Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for September 03, 2012

I think more like they are throwing a party for his parents.

Or maybe those I didn’t agree with so far are right, and this is the wedding, too.

Can’t Meg be trusted to keep the secret?

I say WEDDING!!!

♥♥ I vote wedding ♥♥

Wedding!!!!!!!!!

I don’t understand. Where is Meg that she has to visit?

MEG’s the one who can’t be trusted?? Looks like Gene is the one who must be kept away. He’s as good as me for surprises.

Speaking from experience (our daughter just got married this past June, my son 14 years ago), Arlo and Janis wouldn’t be upset with a birth announcement, or obviously no graduation ceremony, and Arlo would be able to handle almost anything. Janis would be upset if she wasn’t there for her only child’s marriage vows. Receptions are all wonderful (another catering gig), but it’s the wedding itself for women and mothers that means everything. Meg would have spilled the beans on their elopement. Not sure, of course, but re-reading it all, this has the earmarks of a post wedding celebration.

Maybe they can’t trust the sitter.

Why are Gene’s elbows bent backward???

Do Arlo and Janis know about the Meg in the water incident?

@ Dreich1064 ~ I believe Gene’s arms are meant to appear angled out to the sides of his body as he leans into his hands over the bar, but the artist definitely did NOT get the perspective and foreshortening drawn correctly.

1. I vote for wedding.2. Janis must know that something is afoot, because Gene told her to “dress casual.”3. Meg would likely be brought in by the sitter just before the ceremony.

Are we all amnesic?  Gene and Mary Lou were going to get married last December, but they decided to postpone the wedding until they finished repairing their new house (although I believe that JJ just forgot about it until December sneaked up to him).  Janis was all excited about the wedding and disappointed when it was postponed. So all this talk about a “surprise wedding” or “quasi-eloping” is all nonsense.  If it turns out that G & ML do get married in a surprise ceremony, it will be a slap in the face of Janis who was therefore excluded from all the preparations. Yes, I believe it is possible that JJ may have made this mistake (planning a surprise wedding) but let’s face it: it would be just rude!

I’m not of this generation. What is “slammed”?

Slammed = full of customers, very busy.

I agree with Dave: they wouldn’t exclude Meg from a wedding.

Wedding! That’s why she told "dressy casual ", then Gene forgot and said csaual! JJ is moving up the time table, strip might end before spring!!!

I think she scuttled the boat.

Saturday “just another catering gig” would only work for them not for Arlo and Janis. I’ve thought a surprise wedding or announcement of an elopement that already took place. Janis might be upset by not being included in plans. The mother of one son doesn’t get to do much like that.

JJ might not want her future mom-in-law to manage the wedding. My mom was supportive, but didn’t interfere. Just right.

JJ is in Doonesbury.

They mentioned doing a catering job and one of them said “it’s just another catering job” in a way that implied it wasn’t.

Meg is in on the secret, which is why they can’t see her – it’s almost inevitable that she would give it away.

I think it seems quite likely they would have a very small private wedding and surprise Arlo and Janis with it. I bet Janis would only be upset for a very short time, if at all.

A wedding is in the works I say!