Monday, June 27, 2016

Mary Worth 2344

I just wanted to check in. We are living in temporary housing before we move into our new home and the wifi is unbelievably bad. And the lobby computers won't let me download images, so I've had a lot of trouble posting. But we should move into our new home this Friday and have Internet installed on July 5th, so shortly after that, I'll return to regular programming.

But I did want to make two comments on today's strip. First, I want to compliment Joe Giella on his best computer ever! And second, I want to express my great appreciation for this story focusing on Mary Worth writing Dear Wendy comments, and NOT on Wilbur's adventures in Japanese earthquake disaster sites. And especially NOT on Iris and Tommy's move. I've had enough to do with moving for at least a few years.

I've been missing everyone! Have a great week.

Today's full strip

28 comments:

Nance said...

Hang in there, Wanders. Thanks for checking in during your Transitional Phase.

As the folks at Ex Lax might say, 'Here's hoping things move more smoothly from here on out.'

GROAN.

Sorry.

Anonymous said...

Not only is the computer realistic, the gray books actually have pages! Wow! And Mary looks like our Mary! I'm loving Monday :-)

Good luck, Wanders, we all know how stressful moving can be (or we will probably know soon, as Iris and Tommy move)

fauxprof said...

Blessings on your new home, Wanders, may it be serene and happy!

Meanwhile, we'll see to the snark here. I'm wondering if Tommy and Iris were just dropped into a black hole and we will hear no more of them and their move. It's probably from one furnished unit into another and will only require a few cardboard boxes, Mr. Allora, and a plastic garbage bag for Tommy's--er--stuff. (Also, all those grey books are on loan from Santa Royale University Library, and are way WAY overdue.)

KitKat said...

Wanders, it's so good to hear from you. It sounds like you and your family are rounding third and heading for home (both metaphorically and in reality), so hang in there!

I expected the first "Ask Wendy" letter to read like this:

"Dear Wendy,

"How can I get my 37-year-old son to become more independent? He's been living with me ever since he got out of prison. He sleeps on my sofa, eats all the food, expects me to do his laundry, and never takes out the trash. My boyfriend got him a job at a restaurant, but my son's lack of ambition is driving me nuts. He wouldn't even apply for the position of Head Janitor! He's content to be the Associate Assistant Janitor forever. I'm tired of this!" - Fed-Up Mother

Toots McGee said...

I can't wait to see how Mary, as Wendy, answers this perplexing question!

Mrs. E. Worthington Manville said...

I think for the next 3 to 6 months of this storyline, I shall pretend that Mary is pulling double duty, not only filling in for Ask Wendy but also for nationally syndicated sex advice columnist Dan Savage, and giving advice to his readers, such as today's panel 2 letter from frustrated reader Strappy McStrappington.

Darth Curt said...

And I love how the computer tower is modded to look like an old fashioned filing cabinet. Very quaint...

What's that?...

I've just been told that is a filing cabinet. Hmm... seems rather narrow. I wonder if that's where Mary keeps her 5 and a quarter floppies. (And now I'm dating myself)

Toots McGee said...

Fuming probably needs to review past interactions. I mean that's what I'd suggest, but I'll still wait to hear what Wendy has to say.

If that's a filing cabinet, it's awful narrow. Given that the drawer pulls are general centered, I'd say you'd be lucky to be able to fit 5 and a quarter floppies in there. Maybe 3.5?

Perhaps Mary has her own card catalog.

Inappropriate said...

@Nance: What a crappy comment. ... Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!

Dawn Weston's Evil Twin said...

Wanders, good luck with your move! We all miss you over here at Charterstone! (SO MUCH has been happening! You're missing it!)

XXOO

Love,
DWET

meg said...

Hope Mary-land can survive Wexit.

Maxwell Bacon said...

Ha! I knew it! We're stuck with Mary writing this lame advice column! And the letter's not even interesting. If the letter-writer is interested in forgiveness, that's already half the battle, so why is LW even writing in at all?

It would be more fun to have a letter from Tommie Beadie:

Dear Wendy,

I had a tough time with drugs when I was younger, went to prison, did my time, and now I'm trying to start off with a clean slate and contribute to society. Trouble is, I can't afford to live on my own yet. I only make minimum wage at my part-time job at a local sandwich shop--my employer won't give me more than 30 hours a week, since he'd have to pay for health insurance if he did. Well, my mom is letting me live with her, and it's really nice of her, and it works out well, but I have to put up with judgmental glares and whispers constantly from pretty much all of the pompous, self-righteous bourgeois neighbors in the apartment complex. I'm starting to feel like I need drugs again ... There's an especially judgmental older lady who's always trying to give me "advice" and to "help" turn me into someone I'm not!

Well, the apartment complex isn't all bad. There's this nice college student I pass in the halls sometime. She's a real babe!

How do I improve my living situation and my love life? How do I stay clean and start a new live?

Signed,
Long-Haired Dude in an Uptight World

meg said...

Dear Long-Haired Dude:

First, cut your hair.

Ian Cameron, PhD said...

Wanders, best of luck for a successful move. If it becomes too stressful, relax over a carrot muffin and reflect on the survivors of the recent earthquakes.

To help tide you over, it seems that Karen has offered a Tommy Beedie retrospective:
http://maryworthcomics.com/2016/06/24/tommys-back-in-the-picture/

Anonymous said...

Dear Long-Haired Dude:

Have you considered yoga?

Regina the NY Diva said...

Wanders, I know the stress of moving. I've been in Maine six years and have moved FIVE TIMES. (Not of my choosing. My husband seems to think moving is fun, being from a military family that moved constantly.) We've finally bought a house n the only way I'm moving is in a pine box (that my husband will put me in if I have to move again.)

Anyway, I have a letter for Mary/Wendy:

Dear Wendy,

I am a 40 something widower who has been told I look like Tom Selleck/Robert Goulet/Clark Gable/William Powell/Burt Reynolds. I have been doing yoga within a thirty something co-ed. Word has gotten around the campus that our relationship is less than pure which was been spread by some 40-something mean girls. My intentions have always been honorable!!!! What should I do to stop this malicious gossip?

Signed,

Clueless Professor at SRCC

P.S. What is Title XI? Is that a book by Leonardo DaVinci???

Anonymous said...

"Fuming" must be a joy to be around. She was perfectly happy to let her sister plan and host the big party all alone. She probably is also expected to host every holiday meal. I'll bet the whole family is in on this change of plans, just to see "fuming" sweat it out. The rest of the family is really planning to go to Disneyland to celebrate the anniversary.

smooth said...

TUESDAY

Does Mary not realize it's SCREAMING to type in all caps? Never mind the over estimation of abilities--sort of like Moy & Giella.

fauxprof said...

Could this be foreshadowing? Is Mary about to overestimate her own abilities? Nah, that could never happen.

KitKat said...

Panel 1: Mary's keyboarding technique was honed playing the organ at the Roller Rink back in the day (waaay baaack).

Panel 2: The shadows on the back of Mary's head and hand can mean only one thing: AN EARTHQUAKE IS IMMINENT! (And won't Wilbur be ticked that he spent all that money on a trip to Japan....)

Vince said...

fauxprof, I was thinking along the same lines as you. What if we are being led into a story where Mary has a crisis of faith IN HERSELF? Would we be prepared if a plausible story did emerge in this strip? I acknowledge that the first question does not necessarily lead to the second.

KitKat said...

@fauxprof and @Vince, if (a big IF) there is a plot wherein Mary has a crisis of faith in her own abilities, it'll extend until Halloween, when it turns out to just be a dream (brought on by Mary having eaten some kelk beyond its "use by" date).

Maxwell Bacon said...

Even Mary thought the letter was boring! She's falling asleep in panel 1!

I definitely think that Mary overestimates her abilities. Maybe the next letter will be a real doozy! Maybe a serial killer with a tinge of regret will ask her for advice. Who knows? The world is our oyster!

KitKat said...

Wednesday
"Things are not always what they seem."
"The best-made plans can go awry."
Mary has about a gazillion more cliches she can mine for "Ask Wendy," e.g., "It's always darkest before the dawn," "What goes around comes around'," "Where there's smoke there's fire" etc. etc. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

With that keyboarding angle, Mary will have carpal tunnel syndrome by the weekend. Ouch.

fauxprof said...

@KitKat, you are spot on about the carpal tunnel, and I was getting lower back pain just looking at how low she's sitting. Having spent countless hours at a computer in my Interlibrary Loan days (When I was full time and not adjunct faux) I can relate. Actually, my sympathies are with June, who has to draw a Sunday Summary consisting of Old Hag Sitting At Computer.

True Standish said...

It looks like Mary uses Microsoft Outlook. Yay, e-mail!

Petunia said...

What is that "artwork" on the wall? A portrait of Mary's extra-terrestrial relatives?

Yahoonski said...

FRIDAY: And you thought watching somebody type platitudes on a computer was boring! Now we get to see people moving their possessions from one apartment to another. The reappearance of Tommy, however, takes me back to my comic book reading youth. Do any of you remember the Brothers of the Spear feature that used to run in the back of Tarzan comics? One of the brothers was black and the other white, with straight blond hair cut very much like our favorite former drug addict and mover of lightweight parcels here. Wake me up when Mr. Allora and his (six-fingered?) hand truck arrive.