In Case of Rain: Pack Up!!
I have had to set up and break camp in the rain before. This is not very uncommon with the Boy Scouts, where there are usually timed activities that do not give you a choice about the matter. I have not had to break camp early because of rain before. The Boy Scouts trench so water flow goes around the tents and then they sit in the tents or under a shelter and wait out the rain until it slackens up. Rain is a great time for playing cards and swapping stories, not for packing up.
Looking at today’s reprint of For Better or For Worse, I can see what the Pattersons’ problems are. They have set up their tent too close to where water would collect during rain, i.e. not set up on high ground. There is no perceptible ground cover under the tent. Their tent does not appear to have a rain fly on it to divert the rain away from the tent. Also, comparing this modest little tent to the monster-sized one from last week, their tent appears to shrink in the rain.
As much as I get irritated by the Pattersons doing things out-of-character, this time they are completely in character. I can see it taking a long time for Michael finally to come up with something to do by himself. I can see John realize that girls in bikinis do not swim in the rain, thereby preventing him from doing his ogling camping activity. I can see Elly realize that it is impossible for her to cook and clean in the rain. With the alternative of sitting in the car or in the tent and actually spending time with each other, I can easily see the Pattersons making the decision to pack everything up and go home.
Looking at today’s reprint of For Better or For Worse, I can see what the Pattersons’ problems are. They have set up their tent too close to where water would collect during rain, i.e. not set up on high ground. There is no perceptible ground cover under the tent. Their tent does not appear to have a rain fly on it to divert the rain away from the tent. Also, comparing this modest little tent to the monster-sized one from last week, their tent appears to shrink in the rain.
As much as I get irritated by the Pattersons doing things out-of-character, this time they are completely in character. I can see it taking a long time for Michael finally to come up with something to do by himself. I can see John realize that girls in bikinis do not swim in the rain, thereby preventing him from doing his ogling camping activity. I can see Elly realize that it is impossible for her to cook and clean in the rain. With the alternative of sitting in the car or in the tent and actually spending time with each other, I can easily see the Pattersons making the decision to pack everything up and go home.
posted by howard at 9:57 PM
17 Comments:
howard,
As much as I get irritated by the Pattersons doing things out-of-character, this time they are completely in character. I can see it taking a long time for Michael finally to come up with something to do by himself. I can see John realize that girls in bikinis do not swim in the rain, thereby preventing him from doing his ogling camping activity. I can see Elly realize that it is impossible for her to cook and clean in the rain. With the alternative of sitting in the car or in the tent and actually spending time with each other, I can easily see the Pattersons making the decision to pack everything up and go home.
How odd that, when they're in character, they're still as annoying as when they aren't. Mike is still an unimaginative little boy with anger issues who still somehow runs rings about his mother despite being of incredibly-average intelligence, John is still a stupid, churlish dolt who doesn't respect women, Elly is still a martyr living in a self-inflicted Hell and Lizzie is still the Human Barnacle.
Yep, I've never packed up in the pouring rain, and I've camped in the rain before. The Pattersons kinda look like they're packing up because of the rain too, which makes no sense. I don't think Ontario has suddenly been hit by an unpredictable hurricane. Real people would just wait it out. Heck, if the weather where the Pattersons are camping is anything like northern Michigan weather, it could easily be a gorgeous night and 80 degrees and sunny the next day. Don't like the weather? Just wait an hour.
Clio,
Real people would just wait it out. Heck, if the weather where the Pattersons are camping is anything like northern Michigan weather, it could easily be a gorgeous night and 80 degrees and sunny the next day. Don't like the weather? Just wait an hour.
That would require them to not be dumber than dirt or pointlessly impatient; if Elly would rather threaten a child with violence because his evil, cruel, selfish and anti-woman demand for love and approval prevent her from doing pointless busywork, she's not going to want to wait out drizzle.
I didn't read the strip as the Pattersons packing up because of the rain--just that it happened to be raining when it came time for them to go. Before the trip, John says it's a weekend trip, and afterwards, he will say they were away for a few days. In the original run, this camping trip happened the weekend after Mike started grade one; the trip couldn't have been longer because he had school.
DreadedCandiru2,
How odd that, when they're in character, they're still as annoying as when they aren't.
I have been developing the attitude over a period of time of looking at the strip, to stop looking at the Pattersons as nice people and to start looking at them more like the Lockhorns or the Simpsons. They are less annoying that way.
Clio,
Yep, I've never packed up in the pouring rain, and I've camped in the rain before. …Don't like the weather? Just wait an hour.
When I camp with the Boy Scouts, we have had certain deadlines imposed about getting the boys back by a certain time, which sometimes forces us to pack up when we might prefer to wait a bit. However, in the case of pouring rain, we will try to wait it out and have the boys come back late. Otherwise, you end up riding back in the car soaked to the skin.
aprilp_katje,
I didn't read the strip as the Pattersons packing up because of the rain--just that it happened to be raining when it came time for them to go.
That could well be the Pattersons’ motivations; but it raises the question of why the Pattersons are in such a hurry that they can’t afford to sit in a car until the rain lets up or at least slows down a bit. We know that have not tried to wait out the rain, or we wouldn’t have Mike standing there with his boat. We know that the rain hasn’t just started while they were packing because of the water shown pooled up on the ground already. What you say could very well be Lynn’s intent, but visually it looks like the Pattersons are being rained out.
That could well be the Pattersons’ motivations; but it raises the question of why the Pattersons are in such a hurry that they can’t afford to sit in a car until the rain lets up or at least slows down a bit.
As rigid as Elly is, I could just imagine her adamantly insisting they stick with their planned departure time, monsoon be damned. ;)
aprilp_katje,
I can definitely believe that. After all, this is Elly Patterson, when it comes to deadlines.
Odd how Elly ticking off the things April must have for her trip generates a tiny gnat, buzzing around Elly's perma-bun.
"gifts for the family"...wait, I know. The stuff Lilliputs could never sell, even off the remainder table, right?
It's sort of annoying that Elly never learned to cope with life any better over the years; even at the last, she was consumed by the need to waste her time on details no one else cared about while ignoring the necessary.
Cope with it?
This is Elly Patterson we're talking about. She -revels- in feeling rotten, in making mountains out of molehills, in bellowing out disgust from her Triangular Scolding Mouth.
Elly just likes feeling bad.
Whoa-oa-oa! I feel bad, I knew that I had, now
I feel bad, I knew that I had, now
So bad, so bad, I got you
Whoa! I feel irked, like I am berserk
I feel irked, like I am berserk
So irked, so irked, it’s my perk
When I hold you in my arms
I know that you can't do no right
and when I hold you in my arms
My reprints I pick out of spite
and I feel irked, like I’m overworked
I feel irked, like I’m overworked
So irked, so irked, John’s a jerk
Whoa! I feel bad, I knew that I had, now
I feel bad, I knew that I had
So bad, so bad, I got you
So bad, so bad, I got you
So bad, so bad, I got you
HEY!!
I can definitely believe that. After all, this is Elly Patterson, when it comes to deadlines.
Why is she throwing a spatula into April's suitcase? What IS that thing?
It's amazing. It seems as if you need to deal with Elly Patterson the same way you'd deal with a totally crazy person who may strike out and injure someone without any notice.
Howard, that's great! That would be awesome as a Youtube video.
Chucique: It seems as if you need to deal with Elly Patterson the same way you'd deal with a totally crazy person who may strike out and injure someone without any notice.
Well, yeah. Elly's a totally crazy person. Abusive too, physically and especially emotionally.
Clio:
Well, yeah. Elly's a totally crazy person. Abusive too, physically and especially emotionally.
Well, if my mother came into my room the day before I was going on a trip, pushed her way into my suitcase, and then started freaking out and grabbing rnadom things out of my bureau/closet to throw in the suitcase while shrieking, I'd wonder where the tranquilizers were. I'd probably also run out the door and tell Dad that we needed to call the police.
Chucique,
That would make for a great For Better or For Worse strip.
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