Barb embraces technology

You may have noticed (if you haven't...you're blind) that I realized what the little Blogger icons mean in my "Create a Post" window and have added the actual strip for today. My knowledge of the Interwebs clearly knows no bounds. I was spurred on to this by gallagher's comment yesterday, wondering whether the archives would disappear, rendering my blog completely moot. (Or moo, like a cow's opinion.) I hope that if they do disappear, it takes a while, as I'll make an attempt to go back and add the actual comics. And maybe even add tags for the older entries. We'll see.

Anyway, today's strip. (Yes, I feel the need to link it. I don't know why.) I kind of love it because of the woman in the lower right corner. Her expression makes me happy. Also, that is a tiny pool, which amuses me. I do wonder whether this visitor to Palm City actually heard these people say they were going for a "swim" or just a "dip in the pool." Did these guys actually talk about getting exercise? And maybe they are swimming around a bit. Or it could be therapeutic! My grandmother swims every week because she has a bum hip, but I doubt she's doing laps. Who knows.

Love the guy asking the others where they're going for "early bird." I really hope that people actually do call it that. It would totally make my day.

They didn't even mention the dinner at 4 that afternoon

I can certainly see the truth in today's strip, though it's hardly something that happens every time. My grandmother moved into a retirement community (though one not far from where she lived her entire life; she didn't move away) and seriously, folks, she is busy all the time. Card clubs, trips to Ocean City, etc., etc. She has a bunch of friends and they're always doing stuff. I'm convinced that for her, it's like college without the hassle of having to go to class and worry about what to do with your life. On the other hand, my other grandmother moved into a similar community, and really doesn't like it. So. Does happen, but not every time.

I've decided that Gram and Gramp moved down from Baltimore, judging solely from the "Hon" in the top panel. Also, my grandmother is from Baltimore, and I call her Gram. But can anyone tell me what a Jazzaria is? All I can think of is a cafeteria where you jazzercise.

Yes, old people can have fun too. But why shouldn't their kids be upset? Gram and Gramps are clearly moving far away, and the kids are worried about their welfare. Oh no! The horror!

Do most TDIET women have jobs outside the home?

I'm not sure that I totally get today's strip. Obviously, I understand the premise. She's didn't put much money in, but wants to benefit as well. There are a lot of problems, though. This is TDIET. What are the chances that Annoya has a job outside the home? Probably slim. So really, Barfo's money is hers, anyway. Do they actually have their own checking accounts? And even though Annoya didn't put a lot of money in there, she did put the occasional coin in there. But it could've added up over time. So how can this be divided fairly? And I'd like to point out that unless that's all pennies (clearly not--the coins are silver), a jar that comes up to Barfo's waist should hold WAY more than just $205. I have a mug that I put my spare change in. It maybe comes up to just above my ankle. It probably has a good $10 in it. And that doesn't have any quarters in it. Presumably, Barfo's jar does. And honestly, if Barfo didn't want Annoya to get her hands on that money, he should've done something else with his change.

Yesterday's strip is yet another foray into the world of people who work from home, combined with the perennial favorite of retirement. (Probably just to contradict my assertion above about women not working in the world of TDIET. But Annoya was wearing an apron. I rest my case.) Anyway, at first I thought it was just about Fignewt having to deal with his wife entertaining while he's working. I just hope his office has a door. As for errands...well, no, Mrs. Fignewt shouldn't expect him to have the time to do that. But one of the benefits of working from home is that you can. I'm just saying. In any case, clearly he need to explain to his wife--again--the concept of working from home. And if it doesn't work out...well, they need to figure something out.

Return of the killer squid (casserole)!

What's bizarre about today's strip is Al's need to point out that Dragbutt is recently retired. It really has no bearing on the strip, which is more about a married couple and a division of labor. Maybe he needed to say this, because otherwise his readers would get up in arms at the thought of a working husband having to clean up a kitchen. (Of course, this is patently untrue, as it appears that the readership of They'll Do It Every Time consists of Comics Curmudgeon readers.)

So why did Catastra have to use all those dishes to make a casserole? Honestly, if she did dirty all those making the casserole, then it's not "simple" and she and Dragbutt are about even on the labor division, I'd say.

Seriously--where did all those pots come from? The more I look, the more I wonder. And if they've been left there for ages as part of a nefarious plot to get Dragbutt to wash them...well, good for Catastra. Dragbutt deserves it if he hasn't been in the kitchen for that long.

Of crappy husbands and crappy cousins

Yesterday's strip continues the recent thread of retirement and dealing with a retired spouse. I honestly have nothing new to say about this (other than "The urge to retire him to the moon" actually makes some sense, so good job, Al!). I am kind of curious about the top panel--what does Dragbutt thinks his wife does all day that will go away once he's retired? And why does she seem pleased by that? You'd think that she'd realize that cooking, cleaning, etc., doesn't go away when someone retires. I don't know.

Man, I really feel bad for Arfo in today's strip. That's just a crappy situation that Fignewt left him in; even Mrs. Fignewt's expression seems to imply that she knows that this sucks. This is a situation where I really feel like I need more information. Did Fignewt really have to go to his mother's? Why? I don't think I can make a judgment without that information. This really all depends on the personalities involved. I just want to know why it's "Living on the brink." That's just silly.

What kind of home office doesn't have a stapler?

Today's strip alerts to the fact that it's apparently "Strips about working at home" week in TDIETland. It's almost like Al has only recently been alerted to the fact that people work at home now (though I'm fairly sure there have been strips here and there about it in the past).

Well, at least the bottom panel indicates that Al does realize that women have careers and such nowadays, though I can't help but notice the haircut of the wife. I almost feel like Al is making a statement, but I could very well be overanalyzing.

Again, this is a case where the guy working at home needs to say something. I know that it's hard to convince someone dropping by or your wife that you need to do work--it's very easy to say, as I sit in an office, right? I would hope, though, that Fondue pointing out that he's trying to, you know, make money, might help him persuade his wife to leave him alone for a while. I feel more sorry for him than I do for the woman in the top panel. I know that it's insanely frustrating to do housework while someone's just lounging around, but him watching tv doesn't stop her from doing what she needs to do. And she could, you know, tell him to get his own lunch if he's so hungry. And also maybe do chores of the sort mentioned in the bottom panel?

Now I have a helpful egg cooker!

I'm trying to figure out why it's important in today's strip that Fignewt is retired. It's highlighted in both the expo box and Elpie saying that he needs to get a life (when she actually means he just needs to stop bothering her--which, really, would be what most people would say). I guess we have to assume that when he had a job, he wouldn't hover that way. Probably because he came home and found dinner on the table, as it should be.

I kind of feel bad for Fignewt, though; look at his face in that top panel. He doesn't look demanding or anything, just a bit sad. Aww. Maybe that's why it's important he's retired--he doesn't really feel a sense of purpose in his life, so tries to help out. Sure, what he's saying is annoying, but now I feel bad for him.

Same with the bottom panel. If they'd chosen something other than fried eggs, I might be less sympathetic, but I have major problems with them myself (mostly flipping them, to be honest). And Elpie is just pissing me off. And what's up with the layout of the house--the bedroom open to the kitchen like that? Particularly since it doesn't look that way in the top panel.

I always seem to wind up sympathizing with the wrong person in these things, don't I?

Don't taunt me with retirement on a Friday

Today's strip is a return to the topic of retirement after almost 4 months; I opened the page and it was like a flashback to early November. The thing that intrigues me about this strip is that Migraina is clearly in the wrong--she complained before, she's complaining now. Not surprising, really. What makes it intriguing is that the strip was submitted by "A number of wives all over U.S.A." I doubt that they were trying to make themselves look bad. I really can't imagine how they could've worded their complaint to make their husbands seem wrong. He was never around before, but now he won't go away! Well, you got what you asked for, so...

Which is not to say that I don't understand. I live by myself and often think that it'd be nice to have someone else around, but I know that when I do live with someone, I like holing myself up in my room. (This worked best with my last roommate, who was the same way.) But complaining to Al about this is not the way to handle it.

Also, "Give an earful" as a way to say "Listen in"? Doesn't work. Unless he's saying that "wifey's gripe" is giving an earful...which I guess it is. But the whole is worded very strangely. Which...right. This is TDIET. I shouldn't act surprised.

I do like the kickin' big-screen tv in the background.

I'd pack it in at 30 if that were an option

Are you kidding me? Today's strip is another about retirement. It we see three more of these, I'm going to get annoyed that he didn't just run them Monday through Friday and make it retirement week.

The most remarkable thing about this strip--which has the same physical configuration of an office as a much earlier strip that I am far too lazy to track down at the moment--is the office it's set in. The woman in the back has a typewriter on her desk. A typewriter. Al, I thought we had moved beyond this. You started to acknowledge things like HDTV and cell phones. There was progress. OK, I'll give you a tip: Nobody has a typewriter on their desk at work. I'm not saying that nobody uses a typewriter. But nowadays, we all have these wacky computer things and if you work in an office, you have one on your desk. I want to say that we have seen computers in this strip, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

Has anyone ever used the phrase "until rocks get soft"? Do rocks even get soft? Ever? Don't they just break down and become dust? At least the woman's comment (about the office boy retiring) makes sense.

I will give Mr. Bidworth of Cincinnati this--yes, that would be annoying. You're not wrong. But the fact that this happened makes me think there's a reason good ol' Len isn't retiring. Maybe he can't afford to, I don't know. But I have a feeling there's something here that isn't being said. And I kind of love how the blonde woman is horrified by the fact that he isn't retiring--to the point that she's stuttering.

And you can tell that this is something they'll do "every time" from the guy in the back saying "Here we go again." This is clearly a situation that the office workers have dealt with numerous times.

Do that many restaurants close between lunch and dinner?

Wow. Today's strip marks the second retirement-focused strip in less than a week. I assume that we're supposed to shake our heads at Barfwell. Always late for dinner! You'd think that after a while, his wife would realize this and perhaps push dinner back. And why not be annoyed with him? It's not like it's his job that provides money to pay for the food. It's not like he can't tell how long his commute will take--because both driving and public transportation are so predictable! The solution would be to do what my dad does; namely, he calls my mom when he's leaving so she has an idea of when he'll be home.

And wow, he got there before the early bird dinner? What time is it--2:30? Maybe he's not going for dinner; maybe it's a late lunch. Mid-afternoon snack? And now he can be early because he doesn't have to work. It sure doesn't look like he was willfully coming home late for dinner, just to spite his wife. Plus, he's saving money! Everyone wins!

Leadbutt's retirement plan sounds good to me

I totally have Leadbutt's back in today's strip. When I retired, darn tootin' I just want to sit around all day and watch tv. That sounds awesome. But look at the devil eyes his wife is giving him! I mean, I can understand how it'd be annoying, but that's not just annoyance or even disgust--that's full-out loathing.

And really, I'm with him in the bottom panel, too. I might not go on and on about my plans, but I'd probably say something other than, "Great! I sit around all day and do nothing, kids. It's awesome." And notice that Leadbutt never actually says that he's keeping busy with travel and hobbies and bowling; he just says that it's the key to a happy retirement. It's classic. It sounds like you're talking about yourself, but you're technically not. And perhaps someday he will do those things; if he's recently retired, maybe he just wants to relax for a while before formulating any big plans.

So, basically, shut up, Mrs. Leadbutt. (And your shirt in the bottom panel is awful.)