Her purse isn't even that big!

Today's strip totally hit home, mostly because I commute to and from work on the bus. I cannot cope with people who don't have their money/farecard ready. I actually have my SmarTrip card in my pocket when I close my front door. Seriously, there is no excuse for these people. I hate being behind them in line, I hate sitting on the bus and watching them take forever. At least most of the time, if they need to search, they do try and step aside and let people ahead of them.

OK, I guess on occasion, I can see not having change ready. But this just speaks to me. Right on, Al and Susan!

Artwork on vacation

Sorry for the absence yesterday. I returned to my office and turned on my computer...which promptly went "Pop" and started emitting a foul odor. Needless to say, it was not long for this world. I didn't get another one until 4, then had class, then had to do work at home! Fun! Anyway.

OK, I know that I've been away too long when I actually find the name "Pablum Pistachio" in today's strip to be somewhat endearing. However, I've fallen into the trap of actually remembering that the strip is called "They'll Do It Every Time" (emphasis mine, obviously), and I can't believe that every artist and every person who advocates a clutter-free lifestyle is actually a slob--possibly to the point of having some sort of psychiatric problem with hoarding. I do love Al's take on art, though. Always a good time.

Yesterday's strip offers a take on travel. The whole thing is intriguing. Mr. Annoya (why not Annoyia again, Al?) clearly has been hearing about Palm City for ages. He doesn't look even a little excited to go. Does he know what he's in for? And do women really insist that their husbands come shopping with them? I hate shopping with other people (most of the time). Unless she thinks he'll spend the entire time on the beach leering at nubile young women? Actually, that's a possibility. Feel free to speculate about the story of that mother and her son in the front of the panel--he looks quite displeased, and she looks upset. Maybe she just told him that she and his father are getting divorced. Any other theories?

Migratory complaints

I'm not entirely sure I understand today's strip, although I do see that it was submitted by a cranky Florida reader. If they're not careful, they're going to get their own tag. My biggest point of confusion is whether the Arfo and Elpie own two homes--one in the south and one in the north. The expo box isn't sure ("To visit old friends or what?"), and she says that they come up every year. If they're staying with friends, that is a bit obnoxious. But if they have a place to stay, what's the big deal? It seems logical that a couple might want to go south in the winter, and north in the summer. Lots of retirees do it; my grandparents did. And if they came north just for a vacation, is there even an issue here? I guess this might be a "grass is greener" situation.

I only just figured out the "They usta say it's not bad" comment. What the heck is "usta"? Al frequently tries to write things phonetically, but he fails miserably here. "Usta" does not mean "used to." Ever, pretty much. And people who scoff at the "dry heat" comment need to feel what 95 degrees feels like in Arizona, then feel 95 degrees in DC in July. They're very different.

Of course, this doesn't make sense if Arfo and Elpie moved to Florida. You can't say that the heat in Florida is dry. And why is the Florida person complaining? It means that people leave in the summer, which you think would make them happy.

Mmm, vacation

I can kind of sympathize with today's strip. Growing up, my family tended to take trips to tropical places during the rainy season. But really, this is more a case of, "Yeah, that sucks" (which is the correct description for the examples in "Ironic" by Alanis Morissette) that something that happens every time. Unless you have particularly bad luck. Or parents who travel during the rainy season.

And while that does totally suck, if you're going on a tropical beach vacation, you're probably going to relax. Which, quite honestly, you can do in a hotel room. And then you won't have to worry about sunburn! By the time I went on a cruise last fall, I didn't really care if it had rained the whole time. I could've spent the week in bed and been content. Though going snorkeling and parasailing was awesome. So.

The people in the background frustrate me, because it shows that Al can draw attractive people, he just chooses not to. Ever.

And what's up with the arror pointing to the balloon in the top panel? Oh, we're supposed to read that! Thanks for pointing it out, Al!