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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

Soirée I brought it up!

By Jimmy Johnson

January 30, 2017


Ah, the good ol’ days! This not-so-oldie from January, 2017, is the first in a series about dining out. Remember dining out? Whether you are avoiding dining out altogether these days or whether you’ve not missed a meal, I dare say the vast majority of us don’t eat in restaurants as much as we did a year ago. It’s a double whammy. We’ve come to love eating out in this country like never before, and the hospitality industry has largely filled the gap for traditional industries that—for one reason or another—do not offer the job opportunities they once did. Whether that latter situation is sustainable as an economic model or not is another issue entirely, but the pandemic isn’t helping. That reminds me! I’m getting my first round of the vaccine next week. I’m not sure if it’s because cartoonists are considered essential or because I’m so old. I prefer not to think about it.


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50 responses to “Soirée I brought it up!”

  1. carl Avatar
    carl

    I enjoyed today’s A&J in the local paper this morning but how did that get by the editors? It was a bit PG-13.

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      I’m sure he meant that he heard her snoring

      1. Ghost Avatar
        Ghost

        That’s probably what Jimmy told his editors. Along with, “Pay no attention to the smile on her face.”

  2. Geo Avatar
    Geo

    After you are vaccinated, does that mean we won’t need to wear a mask to read A&J?

    1. JJ Avatar
      JJ

      Yes! But until then…

      1. Sideburns Avatar

        Make sure you don’t get the shot in the arm you use for drawing. I had no real side effects from the first dose, but that arm’s been a bit stiff ever since I got the second dose, ten days ago. Not very much, but enough to make it harder to get that arm into or out of a sleeve.

  3. David in Granbury Avatar
    David in Granbury

    So, the field values for posting are still hanging on, sometimes. I’m posting this comment just to document, When I clicked “Comment” the fields were populated with Ruth’s info. I don’t know if that means she’s also on the page now, or if she was before me. This is, however, the first comment for today and Ruth was not the last poster on yesterday’s page.

    1. David in Granbury Avatar
      David in Granbury

      Well, not the first post after all, but the fields weren’t any of the posters before me.

  4. Bonnie from Gloucester MA Avatar
    Bonnie from Gloucester MA

    Cartoonists are ALWAYS essential!!! ?? And I agree with Carl about today’s live strip. Definitely a little bit racy. Oo la la!

    1. Bonnie from Gloucester MA Avatar
      Bonnie from Gloucester MA

      Arghh! That double question mark in my comment was supposed to be a Heart emoji. Ay caramba!

  5. Tom (formerly) from the front range Avatar
    Tom (formerly) from the front range

    I’m wondering if any other villagers are having an issue with your gocomics premium subscription. I renewed my subscription on January 25th (having received no reminder that my subscription had expired.) I received a receipt by email. Yesterday I received another receipt and my credit card was charged again, this dated February 25th.
    I have contacted support as stated at the bottom of the receipt(s) and filed a dispute with Visa. I feel sure this will be resolved. I mention it here as many of you are subscribers. You should watch closely to see if you have been double charged as well.

    1. JJ Avatar
      JJ

      I don’t have anything to do with GoComics administration directly, but if this continues to be a problem for you and others, I’ll certainly make enquiries and advocate on your behalf. (Meanwhile, thanks for the double payment!)

    2. Rick in Shermantown, Ohio Avatar
      Rick in Shermantown, Ohio

      Tom and JJ:

      My subscription expired on 02.25.21. In the past, it autorenewed. Like you, I did not receive a reminder. However, my credit card has not yet been charged.

      Thanks for the word. I was about to renew my subscription this morning, but I think that I will wait to see what happens.

  6. Tom (formerly) from the front range Avatar
    Tom (formerly) from the front range

    I’m wondering if any other villagers are having an issue with your gocomics premium subscription. I renewed my subscription on January 25th (having received no reminder that my subscription had expired.) I received a receipt by email. Yesterday I received another receipt and my credit card was charged again, this dated February 25th.
    I have contacted support as stated at the bottom of the receipt(s) and filed a dispute with Visa. I feel sure this will be resolved. I mention it here as many of you are subscribers. You should watch closely to see if you have been double charged as well.

  7. Tom (formerly) from the front range Avatar
    Tom (formerly) from the front range

    And regarding posting problems here, I only submitted the above one time.

  8. TruckerRon Avatar

    @ Jackie: “Trucker are you a diabetic also on insulin?” Yeah, I crossed into insulin land about 4 years ago. My A1C is finally staying where I want it since getting my CGM system, always below 7.0 and sometimes below 6.0.

  9. Huntch Avatar
    Huntch

    Jimmy, get your “jab”! Want you to live long and prosper. Maybe increase the chances of fulfilling your obligation for “after dark”.

  10. Doug Avatar
    Doug

    My wife have gotten our first doses of the vaccinations and we were just talking about how it will be nice to start eating out in about 5 weeks. Our new foreplay is talking about the restaurants we plan to go to first.

  11. Jackie Avatar
    Jackie

    Ghost and I eat outside on patios or inside at such odd hours that we are usually alone. We are very picky too and patronize restaurants with constant cleaning procedures.

    And we just don’t eat out much now sadly.

  12. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Essential.

  13. Jackie Avatar
    Jackie

    Trucker I am fighting low blood sugars constantly now, running in 70-80 steadily. I get shakey.

    Ghost is enrolling me in classes and counseling. We are enroute to have my ood drawn for a current A1C this morning so I am fasting and sugars are 73 just now.

    Thinking I would love to eat grilled shrimp at my favorite barbque if I can get in with the wheelchair.

    1. Sideburns Avatar

      Jackie, if you feel shaky, or as I call it, wobbly, don’t wait to test your blood sugar; just get some food into you right away. It’s better to get a little carb into you when it’s not really needed than to pass out while you’re waiting for that reading. I know, as I was first diagnosed almost 19 years ago, and have had lots of time to learn.

  14.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Trucker I am fighting low blood sugars constantly now, running in 70-80 steadily. I get shakey.

    Ghost is enrolling me in classes and counseling. We are enroute to have my ood drawn for a current A1C this morning so I am fasting and sugars are 73 just now.

    Thinking I would love to eat grilled shrimp at my favorite barbque if I can get in with the wheelchair.

  15. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Trucker I am fighting low blood sugars constantly now, running in 70-80 steadily. I get shakey.

    Ghost is enrolling me in classes and counseling. We are enroute to have my ood drawn for a current A1C this morning so I am fasting and sugars are 73 just now.

    Thinking I would love to eat grilled shrimp at my favorite barbque if I can get in with the wheelchair.

  16. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Have not seen anyones info. but
    the system forgot my info. today.

    1. JJ Avatar
      JJ

      I don’t have anything to do with GoComics administration directly, but if this continues to be a problem for you and others, I’ll certainly make enquiries and advocate on your behalf. (Meanwhile, thanks for the double payment!)

  17. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Good grief! Posted three times as Jackie. Anonymous and Jackie Monies!

    Ghost said when he posted his one word comment my information came up on his computer!

  18. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Had our third good birthday dinner for me in Tulsa today. Ghost had fettuccine Alfredo, his favorite, I had a new pasta shrimp limone. Purely divine with artichokes, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, spinach over angel hair pasta.

    I shared with Ghost.

    We are loyally club members of several good restaurants that give points and free meals. The three we kept sre the best, P.F. Changs, Abuelos and Zios Italian Kitchen. Chinese, TexMex and Italian. I’ve been a member over 25 years and eaten lots of free food.

    COVID-19 has forced.them to cut back but they are still excellent. When I was a salesman I belonged to everyone and got so many coupons we often just couldn’t use them.

    How to eat like a prince even on less resources. Tip well, make friends, your servers often find coupons for you.

  19. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Had our third good birthday dinner for me in Tulsa today. Ghost had fettuccine Alfredo, his favorite, I had a new pasta shrimp limone. Purely divine with artichokes, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, spinach over angel hair pasta.

    I shared with Ghost.

    We are loyally club members of several good restaurants that give points and free meals. The three we kept sre the best, P.F. Changs, Abuelos and Zios Italian Kitchen. Chinese, TexMex and Italian. I’ve been a member over 25 years and eaten lots of free food.

    COVID-19 has forced.them to cut back but they are still excellent. When I was a salesman I belonged to everyone and got so many coupons we often just couldn’t use them.

    How to eat like a prince even on less resources. Tip well, make friends, your servers often find coupons for you.

  20. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    There’s a lot of copying going on going on going on going on going on….

    [repetition duplication from the department of redundancy department]

  21. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Hope Jimmy has a good blog tech. I have no idea what is going on!

  22. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    I went one day past the “boat show” sequence to 2-9-1996, to the one where Arlo gives Janis a playful pinch on the butt, and you think, “Why do she respond angrily?”, then you realize they are in a store. It reminded me that I’ve never understood why one would want to pinch a woman’s butt. Touching, patting, feeling…now you’re talking! 🙂
    It also reminded me of the time a couple of years ago when Jackie and I were shopping, and I felt her cup and definitely caress my butt with her hand. And then I realized that where she was standing in relation to my position that it could not have been her that did it. And that it must have been one of the thirty-something lady teachers shopping for school supplies who had just been behind me and were the only other ones on the aisle. Well, at least she didn’t pinch me…and I actually appreciated the implied compliment.

  23. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    By the way, should my email address be revealed to someone on the blog, feel free to say “Howdy”…unless you’re are a spammer. Or if you think I am insufferable and my posts detestable, feel free to take a hard pass. 😀
    Also, I note that for this and the previous post, the blog has apparently retained my name and address.

    1. Rick in Shermantown, Ohio Avatar
      Rick in Shermantown, Ohio

      My information was missing this morning, but that is due to my running CCleaner.

      I decided, though, that I should no longer use my real email address.

      I now use fake-address@fake.com.

  24. Nancy K in AZ Avatar
    Nancy K in AZ

    Hmm. Mine was there this morning on this iPad and is blank now (until I fill it out again). Hmm.

  25. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Had the first dose of the Moderna COVID vaccine this afternoon. The stick was no worse than any other I’ve had. And 7 hours later, still no effects. I keep seeing comments on Facebook about how come so many people don’t take the disease seriously. My own feeling is that we have gotten burned out from the press going crazy over a new disease every year or so and trying to panic everyone over it. I mean, over the last 10 or 15 years it seems like we have a new oh-so-serious threat that’s going to take down society. And it doesn’t, leading me to think of the story about the boy who cried wolf. Eventually nobody believed him, and then things got really serious.

    1. TruckerRon Avatar

      Every new disease is heralded as the deadliest one yet, though none of them have killed nearly as many people (percentage wise or total numbers) as the scourges of the past, like smallpox or the bubonic plague. Even the 20th century’s polio epidemics had death rates far exceeding this corona virus (about 30% in some years for polio, but just 1.8% for the known cases with COVID in the US).
       
      Having St. Fauci changing his story “for our own good” regarding the danger from the disease, masks, and percentage of vaccinations needed for herd immunity has convinced many that he’s not a reliable prophet. The only positive thing I’ve learned from his example is to take supplements to improve my own immune system.