Frazz by Jef Mallett for July 01, 2024

Spouse and I often engage in the game of “what was there before” in our smallish town where we’ve lived for a few decades. Some of our friends can beat us though: They’ve been here for several decades and can not only remember what WAS there, they remember where they moved to when they left.

That’s commerce in America. Things do change pretty fast. For a while, the characters around Frazz were astonished he was actually dating Miss Plainwell, and that they were still a couple despite their ‘boring’ routine(they run a lot).

Cute greyhound!!

That’s progress NOT!!

I was EIGHTEEN before I noticed my grandfather was left-handed!

Took me three days to notice my husband shaved off his beard.

I believe Frazz’s world takes place in Michigan. As a former Michigander (Michiganian? Michiganite?) I can certainly attest to the longevity of some construction projects that take place there as Miss Plainwell avers. In particular, the road construction/repair projects take an ungodly amount of time to complete. I wonder if today’s strip is a sneaky way of Mr. Mallet protesting a certain construction project that has been ongoing for a length of time near him?

Around here (a little south of Michigan) they tear up the same streets every year. We call it Spring Plowing.

They say dogs look like their owners. Sure is the case here.

There’s a house not a million miles from me that took something like fourteen years to build. There were rumours of organised crime being involved.

Love the treatment Jef gave the dear Doggos drawing this instalment.

I’m with Mrs. Olsen. Stuff keeps changing. Takes a jolt for old memories to take in the new stuff.

She also has not noticed that the same students are in her class year after year…

A lumber yard caught fire next door to a car dealership. Someone bought them at the fire sale and have been working on a restoration project of some kind for 30 years.

Ouch, yeah, know that feeling. Could be adapted for the Pluggers daily panel.

When my daughter was still at home, we were coming back from a short trip up the coast, when she said, “Wow, how long has that hill be there? I never noticed it before. (She was about 16 at the time)” Trying very hard not to laugh I said, “Oh, I’d guess about 10,000 yrs.”

Reminds me of those who complain forever about an intersection needing stop signs. Then riding with them as they go thru stop sign without stopping. Mention what they did, how long has that been there? Oh around 3 -4 weeks.

That’s funny, because I’ll suddenly notice a new construction site where grass or trees used to be, and it’s obvious they’ve been working there for a while…

The building that started to go up a quarter mile from here is half done. The one that started 4 years ago in my complex right next to a lot of peoples homes who are suffering from all sorts of mental issues, is not even half done. On some days it even annoys even me. That’s gotta be horrible for any HSP living with the noise right next to their homes.

Directions while driving in the country: “Ya go about 5 miles straight ahead down the road yer on, then take a right at the corner where the old Jones place usta be!”

That’s what would worry me too. I hate not seeing changes in my community.

A corner with a gas station, Burger King, car wash, and some other businesses that I don’t recall was cleared quite a few years ago, and is still vacant. The old strip mall across the street was torn down and replaced with — a strip mall. A big corner lot that was a car dealer as far back as I remember is being cleared, but I don’t know what will replace it, if anything. I used to get around more, so I was aware of the changes. Now, an area that was busy the last I saw it, will be completely changed and be busy again when I next see it.

I was just talking with someone this week. The KFC near us has been there for probably 50 years. But, I remember there used to be a Texaco station there before them.