I hope you had a good Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day weekend always means the annual meeting of the National Cartoonists Society and the bestowal of NCS awards, highlighted by the “Reuben,” given to the outstanding cartoonist of the year. At the convention in Washington, DC, this year, that supreme accolade went to Roz Chast, magazine cartoonist and humorous illustrator. The award for Best Comic Strip went to Stephan Pastis, creator of Pearls before Swine. No, I did not attend this year’s meeting, but the Reuben weekend will be in Memphis next May (Remember where you heard it first!), and I plan to be on hand for that one.
Scratching Post
By Jimmy Johnson
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261 responses to “Scratching Post”
Debbe, I can’t say it any better than others here have already–just want you to know that I am also sending my hugs and prayers.
Debbe: All of us (at least those of us who actually care about our jobs and do not fall into the “Zero Flips Given” category) tend to be guilty of beating ourselves up for things that happened on the job over which we had no control. Losing over 2000 of your “girls” the way you did is certainly a prime example of that. The ball was dropped by other people, and it appears the situation could have been pretty easily avoided if those people had done their jobs as they should have. That said, I realize that it was still a traumatic experience for you…because you do care. Don’t stop.
Prayers and hugs.
In The News: A Porsche, with a driver that apparently could not tell the accelerator from the brake, plowed into a terminal building at LAX, injuring himself and two others. Reminds me of the old joke from the Autobahn:
Q: What’s the difference between a Porsche and a porcupine?
A: The porcupine has a nasty prick on the outside of it.
Debbe, sorry for the loss. Sounds like somebody (the initial contact from boss) may need to lose their job.
Here’s a new attempt at the error-causing message, copied and pasted before I attempted to post (I always do that for long messages– saves aggravation if I goof up or the computer crashes):
[long message still causes the error…trying in sections]
Flooding has been substantial, but most damage in Central Texas has been south of here. Wimberly is about an hour away. Devastation there and much damage in San Marcos. Lots of water and damage in Houston area, too.
We had short-lived flash floods in my area on Memorial Day, but nothing like a little further south (or Houston)! There was about 18″ rushing water over the bridge at the entrance to our neighborhood. We were out, so had to wait on the other side until it subsided enough to cross safely. The bridge lost an area of pavement about 20 square feet, but stayed solid. The same creek runs across the back of our lot. The debris caught and destroyed about 100 feet of woven field wire fence. Luckily, the electric fence stayed up, so the two beef steers didn’t get out. The pull was strong enough that it unseated the corner post and H-post support. It also bent steel T-posts into U-shapes. This is the second time in as many years that a corner of the fence has been flooded and damaged. This time I will replace that section with barbed wire. Hopefully it will catch less debris and will not be as easily flood damaged.
The good news is that one of the major water-supply lakes here (Lake Travis) has risen about 37 feet since May 1st. Fourteen more feet until it is full. The other water supply lake (Buchanan) hasn’t fared quite as well. It is only 50% full, and is about 22 feet below maximum level. We still need a lot more rain to the northwest, but hopefully we can get it without substantial flooding.
Health-wise, I’m doing well. My wife and I did our first real vacation is many years a couple of weeks ago. We flew to Arizona, visited Sedona, rode the Grand Canyon Railway, and stayed in the Grand Canyon for a couple of days. I didn’t hike into the canyon, but did walk around some on the rim. It was a substantial improvement when compared to a year ago when I was in locked braces and a wheelchair! The transplant is perking along, and my general health is improving. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers over the past couple of years.
Weird, I guess length was the issue…
David, good news all around.
GR6, careful with your Porsche commentary. A certain Villager drives a 911 and she would not take kindly to being called a prick.
the only nasty flood stuff I saw with my own eyes in areas I am in regularly, sort of up and down US90Alternate out of downtown Houston to Sugar Land, Richmond Rosenberg was in Meyerland along Brays Bayou west of where the West Loop IH610 becomes the South Loop IH610 – people’s entire household of belongings are all on the curb as garbage several blocks back from the bayou. I live north of the Brazos, where it makes a bend (hence Fort Bend County) and it is FULL
David, that is good news about Lake Travis. We have friends in that area; the pictures they have posted showing the drop in the water level have been mind-boggling. I’m sure they will be thrilled to hear the news next time they have internet access – they’re currently sailing around French Polynesia!
Note to sand: Joke applies only to maniacal Autobahn drivers, which category I am sure does not include aforementioned female 911 pilot. 🙂
Nice crowd at Old Faithful, should erupt any minute:
http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/webcam/oldFaithfulStreaming.html
Good news, David! Both on the home and health front… I had been thinking of you.
Yay, Judy, David, and John are okay! Good to hear from you folks. Courtin’ may feel awkward, John, but being companionable and friendly are right up your alley, I would bet!
Nice attempt at face saving, oh Ghostly one. There is a depression in the floor pan on the passenger from someone’s foot trying to break.
GR6, My German Auto Girl – http://pinterest.com/pin/477381629225885922/?s=4&m=gmail
Thank you for the update, David. As an Arizonan since 1968, and one very proud of my state, glad you visited. I highly approve of the things you did, and we are all highly grateful that you are now able to do them! Go Donors!
I confess, her braking reaction times do scare me. We also have insurance premiums that attests to one of us being a bit of a bumper car driver.
That’s why, when I was flight instructing, I was glad the training aircraft had dual controls.
Of course, then you were faced with the dilemma of deciding when was too soon to take over the controls…and when was too late.
It was usually more clear cut in the latter case.
Ghost, if you had ever been too late, Ghost would not be a nickname.
Congratulations on your recovery David. Keep it up.
GR6, very fine line between lesson learned and a one way trip in a transfer case.
Daid, I didn’t know your history. Good for you. I expected to be in a wheelchair by now, but I am not. I used a cane very briefly but not now. I would not dare climb up on the roof or other places I used to go. I wouldn’t stand too close to the rim of the Grand Canyon, but I hope to see it someday. Once we get moved I will do more traveling.
David, sorry.
Jerry, you can even go out overbthe Grand Canyon on the Skywalk. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon_Skywalk