Today’s retro Sunday cartoon is from 2005, almost exactly 10 years ago. The observant among you probably will notice that the set of Arlo & Janis changes capriciously, especially in the kitchen. The cupboards and counter tops constantly change style and color from day to day. The stove above is free-standing; often it is surrounded by cabinets. I hope this doesn’t bother you. I probably should have invented standard interiors for the family long ago, but I just never felt it was necessary. For one thing, the backgrounds in the strip are minimal, to say the least. The cabinetry is often a suggestion of cabinetry, as in the above example. If my interiors were more lavish and more recurring, I’m certain I would have developed a standing set. Or maybe I’m just lazy. How are you in New England holding up? How goes the Blizzard of ’15? We were talking about Massachusetts just last week, about how many A&J readers there are in that area. Hang in there, Boston.
Flippin’ Mess
By Jimmy Johnson
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102 responses to “Flippin’ Mess”
The Maine State Ferry Service has cancelled all service for the entire day. This is a very rare occurrence, and I’m glad I’m not at work today – we wouldn’t be running, we’d be sitting around while the boat stays tied to the dock. My usual snow drifts are already 3 feet deep, and counting…
Reminds me of an egg boiling incident that involved Mike having to not only repaint the ceiling but scrape and re-plaster it.
I think “sets” would be a negative.
There used to be gags based on Ludwig getting confused because Janis kept making Arlo rearrange the furniture. (Until perhaps that became “sexist”? Or “animalist”?). So if I thought about it at all, it was probably that it was just an implied gag about Janis constantly making Arlo remodel the kitchen.
Excuse me, I was the egg boiler that exploded two dozen onto ceiling. Mike was the ladder toter.
Flexible set design. Wonder how many directors envy the ease with which a cartoonist can achieve that feature.
Hi Sand, were you able to negotiate a small indulgence of a new Leatherman from Loon? If she is truly Russian she might be a hard sell.
Denise, I suspect I’d always be happy to see you. 😉
No, Jackie, I don’t have “clown” pants with “clown” pockets. When I’m dressed up, my flashlight and some other “necessities” live in my inside suit jacket pockets, and when I’m dressed down, in the side pockets of my cargo pants. I do love my cargo pants, though…six pockets for all my “necessities”. Otherwise I’d probably have to start toting a man purse.
I am beginning to rethink any dress items that look, as I mentioned, too “tactical” since the incident in Florida when a 43-year-old man in a Walmart saw a 62-year-old get out of his car in the lot and holster a handgun before entering the store. Obviously never considering that the older man might be a LEO or a permitted concealed carrier (which he was), the younger decided he posed a danger to the people in the store and, rather than calling the police or notifying store security, went all sheepdog, grabbed the older man in a choke hold and took him to the floor, yelling “He’s got a gun!”
As you’d expect, the younger man went directly to jail without collecting $200, charged with battery. It would be easy to make some snide remarks about his judgment or lack thereof, but I later read that even though bond had been set for his release, he was still being held under a provision of Florida law dealing with mental health issues and involuntary commitment. I truly hope he gets some help. If he had done that to the wrong person, he might be being cremated rather than committed.
But fortunately, cargo pants seem to be fairly ubiquitous these days, at least the $20 ones from Wrangler, if not the $60 ones from 5.11 Tactical or Blackhawk.
Jackie, an additional Leatherman is not in my forseeable future.
GR6, I live most of year in cargo shorts. Pockets are perfect for all those items I need and come in handy for reaching must items will driving, but maintaining their security. Carry the PST on a good belt, covered by the untucked T. Extra folding blade knife in pocket and sometimes a third knife on aforementioned belt. I further carry a ‘go to war’ bag in my vehicle. Loon teases me a about that bag; still it has kept her dry in unexpected rain and provided comfort for the occasional owie.
it would have to be that way, no man is going to clean batter off a ceiling as well as a woman, needs more than a quick wipe to get “most of it off” Reminds me when Janis was disgusted of the filth on top of the ceiling fan blades and Arlo said that’s why I never look up there
IMHO, Cargo pants and shorts are God’s answer to blue jeans, i.e.,dungarees as my Daddy called them. We couldn’t wear them at Catholic High, so I never had more than a pair even over the last few years. Being”husky” I never found a pair of blue jeans that I could feel comfortable wearing. Cargo pants are made for me. Now, if they will just make a cargo pants suit, I could wear that to Church on Sunday since I always wear a white shirt and tie just as Daddy did.
Good plan with your “war bag”, sand. It amazes me how many people will launch off on a 200-mile day-trip drive with only the clothes on their backs and what’s in their pockets…no first aid kit, no extra car and house keys, no change of clothes, no extra walking shoes, no emergency water or food, no emergency cash and pre-paid debit card, no flashlight and extra batteries, no emergency blanket, no poncho or rain jacket, no heavy coat in cold weather, etc. Having a breakdown or losing your wallet, purse or car keys can quickly turn into an emergency when you are far away from home. Or these days, even close to home.
A lot of people make fun of “preppers” (I do, too, sometimes), but that’s just common sense prepping.
domaucan1: “if they will just make a cargo pants suit….” Buy the LL Bean khaki cargo pants and their like colored four pocket travel jacket; looks dressy, yet gives you twelve pockts. 🙂 < emoji
Super Storm Juno was like most first dates; full of promise, but rather dull in retrospect.
Bill (The Science Guy) Nye on MSNBC: “I just want to introduce the idea that this storm (Juno) is connected to climate change.”
Oh, good; I was wondering if a major winter storm in the northeastern US occurring in wintertime might be due to something paranormal like witchcraft or sorcery.
Note to “Science Guy”: Trying to link a single weather event in a single location to something as complex as global climate change may indicate you are not doing good science.
sandcastler™: Based on your obvious interests in science and technology, plus your military background, here is a blog you (and others) may find both entertaining and enlightening.
http://weaponsman.com/
I have profited from blogs you have mentioned here, so perhaps this will partially return the favor.
I find the theme distressing on several counts.
I am of the male persuasion and I cook a number of dishes–some of them command performances.
When I cook, there is no cleanup to be done except sometimes the last-step cooking and prep utensils and they are probably in the sink, “soaking”.*
I just fixed my breakfast and as I sit in my office typing this and eating same (alternate moments) ALL of the dirty dishes in the house are here at my desk with me.
I share or have shared the kitchen with one or more on my family members who seem to have sworn an oath to never wash, rinse and dry a sharp knife; clean a sauce pan or pot if any remain in a cupboard; or wash a cast-iron skillet if there are any left in the drawer.
Given the size of our kitchen (our old camper had more counter space) since the Great Downsizing, the surprise is not that there is sometimes tension, but that the EMTs have not been here since we moved in. (It appears that the house was previously occupied by tweekers and there may well have been a ringdown to the County dispatch center. But Elkhorn had its street names and house-numbers changed at the Occupation by the City of Omaha, so they dispatchers don’t know out address.
*A family legend (based on elaborations of facts) involves people making a fuss because she was picking up your plate and fork while you still had a bite of pie left.
GR6, thanks for the link, but you humble me with thy praise. I know my grandfather started me at age eight on to the dark path. Who but a demon maker would teach a young lad to handle and learn to shoot a single shot .22 rifle. I still own and treasure that rifle.
That was best crime report taker they could have sent me. Really nice young officer and we hit it off both philosophically and conservatively. I am definitely pro cops, so I had better not get started on one of my favorite soap boxes!
Ghost, I own two nice Smith and Wesson revolvers, one a 22 and the other a 38 with a short, snub nose, of course 22 is longer barrel. He is going to clean them for me, get the right kind of ammo. Said what my mom had in the 38 was older than he was and the 22 had snake ammo, which is what I’d expect, rat shot.
Furthermore, he organizes the gun classes to get your license for our sheriff’s department and women’s defense classes. So he is going to put me on list for next one, the instruction is free through the police department. A good start for me. He says either gun could be a good weapon for me if I’d learn to use them right. But he also recommended the Glock 38 that Ghost did and said he’d bought one for his wife.
And we came up with a good idea better than a large biting dog or stealing a husband from my boating friends. I am going to put one or more guest houses in my back yard to house young police officers who are single and underpaid.
This has cheered me up considerably
Love, Jackie
And yes, I have a large back yard. Front yard is pretty well filled now. Officer loved my rock work and stone ditch. I think housing for one or more young officers would be a good thing to do and maybe a canine officer with a large attack dog. I am feeling like a benevolent society for police officers right now.
My wife has published over 25 books and she has started to keep track of some of the characters’ names so that she does not reuse them. Her fans would definitely point them out. Yesterday she got a Royalty check for her first book that was published over 18 years ago. However this royalty was for a Norwegian edition. It was not a whole lot, but enough for a very nice dinner and then some.
We almost needed that check as I got my year end statement from American Express in an email and as I looked at it, I realized that I was charged for a hotel stay last month that I had put in my expense report as billed direct to the company. A quick call rectified the situation.
I then looked at my next email and Verizon was charging me double. When I looked at the bill, I realized that they had charged me for a phone that we were supposed to return. Since I already had an email saying that it was returned, I was irate. It turns out both my wife and daughter upgraded on the same day and my daughter didn’t think that she had to return it. Fortunately she had not sold it, so I can return it and not get charged. I was glad that I did not say %$@#!!
Steve, it does happen.
Loon dutifully entered the last credit card payment into Quicken, then failed to setup a bank payment. We were several days and $166 in interest late. I dove in and cleaned up the mess, with interest forgiven. Loon even gleefully submitted to a bare bottom spanking for her behavior, then proceeded to thank me for being a hero. 🙂
Domaucan1, sandcastler ™ , Ghost: try these folks. I bought one of the vests last year. Great piece of clothing and very well designed and put together.
http://www.scottevest.com/
Mark, nice and thanks. Now if they only had an App so one could remember where those 26 pockets are located and what you stashed in each one.
Jackie, sounds like you hit the jackpot with that PO; good for you. Definitely take the class and consider the GLOCK. (BTW,that’s a GLOCK 42 in .380 Auto caliber.) I have several 2 inch- and 3 inch-barreled .38’s from back in my S&W revolver days, and they are very capable handguns with practice. I wouldn’t feel underarmed carrying one with good defensive ammo in it. The GLOCK is just as simple to operate as a revolver and a bit simpler and faster to reload.
Larry: As I have mentioned here, I have 30-minute-dirty-pan-or-dish-in-the-sink limit, but that’s just part of Rule One of Bachelor Housekeeping: “Never ever let it get ahead of you.”
Mark, I’ve been coveting a Scott Travel Vest for about 5 years, and one day may be able to work it into my would-really-like-to-have-it-but-can-do-without-it budget. Glad to hear you are pleased with it, though. Main problem I have with it is the limited number of days per year I could wear it without attracting the same attention as someone down here would wearing a ski jacket in August.