Back from Dallas and Back to Grandpa Jim
I am back in Tucson after a week in Dallas visiting relatives and attending the annual Homemade Gourmet convention. It was a long week, and my goal in the week is allow my kids as much time as I can get them to visit with their grandparents (2 sets on my wife’s side) who live in Dallas, an old friend of my wife’s and her kids, and my wife’s step-brother and his family. Also, I attended the Homemade Gourmet Convention (my wife’s business) during the awards dinner, for which spouses are usually invited to attend. For the most part it was a successful week and people whom I wanted to see and visit with my kids had the opportunity to do so.
There were even a few moments in which I got some computer access to do some Howard Bunt Blog entries. Today we did the 1000-mile drive back and everyone got back safely.
As for For Better or For Worse, the focus is once again on the depressing life of Grandpa Jim and I can only hope we are not going to spend the entire week with this same setup, i.e. Jim getting wheeled around and then making some mental comment about how no one talks to him. This has been a constant source of frustration to us readers, because we remember that for a brief shining moment, Grandpa Jim was shown to have a picture book that he could use to communicate. Almost immediately after that element was introduced, it was dropped, and this running joke of “Iris interprets for Jim, and Jim thinks a sarcastic / depressing comeback” began. This joke has been repeated over and over and over. As is usual for the Lynn Johnston style, she finds a story-telling element she likes and then does as many variations as she can. However, unlike her mentor, Charles Schulz, who did the same thing with strips like the once-a-year “Lucy pulls the football away from Charlie Brown” running joke strip, Lynn does not seem to have the good sense to put a little space in between running joke appearances. I don’t think I would mind this running joke with Grandpa Jim if it did not happen more than 2 days in a row and every time we see Grandpa Jim.
On the plus side, we get to see something we have never seen before at the place where Jim and Iris live—a staff. I have often wondered why Jim and Iris would live in a place occupied entirely by persons their age, if there was not a staff to help them do things. I wondered why Iris has appeared to have to do everything by herself. In today’s strip, we can see why. The staff appears and seems to have no other purpose than to get a current status on Jim’s condition and to smile beneficently. They seem to be fairly worthless. However, since they have made an appearance for the first time in the over 6 years Iris and Jim have lived there, I have to wonder what is up in the Lynn Johnston planning.
Ever since Jim’s stroke #2 back in October, when Elly let it drop that Iris had put in a reservation years ago at the Sunset Manor, I have long suspected that this would be Jim’s eventual location before the strip ended. The appearance of these 2 previously-unseen medical workers could be an indication this is where we are going. Plus, Iris says these startling words, “His daughter is coming to stay with him soon.” Elly Patterson coming into relieve Iris after she has been the sole support of Jim since October, 2006, could well spell the moment where Jim is put in the Sunset Manor. We could have a heart-warming moment where Elly explains to Jim that now that his health is stable, he can be moved, while Jim thinks, “Now you’re moving me? When my health is stable? Hell, woman, just a few months ago I was in the park with my great grand-kids.”
The other possibility is that someone explained to Lynn Johnston that the idea of Iris having a reservation for Jim at Sunset Manors is not how health care facility assignments are done in Ontario, and she has dropped the whole idea. Maybe, Elly is coming in so Lynn can finally dispel the unrelenting complaints about Jim’s poor treatment by everyone in the Patterson family (except for April). There are some who might say, “Too little too late”, but as for me, I take great delight in moments where Lynn Johnston intentionally tries to force her lead characters to look good. If past history of this strip is any indication, what we will have instead is a moment where the lead characters will look at their worst. I can’t wait.
There were even a few moments in which I got some computer access to do some Howard Bunt Blog entries. Today we did the 1000-mile drive back and everyone got back safely.
As for For Better or For Worse, the focus is once again on the depressing life of Grandpa Jim and I can only hope we are not going to spend the entire week with this same setup, i.e. Jim getting wheeled around and then making some mental comment about how no one talks to him. This has been a constant source of frustration to us readers, because we remember that for a brief shining moment, Grandpa Jim was shown to have a picture book that he could use to communicate. Almost immediately after that element was introduced, it was dropped, and this running joke of “Iris interprets for Jim, and Jim thinks a sarcastic / depressing comeback” began. This joke has been repeated over and over and over. As is usual for the Lynn Johnston style, she finds a story-telling element she likes and then does as many variations as she can. However, unlike her mentor, Charles Schulz, who did the same thing with strips like the once-a-year “Lucy pulls the football away from Charlie Brown” running joke strip, Lynn does not seem to have the good sense to put a little space in between running joke appearances. I don’t think I would mind this running joke with Grandpa Jim if it did not happen more than 2 days in a row and every time we see Grandpa Jim.
On the plus side, we get to see something we have never seen before at the place where Jim and Iris live—a staff. I have often wondered why Jim and Iris would live in a place occupied entirely by persons their age, if there was not a staff to help them do things. I wondered why Iris has appeared to have to do everything by herself. In today’s strip, we can see why. The staff appears and seems to have no other purpose than to get a current status on Jim’s condition and to smile beneficently. They seem to be fairly worthless. However, since they have made an appearance for the first time in the over 6 years Iris and Jim have lived there, I have to wonder what is up in the Lynn Johnston planning.
Ever since Jim’s stroke #2 back in October, when Elly let it drop that Iris had put in a reservation years ago at the Sunset Manor, I have long suspected that this would be Jim’s eventual location before the strip ended. The appearance of these 2 previously-unseen medical workers could be an indication this is where we are going. Plus, Iris says these startling words, “His daughter is coming to stay with him soon.” Elly Patterson coming into relieve Iris after she has been the sole support of Jim since October, 2006, could well spell the moment where Jim is put in the Sunset Manor. We could have a heart-warming moment where Elly explains to Jim that now that his health is stable, he can be moved, while Jim thinks, “Now you’re moving me? When my health is stable? Hell, woman, just a few months ago I was in the park with my great grand-kids.”
The other possibility is that someone explained to Lynn Johnston that the idea of Iris having a reservation for Jim at Sunset Manors is not how health care facility assignments are done in Ontario, and she has dropped the whole idea. Maybe, Elly is coming in so Lynn can finally dispel the unrelenting complaints about Jim’s poor treatment by everyone in the Patterson family (except for April). There are some who might say, “Too little too late”, but as for me, I take great delight in moments where Lynn Johnston intentionally tries to force her lead characters to look good. If past history of this strip is any indication, what we will have instead is a moment where the lead characters will look at their worst. I can’t wait.
posted by howard at 10:01 PM
11 Comments:
This has been a constant source of frustration to us readers, because we remember that for a brief shining moment, Grandpa Jim was shown to have a picture book that he could use to communicate.
....A point which really needs to be brought up by someone in Coffee Talk.
hoawrd,
There are some who might say, “Too little too late”, but as for me, I take great delight in moments where Lynn Johnston intentionally tries to force her lead characters to look good. If past history of this strip is any indication, what we will have instead is a moment where the lead characters will look at their worst. I can’t wait.
Neither can I. Instead of the responsible daughter doing what's best for her father that the Camera-in-my-living-room brigade will insist on seeing, Elly is gonna be the high-handed jerk who packed Chin-nuts off to Icefloe Estates because looking after him was too hard.
Anonymous
....A point which really needs to be brought up by someone in Coffee Talk.
I am pretty sure this point has been made in Coffee Talk before. It comes up every time we see Grandpa Jim’s communication difficulties in the strip.
dreadedcandiru2
Elly is gonna be the high-handed jerk who packed Chin-nuts off to Icefloe Estates because looking after him was too hard.
This could very well be the case. Although we have seen Iris getting Grandpa Jim in and out of bed and feeding him, I am actually having a hard time envisioning Elly Patterson doing the same thing. The Elly Patterson of recent months falls apart when anyone raises their voice to her, and thinks comments about how tough and awful wedding planning is. One good, loud "Boxcar!!" will probably be enough to cause her to walk out in tears.
What makes people think Elly's actually going to come stay with Jim? All Iris says is that she's coming "soon." For all we know, Elly's been coming "soon" for quite some time now, and uses that as a reflexive response to keep Iris off her back. I can almost see the conversation:
Iris: Elly, you've been saying you'd help out with Jim, but I'm being run ragged here. The staff smile a lot but they're as useful tits on a nun, and I have to do everything. I'm over 80, for crying out loud! And I never have any time to yourself. He's your father -- when are you going to come stay with him?
Elly (distracted, grumpily going over cutlery patterns for the wedding or some such crap): Huh? Oh, soon, Iris. I'll do it soon.
Jim (thinks): I may not have many soons left, you ungrateful twit.
dlauthor,
What makes people think Elly's actually going to come stay with Jim? All Iris says is that she's coming "soon." For all we know, Elly's been coming "soon" for quite some time now, and uses that as a reflexive response to keep Iris off her back.
Funny. I would love to see the conversation you described. However, I expect it will be the exact opposite.I can almost see the conversation:
Iris: Elly, you are so wonderful to spend a few days with Jim. You definitely put the “ought ‘er” into “daughter”, because you knew you ought ‘er stay a few days with your father.
Elly: I can’t wait to reminisce with my father about things that happened in 1979, which make my husband and son look like monsters.
Jim (thinks): Kill me now!
Afterwards:
Iris: Elly, I plan to put Jim into the Sunset Manor if you don’t mind.
Elly: After this time with my father, I completely agree. The sooner the better.
Jim (thinks): I agree too. Anything to get me away from these women! Plus with a name like Sunset Manor, the women there are bound to be hot!
I was really surprised by the "daughter is coming to stay" comment. Maybe Iris is finally going to visit her family? Of course, I don't know what the point of this could be--so it really seems like just a desperate way that Lynn has picked to show how "great" Elly is to Jim and Iris.
It will be funny--we've definitely seen how badly Lynn has tried to show any romance between Liz and Anthony. Wonder if she will write another snide letter to the public when the fans complain after this attempt at Elly/Jim bonding fails, too?
What an odd time for Elly to visit. She's in the middle of planning a huge wedding. Is she going to abandon those chores? Bring them to Jim's place? I'm not sure it will be very good for Jim to have the phone ringing off the hook all the time, with Liz and others calling about wedding plans.
Also, where is Elly going to sleep? Isn't this a one bedroom place? Why come to stay, since they live in the same town? This is all so strange.
debjyn,
It will be funny--we've definitely seen how badly Lynn has tried to show any romance between Liz and Anthony. Wonder if she will write another snide letter to the public when the fans complain after this attempt at Elly/Jim bonding fails, too?
I'm counting on it. If there's one thing Lynn can't stand, it's being told she doesn't know what she's talking about.
debjyn,
I was really surprised by the "daughter is coming to stay" comment. Maybe Iris is finally going to visit her family?
That would be a reasonable assumption. Back when there were monthly letters, Iris frequently talked about how she never got to see her family other than her daughter who lived close by.
Of course, I don't know what the point of this could be--so it really seems like just a desperate way that Lynn has picked to show how "great" Elly is to Jim and Iris.
The possibility most frequently mentioned is getting Jim into the Sunset Manor, but I am not sure how Lynn will make Elly staying with Jim turn into this. I expect the desperate move to make Elly look better is the most likely choice.
Wonder if she will write another snide letter to the public when the fans complain after this attempt at Elly/Jim bonding fails, too?
Unlikely. We are 5 ½ weeks from the predicted end of August 30 and under Lynn’s lead time. Considering the publicity already started, I would say Lynn is done with this strip and is concentrating on her children’s book illustrations.
qnjones,
What an odd time for Elly to visit. She's in the middle of planning a huge wedding.
I think we are done with wedding planning in the strip. I know in real life, wedding planning lists have things like what to do 6-9 months in advance, 3 months in advance, 1 week in advance, etc.; but I don’t think we are going to see that. There are 5 ½ weeks left and if Lynn follows her current pattern, 2 of those weeks will be devoted to reprints. That leaves a ½ week to knock out this Grandpa Jim thing, and 3 weeks to devote to the wedding day itself.
Also, where is Elly going to sleep? Isn't this a one bedroom place? Why come to stay, since they live in the same town? This is all so strange.
Elly will take the place of Iris, although I doubt if she will sleep in the same bed with Jim as Iris does. Presumably Jim has to have someone overnight, in case anything happens with him in the middle of the night.
Post a Comment
<< Home