to office humor these days. Actually, I did a lot of office humor starting out, when the dysfunctions and inanities of the communal workplace still were fresh to me and those around me. I was doing office humor when Scott Adams worked for the phone company. I will admit, though, many of the experiences upon which I drew have been exorcised by time, and today I feel neither inclined nor qualified to comment on “the office.” Besides, working or not, I think most of us the age of Arlo and Janis find our lives centering more around relationships and home and less around career. Remember careers? When I started in 1985, there were no “jobs,” only “careers,” and I think it’s safe to say Arlo and Janis both considered themselves on a career track. Well, that little fad went off the rails long ago, and many of us count ourselves lucky to have any kind of “job.” So, do Arlo and Janis still have jobs? Are they retired? To be continued.
186 responses to “Work in Progress”
Like Trapper, I never fit in socially in HS/college, so had no tendency to attend reunions. Of course, as there were no such reunions of my classes until about 5-8 years ago, I had no need to bow out!
For the sole college reunion, I was asked to contact 8-9 people to inform them and invite them. As the person asking me to help that way was a nice person, I did so; did not attend, though.
For the sole HS reunion, the inconvenience was probably the greater factor in my non-attendance. A few acquaintances were good enough to take photos and let me in on them. I recall trying to print them out, rather unsuccessfully. Maybe they are still in the files of very old emails…I can hope.
Saw that Classmates.com has begun a feature of remembering deceased classmates. Good idea. Someone – I hope with knowledge – made such a list for that singular HS reunion and I was surprised how many classmates didn’t make it that far. With a few I would have liked to have been email friends, but most were rather unknown to me save for their names.
…and the rain has finally stopped! Here, that is. Miss Charlotte…you OK? From the radar, you are now getting the deluge. (How’s that for a $50 word?)
domaucan..you are welcome…in my early twenties, I use to ‘hotwalk’ the horses around the barn after their morning run. Ellis Park in E’ville and a track down in Hallendale, FL, were some interesting times…oh, the stories I could tell here…and I won’t 🙂 Sort of like Vegas, what happens in Vegas….and yes, you need to know your jockey, as well as the track and the horse’s history…loved to study the racing forms back then…
Never been to the actual Derby, but one time, it was a Thanksgiving Eve in Louisville, I did stop by Churchill Downs and stood at the finish line…no races that day, just close circuit racing…that was at least 25 years ago…domaucan, thank you for bring up a memory for me.
…and I’m off, for now
oh, a friend of Dad’s stopped by and took him for a nice long ride….me, I mopped floors…a little at a time though.
I never went to a reunion either, being an outsider who never even tried to fit in, or had a very high opinion of my classmate’s abilities. Our class president was later kicked out of three different campuses on the University of California, and when they were trying to get people to come to the 20th, I got a letter from them asking me to help them find some missing members, including Ed Begley Jr.
Oh my cat….c-xp…my senior pic is on that website…..dang, I was knock out back then 🙂 And I still have that yearbook….found Dad’s a couple of weeks ago, he enjoyed going through it. May have to join that….nah, not going there. What has been, has been.
Never have gone to a hs reunion, but have thought of going to my college(now university) reunion. The big problem is that although most students were unified in the class, I was slightly out of synce, starting a semester late and being one of the few married ones in the class. I really should go to at least one though, we are starting to lose members of the “Centurian” class, and the University is now ranked close to number one in it’s class in the South. I have attended other colleges before and since, but I got my A.B from Asbury and I have a real love of the school.
I attended four high schools in four years, one for each grade. I never fit in though I worked hard trying to and participated in all things I could.
Have never gone to a high school nor college reunion. I might enjoy in old age anyone still alive from any of the schools, who knows?
My long shot, Patch, is now 15 to 1 🙂
In high school, I was a social misfit too. I’ve never been to a class reunion either. This year is my 50th , and I can’t decide whether to go or not.
He sure is a pretty boy…the jockey too 🙂
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/other/2017/05/kentucky_derby_notebook_jockey_tyler_gaffalione_follows_in_father_steve_s
Would like to look at your senior pic, Debbe, but cannot without more info. My photo is also there; same story for other folks.
It may go without saying the A&J blog attracts a certain type. That without regard to origin or accomplishment, there is a common interest in the human condition. And how J.J. describes it in drawn dramatic detail. [nope, forced alliteration continues to elude me]
But this common trend brings to mind something that bothered me in my twenties. If more than three fifths of a sample self-identifies as misfit or outsider; does that actually make them the normal? And those who actually excel in the social frame are the unusual outliers? Not bad, or wrong, or undeserving, just unusual. If bell-curve theory and standard distribution has any validity to it, I’d say we are looking at this wrong. [I think Cxp said as much while I wrote this out]
Enjoying the company of the guy that throws gutter-balls every Tuesday evening is just as valid as spending Saturday night in jacket-required/gown-recommended dress. And sometimes feels more relaxing. But my example fails because I’ve used categorical types to argue against stereotype profiling. Ho-hum.
I find it interesting. Most…of the people here at A&J.com seem rather intelligent. Few appear to be wall flowers. But many seem to have felt like social outsiders in High School. I guess that shouldn’t surprise me.
I do know some popular folks from High School that have absolutely no interest in looking back and I am sure that is the reason many here chose not to attend. Like funerals, they can be bittersweet. A reminder of things long gone and a chance to enjoy those that we have loved.
I plan to enjoy the 143rd Run for the Roses. My youngest years were closer to Pimlico, but did not have interest until growing up in a different style of horse country in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Slew caught my attention, along with everyone else with a TV, radio, or newspaper; you know, the entire country.
Have felt the thrill in watching races, big and small, at the rail or on TV. But pageantry and tradition makes The Derby something special. Don’t think I’ll tune in until closer to post time though, coverage starting so early gets a little stale by the time Steven Foster’s song is sung.
Of course, that is more the fault of television production that presents itself as more important than the titular event. And yet still delivering only a shadow of the live excitement. Gotta use that suspension of disbelief to imagine being there. Then the heart starts pounding.
Hunh, maybe I’ll take an aspirin before one of the earlier contests. Good to plan ahead. 7P’s and Scout’s motto share good advice. [looked up 7P and found I had confused marketing with slang and miscounted, Proper Planning Prevents P— Poor Performance]
Steve, a wall flower I was not, in my youth, I was the neighborhood ‘tomboy’. Went to Catholic grade school and two years of HS….then the schools consolidated….boy, did I run then 🙂 We would have Catechism on Wednesday nights….we ‘cribbed out usually and went cruising…classic ’66 mustangs back then….
I would describe clicks like a wolf pack, I ran with the so called click in HS, but I was not an Alpha….went away to college trade school in 01/72 and majored in….party 101 😉 I’ve been always told I am an independent woman, marrying the first time at age 45, had a son at 35…do the math…there just might be a song in there somewhere!!!
C-xp…1971, Loogootee graduate…I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours 🙂 I’m the good looking one!!!! Oh, I didn’t join that website…
…here comes the sun little darling…finally!!!
Not a romantic vista, but a pair [I presume] are incubating 4 eggs in a MDNR nestbox somewhere in MN. Peace,
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/features/webcams/falconcam/index.html
Laura…I’ve always followed this rule of ‘thumb’….when in doubt, throw it out. If you are doubting about attending your HS reunion…don’t go.
MASH is on…Dad loves to watch it….I do too. \
say good night Debbe…
@Rick in Shermantown,
Still have my draft card from 1973 last undrafted class born in 1956, I laminated it after I highlighted the box with in it, my number is 001. They never called, that summer in August the draft ended and I breathed a sigh of relief.
@Debbe n Smigz,
Hi back, hope all is well or at the least tolerable….waiting for more good for my friends.
Vis-a-vis reunions, I was a social pariah(way beyond misfit) in those days. probably well deserved to some extent…I’ve always spoken my mind and been a good judge of character….teens Symply did not seem to like my assessments at that point in time…needless to say I was far from the Pres/Sec/Treas of the class…fast forward to 20 years ago and now I am on the committee of 3 that does the reunions….seems people now appreciate Fargone honesty….who knew? An open mind catches a lot more than others….
MDNR email informs me that:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/features/webcams/falconcam/index.html
is in St. Paul, MN. Probably on a skyscraper. Peace,
Hello Debbe — You are a dear loving daughter to take such good care of your father. He is a lucky man. Thank you for asking about the weather here — UGH. Cold and rainy all day and the rain is predicted to get heavier as the hours go by; some danger of floods. But not here, we are on higher ground, no danger; and the roads are good, too; my house is right in town.
Like many of us Villagers, I didn’t fit in with the other kids either, always reading; but what the heck! We had all grown up together, small NH town, all twelve grades in one building. One through six downstairs, 7 thru 12 upstairs. Good, caring teachers and small classes — small families in the 1940s. I’ve enjoyed our occasional reunions, and the alumni have organized “All classes” reunions, where anyone is welcome. Held in the school gym and cafeteria. My home is only 15 miles away so I’m happy to go, and you guys are right, the kids have matured and become interesting people that it’s a pleasure to chat with.
A group of us were waiting to get in … I think the Alumni were nabbing people to pay dues and a friendly woman who seemed to know me well, although I didn’t remember her at all (!) offered to get a name tag for me. She came back with a sticker, “Hello my name is Charlotte Roberts (my maiden name) Bill Roberts Daughter”. I was so tickled by this, well, very pleased, really. I saved the sticker when I got home and am looking at it right now. My father was the Postmaster for 25 years and knew everybody in town, and my new friend knew everybody would remember him too. Some old-timers still do. I see them on Facebook and reminiscing is great.
Today is Cinco de Mayo, a manufactured holiday to sell beer, Mexican food and margaritas. We were going to take advantage of one of the Tulsa restaurants celebrations but then I got email about PF Chang’s Cinco de Mayo offer and it was too good to pass up and so Polit iCarly incorrect, so we went.
Had Korean stir fry and glazed salmon on garlic spinach, green beans tempura, Chinese ribs and stirred daiquiri, plus leftovers. We only paid for entrees, so great deal of cultural cross appropriation.
Tonight watching Spagetti Westerns about Mexicans made in Italy with Clint Eastwood and drinking frozen daiquiri which is probably not Mexican either.
Oops, drinking margaritas not daiquiri. I do like daiquiri too.
Wearing a rose in my hair too, Mexican senorita speaking bad English and worse Spanish.
Jackie, that is some of the most tongue-firmly-in-cheeky, irreverent fun packed into one celebration I have seen in a long time. There is hope ahead! In Oklahoma, at least. Lifting a metaphorical Dos Equis in salute. Hope it catches on. Have fun.
The TIP BlogSpot referred to earlier
http://thatispriceless.blogspot.com/
is a “Portrait of Francois Wynckelman, Francois van der Donckt, and Joseph Odevaere.” Joe is also the painter or his namesake. I’m guessing F.W. is the dead guy.
Peace,
Rick, if I remember correctly my lottery number was 158. Being firmly ensconced in college, I never worried about it. In fact, in 1973 I attempted to get into AF-ROTC at what was then Memphis State University, but was rejected for supposed extreme astigmatism. The next time I had the eyeglasses replaced I asked about it and got a blank look from the optician… seems I had barely any such problem. The technician at the AF base had it wrong, perhaps on purpose since he’d already accused me of somehow cheating on the hearing test?
Looking back, I can see that all my high school era friends were either in my scout troop, sang in the same church choir, or were in the band. About a third were in my year.