The Hospital Wins

Sorry I've been out of commission, guys. I've been out with a fever. Olympic fever. It's been... all-consuming. I mean, I'm literally losing sleep over this nonsense. I can't help it. I love it so.

SO ANYWAY! Awww. First we ignore Lu Ann, now we're getting rid of Rick, AKA Rick-E of Boys on the Street? I suppose this means we'll never be visiting the sound studio/Kennedy Space Center ever again. I think I'll miss that most of all. Goodbye, White Bread Studios. I'll see you... in my dreams.

Waiting Game

So I thought that I could beat out Maggie in a waiting game by not posting on Saturday, but she beat me by not posting yesterday.  Touché, Mags, touché.

Friday, July 27th

Is it really necessary to have a door bell with five rings?  Especially when no one visits you and it's only used by your long forgotten third roommate.  Also, did Margo become Stretch Armstrong in the second panel?


Saturday, July 28th

That is the most laconic trip recount of a five-month road trip with the woman who you always thought was your aunt but turned out to be your mother and you were going to visit the people who you always knew as your parents/siblings but now are your aunts/uncles/cousins.  No funny trip stories?  "Ruby took a joke photograph at Mount Rushmore where it looks like she's picking George Washington's nose!"  How about "We had really great weather!"  Anything?  Oh well, back to Tommie/Margo.

Monday, July 30th

Are you Rick?  You look just like my roommate's ex-fiance Paul Linski.  Even down to the white shirt! I hope I didn't interrupt you supervising these guys working on supercomputers, but I have an ANNOUNCEMENT...for tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 31st

Come on Rick, we all knew there would be a but.  Mild mannered nurse/midwife Tommie Thompson throws away a stable middle class life for fame and fortune with Rick and DJ Dan Diller?  I spin babies now, not records.  I hope Aunt Iris can get a good price for that piano on eBay.

Sunday Recap

Friday, March 9th

Since when do scrubs have turtlenecks and are bright yellow? And aren't you supposed to change those at the hospital? Birthing fluids are not something that I would want to bring home.

I think Rick is envisioning a romantic meal followed by passionate necking, but Tommie put the kibosh on that by wanting to eat one of the least kiss-friendly sandwiches. Why not just go out for a garlic and onion hoagie?

Saturday, March 10th
Uh oh, by the look on his face, it would seem that Rick is not cool with Scottie the Hottie dropping in like this. In the second panel, it would appear he's about to give sad monologue in front of that pink curtain that appeared on the street. And I thought Tommie was going to change? I'm bored...what's happening on the ranch?

Poor Rick

So now we learn that the real reason Rick has been hounding and stalking Tommie is that he's really, for some reason, in love with her, and has nothing at all to do with his hobo boss, who probably long ago forgot about Tommie completely, confusing her in his old age with Justin Bieber and taking credit for launching a teen sensation to anyone who would listen to his scotch-fueled rantings.

I guess what I'm getting at is, who goes through this much trouble for TOMMIE?

Like a Rock

If you don't have the drive for the music biz, Dan Diller will drop you like a rock. A mopey, wishy washy rock that he probably forgot he was holding. Or maybe he just fell asleep while the rock was trying to make up its mind.

Rick Rolled

Am I the only one who thinks that Frank Bolle keeps having this guy bother Tommie because it's too much work to draw Dan Diller's luscious beard every other day? I mean Rick is just Paul Linski/Scott Gaines/Generic Male character. Frank's probably in solitary confinement at Shady Pines, being forced by the faceless bean-counting comic syndicate executives to spend his golden years tracing his old strips for new material. Poor guy.

Tommie is a true artist. This whole business of nickels and dimes just gets her down, man. It's about the music, man. Clearly, no one has told her about benefits of the royalty check.

Nice Surprise

I'm surprised Tommie has the moxie to greet Rick-E with a cheerful "What a nice surprise!" rather than trying to shoulder past him while avoiding eye contact, as I would. It's possible she completely forgot that she's shunned her second life as a recording artist, as she's still doped up on the natural high of midwiving.

So that's it, Tommie?! You're okay with being a no-hit wonder? Actually, I hadn't thought about it until now, but who's paying who for the privilege of recording at Hobotramp Ltd. Recording Studios? Because if Dan is investing in Tommie as a possible hit-making machine (HA HAHAHAHA HAHA oh man), then Tommie is probably obligated to participate in some promotional tours or slutty music videos or something.

Saturday Recap

Friday, February 3rd

No, Tommie, you don't sound like a woman who has a passion for music. To be fair, you never sound like you have much of a passion for anything. Except dressing like Peter Pan and worry bobbles.

Saturday, February 4th

We're all a little disappointed in you Tommie. You've been singing the same tune for months now! Aunt Iris went to all the trouble of getting you a piano and introducing you to Dan Diller and you're just going to throw it all away because you can't say no to Nurse Ratchet? Not Paul Linski is right, make up your mind already! You can deliver babies or number one hits. Not both. Unless you're Beyonce.

Breathless

Dan is as frustrated as everyone else at this storyline. Isn't this where we left Tommie months ago? I bet the strip will cut out to a more interesting Margo plot annny minute now. What celebrity will she work with next??? Or uhh... anything else?

Tommie, save your breath for saving the children. It's your true calling, you and Nurse Ratchet both know it. Unless, of course, you want to write a song and we get to read all the lyrics, because I think that would be awesome. Sing for the children, Tommie! "I believe that the midwives are our future....?"

Ambivalent

"Are you sure you want a career in song-writing, Tommie? Cause award-winning multi-millionaire producer Hobotramp Dan is getting a little impatient."
"I think I want to write songs, and yet--"
"Good enough for me! Gotta go, it's 5:00 somewhere."

For the record, Tommie, it's totally easy to write songs. I do it all the time, usually when driving or cooking. Check out this song I wrote last night, called "Makin' Spaghetti."

Ooh girl
I'm so hungry
Think it's time to do this thing
Gotta (bump bump) salt the water
Cause it's time, oh yeah,
Time to eat some food

Makin' (beat) SPAGHETTTTTIII
Cook it up good, now, come on!
Makin' (beat) SPA-GHE-TTIIIIIIIIIII
I should heat up some sauce too (yeah)
Now where'd I put that Prego (yeaahh)
Oh wait, it was growing mold and then I threw it ouuuut, ow

I mean, you put in the word "love" instead of "spaghetti" and that's R&B gold.

Boys on the Stoop

Our long national nightmare is over; we are done hearing about Lu Ann's wedding. For now. And hey, look, it's Rick, AKA Rick-E from the Boys on the Block! The last time we saw him was back in April, and I just assumed, as I do with all Z-list celebrities I haven't seen in a while, that he had scampered off to rehab or joined Dancing with the Stars or something. But no, he's just kicking around New York City, being disappointed in Tommie. Nice hair by the way.

Meanwhile, Margo is (I'm guessing) spray painting midgits and setting Bibles on fire over in Chelsea, and this is going completely unrecorded. I guess documentation is only of the many Rules her Art exhibition is Without.

Rick-E

NO WAY! Rick-E from Boys on the Block?? I think I had their first album! Let me see if I can find it somewhere...

Serpentine

"Well gee, Tommie, did you go to high school at James MaaAAAAHHHH YOU HAVE SNAKE EYES, YOU'RE A SNAKE WOMAN, STAY BACK SERPENT LADY!!"

Seriously, click the picture to enlarge. Why wouldn't Frank Bolle give Tommie a little more pupil?

Instant Classic

Would you describe Rick's praise as effusive, garrulous, or wildly uncontrolled? Discuss.

Clumsy

Not a session with a psychiatrist and not head lice, but a fall down the stairs precipitated this conversation. Well. I think there's nothing left to do but start up the pool.

1. How long until Tommie and Rick fall in love?
2. How long until Rick dies from a terrible, debilitating congenital brain tumor, a la Bette Davis in Dark Victory?

There's no other reason you have someone fall down the stairs right off the bat. I say May 25th for their first kiss, and Rick dies January 12th, 2012. Sorry about your doomed romance, Tommie! Should make for some good songs, though.

Head Check

I don't know which of these guys looks less likely to be working in the music industry, but I do hope Tommie has fluffed up her hair or unbuttoned her top button or done something to make an impression on this Rick guy. Also I hope she's not eating the reuben right now. Very hard to eat a reuben gracefully. Also, very hard to unsee someone eating a reuben.