For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for August 28, 2020

Send him over to my house.

I can hardly wait what my fortieth birthday will be like (in the four years).

It looks like a party where not everyone gets a hat and only one person gets a piece of the birthday cake and there are no two glasses that look alike (aside from the ones stacked by the punch bowl that nobody is using). I’ve been to parties like that (except for the cake part).

As for Elly and her demands on the morning of her birthday (no less), she clearly missed the big clue from yesterday’s comic strip when she woke up and John wished her a happy 40th birthday. That is the action of a man who has been planning something.

I hate to be a party pooper but there is no way I would put on an “over the hill” sweatshirt. No freaking way.

Were I Ellie, I’d throttle John for not listening to me.

If Ellie wanted dignity and reserve, they should have kept the stripper. I’m sure the policeman that would come to the door would be classy.

But who gets the fun of cleaning up after the party?

Is that Will Henry with the crown on his head? (Wallace)

How about a shirt that says, “Life Begins At 40”? …rather than “Over the Hill”? Of course, Over the Hill is funny if you are the type of person who can laugh at herself. Apparently, Ellie is not one of those. (I am – would have worn this with fanfare at such a party). LOL

What a drag it is getting old

Kids are different today, only Elly says

Elly needs something today to calm her down

Although she is not really ill

There is a little yellow pill

She goes running for the shelter of an Elly’s little helper

And it helps her on her way

Gets her though her busy day

Doctor, please, some more of these

A shortage for two week wholes?

Damn Canadian price controls!

What a drag it is getting old

I just was not made for these times

I keep hearing Elly whine

What happened to the Greatest Generation?

And if Elly takes more of those

She will get an overdose

No more running for the shelter of an Elly’s little helper

At least she won’t worry about being old

They just helped her on her way, now her funeral John must pay.

the trouble with your 40th birthday is your 60th shows up all too soon afterwards

Nobody believed me on my 40th birthday, but by my 60th, they thought I was lying. :D

For my 60th, I got mu shu duck for dinner, and my cake was homemade mocha almond fudge ice cream cake, but my 40th doesn’t stick out in my memory at all.

heh that’s eons to late! Invitations, planning and all will have happened weeks earlier probably. Just hope this is in a rented locale which includes the cleaning-up part!

When I turned 40 (19 years ago) my wonderful friends threw me a funeral. Everyone wore black. My cake had black frosting. The candle was the number 40 that was also shaped like a headstone and said “Hear lies your youth”. I had a eulogy read to my youth. There were black veils worn over heads, black flowers handed to me and so on. They pulled out ALL the stops. Then the band fired up and the booze stared flowing! I don’t have any issue with age. It’s all good. I can’t wait to turn 60 because I’ll just be glad I made it.

Ellie should consider herself lucky. I never once had a birthday party. Not even after I got married.

Rlly is turning into a drama queen

Elly is turning into a real drama queen!!!

It only gets better from here. I’m disappointed about the stripper though.

I’d LOVE to be facing 40. My next one is the big 70.

Party start time – 6:00 p.m. — she at 5:55 “why I am having this party; it was a terrible idea!”6:01 p.m. “where the hell is everyone?”Still a fond memory 30 fantastic years later :)

I went through TWO of them . . .the last one 9 years ago.

My fortieth was so long ago…… I seem to remember a giant ship and a lot of animals………….

We agreed early on that half of the fun of having a party was the planning and preparation! Somewhere along the way, I ended up with the majority of both of those but as long as my husband gets home on time to help, it works. Birthdays and anniversaries are to all be at a restaurant with only one other couple, max. We did venture out for our one and only restaurant meal this year on my birthday and it was very nice. We were the only 2 in the restaurant in June at 4:30. No plans on doing it again but it was great and only a little uncomfortable.

At least the decorations do not include black balloons and stuffed Vultures!

I threw a surprise 40th for my DH. He hated every minute of it. Everyone brought gag gifts and had a good time. Except DH. Never did it again.

My current wife gave me my first adult birthday party. I was 69 at the time. I hadn’t had a party or a birthday cake since I was about 13 years old.

We were traveling on my 75th but she still got a small cake for a bakery and brought it back to the hotel.

I couldn’t have a party for her landmark 60th this year because of the Covid-19 restrictions, but once they were semi-lifted we had a family celebration with the kids and grandkids and had a cake with the names of everyone in the family whose birthdays we hadn’t been able to celebrate because of the pandemic, written on the top and presents for each one of them. Youngest said it was almost better than Christmas.

40 is just a number. For me, as long as I get some cheesecake and wine on my birthday, I don’t care what the number is, lol!

Looks like creepy Uncle Phil and cousin Fiona are there.

My most memorable birthday was 3 years ago. We were at a campground in Texas (living in a 37 foot motor home at the time) and one of our cats got out in the middle of the night. We never saw him again, but we did see a pack of feral dogs in our campsite later that morning. I didn’t do much celebrating that day.

I don’t know if it’s me or the artist but Elly sure does have a spareTire around the middle.

Red wine served in Champagne glasses is a No-No.

Having a birthday on new year’s eve eve (12/30) I’ve never gotten a b’day party. Was actually hoping for one this past December when I hit 60 but no dice.

Wait… John got her a stripper!?

Silly Foob! Her girlfriends planned to do it. A MALE stripper.

Does NOTHING make Ellie happy? If my hubby even remembered my birthday I’d be pleased; a party would be thrilling!

Happy 40th, Elly. You’re still a kid among most of us here.