Saul is still explaining everything to Eve (who probably knew it all anyway), and this is Wednesday. So, we might have 2 or even 3 days before the vet appears. Maybe we should all meet back here on Saturday. Looks like we won't miss much.
“What is it girl? What do you hear?” Obviously it’s the sound of this plot laboriously grinding into gear as they reunite with fellow bedraggled ex bait dogs Lala and Floopsiekins recuperating in the back room, and Stell prepares the ticker tape machine for Mary’s victory parade. (When your meddling consists of organizing a geriatric search patrol and stakeout, you get a full parade and catered reception with Mother Teresa’s ghost, not just a lap).
Please, Ed. If this goes on for much longer I’m gonna be in dire need of your euthanasia services.
So "Woof!" apparently is the international language of the dog world. Don't dogs ever just say "Woof" without exclaiming? My guess is that Greta isn't hearing "Woof!" from Max, but instead from her fragile buddy from the FightClub, a canine she met probably once. No, Max saved her life, but forget him. Depression ensued until Greta could be comforted by the presence of Noodle (or whatever that dog's name was..). I'm betting Max is miffed...
I think I figured out what needs to be done to see newer comments. On my iPhone, I click on "load more" (below the box to enter a comment). On the laptop, I click on "newer" or "newest." It would be nice if Wanders posted again - there's a whole lotta scrollin' goin' on.
Either KM is pranking us or she knows nothing about dogs. Imagine an episode of "Lassie" done KM style - holy moly. BTW, I could never understand why Lassie's family never had window screens....
Please don’t get upset, and don’t kill the guessenger, but I fear that Holly/LaLa/Dirty Dawg’s owner is being brought aboard the strip to be WILBUR’S girlfriend. Let us pray.
Based on body type, I’d say Saul weighs in at about 180-200 pounds, and Greta is 20 pounds, tops. Yet she’s pulling him upright and across the room. That’s motivation!
Kit Kat- If Moy wrote Lassie Timmy would never get out of the well. Meg- She might become his girlfriend, then Mary could tell her about all his good points.
To save everyone their weekend: Greta is upset because she misses the bait dog that animal control picked up and took to Dr. Ed Harding's Animal Hospital. Greta has her pep back because that woof she heard is the bait dog who Greta spent time with when captured. Saul will adopt the bait dog (names anyone?) or Stell will. Which will cause tension between Libby, Stell and Dr. Ed Harding as well as between Saul and whoever it is he is dating, I've lost interest. Can this please be over????
Saturday Greta is evicted from Animal Hospital for entering an exam room, thus violating confidentiality requirements. She and Saul are booted out the door and told by Ed to never return.
What more can I say; this is the most compelling and true-to-life dialogue Karen‘s written in years. Plus, “As An Exam Door Opens” is a perfect title for a gripping new soap opera starring Ed and Estelle.
I still can't figure out why LaLa's owner hasn't claimed her. Are they waiting for St. Mary to inform them of all the posters and news clips that they, apparently, haven't seen? Was LaLa's owner so clueless that she never bothered to have her chipped? Is Dr. Ed so clueless that he's never invested in a chip reader?
All of these questions are far more interesting than the junk Karen is foisting on us.
Sorry you don’t appreciate the high levels of art, dialog, and plot that we’ve been producing for your amusement and edification for, literally, years. Masochist, much?
Sunday “I’m Saul, Greta’s dad.” GAAAHH!! What with being forced to wear that stupid bow tie 24/7 and being described as Saul’s offspring (that’s two mixed messages right there!), Greta is one confused pooch. In her clumsy way, is KM attempting to introduce this strip’s first non-binary character? Will this send Max into a tizzy?
How kind of Dr. Ed to give his eyepatch to Holly. Woof!
Anyone remember how Eve's husband used to trip her up just for laughs? Well, heads up, Eve, it appears that you're about to get kicked to the curb again.
@hmmm, Simone might not be simpatico with Saul. For one thing, she has the sense to refer to herself as Holly’s owner, not Holly’s mom, nor does she call Holly her “fur baby.”
After last week's performance I was anticipating 12 Sunday panels with one frantic "Woof!" each; we're actually not far off.
Unfortunately they still have to walk through the ward where Estelle's unsuccesfully trying to rehabilitate the Weimaraner/hyena mix with Incited Blood Lust Syndrome. Eye patches all around!
KitKat - You make a valid point. However, it appears that Simone has cut and colored her hair to match Holly's. That's right up there with matching bow ties and neckerchiefs.
Yes, definitely a pool party, but…it will be like the Sharks and the Jets! The battle-tested Greta and Holly versus the sissy stay at homes Max and Pierre.
Greta has already demanded her own doggie door so she can come and go as she pleases (Mr. Allora will get around to it as soon as Saul pays him), and Holly has learned to escape from her front yard anytime she pleases. These little witches have had a taste of the rough and tumble of the streets, and they ain’t nevah going back. And no more bow ties for Greta- she’ll wear a spiked collar like dogs named Spike always have.
The Charterstone pool has been closed for at least the past four years and will remain so. We’re left with only memories: nightgown-garbed Mary rescuing Olive and her tummy brain, tipsy Toby blabbing about “Old Man Wynter,” lethal salmon squares… [sigh].
I guess I am confused (a normal state for me), but didn't Saul and Eve spend six weeks or months on the "dogs are good" tour? Saul is hitting on Simone pretty hard. "Play date"? Kit Kat I hope you are wrong about the Charterstone pool.
How is it that Holly doesn't have what any sensible vet would certainly clip around her neck: a plastic cone to keep her from chewing off that silly leg bandage and impossible dressing around her middle? And an eye patch?! Really? No self-respecting animal (except maybe Johnny Depp's ship dog) would spend 20 seconds putting up with an eye patch. Looks like JB hasever had to deal with pet anxiety over surgery stitches or other vet-inflicted troubles.. and, yes! it took me this long to figure out that the blog loads newer posts... duh. Glad to see you all!
@ Louise: I agree. Actually had a Brussels Griffon who damaged her eye. The preferred way for vets to treat a damaged eye (according to my vet) is to sew it shut. If it heals it can be opened later.
Meanwhile, it's deja vu all over again. I fear these two will never figure out how the dogs met because they are too busy arranging play dates.
What veterinary office lets people stand around with their animals and gab like Simone and Saul are doing? Then I remembered that this is Animal Hospital….
Are we clear now that these two will have play dates after Holly recovers at home? This plot is so stalled that I would almost welcome a Mary victory lap with Toby, murmuring over muffins and slurping Sanka... Please forgive me. I'm amusing myself with alliteration now...
I'm willing to bet that we never see Holly or Simone again. It would be fun to see Lyle the Van Man at his sentencing hearing, but I'm not betting on that one either.
Hey Ed, aren’t you supposed to observe patient confidentiality instead of blabbing about Holly’s case to Saul and Greta, who seems to be hanging on every word? And why don’t you tell Saul to stop the 24/7 wearing of bow ties?
‘They’ve experienced similar trauma?” I suppose it’s good to see Ed is not misgendering Holly, but the fact that the first non-binary character to appear in this strip is a Pekingese somewhat takes away from Karen’s attempts at edgy social commentary.
Apparently, talkative Dr. Ed will now clue everyone in as to how Holly and Greta know each other. Of course, this still leaves hanging how anyone "knows" where Greta was, since no one ever saw her at the den of dog fighting. Wouldn't it be fun if Saul and Mary took Greta back there to see if she remembers? I wonder if Dr. Ed treats PTSD in dogs.
Friday @MissScarlet, you called it perfectly yesterday. Welcome to Dr. Ed’s Animal Hospital, where everyone jumps to conclusions with no evidence and gossip is always on the menu.
Dr. Ed did a Vulcan Mind Meld with Greta and got the details of her encounter with Lyle the Van Man. Ed also now knows that Greta is playing Saul for a chump. She laughs behind his back every chance she gets.
"After a week, the bodies usually took up every bit of refrigerator space. The older ones had been put in the freezer, the more recent ones in the main compartment. Every Saturday morning about 3 a.m., he would pull them out, slide them into plastic bags, and drive to some near-by city, looking for a different restaurant with a dumpster in the back. When he found one, he would toss the bags in, make the Sign of the Cross, and then high-tail it out of there. No one ever caught on."
No, Mary, no! Stick to the traditional banana bread recipe. Almost everybody likes it (I don’t care for raisins, but go ahead, it’s traditional). Leave the peanut butter and oatmeal on the shelf.
I do love the metaphor today for an overripe plot... Oh, WHO will be the lucky neighbor that gets to try out Mary's latest culinary creation as she engages in her required victory lap? Toby? (probably) Wilbur? Less likely, but he might want to write a survivor story about the dogs escaping the dogfighting ring.. Tommy Beedie? Now THAT could be interesting, especially since I bet Tommy is all too familiar with the types that might conduct such a venture... In any case, yesterday's nod to Saul about how he turned Greta into the dog she is was just a lead in to Mary's bragging about her role in Dognap Sting... Plus, thanks to all of you who had me chortling over your suggestions about Dr. Ed's connection to the Greta/Holly story. Charterstoners need to get some new hobbies, I think...
I do wish you were still doing this to comment on this current week. We're following Mary step by step as she comes up with a recipe to use up ripe bananas involving peanut butter and oatmeal. No, SERIOUSLY. That's all that is happening! :P
Rolling out a mixture of peanut butter, instant oats, and bananas and cutting it with cookie cutters? Good luck with that, Mary. (KM is either laughing up her sleeve at us or, more likely, knows zilch about baking cookies.)
@hmmm, Max might have gluten lust too! However, I suspect these “cookies” are intended for Wilbur. Mary so admires his endearing quirks, the ones that drove Estelle to the brink of a restraining order.
I almost gakked at KitKat's mention of Mary possibly using bananas IN the peels for this cooking experiment, but now that it looks like she's making dog cookies, I'm fine with Greta and Holly munching on slimy banana peels along with the other ingredients. Not only are dogs good, but they'll eat virtually anything.
Ummm…did Mary check that peanut butter to make sure it’s xylitol-free? Otherwise, she’ll be poisoning the rest of the Charterstone dogs like she did Saul’s first little yapper. (It fell foul of her salmon squares, as I recall.)
@fauxprof, I didn't know about xylitol, but I wondered if Mary added chocolate morsels (from the bag she found in the back of her pantry, with a "best by" date of 04/01/2002). Chocolate is dangerous for dogs, right? And yes, Saul's Bella was poisoned by Mary's salmon squares, which I recall were siting in the sun at a Charterstone pool party.
Anonymous at 7:22 p.m. on August 3, I missed that completely! Thanks for pointing that out, hahaha.
"Eve and I were JUST talking about you. She was saying, 'I hope that Nosy Parker Mary doesn't come by,' and I was about to say 'Truer words were never spoken....'"
Well, looks like we're on to another 'adventure' with no pool party. Maybe Saul and Eve are thinking about marrying. I guess it will be a double ceremony. Same-sex marriages are legal in California, right? So the dogs will be fine. Hey, Mary can make the doggie cake!
I’d like to think that it’s over, but we’re just gearing up for Mary’s victory lap. On the other hand, tomorrow may bring a whole new adventure, with new, exciting characters and compelling adventures…
…And they call me a cockeyed optimist, Immature and incurably green…
Urrgh. Scottie was all too accurate, Mary’s tried-and-true fishing for compliments will be more than enough to restock the canned salmon aisle of her walk-in pantry. Fauxprof, all these “you shouldn’t haves” and “it gives me pleasures” are making me turn incurably green as well. Max and Greta should soon be slathering Saul’s shag carpet in a generous layer of banana oat dog vomit.
Karen Moy and June Brigman are stuck in the summer doldrums, lounging on their various divans and davenports, pining for inspiration to strike. Dogs? Done and dusted. Wilbur? Can’t kill him. Dr. Jeff? Puh-leeze.
It is decided to put a suggestion box in the pool house. Maybe someone will come up with something…
Three days later, the suggestion box is full.
Karen reads aloud in her posh and plummy British accent:
”Beautiful blonde artist achieves fame, leaves pompous older husband.
“Buff groundskeeper/handyman gardens shirtless, flirts- and more!- with lady condo-dwellers.
“Handsome, rich author pretends to be dead; his latest novel is published posthumously; he returns to acclaim from the denizens of Santa Royale.
“Prominent physician deliberately steers his giant powerboat up onto the Santa Royale boardwalk, destroying the Bum Boat and their d—-ed expensive salmon specials.
“Charming and witty academic has hit show on PBS, leaves vapid younger wife, drinks the finest Scotch whisky whenever he wants to, just like Lionel Ritchie (i.e. All Night Long).
“Boring elderly couple stay together for the sake of their pets; dance the Macarena at a pool party.
“Wise and saintly neighbor makes life better for all around her, solves the mystery of the Marie Celeste (after she suddenly remembers having been aboard), finds the DB Cooper cash cache, helps Harry and Meghan reconcile with the King, sends the Pope her home-made poultice for his lumbago, locates the Amber Room, grows strawberries in her garden in January, and gives Helen Mirren her beauty secrets. She then restores the sight of a half-blind cat. And she rides around on a bicycle looking for people to help. “
@KitKat, I had a flashback to a much more recent movie. Like Barbie’s journey from Barbieland, Mary is bicycling from the Worthiverse to the real world. She’ll find that the dominant color is not purple, baked goods have flavor and calories, some dogs are bad, and Wilbur would have been justifiably murdered years ago. The only thing missing is Dr. Ken—er, Dr. Corey.
@fauxprof, you’re firing on all cylinders too, hahaha.
A musical version of “Back to the Future” is on Broadway. so with KM’s propensity for “being inspired,” i.e., stealing and being trite, we could see Mary and Dear Jack as bright young things in love. (Remember the snapshots in Mary’s album, when she sported Farrah Fawcett hair?) Or we could go back to the days of Charterstone pool parties, new characters introduced, Mary and Toby cruising, travels to NYC, etc.
I'm sure Mary is on an e-bike here, but in any case, I appreciate that JB had to create a NEW panel and draw a bicycle! I expect we'll see that bicycle duplicated in a future plot, but for today, I'm enjoying the novelty of a nearly 100-year old woman in shorts, pedalling along with all her limbs in what looks like accurate proportion to the bicycle. Just call me Pollyanna...
LouiseF - I'm predicting that on a steep incline, Mary will lean over just a tad too low, and the floppy cowl neck of her sweater will get caught in the spokes of her bike tire. She will end up doing an Isadora Duncan. Call ME Pollyanna!
KitKat, I wonder if there's a limit to the number of comments allowed on a blog... Or MAYBE we could set a world record for the MOST comments made about a plotless comic strip, which today's panels definitely would qualify for. I have to say I have NEVER thought to myself "All good things must come to an end." I think I might kick myself in the behind if I did...
@LouiseF, the series finale (two episodes) of Star Trek: The Next Generation was titled “All Good Things….” It was a satisfying, well-done conclusion. From the sublime to the ridiculous, “satisfying” and “well done” will never apply to MW.
Oooh! For a minute there, I thought we were going to get a panel with Mary coming out of the shower after her "invigorating" bike ride. Hope she takes a shower before dinner with Jeff...
@MissScarlet (and everyone else) called it: the Bum Boat! Mary’s hoping she and Jeff can eavesdrop on a couple at a nearby table. In their book, that’s a perfect early evening.
Or we could just stay home and eat muffins, or Mary could take a bag of muffins on the sunset cruise, or they could save the muffins for dessert. Why ARE those muffins featured in panel 2?!
The Worthiverse, where everything is always the same, all the time. Sort of like Barbieland, only not colorful, or fun, or aspirational. Except Jeff is an elderly Ken, that tracks.
It’s a nice touch how June drew the speech bubble for “THE BUM BOAT!” with two input blorbs, one being all jaggedly to represent the telecommunications infrastructure of Jeff dialing in. I like to think this means they yelled it while Jeff was also patched in via Zoom for a better view of the muffin platter, setting up a round of ear-shattering audio feedback that echoes throughout Charter-stone causing numerous eye rolls.
I see Mary has her purse. I wonder if she's paying for dinner, given the large mortgage Jeff must have had to take out on his new boat..Love that "elderly Ken" reference, Fauxprof. Perfect!
The old reliable, tried and true…I doubt we are talking about a satisfying physical relationship. Bedroom slippers, maybe? Comfy jeans? An old easy chair? Yawn.
Today's is one of those Mary Worth strips where it makes a lot more sense if you read it with everyone using the most absurdly exaggerated tones of sarcasm.
Saturday Good thing Jeff clarified that the downstairs bathroom he painted is in his house. Otherwise, Mary and the rest of us would be wondering who Jeff might be cozying up to.
Surf and turf at the Bum Boat is sardines and a pseudo-Royal Castle slider.
Friends, I have located the Facebook page of the actual Bum Boat. It appears to be a dive bar operated out of a disused vessel in Ashtabula OH, and looks way less stodgy-yet-pretentious than the Santa Royale franchise. If Mary tried her victory lap there I bet she'd find herself overboard in no time. Code Oscar!
How could you believe that something other than Mary’s victory lap would take place this week? Did you really expect to see a dramatic courtroom scene with Mary identifying “the man with the leash”? Did you think there would be a dramatic film shown of the brave SRDOs taking snarling dogs into custody while saving cute little pups? Or Lyle Lovett shaking his fist at Mary and cursing her?
@Ian Cameron, PhD, I have been to Ashtabula Harbor, though not recently. That Bum Boat looks like Jeff’s kind of place. I picture him going there after he drops Mary off at the Charterstone gate.
KitKat, I have also been to the Ashtabula harbor and somehow missed this gem. The Facebook page shows they had live music this past Friday. The usual cover band fare that Ohioans love. A little too low brow for Mary, I think. Plus, I notice people kayak up to the BumBoat in Ashtabula. I fear Jeff's behemoth would capsize the Ashtabula BumBoat as he came racing across Lake Erie..
@LouiseF, I can recommend Harbor Perk Coffeehouse at Ashtabula harbor. (This is an unsolicited testimonial.)
I can’t imagine a duller, less agreeable couple than Mary and Jeff as they continue to pat themselves on the back. Did Mary bring her own muffins for dessert? The Bum Boat appears to be deserted. The Sanctimonious Twosome certainly knows how to clear an establishment. I wonder if June has been recycling panels - I miss Wanders’s “Please Recycle Here” signs.
When diners at every table within earshot begin yakking up their food, the Department of Health fears an outbreak of food poisoning and shuts down The Bum Boat. The owner is distraught. No one suspects that Mary's hyperplatitudinitis is the real culprit. So much for the butterfly effect.
We'll know if the panel recycling is on if tomorrow's strip starts with a few butterflies fluttering around either the BumBoat or back at Charterstone. I see Mary is holding that dessert fork pretty firmly in her hand.
Jeff, there’s something I must tell you (whirr, click).
Yes, Mary?
My conversation is now being produced by AI. (whirr, click).
Great Caesar’s Ghost! So is mine! Are we the only ones in the comic world who are?
No, Jeff, all of ‘em! Only Henry and The Little King are holding out now. Zippy the Pinhead and Doonesbury fought the good fight, but …sniff…(click, whirr)
Hmmm…that railing is pretty high. Tipping her over the edge and saying it was an accident probably won’t work for Jeff. Besides, we know she’s a good swimmer, and she could easily pull a Wilbur and return, even if she was carried out to sea. Another lost opportunity, but keep thinking, Jeff. Remember, you’re some form of doctor. Surely there’s something you could surreptitiously sprinkle on the inevitable salmon at your next quarterly date.
Oh my stars, our Mary so despondent! That's what happens when you eat the less-sweet cobbler for dessert, Mare. Maybe Wilbur can give you Dr. Sweater Vest's contact info.
Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
No, we still have the Sunday Summary to go. Don’t make me turn this comic strip around! Do you want the victory lap to last another week? And once we get there, it could be another Wilbur story. So hunker down in the back seat and be quiet!
08/07 Mary, riding her Mighty Schwinn, thinks, “WHO KNOWS what’s happening in this town sight unseen?”
Mary, girlfriend, get out there and find out! We’re counting on you!
But- Saul and Eve are walking their dawgs, Jeff is painting the bathroom, Wilbur is taking a shower, and Toby and Ian are sitting in the stony silence of a longtime boring marriage, each sipping a familiar beverage (screwdriver on the rocks and Auld Geezer, straight up, respectively), and Mr. Allora is plotting his next prank on the residents.
Let us know what you find out, particularly if it’s embarrassing.
Oh no, we’re staring at weeks of matching bow ties, matching neckerchiefs, and DOGS ARE GOOD! And I was afraid we were about to face an Iris and Zak storyline - silly me. Gaaahhh….
I think I mentioned weeks ago that Saul and Eve should be planning their nuptials (and that the dogs will, of course, marry also). Mary will make the cakes of course, one for the bride and groom and one for the canine couple. Who will officiate? Probably some nameless person we will never see again. Bored yet?
I think @MissScarlet is on to something, what with Saul calling Eve “dear.” However, she’ll never attain “my sweet girl” status. Is Eve willing to play second fiddle?
My general remark for Tuesday’s installment is “gag!”
Will Saul propose at Dog Beach? Will Eve say Yes? Or will she hesitate and "have to think it over"? Or will she say, "Oh dear sweet Saul, I'm afraid not" and grind his heart into a billion little pieces? How will any outcome affect the dogs' relationship?
Boy oh boy, I'm so excited. I'm sure Moy is going to absolutely nail this story!
I love how everybody is sweetly imagining Saul planning a marriage proposal. I read “maybe more than a day” as something sinister. Sorry, it’s a combination of too many true crime podcasts and a subconscious desire for something dramatic to happen.
Yeah, I agree with fauxprof....there is something kinda creepy about this. Saul used to be an old crank, maybe he has something nefarious planned for Eve. Nevermind, that would be way too dramatic and interesting. Eve will probably see a life-sized, cardboard, cut-out advertisement on the boardwalk and mistaking it for her dead husband, she will run into the sea and drown. Jeeze, we don't have any trouble thinking up drama. Again, I sure wish Moy read this blog.
So, I'm away for a week, and I see it's been a regular Snarknado here at MW& Me. Hilarious, everyone! I am glad that JB was able to illustrate Mary's blue mood by rendering Mary's blue coif on Sunday's summary, a hairdo that I notice doesn't budge, even in the rising wind of the Unforgiving Sea. It's either she's really hip or she's a grandma, circa 1965.. Oh, and I am imagining Saul planning to open a restaurant together that only serves dogs. Forget that romance stuff..
Too bad this arc can't go back in time and do an alternate universe sort of thing associated with the cruise ship debacle. That way Saul and Eve could stumble on Wilbur's bloated corpse washed up on shore.
OK, I admit that I am so old that I remember the photo of Dick Nixon walking down the Capistrano beach in a full suit and dress shoes. But does that mean that Saul has to constantly wear a sweater and a bow tie? I mean, it's not like he's a disgraced president or anything.
@Scottie McW, I thought the same when I read Saul’s remark about “home” - huh??? He’s feeling Eve’s shoulder, so perhaps “it” refers to that, not to Santa Royale.
And, speaking of Santa Royale, where the heck has everyone been the past two weeks? Mary and Jeff had dinner in a deserted Bum Boat, then took a bored-walk on the dark, deserted boardwalk (sorry folks, I couldn’t resist). Now we have Eve, Saul, and pooches on a deserted beach. If it’s so beautiful, why isn’t anyone else there? Have the other citizens of Santa Royale been transported to another dimension?
I'm trying to imagine being less interested in Saul/Eve, but it just isn't coming to me. I'm at negative plot interest. I like meg's idea of Mr. Allora planning a prank on the residents. What could it be? I'm thinking something involving recycling...
In regards to the missing inhabitants of Santa Royale: they are loyal members of the CSCG (comic strip characters guild), and they are currently on strike. Any characters currently appearing are strike-breaking scabs!
meg, I forgot about the strikes! That explains everything. Mary and Jeff are of course strike-breaking scabs - that's a given. I bet Wilbur is too. The only reason he's not on this beautiful beach is because he's having a devil of a time squeezing into his Speedo.
S: "How's your BURRITO?" E: "GREAT! The sea air probably has something to do with it. It's a good thing we're being drenched by the spume kicked out by the water treatment plant, since they sure as hell didn't add any seasoning." S: "Eve, I want to ask you a QUESTION" E: "Yes, what is it?" (long awkward pause in unforgiving sea air) S: "How's your BURRITO?" E: "Saul, did you forget your Leqembi infusion again?"
Is Saul really going to do this over a food truck burrito? Is Eve really so desperate that she will say yes? Are the dogs going to yak up those hamburgers? We won't find anything out tomorrow because it is the Sunday recap.
Of course, Eve will say yes…but after that, so many questions.
Will Mary plan and orchestrate the entire wedding? (Silly me—of course she will!) Will Eve wear a wedding dress with a matching veil and bandanna? Will the wedding cake be a stacked tier of indigestible muffins? Will Greta be the flower girl and Max the ring-bearer? …And then there’s the matching wedding bow ties and bandannas for bride, groom and dogs…
(Please, guys, just go to Vegas and spare us all!)
My prediction: Eve will reply “!!” every day for the upcoming week. The week after that, she’ll consult with Mary regarding her indecisiveness. Eve will then go into hiding, and Saul will consult with Mary: “I just don’t understand women!” Then Saul will talk to Greta for the following week. After that, Mary will bump into Jeff at the Northview Hospital cafeteria, and she’ll update him on the travails of Eve and Saul. (They’ll also agree that no one has as good a relationship as THEY do.) By that time, it’ll be Halloween.
All of us should hope that Eve and Saul eventually tie the knot. They will then disappear from the strip forever, just like the other couples did.
@KitKat; I don't know, if they disappear we could end up with more Wilbur.
I must say, Moy surprised me by having Saul pop the question on a Sunday. But KitKat is likely correct, nothing will happen for the next month, so that will make up for it.
What's that you say, Greta? Timmy's in the well? There's a tidal wave coming? You don't want Saul to marry Eve?
Well, rip my jeans, I got it wrong. Eve’s enthusiastic about tying the knot with reformed curmudgeon Saul. Which reminds me, didn’t Saul credit Greta (his little girl!) with turning his life around? Despite her “WOOF!” today, maybe tension will bubble up in the Eve-Greta relationship.
Will Saul and Greta move in with Eve and Max, or vice versa? Or will they continue to maintain their own digs? Money never seems to be an issue for anyone in this strip.
No, no, no! This is all moving too fast. They need to meet each other’s babysitters first (via Ouija board if necessary at their age).
This does smack of a lack of effort on Saul’s part; I suppose he’s planning to pass off the Fanta can tab as an engagement ring, and make the food truck their Old Familiar so they can avoid running into Mary and Jeff. I was really looking forward to seeing Saul attempt to take a knee on the unforgiving boardwalk and end up sprawled on his back like a helpless tortoise before needing prenuptial arthroscopic surgery by Dr Kapuht.
When one moves in with the other, one will have to break his/her lease. Will Mary allow it, or will there be a significant penalty? Will the mover get his/her cleaning deposit back? Will the condo board allow them to keep two dogs in one apartment? Is there enough wall space and shelf surface to display all the pictures of both dogs? Will Mary be able to lease the newly vacant apartment, reeking as it does of dog ambience?
Fabulous comments, everyone! I'm planning to stock up on baking soda for the inevitable urge to yak I'm going to have after seeing the parade of bowties and bandanas going down the aisle as Eve and Saul wed. In fact, I imagine the wedding guests arriving at the ceremony, and after answering whether or not they are attending for the bride or groom, they will be handed either a bandana or a bow tie. After the wedding, they will shower the newlyweds with enough bandanas and bowties to last into their dotage. Hurray!
I could volunteer to act as wedding planner for the canine nuptials, because my sister and I once forced my grandfather’s dog to wed my mother’s dog (they were not related).
Cookie the bride wore an old white silk slip (remember those, ladies?). Jiggs the groom wore a red necktie- and industriously attempted to bite me as I put it on him. My grandmother played the wedding march on a paper-covered comb (a comb kazoo).
The wedding ‘cake’, which my sister made from cheese and some unknown ingredients, was abruptly gobbled down by the groom midway through the ceremony. The marriage was never consummated.
My mother and I were dining in the Space Needle during the Seattle World’s Fair. At the next table were Roy and Dale and their posse- Roy was eating calf brains and scrambled eggs. He was in the elevator with us on the way down, and he asked my mother to point him toward the arena where he was to perform. Mother got all star struck and just said, homina, homina. With great grade school gravity, I pointed him in the right direction.
meg, I love that story about Roy Rogers and Dale Evans! Considering how shamelessly JB illustrated Greta, Max, and Libby doing yoga with their people, I'm sure we will be afflicted with an overdose of cuteness during Saul and Eve's wedding. Think I'll take a nap for a few weeks...
Come to think of it, that animal yoga thing did not involve Saul and Eve, although I'm imagining Saul and Eve in "downward dog" pose...That was Estelle and the Veterinarian with Libby, Pierre, and the Vet's cat. The animals in this strip are depicted as pathetic suck ups to human beings.
I don't know...I'm willing to go along with the 'dogs are good' stuff most of the time, but when they start dictating who can marry who; that seems a bit too much.
Sorry this isn't a better comment: #400 deserves more, I think.
1,635 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 1635 Newer› Newest»Meg, I had not noticed the resemblance until you mentioned it. Good call.
Dr. Ed will mention canine PTSD and refer Saul and Greta to Dr. Wolf Sweater Vest for a consultation.
Ed suspects canine PTSD and refers Greta to Dr. Wolf Sweater Vest, dog psychologist.
Sorry to be repetitive in my posts, friends. New posts are seeming to appear and then disappear. Maybe there are limits? We need Wanders to revisit!
Saul is still explaining everything to Eve (who probably knew it all anyway), and this is Wednesday. So, we might have 2 or even 3 days before the vet appears. Maybe we should all meet back here on Saturday. Looks like we won't miss much.
@Thanks KitKat. My whole page just rearranged itself. Maybe something happens after 200 comments.
Wanders, I think we need some help.
It's been several days, and Dr. Harding still hasn't seen Greta. Maybe Greta is depressed at the slow pace of veterinary care in Santa Royale...
Thanks Meg,
I ad not noticed the resemblance until you pointed it out.
“What is it girl? What do you hear?” Obviously it’s the sound of this plot laboriously grinding into gear as they reunite with fellow bedraggled ex bait dogs Lala and Floopsiekins recuperating in the back room, and Stell prepares the ticker tape machine for Mary’s victory parade. (When your meddling consists of organizing a geriatric search patrol and stakeout, you get a full parade and catered reception with Mother Teresa’s ghost, not just a lap).
Please, Ed. If this goes on for much longer I’m gonna be in dire need of your euthanasia services.
THURSDAY
She hears another dog, idiot. She hasn't seen, heard, or, ahem, smelled another dog since you put her in lockdown. Ease up, warden.
-- Scottie
Some kind of glitch going on with the comments.
Perhaps if Wanders checks in every 200 comments or so, the space will reset?
So "Woof!" apparently is the international language of the dog world. Don't dogs ever just say "Woof" without exclaiming? My guess is that Greta isn't hearing "Woof!" from Max, but instead from her fragile buddy from the FightClub, a canine she met probably once. No, Max saved her life, but forget him. Depression ensued until Greta could be comforted by the presence of Noodle (or whatever that dog's name was..). I'm betting Max is miffed...
I think I figured out what needs to be done to see newer comments. On my iPhone, I click on "load more" (below the box to enter a comment). On the laptop, I click on "newer" or "newest." It would be nice if Wanders posted again - there's a whole lotta scrollin' goin' on.
Either KM is pranking us or she knows nothing about dogs. Imagine an episode of "Lassie" done KM style - holy moly. BTW, I could never understand why Lassie's family never had window screens....
test
@KitKat -- You're right! Just click on "Newest and we get all the up-to-date snark. Nice work, girl!
-- Scottie
Too bad Greta didn't make friends with the bear and the tiger. That's a reunion I'd like to see.
Please don’t get upset, and don’t kill the guessenger, but I fear that Holly/LaLa/Dirty Dawg’s owner is being brought aboard the strip to be WILBUR’S girlfriend. Let us pray.
Based on body type, I’d say Saul weighs in at about 180-200 pounds, and Greta is 20 pounds, tops. Yet she’s pulling him upright and across the room. That’s motivation!
Kit Kat- If Moy wrote Lassie Timmy would never get out of the well.
Meg- She might become his girlfriend, then Mary could tell her about all his good points.
I can't imagine what is going to happen next. The suspense is literally killing me.
@Anonymous: yes, but will it happen tomorrow or Sunday? Or both!?
To save everyone their weekend: Greta is upset because she misses the bait dog that animal control picked up and took to Dr. Ed Harding's Animal Hospital. Greta has her pep back because that woof she heard is the bait dog who Greta spent time with when captured. Saul will adopt the bait dog (names anyone?) or Stell will. Which will cause tension between Libby, Stell and Dr. Ed Harding as well as between Saul and whoever it is he is dating, I've lost interest. Can this please be over????
SATURDAY
Dear Karen and June,
This is pathetic.
Seriously, it's pathetic.
You should be embarrassed to churn out such dreck.
Your faithful reader,
-- Scottie
Saturday
Greta is evicted from Animal Hospital for entering an exam room, thus violating confidentiality requirements. She and Saul are booted out the door and told by Ed to never return.
“WOOF1”
“WOOF1”
“?”
“WOOF!”
What more can I say; this is the most compelling and true-to-life dialogue Karen‘s written in years. Plus, “As An Exam Door Opens” is a perfect title for a gripping new soap opera starring Ed and Estelle.
I still can't figure out why LaLa's owner hasn't claimed her. Are they waiting for St. Mary to inform them of all the posters and news clips that they, apparently, haven't seen? Was LaLa's owner so clueless that she never bothered to have her chipped? Is Dr. Ed so clueless that he's never invested in a chip reader?
All of these questions are far more interesting than the junk Karen is foisting on us.
Woof indeed!
Dear Scottie,
Sorry you don’t appreciate the high levels of art, dialog, and plot that we’ve been producing for your amusement and edification for, literally, years. Masochist, much?
But we love ya!
KM & JB
@meg -- Ha haaaa!
It's my cry for help.
-- Scottie
Sunday
“I’m Saul, Greta’s dad.” GAAAHH!! What with being forced to wear that stupid bow tie 24/7 and being described as Saul’s offspring (that’s two mixed messages right there!), Greta is one confused pooch. In her clumsy way, is KM attempting to introduce this strip’s first non-binary character? Will this send Max into a tizzy?
How kind of Dr. Ed to give his eyepatch to Holly. Woof!
SUNDAY
Anyone remember how Eve's husband used to trip her up just for laughs? Well, heads up, Eve, it appears that you're about to get kicked to the curb again.
@hmmm, Simone might not be simpatico with Saul. For one thing, she has the sense to refer to herself as Holly’s owner, not Holly’s mom, nor does she call Holly her “fur baby.”
Never saw a dog wearing an eye patch before.
After last week's performance I was anticipating 12 Sunday panels with one frantic "Woof!" each; we're actually not far off.
Unfortunately they still have to walk through the ward where Estelle's unsuccesfully trying to rehabilitate the Weimaraner/hyena mix with Incited Blood Lust Syndrome. Eye patches all around!
KitKat - You make a valid point. However, it appears that Simone has cut and colored her hair to match Holly's. That's right up there with matching bow ties and neckerchiefs.
Welp, that's over. Wonder what will happen next? Dare we hope for a pool party?
Yes, definitely a pool party, but…it will be like the Sharks and the Jets! The battle-tested Greta and Holly versus the sissy stay at homes Max and Pierre.
Greta has already demanded her own doggie door so she can come and go as she pleases (Mr. Allora will get around to it as soon as Saul pays him), and Holly has learned to escape from her front yard anytime she pleases. These little witches have had a taste of the rough and tumble of the streets, and they ain’t nevah going back. And no more bow ties for Greta- she’ll wear a spiked collar like dogs named Spike always have.
At the pool party, hors d’oeuvres will go a-flying when tablecloths are tugged off, drinks will ne spilled (“Ach, nae, that was my favorite Auld Chlorine scented whisky!”), Saul will be forced to eat salmon canapés (can’t hurt Mary’s feelings), and the feisty mutts will chase everyone into the pool. Let the doggone games begin!
Greta: “And I will never call you DAD!”
Saul and Greta haven’t realized that both their dogs were abducted from the dog park and that’s how they recognized each other?
The Charterstone pool has been closed for at least the past four years and will remain so. We’re left with only memories: nightgown-garbed Mary rescuing Olive and her tummy brain, tipsy Toby blabbing about “Old Man Wynter,” lethal salmon squares… [sigh].
I guess I am confused (a normal state for me), but didn't Saul and Eve spend six weeks or months on the "dogs are good" tour? Saul is hitting on Simone pretty hard. "Play date"?
Kit Kat I hope you are wrong about the Charterstone pool.
@Judi is right. These two idiots still haven't put two and two together. Maybe by next month.
-- Scottie
How is it that Holly doesn't have what any sensible vet would certainly clip around her neck: a plastic cone to keep her from chewing off that silly leg bandage and impossible dressing around her middle? And an eye patch?! Really? No self-respecting animal (except maybe Johnny Depp's ship dog) would spend 20 seconds putting up with an eye patch. Looks like JB hasever had to deal with pet anxiety over surgery stitches or other vet-inflicted troubles.. and, yes! it took me this long to figure out that the blog loads newer posts... duh. Glad to see you all!
@ Louise: I agree. Actually had a Brussels Griffon who damaged her eye. The preferred way for vets to treat a damaged eye (according to my vet) is to sew it shut. If it heals it can be opened later.
Meanwhile, it's deja vu all over again. I fear these two will never figure out how the dogs met because they are too busy arranging play dates.
What veterinary office lets people stand around with their animals and gab like Simone and Saul are doing? Then I remembered that this is Animal Hospital….
Welcome back, @LouiseF!
It is poignant to watch this blog fade away, even as MW gets more, um, entertaining. Oh well, such is life.
Since both these dogs appear to be panting, it looks like Dr. Harding needs to turn up his air conditioning or put out a dog water bowl..
Don't forget: dogs are good.
WEDNESDAY
At least it's not about Wilbur. At least it's not about Wilbur. At least . . .
-- Scottie
Are we clear now that these two will have play dates after Holly recovers at home? This plot is so stalled that I would almost welcome a Mary victory lap with Toby, murmuring over muffins and slurping Sanka... Please forgive me. I'm amusing myself with alliteration now...
I'm willing to bet that we never see Holly or Simone again. It would be fun to see Lyle the Van Man at his sentencing hearing, but I'm not betting on that one either.
Thursday
Hey Ed, aren’t you supposed to observe patient confidentiality instead of blabbing about Holly’s case to Saul and Greta, who seems to be hanging on every word? And why don’t you tell Saul to stop the 24/7 wearing of bow ties?
"They've experienced similar trauma. Yes, Holly's been a long-time patient of mine too. I almost accidentally put her down once, ha ha!"
-- Scottie
‘They’ve experienced similar trauma?” I suppose it’s good to see Ed is not misgendering Holly, but the fact that the first non-binary character to appear in this strip is a Pekingese somewhat takes away from Karen’s attempts at edgy social commentary.
So, if Saul asked for Holly's owner's phone number, Ed would supply it? Santa Royale really is in LaLa land..
Boffo comments today, Scottie, Professor Cameron, and LouiseF! It was worth the extra step to find them.
No wonder Green Steven bailed on Uncle Ed.
Apparently, talkative Dr. Ed will now clue everyone in as to how Holly and Greta know each other. Of course, this still leaves hanging how anyone "knows" where Greta was, since no one ever saw her at the den of dog fighting. Wouldn't it be fun if Saul and Mary took Greta back there to see if she remembers? I wonder if Dr. Ed treats PTSD in dogs.
Friday
@MissScarlet, you called it perfectly yesterday. Welcome to Dr. Ed’s Animal Hospital, where everyone jumps to conclusions with no evidence and gossip is always on the menu.
Yeah, how does Dr. Harding know they were both taken by the dog ring?
Unless . . .
No, it couldn't be!
Could it?
Nooooo!
-- Scottie
This could be fun! Let's try to come up with ways that Dr. Ed found out that Greta was stolen by Lyle Van Man.
Dr. Ed analyzed Greta's poop and found traces of CHEAP dog food.
Dr. Ed is the vet of choice for all dog fighting rings in Santa Royale and visits them often.
Dr. Ed is often mistaken for Doctor Doolittle because he can talk to the animals and they can talk to him.
Stell is the real brains behind Lyle Van Man and the whole organizations.
Continuing with @Miss Scarlet’s suggestion…
Dr. Ed did a Vulcan Mind Meld with Greta and got the details of her encounter with Lyle the Van Man. Ed also now knows that Greta is playing Saul for a chump. She laughs behind his back every chance she gets.
In true Moy fashion: when in doubt- ignore it. Loose end? Who cares? Too bad she doesn't read this blog; might give her some inspiration.
Meanwhile, nephew Steven puts the finishing touches on his exposé:
"After a week, the bodies usually took up every bit of refrigerator space. The older ones had been put in the freezer, the more recent ones in the main compartment. Every Saturday morning about 3 a.m., he would pull them out, slide them into plastic bags, and drive to some near-by city, looking for a different restaurant with a dumpster in the back. When he found one, he would toss the bags in, make the Sign of the Cross, and then high-tail it out of there. No one ever caught on."
-- Scottie
@Scottie saves the day! That was exciting!
Looks like Mary is going to do some cooking, about as exciting as watching paint dry.
Peanut butter, oats, and overripe bananas - looks like Mary’s planning to help Mr. Alora patch potholes in the Charterstone parking lot.
No, Mary, no! Stick to the traditional banana bread recipe. Almost everybody likes it (I don’t care for raisins, but go ahead, it’s traditional). Leave the peanut butter and oatmeal on the shelf.
I do love the metaphor today for an overripe plot... Oh, WHO will be the lucky neighbor that gets to try out Mary's latest culinary creation as she engages in her required victory lap? Toby? (probably) Wilbur? Less likely, but he might want to write a survivor story about the dogs escaping the dogfighting ring.. Tommy Beedie? Now THAT could be interesting, especially since I bet Tommy is all too familiar with the types that might conduct such a venture... In any case, yesterday's nod to Saul about how he turned Greta into the dog she is was just a lead in to Mary's bragging about her role in Dognap Sting... Plus, thanks to all of you who had me chortling over your suggestions about Dr. Ed's connection to the Greta/Holly story. Charterstoners need to get some new hobbies, I think...
I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime, night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away
I have never made anything in my life with those three ingredients. But I've never mended a pothole either.
The CH HOOOP! Is the sound of Saul clearing his throat. Next up: Saul blows his nose.
I do wish you were still doing this to comment on this current week. We're following Mary step by step as she comes up with a recipe to use up ripe bananas involving peanut butter and oatmeal. No, SERIOUSLY. That's all that is happening! :P
I hope Mary adds unpeeled bananas to the blender for extra fiber. Imagine the noise that’ll make when the peels hit the blades.
I thought Mary said: "I'm out of cat flour, I may have some instant cats around..."
Already this is more about Mary than I want to know.
Coming tomorrow: Mary wipes her hands on her apron. Don't miss it!
-- Scottie
WEDNESDAY
Dog cookies that will incite Pierre's gluten lust?
Rolling out a mixture of peanut butter, instant oats, and bananas and cutting it with cookie cutters? Good luck with that, Mary. (KM is either laughing up her sleeve at us or, more likely, knows zilch about baking cookies.)
@hmmm, Max might have gluten lust too! However, I suspect these “cookies” are intended for Wilbur. Mary so admires his endearing quirks, the ones that drove Estelle to the brink of a restraining order.
Given the look on Mary's face in panel two, I have to wonder what ingredients she did not tell us about?
I almost gakked at KitKat's mention of Mary possibly using bananas IN the peels for this cooking experiment, but now that it looks like she's making dog cookies, I'm fine with Greta and Holly munching on slimy banana peels along with the other ingredients. Not only are dogs good, but they'll eat virtually anything.
Ummm…did Mary check that peanut butter to make sure it’s xylitol-free? Otherwise, she’ll be poisoning the rest of the Charterstone dogs like she did Saul’s first little yapper. (It fell foul of her salmon squares, as I recall.)
@fauxprof, I didn't know about xylitol, but I wondered if Mary added chocolate morsels (from the bag she found in the back of her pantry, with a "best by" date of 04/01/2002). Chocolate is dangerous for dogs, right? And yes, Saul's Bella was poisoned by Mary's salmon squares, which I recall were siting in the sun at a Charterstone pool party.
Maybe this was Mary's plan all along: gradually poison all the Charterstone dogs. No one will ever suspect!
How long and at what temperature do you bake cookies in an oven with no door?
Did I miss the part where they carry Mary around on their shoulders singing”For She’s a Jolly Good Biddie”?
Saul is ignoring Mary and looking straight at whoever is standing behind her.
Anonymous at 7:22 p.m. on August 3, I missed that completely! Thanks for pointing that out, hahaha.
"Eve and I were JUST talking about you. She was saying, 'I hope that Nosy Parker Mary doesn't come by,' and I was about to say 'Truer words were never spoken....'"
Well, looks like we're on to another 'adventure' with no pool party. Maybe Saul and Eve are thinking about marrying. I guess it will be a double ceremony. Same-sex marriages are legal in California, right? So the dogs will be fine. Hey, Mary can make the doggie cake!
"Were you praising me? I'll bet you were praising me. But I need to hear it. Praise me! PRAAAISE MEEEEE!!!"
-- Scottie
I’d like to think that it’s over, but we’re just gearing up for Mary’s victory lap. On the other hand, tomorrow may bring a whole new adventure, with new, exciting characters and compelling adventures…
…And they call me a cockeyed optimist,
Immature and incurably green…
Urrgh. Scottie was all too accurate, Mary’s tried-and-true fishing for compliments will be more than enough to restock the canned salmon aisle of her walk-in pantry. Fauxprof, all these “you shouldn’t haves” and “it gives me pleasures” are making me turn incurably green as well. Max and Greta should soon be slathering Saul’s shag carpet in a generous layer of banana oat dog vomit.
AANNDD…DOWN GOES WORTH!
Karen Moy and June Brigman are stuck in the summer doldrums, lounging on their various divans and davenports, pining for inspiration to strike. Dogs? Done and dusted. Wilbur? Can’t kill him. Dr. Jeff? Puh-leeze.
It is decided to put a suggestion box in the pool house. Maybe someone will come up with something…
Three days later, the suggestion box is full.
Karen reads aloud in her posh and plummy British accent:
”Beautiful blonde artist achieves fame, leaves pompous older husband.
“Buff groundskeeper/handyman gardens shirtless, flirts- and more!- with lady condo-dwellers.
“Handsome, rich author pretends to be dead; his latest novel is published posthumously; he returns to acclaim from the denizens of Santa Royale.
“Prominent physician deliberately steers his giant powerboat up onto the Santa Royale boardwalk, destroying the Bum Boat and their d—-ed expensive salmon specials.
“Charming and witty academic has hit show on PBS, leaves vapid younger wife, drinks the finest Scotch whisky whenever he wants to, just like Lionel Ritchie (i.e. All Night Long).
“Boring elderly couple stay together for the sake of their pets; dance the Macarena at a pool party.
“Wise and saintly neighbor makes life better for all around her, solves the mystery of the Marie Celeste (after she suddenly remembers having been aboard), finds the DB Cooper cash cache, helps Harry and Meghan reconcile with the King, sends the Pope her home-made poultice for his lumbago, locates the Amber Room, grows strawberries in her garden in January, and gives Helen Mirren her beauty secrets. She then restores the sight of a half-blind cat. And she rides around on a bicycle looking for people to help. “
June: “ So we’ll do another Wilbur story?”
Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
@meg, I can’t come even nearby your brilliance! Huzzah, huzzah, brava, brava!
Anyone else hearing the “Miss Gulch” music from “The Wizard of Oz” as Mary peddles her bike?
@KitKat, I had a flashback to a much more recent movie. Like Barbie’s journey from Barbieland, Mary is bicycling from the Worthiverse to the real world. She’ll find that the dominant color is not purple, baked goods have flavor and calories, some dogs are bad, and Wilbur would have been justifiably murdered years ago. The only thing missing is Dr. Ken—er, Dr. Corey.
@fauxprof, you’re firing on all cylinders too, hahaha.
A musical version of “Back to the Future” is on Broadway. so with KM’s propensity for “being inspired,” i.e., stealing and being trite, we could see Mary and Dear Jack as bright young things in love. (Remember the snapshots in Mary’s album, when she sported Farrah Fawcett hair?) Or we could go back to the days of Charterstone pool parties, new characters introduced, Mary and Toby cruising, travels to NYC, etc.
Or they could all wind up in jail, just like the ending of Seinfeld.
I'm sure Mary is on an e-bike here, but in any case, I appreciate that JB had to create a NEW panel and draw a bicycle! I expect we'll see that bicycle duplicated in a future plot, but for today, I'm enjoying the novelty of a nearly 100-year old woman in shorts, pedalling along with all her limbs in what looks like accurate proportion to the bicycle. Just call me Pollyanna...
LouiseF - I'm predicting that on a steep incline, Mary will lean over just a tad too low, and the floppy cowl neck of her sweater will get caught in the spokes of her bike tire. She will end up doing an Isadora Duncan. Call ME Pollyanna!
All of these would be so much fun! How I wish Moy read our comments.
We’ve surpassed 300 comments, friends! “Time to head BACK to Charterstone!”
KitKat, I wonder if there's a limit to the number of comments allowed on a blog... Or MAYBE we could set a world record for the MOST comments made about a plotless comic strip, which today's panels definitely would qualify for. I have to say I have NEVER thought to myself "All good things must come to an end." I think I might kick myself in the behind if I did...
@LouiseF, the series finale (two episodes) of Star Trek: The Next Generation was titled “All Good Things….” It was a satisfying, well-done conclusion. From the sublime to the ridiculous, “satisfying” and “well done” will never apply to MW.
Oooh! For a minute there, I thought we were going to get a panel with Mary coming out of the shower after her "invigorating" bike ride. Hope she takes a shower before dinner with Jeff...
Bum Boat here we come. Sunset cruise too! Maybe a talking fish? Anything….anything…
@MissScarlet (and everyone else) called it: the Bum Boat! Mary’s hoping she and Jeff can eavesdrop on a couple at a nearby table. In their book, that’s a perfect early evening.
Could it be that the story will be based on one of the ideas in the “Suggestion Box” (8/7, 6:47 am)? If so…
“Prominent physician deliberately steers his giant powerboat up onto the Santa Royale boardwalk, destroying the Bum Boat…”
Or we could just stay home and eat muffins, or Mary could take a bag of muffins on the sunset cruise, or they could save the muffins for dessert. Why ARE those muffins featured in panel 2?!
The Worthiverse, where everything is always the same, all the time. Sort of like Barbieland, only not colorful, or fun, or aspirational.
Except Jeff is an elderly Ken, that tracks.
Wow, this week has been almost as exciting as watching Mary make dog "treats." Can't wait for next week: Mary Combs Her Hair.
-- Scottie
It’s a nice touch how June drew the speech bubble for “THE BUM BOAT!” with two input blorbs, one being all jaggedly to represent the telecommunications infrastructure of Jeff dialing in. I like to think this means they yelled it while Jeff was also patched in via Zoom for a better view of the muffin platter, setting up a round of ear-shattering audio feedback that echoes throughout Charter-stone causing numerous eye rolls.
I see Mary has her purse. I wonder if she's paying for dinner, given the large mortgage Jeff must have had to take out on his new boat..Love that "elderly Ken" reference, Fauxprof. Perfect!
The old reliable, tried and true…I doubt we are talking about a satisfying physical relationship. Bedroom slippers, maybe? Comfy jeans? An old easy chair? Yawn.
Today's is one of those Mary Worth strips where it makes a lot more sense if you read it with everyone using the most absurdly exaggerated tones of sarcasm.
Saturday
Good thing Jeff clarified that the downstairs bathroom he painted is in his house. Otherwise, Mary and the rest of us would be wondering who Jeff might be cozying up to.
Surf and turf at the Bum Boat is sardines and a pseudo-Royal Castle slider.
Tomorrow’s shocking development: Mary orders shrimp scampi. (Gives her an excuse to avoid Jeff’s goodnight kiss.)
That's one tiny fork Mary is holding.
Friends, I have located the Facebook page of the actual Bum Boat. It appears to be a dive bar operated out of a disused vessel in Ashtabula OH, and looks way less stodgy-yet-pretentious than the Santa Royale franchise. If Mary tried her victory lap there I bet she'd find herself overboard in no time. Code Oscar!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3802378083108548/
Mary: [blush] "Oh, Jeff, it was nothing. I was just being indispensable. Now please remove your hand from mine. Your minute is up."
-- Scottie
Dear Suckers:
How could you believe that something other than Mary’s victory lap would take place this week? Did you really expect to see a dramatic courtroom scene with Mary identifying “the man with the leash”? Did you think there would be a dramatic film shown of the brave SRDOs taking snarling dogs into custody while saving cute little pups? Or Lyle Lovett shaking his fist at Mary and cursing her?
Well you should know better! Fooled you again!
Karen and June
Is Mary mulling over a political campaign? Today’s proclamation in panel 2 sounds like her stump speech.
“I’m proud of you, Mary!”
“Thank you, Jeff. See you in six months.”
The rest of this week will be taken up by Mary and Jeff strolling the deserted boardwalk after leaving the deserted Bum Boat.
@Ian Cameron, PhD, I have been to Ashtabula Harbor, though not recently. That Bum Boat looks like Jeff’s kind of place. I picture him going there after he drops Mary off at the Charterstone gate.
KitKat, I have also been to the Ashtabula harbor and somehow missed this gem. The Facebook page shows they had live music this past Friday. The usual cover band fare that Ohioans love. A little too low brow for Mary, I think. Plus, I notice people kayak up to the BumBoat in Ashtabula. I fear Jeff's behemoth would capsize the Ashtabula BumBoat as he came racing across Lake Erie..
I fear @meg is right. And it’s only Monday.
@LouiseF, I can recommend Harbor Perk Coffeehouse at Ashtabula harbor. (This is an unsolicited testimonial.)
I can’t imagine a duller, less agreeable couple than Mary and Jeff as they continue to pat themselves on the back. Did Mary bring her own muffins for dessert? The Bum Boat appears to be deserted. The Sanctimonious Twosome certainly knows how to clear an establishment. I wonder if June has been recycling panels - I miss Wanders’s “Please Recycle Here” signs.
When diners at every table within earshot begin yakking up their food, the Department of Health fears an outbreak of food poisoning and shuts down The Bum Boat. The owner is distraught. No one suspects that Mary's hyperplatitudinitis is the real culprit. So much for the butterfly effect.
-- Scottie
We'll know if the panel recycling is on if tomorrow's strip starts with a few butterflies fluttering around either the BumBoat or back at Charterstone. I see Mary is holding that dessert fork pretty firmly in her hand.
Yada yada yada…and it’s only Tuesday.
As Mary and Jeff pause on the boardwalk:
Jeff, there’s something I must tell you (whirr, click).
Yes, Mary?
My conversation is now being produced by AI. (whirr, click).
Great Caesar’s Ghost! So is mine! Are we the only ones in the comic world who are?
No, Jeff, all of ‘em! Only Henry and The Little King are holding out now. Zippy the Pinhead and Doonesbury fought the good fight, but …sniff…(click, whirr)
So, what is Karen Moy doing now?
She’s a programmer for Big AI.
And the point of this drivel is . . . ?
Anybody . . .?
-- Scottie
Answer: The point is to fulfill a contractual obligation while expending as little effort as humanly possible.
Prediction:
Mary sees a homeless person on the boardwalk and must immediately take action to save their soul
Jeff falls into the water and Mary jumps in to save him
Mary and Jeff both collapse due to a mysterious outbreak caused by a poisoning at the Bum Boat
Zzzzzzzzz….it’s only Wednesday.
“How was your LEMON MERINGUE PIE?”
“What??!! I thought it was a banana split with extra nuts!”
Is Mary’s “Let’s go!” a suggestion to dine and dash? That would introduce some much-needed excitement into this snoozer of a week.
A closer glance reveals that Mary is as bored as we are. She’s drinking two cups of coffee.
Wouldn’t it be great if there were suddenly a…..SHARKNADO?
THURSDAY
She left out Wilbur.
Mary wallows in self-loathing because, even as sainted as she is, she hasn't been able to fix all the world's ills.
Dreck Factor Ten.
-- Scottie
Hmmm…that railing is pretty high. Tipping her over the edge and saying it was an accident probably won’t work for Jeff. Besides, we know she’s a good swimmer, and she could easily pull a Wilbur and return, even if she was carried out to sea. Another lost opportunity, but keep thinking, Jeff. Remember, you’re some form of doctor. Surely there’s something you could surreptitiously sprinkle on the inevitable salmon at your next quarterly date.
Oh my stars, our Mary so despondent! That's what happens when you eat the less-sweet cobbler for dessert, Mare. Maybe Wilbur can give you Dr. Sweater Vest's contact info.
Well, thank you for that, KM. That jeremiad will certainly get you the invitation you've been hoping for to host SNL.
HelenClark
I'm glad to see you're still monitoring MW & Me, @HelenClark!
Friday
Boy, it sure is dark and deserted on the boardwalk! Mary and Jeff better watch their aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!
No, you can’t save the world. And it’s entirely possible that you can’t save this comic either.
Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
No, we still have the Sunday Summary to go. Don’t make me turn this comic strip around! Do you want the victory lap to last another week? And once we get there, it could be another Wilbur story. So hunker down in the back seat and be quiet!
fauxprof: KitKat’s pulling my hair! Make her stop!
@meg, don’t make me come back there!
Yes, Jeff, the ocean provided both your surf and turf and your LEMON MERINGUE PIE!
Mary and Jeff sound like they’re almost ready to throw themselves into that vast, unforgiving sea. Sunday’s installment should be a real laugh fest.
Sunday….yes, just stay on that boardwalk until Sunday. Tropical storm Hilary should be there by then, and guess who will be needing a lifeline?
Dr. Jeff and Mary are both sure giving the ocean the old "stink eye" in panel 2!
Terrific comments the past two days, everyone!
Jeff is playing along with the noir musings of Mary's dark side hoping that maybe THIS is a way to get to first base. Poor man never learns.
-- Scottie
08/07
Mary, riding her Mighty Schwinn, thinks, “WHO KNOWS what’s happening in this town sight unseen?”
Mary, girlfriend, get out there and find out! We’re counting on you!
But- Saul and Eve are walking their dawgs, Jeff is painting the bathroom, Wilbur is taking a shower, and Toby and Ian are sitting in the stony silence of a longtime boring marriage, each sipping a familiar beverage (screwdriver on the rocks and Auld Geezer, straight up, respectively), and Mr. Allora is plotting his next prank on the residents.
Let us know what you find out, particularly if it’s embarrassing.
Both Saul and Eve hold their phones by pinching them.
Off to another week of eating at the seafood restaurant (assuming it is dog friendly).
Oh no, we’re staring at weeks of matching bow ties, matching neckerchiefs, and DOGS ARE GOOD! And I was afraid we were about to face an Iris and Zak storyline - silly me. Gaaahhh….
Greta picked up a thing or two while she was imprisoned in the dogfighting warehouse, and now she uses them to threaten Max into doing her bidding.
-- Scottie
Next up:
Max disappears.
I think I mentioned weeks ago that Saul and Eve should be planning their nuptials (and that the dogs will, of course, marry also). Mary will make the cakes of course, one for the bride and groom and one for the canine couple. Who will officiate? Probably some nameless person we will never see again. Bored yet?
I think @MissScarlet is on to something, what with Saul calling Eve “dear.” However, she’ll never attain “my sweet girl” status. Is Eve willing to play second fiddle?
My general remark for Tuesday’s installment is “gag!”
Will Saul propose at Dog Beach? Will Eve say Yes? Or will she hesitate and "have to think it over"? Or will she say, "Oh dear sweet Saul, I'm afraid not" and grind his heart into a billion little pieces? How will any outcome affect the dogs' relationship?
Boy oh boy, I'm so excited. I'm sure Moy is going to absolutely nail this story!
-- Scottie
I love how everybody is sweetly imagining Saul planning a marriage proposal. I read “maybe more than a day” as something sinister. Sorry, it’s a combination of too many true crime podcasts and a subconscious desire for something dramatic to happen.
I took that Saul got his Viagra refilled. Nah, not in the Worthyverse.
Yeah, I agree with fauxprof....there is something kinda creepy about this. Saul used to be an old crank, maybe he has something nefarious planned for Eve. Nevermind, that would be way too dramatic and interesting. Eve will probably see a life-sized, cardboard, cut-out advertisement on the boardwalk and mistaking it for her dead husband, she will run into the sea and drown.
Jeeze, we don't have any trouble thinking up drama. Again, I sure wish Moy read this blog.
So, I'm away for a week, and I see it's been a regular Snarknado here at MW& Me. Hilarious, everyone! I am glad that JB was able to illustrate Mary's blue mood by rendering Mary's blue coif on Sunday's summary, a hairdo that I notice doesn't budge, even in the rising wind of the Unforgiving Sea. It's either she's really hip or she's a grandma, circa 1965.. Oh, and I am imagining Saul planning to open a restaurant together that only serves dogs. Forget that romance stuff..
More than a day? Is he building a cottage on the beach?
Too bad this arc can't go back in time and do an alternate universe sort of thing associated with the cruise ship debacle. That way Saul and Eve could stumble on Wilbur's bloated corpse washed up on shore.
OK, I admit that I am so old that I remember the photo of Dick Nixon walking down the Capistrano beach in a full suit and dress shoes. But does that mean that Saul has to constantly wear a sweater and a bow tie? I mean, it's not like he's a disgraced president or anything.
@MissScarlet
Ha haaaaa! If I remember correctly, Saul was a career Marine and wore a uniform every day for decades. So he isn't going to change in civilian life.
I presume he makes Greta make her bed every morning and then stand inspection.
-- Scottie
P.S. Conversely, when I was in the Army a lifetime ago, I vowed that when I got out, I would never eat off a tray again. And I haven't!
From the Unnecessary Dialogue Department... "It wasn't right that she was taken away." RIGHT?! I think it wasn't LEGAL that she was dognapped, Eve.
Just so we are all clear:
Dogs are good and stealing dogs isn't right.
Whew! Glad we got that taken care of.
With apologies to Bobby Burns and his Selkirk Grace:
Some folk hae dogs an’ cannae walk them,
Ain some can walk but don’t hae dogs.
But we hae dogs an’ we can walk them,
So lit Mary Worth be thanked!
Saul makes his move!
meg- that is brilliant!
Santa Royale feels like home?? Uh, isn't it? Or is Saul on some kind of extended vacation from somewhere?
Jeez, Karen, it shouldn't be that hard to write dialogue that makes sense.
-- Scottie
BTW, I wonder how long it's going to take those two to stand up again. That beach really might feel like home.
@Scottie McW, I thought the same when I read Saul’s remark about “home” - huh??? He’s feeling Eve’s shoulder, so perhaps “it” refers to that, not to Santa Royale.
And, speaking of Santa Royale, where the heck has everyone been the past two weeks? Mary and Jeff had dinner in a deserted Bum Boat, then took a bored-walk on the dark, deserted boardwalk (sorry folks, I couldn’t resist). Now we have Eve, Saul, and pooches on a deserted beach. If it’s so beautiful, why isn’t anyone else there? Have the other citizens of Santa Royale been transported to another dimension?
I'm trying to imagine being less interested in Saul/Eve, but it just isn't coming to me. I'm at negative plot interest. I like meg's idea of Mr. Allora planning a prank on the residents. What could it be? I'm thinking something involving recycling...
I agree @LouiseF, I don't care about Saul and Eve. But I will take them over Wilbur any day.
KitKat:
In regards to the missing inhabitants of Santa Royale: they are loyal members of the CSCG (comic strip characters guild), and they are currently on strike. Any characters currently appearing are strike-breaking scabs!
Thanks, Thunderheels! I owe everything to whoohoo.co.uk, except for the corny jokes.
meg, I forgot about the strikes! That explains everything. Mary and Jeff are of course strike-breaking scabs - that's a given. I bet Wilbur is too. The only reason he's not on this beautiful beach is because he's having a devil of a time squeezing into his Speedo.
Saturday
“Eve, can you watch Greta for a few days so I can go to the Ed Asner Lookalike Convention in Goleta?”
S: "How's your BURRITO?"
E: "GREAT! The sea air probably has something to do with it. It's a good thing we're being drenched by the spume kicked out by the water treatment plant, since they sure as hell didn't add any seasoning."
S: "Eve, I want to ask you a QUESTION"
E: "Yes, what is it?"
(long awkward pause in unforgiving sea air)
S: "How's your BURRITO?"
E: "Saul, did you forget your Leqembi infusion again?"
Is Saul really going to do this over a food truck burrito? Is Eve really so desperate that she will say yes? Are the dogs going to yak up those hamburgers? We won't find anything out tomorrow because it is the Sunday recap.
As far as we know, they've never even kissed, or even said "I love you" before. So he's going to propose?
Maybe she'll say No and Saul will wind up taking a swan dive off Jeff's cruise ship.
-- Scottie
Eve’s answer:
(sung) Oh, not without Mary Worth’s consent, I couldn’t even marry the Pres-I-dent (of the ASPCA).
Also: “Today they ran on the beach like the wind” is an example of a misplaced modifier.
Of course, Eve will say yes…but after that, so many questions.
Will Mary plan and orchestrate the entire wedding? (Silly me—of course she will!)
Will Eve wear a wedding dress with a matching veil and bandanna?
Will the wedding cake be a stacked tier of indigestible muffins?
Will Greta be the flower girl and Max the ring-bearer?
…And then there’s the matching wedding bow ties and bandannas for bride, groom and dogs…
(Please, guys, just go to Vegas and spare us all!)
meg, KM is in the Copy Editors’ Hall of Shame.
My prediction: Eve will reply “!!” every day for the upcoming week. The week after that, she’ll consult with Mary regarding her indecisiveness. Eve will then go into hiding, and Saul will consult with Mary: “I just don’t understand women!” Then Saul will talk to Greta for the following week. After that, Mary will bump into Jeff at the Northview Hospital cafeteria, and she’ll update him on the travails of Eve and Saul. (They’ll also agree that no one has as good a relationship as THEY do.) By that time, it’ll be Halloween.
All of us should hope that Eve and Saul eventually tie the knot. They will then disappear from the strip forever, just like the other couples did.
@KitKat; I don't know, if they disappear we could end up with more Wilbur.
I must say, Moy surprised me by having Saul pop the question on a Sunday. But KitKat is likely correct, nothing will happen for the next month, so that will make up for it.
What's that you say, Greta? Timmy's in the well? There's a tidal wave coming? You don't want Saul to marry Eve?
NO, I distinctly said “WOOF!”
Greta
Well, rip my jeans, I got it wrong. Eve’s enthusiastic about tying the knot with reformed curmudgeon Saul. Which reminds me, didn’t Saul credit Greta (his little girl!) with turning his life around? Despite her “WOOF!” today, maybe tension will bubble up in the Eve-Greta relationship.
Will Saul and Greta move in with Eve and Max, or vice versa? Or will they continue to maintain their own digs? Money never seems to be an issue for anyone in this strip.
Oh dear. Poor Saul. I suspect Eve is just getting started on her list of things that "there's no need for" at their age.
No, no, no! This is all moving too fast. They need to meet each other’s babysitters first (via Ouija board if necessary at their age).
This does smack of a lack of effort on Saul’s part; I suppose he’s planning to pass off the Fanta can tab as an engagement ring, and make the food truck their Old Familiar so they can avoid running into Mary and Jeff. I was really looking forward to seeing Saul attempt to take a knee on the unforgiving boardwalk and end up sprawled on his back like a helpless tortoise before needing prenuptial arthroscopic surgery by Dr Kapuht.
When one moves in with the other, one will have to break his/her lease. Will Mary allow it, or will there be a significant penalty? Will the mover get his/her cleaning deposit back? Will the condo board allow them to keep two dogs in one apartment? Is there enough wall space and shelf surface to display all the pictures of both dogs? Will Mary be able to lease the newly vacant apartment, reeking as it does of dog ambience?
This could turn out to be a logistical nightmare.
-- Scottie
@Scotie, very fitting and hilarious questions! And think of the impact on Mr. Allora's workload.
Fabulous comments, everyone! I'm planning to stock up on baking soda for the inevitable urge to yak I'm going to have after seeing the parade of bowties and bandanas going down the aisle as Eve and Saul wed. In fact, I imagine the wedding guests arriving at the ceremony, and after answering whether or not they are attending for the bride or groom, they will be handed either a bandana or a bow tie. After the wedding, they will shower the newlyweds with enough bandanas and bowties to last into their dotage. Hurray!
I could volunteer to act as wedding planner for the canine nuptials, because my sister and I once forced my grandfather’s dog to wed my mother’s dog (they were not related).
Cookie the bride wore an old white silk slip (remember those, ladies?). Jiggs the groom wore a red necktie- and industriously attempted to bite me as I put it on him. My grandmother played the wedding march on a paper-covered comb (a comb kazoo).
The wedding ‘cake’, which my sister made from cheese and some unknown ingredients, was abruptly gobbled down by the groom midway through the ceremony. The marriage was never consummated.
meg.. I'm thinking the wedding you described could be immortalized with taxidermy after the demise of the participants..
@LLouiseF: I don't know. Alan Alda wrote a hilarious book about that and stated very clearly that one should never have their dog stuffed.
On the other hand, a little taxidermy might be great for Saul and Eve.
Dale Evans, observing that Trigger had been taxidermed, vowed that she would have “Roy Rogers stuffed and mounted on Trigger.”
meg - mounted how?
Here’s Dale ‘s follow-up remark:
https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/40457/did-they-really-say-that
My mother and I were dining in the Space Needle during the Seattle World’s Fair. At the next table were Roy and Dale and their posse- Roy was eating calf brains and scrambled eggs. He was in the elevator with us on the way down, and he asked my mother to point him toward the arena where he was to perform. Mother got all star struck and just said, homina, homina. With great grade school gravity, I pointed him in the right direction.
TUESDAY
So Eve loves Max more than she loves Saul, and Saul loves Greta more than he loves Eve, but they're getting married anyway.
Yeah, sure, why not?
-- Scottie
meg, I love that story about Roy Rogers and Dale Evans! Considering how shamelessly JB illustrated Greta, Max, and Libby doing yoga with their people, I'm sure we will be afflicted with an overdose of cuteness during Saul and Eve's wedding. Think I'll take a nap for a few weeks...
Come to think of it, that animal yoga thing did not involve Saul and Eve, although I'm imagining Saul and Eve in "downward dog" pose...That was Estelle and the Veterinarian with Libby, Pierre, and the Vet's cat. The animals in this strip are depicted as pathetic suck ups to human beings.
I don't know...I'm willing to go along with the 'dogs are good' stuff most of the time, but when they start dictating who can marry who; that seems a bit too much.
Sorry this isn't a better comment: #400 deserves more, I think.
Hi Wanders! We still miss you!
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