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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

Vertically Challenged

By Jimmy Johnson



Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
I’m sorry to be late with this classic A&J, but I’m a little busy helping send out T shirts! As I remember, I was supposed to be something of a figurehead and a quality-control type, but there’s been some serious mission creep, it would appear. At least you’ll know whom to blame!

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99 responses to “Vertically Challenged”

  1. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    It works! I think that you will like it.

  2. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Debbe, actually they aren’t completely hairless, just a very short coat. Feels kind of like warm suede. Met a lady carrying one to a yard sale with her and got to pet it.

  3. NealinBawstun Avatar

    “For Your Love” may have been Ed Townsend’s only hit (1959), but it is the very definition of a romantic ballad and possibly the best slow-dance songs ever recorded. In my opinion…

  4. Ruth Anne in Winter Park Avatar
    Ruth Anne in Winter Park

    Thanks Ghost – I didn’t know that! I do remember that Dewey was a big believer in simplified spelling, hence the library school joke “Melvin Dui cudn’t spel.”

  5. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    A little library humor there, RA…I like it! 🙂

    Gal, any word ref Jackie’s status?

  6. Mindy from Indy Avatar

    Anyone else spend a few minutes wondering what the microwave said?

  7. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    Bison can be gentle giants, but can turn into something to fear without notice. I have stood outside of a double fenced corral watching a bull run circles and charge. Even with two levels of steel pipe fencing I felt uneasy when he came my direction head down.

  8. Trapper Jean Avatar
    Trapper Jean

    c-ex-p, I do indeed prefer to drink iced tea before the ice melts, otherwise the “tea” taste is all watery. But yes, the tea flavored sugar sludge is good, too.

    Debbe, Mark is correct about that cat. She (I assume) is an Egyptian Spinx Cat, and because they do not have long hair are particularly good for people with allergies. A friend has one, named Piglet.

    As for Christmas letters, yes, I read every one I get. Someone took the time to write it, so it only seems polite. I do have good intentions of writing one, but in past years the three children that I would have written about kept me too busy to do the writing, and now I’m just too lazy. I do try to send cards, though.

  9. Trapper Jean Avatar
    Trapper Jean

    I checked this morning, and my t-shirt has gone from Iuka, Mississippi to Memphis. According to the post office I should get it by Saturday. 🙂

  10. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    Jean, my order is also in Memphis. Should be at the house when we return from Dallas. Then they shall remain unopened beneath the Christmas tree ???? until Xmas eve.

  11. David in Austin Avatar
    David in Austin

    We always read newsletters, and in past years used to send letters (computer printed) out with Christmas cards that had a handwritten note. Now just about everyone we would have sent newsletters to are connected via Facebook. They’ve already suffered through TMI (too much information) for the entire year, so a newsletter would be redundant.

    As a related side note, writing a letter to the mother of my kidney donor is about the hardest thing I’ve ever done. She has written us three times and my wife has replied before. How do I tell someone that I’m doing better, able to do many things (including travel) that I haven’t been able to do for years? How can anything I say do anything but make the first Christmas without her son even harder? She’s asked for pictures… we have ones with my family smiling and doing things that I can do now because I’m carrying her son’s kidney. I certainly didn’t do anything to deserve healing, and he absolutely didn’t deserve to die. I have a different sort of survivor’s guilt. :/

  12. Mindy from Indy Avatar

    David – Send her the pictures. Show her her son’s gift is well appreciated. He didn’t deserve his fate, but his desire to give lives on with you. A life well lived is the best way to help her honor her son’s memory.

  13. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    David: “How do I tell someone that I’m doing better, able to do many things (including travel) that I haven’t been able to do for years?”

    I submit that you tell the donor’s mother and family exactly that. Do you not think that was exactly what they hoped and expected when they made it possible for you receive the gift of life from their loved one? Tell them. Give them the solace of knowing that something good came from something awful. And don’t feel guilty. That’s the last thing they would want you to do.

  14. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    http://www.gaiahealthblog.com/wordpress1/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/nnhi8l-b88394177z.120150427142447000gm49dngn.10.jpg

    Way to go, Chipolte! When you finish patting yourself on the back for going “non-GMO” perhaps you can start work on providing non-e.coli and non-norovirus fare to your customers.

  15. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Jean dear and sand: Notwithstanding the fact that your tee shirts seem to be going in the wrong direction, I assume they will eventually end up at your respective front doors. 🙂

  16. Ruth Anne in Winter Park Avatar
    Ruth Anne in Winter Park

    Given a choice between a restaurant that touts that it is “non-GMO” and one with a paid sick days policy (so no employee is feels the need to bring that norovirus to work with him), I’ll gladly take my chances with the GMOs.

  17. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Dear Ruth Anne, you are certainly right about that!

  18.  Avatar

    David absolutely write her and tell her how your life was changed and what it has meant to you. I wanted to donate anything I could have when Mike died but the cancer prevented that. Now I try to donate so something of his soul lives on.

  19. Llee Avatar

    Jackie posted/shared some boat photos on FB this morning.

  20. emb Avatar
    emb

    Ruth Anne, Me too!

    Re: Escherischia coli. E. coli is a normal and essential bacterium in our gut, and I believe the most abundant one. One strain of E. coli has turned parasitic and is real nasty. Microbiologists and pathologists can identify it, and thus look out for it. But the sp. as a whole is beneficial, does some of our digesting for us.

    Time for lunch. Lutefisk supper at Calvary LC this evening.

    Peace, emb

  21. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    Yep, David; send the letter and photos with your sincere gratitude and appreciation for what those folks made possible.

    I recall “For Your Love” from – apparently – the ’50s, but never new who sang it. Agreed, that was one FINE piece of music for dancing….

    I’ve been in contact with JJ and his alter ego in Iuka, and have been told my 5 shirts are being sent this very day. JJ’s check was also inserted into the postal system this day, making matters nicely symmetrical.

  22.  Avatar

    Jackie survived her pre operative testing but realized I am at risk of carrying MRSA (not sure that is correct initial ) the deadly antibiotic resistant disease because my late mother in law had this and I was repeatedly exposed. They are testing for carriers now and if I am one I won’t probably get my surgery.

    On another note I entertained the female hospital staff with my leather jeans and hot granny wardrobe. They refused to believe my age and diagnosis. That was uplifting.

    I have to wear the stupid sports bras that open in front. The surgical educator said to please try them on!

  23. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Jackie, there is MRSA (the nasty one) and MSSA (the sensitive one). Most carriers are detected through nasal swabs, apparently the bugs like it there. MRSA is resistant to certain drugs, and the list keeps growing. MSSA is sensitive to most antibiotics.

    Good luck.