For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for February 26, 2015

Making jokes in the medical field profession where the instruments are within reach is a bad idea.

Elle, you have the patience of Job for putting up with a bore like John.

He won’t be sleeping with the “KLUTZ” tonightI bet.

John never misses a chance, does he?

Having started the series the first time after the birth of April, these early strips of John and his behavior are hard to get used to, at least for me. He complains about Ted and doesn’t seem to see that he is just like Ted when it comes to his treatment of Elli.

People who talk like this to their spouses either have very solid marriages or very rocky ones

thats really no way to make her feel better

I love the hairy eyeball in the last panel.

Seems John’s been hitting the novocaine again; he’s numb from the neck up.

Better watch out John, Elly just might give you a root canal!

Walk out now, Elly. Reclaim your children, self-respect and your home. If he’s willing to appologize, and ‘pay you’ your worth, consider the job offer.

Amalgam is rarely if ever used anymore, so that skill is irrelevant. It wasn’t in 1986, though.

Lynn’s Notes:

I actually looked forward to working in the clinic. It wasn’t the passing of instruments that appealed to me as much as it was dealing with the patients. I really enjoyed putting them at ease and explaining the procedures. This later influenced my decision to learn Spanish and travel with the Medical Missions to Peru. Explaining an otherwise worrisome situation to anxious patients and seeing them relax with a smile, made my task a joy. It was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

Hey, John! I hope your dentist chairs are comfortable!

Bang!! Zoom!!!

Hmm I think John is the Klutz, time to move on dude

Ugh…. it’s strips like this one that make me seriously consider dropping this from my comics page.

I can see why they divorced!!!

Leave. Leave NOW. Better yet — have his clothes on the front porch when he gets home.

This is pretty disappointing behavior — even for John. Elly’s doing him a huge favor by working half-days for the next couple of weeks in his clinic until Jean can come back full-time and this is the thanks she gets for it. Elly had to rearrange her library work schedule and get Annie to watch Michael and Elizabeth for them (along with Annie’s own two kids for a total of 4, when she’s also pregnant again too) in order to help John out but even under those circumstances, he still can’t show his wife even a modicum of respect. If that were me, I’d probably just go ahead and leave. She’s definitely got more patience with her insufferable clod of a husband than I would have if he were mine!

I got 2 words for you: “I quit!”

Don’t turn your back, she hasn’t forgotten how to use a scalpel!

Forgot to mention—in what world will all the patients be “calm and reasonable”?

Go ahead Ellie smack him. On second thought that would be kinky.

I miss Farley