Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for November 13, 2023

I would not consider “Usually not” a fair risk appraisal considering in the first panel Arlo seems to be hearing “Danger Will Robinson”

my question is this. Is this a new cartoon or is this from last pre-Thanksgiving as I keep hoping the thread is they’re still going to sell their house and move down to where the kids are..I have been following Between Friends as well and it’s driving me crazy with the continual but REALLY interesting thread that she’s drawing and creating! LOL

Since when has Arlo avoided going to the beach? Even at Thanksgiving, there’s the ocean, and the kids! I don’t understand why they don’t chuck it all and just move, already.

Along with “We need to talk” there’s the infamous “I’ve been thinking”.

That should be “sometimes not.”

Sure. Like Thanksgiving, particularly the traveling, is a good time for anyone.

Five words no fella ever wants to hear from a woman: His name, followed by – “We need to talk!”

Why is this, “Not a good time for them.”? Since when?

No, it’s usually worse than men anticipate. “We need to talk” is femspeak for “You need to change!”

No, it just has that ring of impending doom about it.

Nobody likes Thanksgiving.

You spelled “always” wrong.

We use more individualized phrases to describe things that have to be coordinated. Neither of us has ever said, “we have to talk.” Instead, we get right to whatever the point is.

[Joke] A man returns from traveling, and is talking to the friend he left as a house-sitter. The friend reports, “There are a couple of things. Your kitty died.” The traveler is horrified, and explained that bad news has to be delivered more delicately. “For example, you could say, ‘It was a beautiful Spring day, and the kitty was chasing a butterfly. The butterfly flew out an upper window and the kitty chased it onto the roof. The kitty was so entranced he didn’t notice the edge of the roof. That is how you break bad news, okay?”

“Oh… okay. The other thing is that it was a beautiful Spring day, and your mother was chasing a butterfly….”

Had to look up the “Danger, Will Robinson” reference. Never saw Lost in Space.

My Janis is the master of intonation. She has no need of “We need to talk.” All she has to do is to begin with my name, said in a certain way. I know right then that I could really use a Star Trek transporter.

I think, “We need to talk,” really means, “You need to listen.”

I never used the “we need to talk” phrase. I knew it always led to disagreements. I always said “I’d like your opinion”…not that I always agreed with it. lol

We have a "Call and Response " of “I’ve been thinking”…“Oh, no!”

Never understood the use of Gus’ vs Gus’s. Even when I read Gus’, it still comes out pronounced as Gus’s with an s on the end.

Love the wincing expression in panel one

And it usually is not…..

Are they going to make Gus an offer on his condo?

One thing strikes me, the lack of non-family attachements for Arlo and Janis. I could never imagine moving to be near my kids as it would make me far from my friends.

I never do this to my husband. I send him an email or text about anything important. That way he has time to read and understand it, and time to think about his answer. His brain works a lot slower than mine and he can’t think and respond to normal human conversation.

Why would the kids be coming if it was a bad time for them? I think Janis is just assuming things and they never said it was a bad time.

The four most dreaded words on the English language.

Yes it is.

Another attempt on her part to pave the way to moving there.

We need to talk, usually means a talking to, not a talking with !!

SOMETIMES (few though they be) it’s a good thing.

Talking isn’t bad. Introducing the talking indicates danger.

Au contraire mon ami…….

“We need to talk” is always as bad as men anticipate. Always.

She said we need to talk. He heard, you need a lawyer.

Come Janis, just say you want to move permanently, and get it over with. GREg needs to start putting gray in their heirs.

When it is, it’s plenty bad enough to make up for the other times.

Last time my wife of 30 years said “we need to talk”..she voided her lifetime contract and filed for free agency

hehehe

“We need to talk” is different here I guess. It could mean “Are we going to Lancaster, PA for one of our regular trips?” or “Are we going to the reenactment event with our unit this weekend?” or “Are we going for dinner on Wednesday or Thursday this week so I can figure out dinners?” All of these things and most others are his decision.

The worst it means is “problem with my computer”- need your help.