Big Top by Rob Harrell for May 07, 2009

Good morning! (even though it’s only 10:30 here)

Coffee is hot, bagels are fresh, juice is in the fridge, and there are fresh fruit smoothies , too. Enjoy your day!

pookid!!! You’re baaaack!

You, too, pookid, you, too! I will be pretty much MIA until Sunday!

Just so long as you don’t drink up my share of the rum, pookid! Thanks, I’m sure we’ll have a great time (I’m disobeying doctor’s orders tomorrow! Shhhhhh, don’t tell anyone!)

AAAARRRRRR, that thar Joy is a fun date! (doc, thanks for followin’ discreetly in th’ dinghy!). What a gal! She done dove in after them mullets face first & come up with one in her teeth! Gives a whole new meanin’ to a wet one! Methinks I still have fish scales in me beard! And cook? I ain’t never had hushpuppies like hers! AAAARRRRRR, ‘twas a glorious time, me hearties! ‘Twould be ungentlemanly o’ me to elaborate further!

AAAARRRRR, Joy Ye be up at this hour? After our big date? I be impressed, indeed!

AAAAAARRRR, sleep ye well! Ye never can tell when a pirate or a scalawag will show up! Heard tell of them thar Blackberries!

I know Joy just said good night, but good morning all!!

Had some storms (mostly heavy rain) come through in the night so I’ve been up for about 3 hours. Might have to have some of that coffee.

Read all the comments, but forgot to read the strip. The bear seems to be doing better. He just has to remember who he is.

tabby good luck on your tests!!

Not too often do the frist two comics you read for the day bring LOL tears to the eyes, but first Overboard and now this one! HOpe the rest of the day is as good as this!

According to my clock, that means Joy was up at 3:30 AM. Okay pirate, you guys need some coolin’ off time for a couple of days don’t ya’ think? You guys be gettin’ just a tad too serious now!

Mornin’ pookid and Akenta!

Have a nice visit JFri

mornin’ doc and marg

Joy yes, I remember now. I’ll try that this pm when I get home from work! Thanks!

I think he overdid it with the “tee hee”. Good Morning Everyone, Pookid, Thanks, I love buñuelos! They go very well with coffee. YUM. Thanks for the coffee Marg.

Dry, I saw your comment about you keeping all the books. I should have done that too. My special girl, Bekah, has trashed quite a few of ours. Before we knew she was autistic, she would get several books and put them in a certain order. She would often make a sidewalk of them too. Once, after she walked away, I picked up the books in a random order. She came back and put them in “her” order. She was about 2 at that time.

carmy I must admit tht I don’t know a lot aboout autism. Did you check out that special on PBS the other week? If Bekah put her books back in “her” order, she certainly knew what she wanted! :-)

Morning Doc. Dry, I forgot about the PBS show, I’m sure I can find it online so I can watch it. From watching Bekah and other autistic children, I have learned that they each have their own “thing.” Bekah’s is “order”. Everything and I mean EVERYTHING for her has to be in the order she wants.

Morning everybody. I went to bed early last night, to many late nights caught up with me. I think back to when I was in my 20’s and I am now getting up just an hour later than I used to go to bed. Wink is such a cutie, he shouldn’t have a problem getting a date.

carmy I guess that means her dinner plate as well?

cleo yes Wink is a cutie!! Like I said before, this strip is a jewel. Wonder why it’s not in circulation anymore? Was it rob’s decision or the syndicate? If it was the syndicate, I think they made a big mistake!

I believe I must be a comic jinx. All my life my favorite comic strips are short lived, usually with the cartoonist ending the strip. I think that what makes those strips so appealing to me is the genius behind the strip and I think their talent makes them bored and they wish to move on creatively, but it sure bums me out.

Dry, Actually, there is no order to what is “on” her plate. However, her plate has to be “there”, her glass goes “there”, etc.

Oh and thanks for the bunuellos, pookid. They are mighty tasty.

You’re right doctortoon, but I sometimes wish George Carllin’s routine were true and we would lead our lives backwards moving from old age to young. Boy, if I knew in my 20’s what I know now, ROAR!!! Watch out, here I come!

Oh well, at least I don’t have to go back to school. LOL

Joy, I see Doc’s Amen and I’ll raise you another Amen.

Morning all! Just popped in to say “hi” & grab some eats before heading to the airport! Joy you’d best watch that pirate closely!

How about pulled pork sandwiches on my carmelized onion rolls. That appeals to me for lunch with a great Canadian beer Sleaman’s cream ale.

We can only hope, docT ;-)

Good morning everybody! I hope everyone is feeling well. JFri have fun! Cleo, those sandwiches sound good.

I went back to read your comment on bliss doctortoon. Me thinks ulterior motives are at work here. One stoned out kitty momentarily forgets his loss and doesn’t walk around giving you those “Just you wait” looks. LOL

Good morning johnnydoc. You and doctortoon help yourselves to the sandwiches.

doctortoon, when I was a bachelor I too would eat once a day. For me it was breakfast, although not usually breakfast food.

cleokaya says:

“I believe I must be a comic jinx. All my life my favorite comic strips are short lived, usually with the cartoonist ending the strip. I think that what makes those strips so appealing to me is the genius behind the strip and I think their talent makes them bored and they wish to move on creatively, but it sure bums me out.”

I’ve found that I’m a jinx too. The few shows I follow avidly, or try to (“Freeks and Geeks” comes to mind) are soon canceled. The other trash goes on and on and on. Comic strips, book series, you name it. Does this bode poorly for “Big Top”?

Also, reading the comments on autism: I also have certain things that must be ordered “just right.” (Especially things that come in varied colors. I always use spectrum/rainbow order.) What does that say about me?

GASP ! GASP ! MY GILLS ARE HEAVING…..I’M CAUGHT IN THIS NET! PLEASE, THROW ME BACK IN! GASP , CHOKE , WHEEEEZE…….. all I wanted to do was to make a comment on …..uh….I forgot the name of the strip.. ..uh, oh yeh, big top , and got lost in this maze of chitchat…..

bmomk, that is interesting. I suggest you google Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders) if you want more info. I like things in a certain way, I just thought it was Felix Ungerism.

@carmy, or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

(Remember the Psychiatric Hotline?)

Hello… Welcome to the Psychiatric Hotline.

If you are obsessive-compulsive, please press 1 repeatedly.

If you are co-dependent, please ask someone to press 2.

If you have multiple personalities, please press 3, 4, 5, and 6.

If you are paranoid-delusional, we know who you are and what you want. Just stay on the line so we can trace the call.

If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully and a little voice will tell you which number to press.

If you are depressed, it doesn’t matter which number you press. No one will answer.

If you are anal-retentive, please hold.

If you are anxious, just start pressing numbers at random.

If you are phobic, don’t press anything.

bmomk, I thought of OCD too but, I prefer Felix Ungerism. I don’t think I’ve seen The Psychiatric Hotline Menu before. It is very funny, thanks for sharing that.

Heydoc what good does all that knowledge do us anyway? I wish my kids had that knowledge now, because they just roll their eyes when you try to tell them! And I wish I had had that knowledge back then! Maybe I wouldn’t have done some of the dumb sh^^ I did back then! LOL but not completely!

cleo yea, I guess you could get Sleeman’s where you are, just drive across the border! Had that when we were in Niagara on the Lake! GREAT BEER ! Brought a case home, hated to open it, then forgot about it, still have it, but I’m sure its turned by now! Sigh!

Morning all!

Bmonk - Maybe you have CDO - it’s just like OCD except that the letters are in alphabetical order like they should be :) (yes, old joke…)

pookid thanks for the compliment!

Joy again you crack me up! “I have my priorities!”

Nighthawks looks like you’re going to be tangled up in that web for awhile!

bmonk thanks! that was funny!

Hey DF!

Dry, I can get Sleeman’s at a local grocery store. That’s the good thing about living close to the border, we can get a number of Canadian items that you won’t find further south.

nighthawks, you can make a comment without reading ours if you prefer, or join right in. The initiation for newcomers isn’t too demeaning. After mine I awoke naked, with a hangover lying by the dumpster with 2 cows and a chicken.

@cleokaya, and here I thought monastic initiations were tough! I just had to survive 4 1/2 or 5 years, wear the habit, and sign away my life…

Best bargain I ever made, I still think. (And it’s a lot easier on the woman who would have had to be my wife, ifn I’d gone the other way…)

Well, as he himself said, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom it is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.” (Matt 19:11-12) I really feel that my commitment honors marriage: I cannot both be properly dedicated to a wife and family and follow God as I must. One must go for the sake of the other.

Cleokaya - I bet a dumpster holding two cows, a chicken, and you would be rather crowded. About the naked, That’s just SO wrong. [EDIT] Spelling

cleo read the story of your inititation you gave to Nighthawks! Thanks! Now there’s tuna salad all over my monitor screen!! LOL

doc says RE: Your initiation. It wasn’t entirely our fault. You showed up for the initiation naked.”

you guys really have it in for my poor little monitor, don’t ya?

@Drystyha, we’re not the ones eating while we catch up on comments here… :-)

According to the Discovery Channel, celibacy is not hereditary…

Cleo, that was funny! bmonk that psychiatric hotline was hilarious. Glad I’m not eating right now. G’night Doc.

Yes, DigitalFrog, I know… if your parents didn’t have any kids, it’s quite likely you won’t have any either.

hey doc reading Heathcliff reminds me . . do you bathe your cats, if so how often? It takes two of us to hold mine down, plus 2 have all their nails, and they are due for a bath. Any ideas?

pookid just read your comment to cleo over at Pickles! ROFLMAO!

Doc & Dry Speaking of cats & baths, thought you might connect with this one: http://tinyurl.com/d2ghuh

Dry one word for kitty bath question: VALIUM! Rum?

I also found this one which was new to me:

Manic’s Prayer

Lord, help me to relax about insignificant details, beginning tomorrow at 7:41:23 a.m. EST.

God, help me to consider people’s feelings, even if most of them are hypersensitive.

God, help me to take responsibility for my own actions, even though they are usually not in any way my fault.

God, help me not to try to run everything, but if You need some help, please feel free to ask me!

Lord, help me to be more laid back, and help me to do it exactly right.

God, help me to take things more seriously, especially laughter, parties, & dancing.

God, give me patience, and I mean now!

Lord, help me not be a perfectionist.(Did I write that correctly? Better try again.) Lord, help me not be a perfectionist.

God, help me to finish everything that I sta… Amen

DF* I love the link that was good. *JFri, I was going to suggest something like that.

JFri you are so sweet!

Dry I am? Why do you say that? Don’t tell commic, he’ll laugh at me!

Well J if commic laughs at you I’ll make him walk the plank, the scurvy!! LOL

J keep ahold of that blackberry! You don’t need another repair bill, LOL!

*DF* that Off the Mark was hysterical! Ironically, 2 of my cats sleep in the tub! We go through a lot of cleansar!

doctortoon, you’re right I did show up for the initiation naked, but it was only because I decided to just be myself. Rad, being in the dumpster with the 2 cows wasn’t so bad, but that chicken was kind of peckish. Dry, sorry about your monitor, but it was about time you got the dust off of it anyways.

Bmonk the hotline, is my ring tone for my friend. i liked the 2nd one a lot. thanks for sharing.

marg SMOOTHIES??!!! wow you are so my new fav. i love smoothies.

The test was long and hard. took about 4 hours. i missed both of my classes, my “lunch date” with my fave teacher and my bottom hurt from sitting so long, first on the hard floor, then the hard bar stool. not fun. then i cryed on and off for about an hour with my frineds. this was the hardest day of my life. well i must be going, my neighbors are wating. bye for now.

It was a grey rainy day, even thought it is sunny now. Sorry JFri. I had a most pleasant day. I made granola. I made chicken stock and I watched a very good movie. If you like a mystery sort of movie, and can abide subtitles (this one was in letterbox and the subtitles were white on the black background beneath the letterbox, so easy to read) try “Tell No One.” I was engrossed for the 2 hrs. 5 min.

pookid was that naked comment directed to sweet, innocent, little old me?

Take care of yourself DrT.

Oh great, thank you very much doctortoon. You have probably passed it on to us. Hack, hack, hack. Yep, I can feel the symptoms already.

Seriously, hope you feel well enough to enjoy your days off. My cure all formula. Hot water, lemon juice and bourbon. It will loosen the congestion, soothe your throat and loosen your morals.

Doc that is not good. you need to get some rest. you can still post on here when you are sick, no need to worry. well enjoy your days off. i need to go make phone calls All so i will be back later.

Peace and Love.

cleo For shame! Mixed with Vicodan? Yeah, he’ll feel better, if he can remember what day it is!

pookid you are crazy!!! LOL

Pookid all i can say is that i am glad i was not drinking (like dry was earlyer) when i read your 2nd to last post. (the long one messing with doc) it is lolrof funny.

Doc, and Dry (i think it was dry im to tired to think strate) maybe it was Joy. no im sure it was dry…. maybe….. H E L L if i know. lol anyways was keeping this form us. when i went back and read my commics i was missing, i ran accoross this and thought of us. lol enjoy…… (if you have not figured out yet, i cant spell worth a bleeep, and when im tired it is worse. ) http://gocomics.com/loveis/2009/05/06/

pookid I’m glad DrT warned my about your coffee - I see the kind of side effects it has.

Survivor is about to start - I’ll pop back on when it’s over.

these annoncements are killing me. no one remembers me. WOW that kind of hurts but whatever. i am getting fed up with all of this. today should be the last day that i have to do this.

Doc My sympathies - I’ve had that a few times over the years, never fun. However, maybe that explains the green coloring Dry was reporting on his comments window…

Decided to be creative for supper. Here’s what I’ve got in the oven right now: http://tinyurl.com/cw7aoa

*DF* the green background appears when you update to IE8.

I’ll be there for supper! Save me some!

Akenta & pookid you left for Survivor (don’t ask me why!? Puzzlement to me LOL) but now I’m leaving for CSI! If i don’t have to share the “space” I’ll be back! If not as doc says P & L!

Dry, survivor is my guilty pleasure as far as tv. This season has been pretty disappointing. No one really left to like or root for. The one person I’ve wanted to see leave since the beginning is still there.

Well, bleeep it. I don’t have TV, so I am not leaving for anything. I am left alone here to cope with my loneliness while you guys are all entertained by fictional plots and sob stories of people stuck on desert islands. Wah, waaah, I’m all alone.

tabby how are you doing - I know it’s been a rough day for you.

cleo how can you be all alone, didn’t you see the nice dinner DF is cooking for you?

pookid thanks for reminding me - I saw a story in the local news about a man who was arrested down at the marina - he was naked and wielding a knife. cleo, you don’t have a knife on you do you?

Hey, I don’t watch tv either. Cleo, you’re not alone. Doc, hope you feel better soon, I’m sure your sweetie is being a good nurse for you. ;) Tabby, hang in there girl!

LOLS, Akenta Cleo, was that the car wash by the dumpster?

Ankenta I have been better. I’m one of those pathatic people. i am so messed up in the head that last night i was crying when i saw one of my teachers (my best friends) fav color. Im so crazy. today i didnt get to cry till the last block of the day. i had that test all day. i am trying not to cry bc i miss them so much. also stalking one on FB, so its okay. they hav e just become so close to me and i love them they are my 2nd family while you all are my 3rd. (i knew them first sorry. :D )

Tabby, there is just so much happening in your life right now. It’s okay to be having all the emotions you’re having. It will get better for you.

Marker 132

Has anyone noticed hand sanitizer stands all over the place? I’ve been seeing them everywhere. You can get a free dollop of the stuff.

there a few bottles floating around my office. I haven’t tried to use it yet.

dont use germ-x you guys. i am friends with some of the smartist. (spelling?) sicence teachers around. and a few docs as well. they all tell you the same thing. when you use that stuff you bring your emune system down and you are killing good germs as well. (yes there are good germs) lol just dont do it. your best thing to do is wash your hands very well with soap and water.

Carmy and Akenta thanks you girls you are both so sweet. :D

I just took a look at my first comment posted 16 hours ago, which means I’ve been up for 19 hours. Time to say good night and hope I sleep through the night. Everyone take care - esp you tabby.

Akenta Thank you. try to get some sleep. i think i am going eat supper and hit the bed as well was up till 12 last night and back up at 530 im wiped out. its only 8:32 also. sigh. see you all later. thanks for the love, love.

*DF* I am there for dinner. Me and salmon are tight. Would you prefer a chardonnay or a pinot noir with that?

Goodnight Akenta and Tabby!

Good night Tabby and Akenta. You are right, Tabby, there are good germs, but not really any of the ones on your hands. They just occupy space and block bad germs, but aren’t really a plus or a minus to humans. Doc, hope ya feel better, I am feeling a bit under the weather myself. Think I might have a bug of some sort. But if laughter is the best medicine, then Pookid and cleo’s banter might well have cured me for life. That was some of the funniest stuff I have ever seen. I am out now, as Doc (and others now) say Peace and Love friends.

Tabbylynn, being emotional is fine. But, you have also got to just take a deep breath and release the hurt. There is no reason that you can’t maintain a relationship with these people when you are temporarily out of their lives. Email, provides a perfect forum for keeping in touch. When I was your age, it was much more difficult to communicate.

Goodnight Jdoc I started feeling yucky last night. This morning my throat was very sore. Now I’m going through many tissues from blowing my nose.

I think I picked up someone’s germs from the pens that they have available for you when you have to sign in for our appointment and such. Yesterday, I went to Quest labs and the day before that I went to the Military Medical Clinic. I had to “sign in” at both places. If I sound crazy it’s because I feel blah.

cleo no tv huh? how do you keep up? Well, do you remember the show “”Happy Days” with Henry Winkler and Ron Howard? If not my story won’t mean much.

Carmy whear ruber gloves all the time. you dont need to be getting sick. i will pray for you and all of the others who are down with yuckness. well i am going wash dishes and TRY to go to bed. i can never fall asleep no matter how tired i am. Night all may God bless you and keep you safe as you sleep. Peace and Love. (it just fits this group Jdoc would you wish anything else on this group of people. night ya’ll

carmY the lols, ??

Dry, you lost me on the LOLS? pookid, thanks for the very good advice. I definitely don’t want to get sicker.

By the way, I will be using my own pens from now on, Thank you!

Page 4 Whoo Hoo!

carmy I always carry those Wet & Dry (no pun intended, LOL) hand wipes or those Sani KIds wipes. They aren’t harsh and they supposedly kill the germs. And I have found myself, for the past couple years, when I wash my hands in a public restroom, I roll down some towels, wash my hands, take the towel, shut off the faucet, use it to wind down more towels, dry my hands and use that to open the door to exit the bathroom. Hey Heloise does the same thing! Call me paranoid if you want, but that’s what I do!

pookid You got that right! Once in a GREAT while you’ll find one that looks immaculate, but you know it still isn’t!

Ditto, I utilize the paper towels to avoid the germs too.

carmy & pookid, I’m probably going to sign off too! Carmy if you’re getting a cold, chicken broth, garlic, parsley, onion, broccoli, mushrooms or any combination, crushed red pepper, heat for a few minutes and drink up! It does help! A lot! You can even throw in some croutons or crackers!

Dry, thanks for the “cold” advice, I will surely do that. I’m signing off too, I need to get some rest to fight the yucky. Goodnight All!

POOKID, CARMY, AND DRY so this timem i am realy going to bed. i cant help myself. lol well the dishes are done and the bed is calling. im grabing the moive “Stick it” and heading there. (gymnastic movie, normaly dont like that, but it is the best one ive ever saw) so goodnight for realy. get well soon. sweet dreams.

pookid you are a kick in the a$$! You make me laugh so hard. BTW I am not a whack job, either….a psycho, yes, but NOT a whack job! (Job = work = 4 letter word!) Had a great day with my son while all the wimmin folk gathered around the pregnant daughter-in-law! Yeah, just call me Gramps! If the doctor findsd out how we spent our day, he’s gonna be maaaaaad! I have a pic to post once I get it downloaded!

Hey docT get well soon!

Hello doctortoon & JFri. I am on a break watching Scarface with my wife. She hasn’t seen it before. I keep telling her how violent it is. And, she keeps finding out and asking, “What made me put this on our Netflix queue?

JFri glad your visit is going well.

doctortoon how many fingers am I holding up? Seriously, I hope you are feeling better. It’s good that you will be able to stay out of the coolers for a few days.

I am sorry that you are hurting doctortoon, but have you ever thought that there might be a kitty getting a chuckle over this?

doctortoon I am glad that you have had somebody to cuddle up with when you are hurting. Hope you feel better soon buddy.

doctortoon we have been kind of a two man act here and now we are approaching tomorrow. margueritem ought to be about soon. Hope you can make it into the new “day”.