Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for May 25, 2023

I do believe our boy is in serious trouble.

A little hyperbole, the flattery followed by candor, forthcoming side of hissy fit

Well there you go. Started off good and didn’t know when to quit.

Arlo, I do not believe you just said that! What a rookie blunder!

You will now get a dose of “hard to get along with.”

Funny how real that statement is.

“To get along, go along” – Sam Rayburn.

After a while, we kearn how to pick our battles.

Pillow fight.

He’s in deep do-do now.

Arlo, you should know better by now.

Ouch!! That’ll leave a mark…on Arlo!

I guess the honeymoon is over.

Is that her right arm under her neck?

I have this conversation with my husband sometimes. He’s with Arlo (at least when speaking out loud) that neither one of us wants our younger body back, if it meant we had to have our younger selves back as well. At this point (nearly 30 years of marriage) we’re like polished stones in a tumbler, we have mostly worn each other’s rough corners off.

Now just laugh heartily and say: “You know I was just joking. Of course I can pretend that you look you as good as you think you once did!” “Been doing it for YEARS”

Marriage crisis adverted…… no need to thank me, just happy to help.

Stop looking in mirrors and live life.

It’s funny I suppose. I am cognizant of the changes time has wrought in my wife’s and my appearance, but I still see her as the 18 year old woman whom I was smitten with at first sight.

Arlo, no biting your tongue now.

“It does not.”

At least Arlo didn’t pile on with a ‘compliment’ that the added weight makes Janis more voluptuous, the wrinkles and grey hair don’t detract, or something to that effec

Janis, I wish I could tell you as an impartial observer, you DO look GREAT!

I’m …. Ummm…. Hesitant….

Well, he shouldn’t have said that. I’m afraid we just lost a good man.

And THAT is why he still thinks that she is the “bee’s knees” no matter how old she might be. Not ALL guys are jerks , insecure and shallow. A lot of us older guys mature into preferring living with a glamorous mood to a glamorous face.

She’s going to cut him off for quite awhile…..

Usually when I compliment my wife like Arlo did at first, she smiles and says “You are such a wonderful liar, I think the Lord forgives those ahead of time!” My reply is “What lie?”

I wonder how many aging people regret the loss of our youthful appearance. My guess is about half, but that is just a guess. I look like a toad, but that was to be expected.

For me, the loss of strength and stamina are more troublesome. The first time I replaced the floor on our back deck twenty years ago the job took a handful of days; I am about to enter the third week. My back is setting the pace. Next stop: disease processes. Many here have already entered that zone, and I appreciate their observations.

Don’t show this to the wife, don’t show this to the wife…

It’s really weird being the same age as old people.

Wrong thing to say.

3,,, 2,, 1,,,

Just as a prophet is not accepted in his own land, Arlo is about to find out that a truthteller seldom survives in his own house.

Arlo has just reached that “Sweet Surrender” stage of life “just enough to be here for today”

She’s lucky. I kept my figure, colored my hair, and he still ditched me, after what I thought were 25 happy years, for a much younger woman.

ruh roh

Many women in our family can’t take an honest compliment…at all. It’s either a joke that’s not funny or a back handed insult. None of us have ever joked or insulted like this. I think I’m just going to shut my complimenting mouth up and see what that does.

Yeah, Arlo, be sure to warn her when she’s getting fat. NOT

Bad form in that last cell…..

That is, up until the last minute or so.

I prefer the ‘fine wine analogy’ – while we may settle to the bottom we get better with age’

The word is mature not older. Though that may not be perfect plan either; people aren’t predictable.

I may not be as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was!

A delicate subject here.

Arlo, you CAN pretend a little.

Not a good thing to say there Arlo

i live that same ‘lose lose’ conversation every frickin’ day..

Torn rotator cuff. Physical therapist said patients with a high pain threshold did well with their therapy. I said, “I should do fantastic, I’ve been married 20 years!” That was 25 years ago. Best thing I ever did on New Years Eve 1977!

My wife has just gotten crankier with age.