Chapter 15, Page 8 Schedule flubbed

I'm back! Has anyone else who's worked in fast food run into this? Or food service in general. One of the big reasons why I'm never working in food service ever again is because the schedules not only change every week, but more often than not the schedule isn't even finalized until the last minute. This makes planning ahead next to impossible for me.

Not kidding about the 'in pencil' part, either. And I'm certain the schedule got changed after it was posted on several occasions with no one bothering to let me know.

Anyway, my original plan for Mary Quite Contrary was that the comic would proceed in real time along the lines of For Better Or For Worse and Gasoline Alley. Obviously, that isn't going to happen now. MQC's comic time will proceed at whatever pace fits the story and how often I'm able to update. Hopefully I'll be updating at least semi-regularly now.

Chapter 15, Page 5 Sandwich line

Sorry for the long delay. Again. Life has struck with unusual severity the last couple months. First allergies then moving (which I'm still in the process of) and then my dear little bunny died. More details on that in one of my dad's blogs. So Drawing has been kind of a low priority for a while. The weather isn't helping, either. Drawing in the summer isn't pleasant when your drawing surface is a heat source or when you start sweating all over your work.

As for the comic itself... I really should have realized sooner that fast food and I don't mix. Actually, I pretty much stink at any kind of assembly line work.

Chapter 15, Page 4 Special Order

There's a reason I don't like eating out. Okay, several reasons, but one of them is that I don't like doing this to whoever has to take my order. Some people do special orders out of preference. As a kid, I ordered my hamburgers plain out of preference. Now, I make special orders because of allergies. There's some preference, too, since I probably could eat the cheese, but I really don't want to.

Chapter 14, Page 15 Nature of Nature

Two weeks in a row! Let's see if I can keep this up.

This is actually an abridged version of the complaints these two had. If you will, imagine listening to this for the entire time it takes to walk from one campsite to another. It's not a short walk, by the way.

Chapter 14, Page 14 Different perspectives

Sorry this is so late! At least it's finally here.

The two girls on the right are actually from my second time at Skogfjorden. I plan on showing that adventure, but I want these two here for some contrast with Mary's view of camping.

Now that I have my computer working, maybe I can actually update semi-regularly.

Chapter 13, Page 4 Volume problem

In all fairness to both the directors and the poor kid stuck with playing Peter Pan, the boy could sing. Decent voice, hit most of the right notes, he just couldn't sing in public. Poor guy had stage fright like you wouldn't believe. While my sisters think the primary deciding factor is whether the kid can fit into the costume, I do think the directors try to assign the roles based mostly on talent. On the other hand, they do have a rather limited pool to pick from.

P.S. Sorry for the delay! Again! I've been having a really hard time finding enough energy to do anything outside of work. Even while at work it's a struggle to keep going. If I could, I'd take the next week off and just sleep.

Chapter 12, Page 11 Can't win.

I really thought I could get by without a license at this point. No. I wanted, almost needed, to get by without a license. I was willing to jump through all sorts of hoops if it meant not being behind the wheel of a car ever again.

That would have been so much easier fifty years ago.

Chapter 12, Page 6 Guarding territory

Sorry about the long delay! T.T I don't have a good excuse except a complete and total lack of motivation to do anything. You know your motivation has hit the sub-basement when going to sleep seems like too much effort.

Anyway, that's hopefully behind me now and I'll be able to finished up this chapter before summer. At which point I'll have to figure out what to do next.

In case anyone's wondering, this really happened. Don't know when, I think it actually happened before I was born, but it was too funny a story not to relate.

Chapter 11, Page 14 It falls to her

Let's be fair, first of all. Dad could sleep through an air raid siren, a little thunder and a screaming baby aren't going to even register. Besides, Mom is the one with the nurturing instincts. Dad's job is to chase bats out of the bedroom.

More on that later.

Chapter 11, Page 5 Unscientific research

There are times when it seems that to be fine dining the dish should bear no resemblance whatsoever to the food it started out as. Not to say that I haven't had fancy food that tasted good, and looked like it did. I have. Even then, however, an individual with a sensitive stomach has to be careful. It's impractical to do a thorough lab analysis on everything that might possibly end up on your plate. That's where things like this pendulum come in. It's just a normal metal washer on a string, so I guess I can see where people would be dubious. Still, to call it occult? And to prove it doesn't work by removing it from the source of the electromagnetic fields (or whatever) that it would be interacting with? The explanation that it works by the subconscious manipulating the involuntary twitchings of the hand holding the pendulum seems rather silly, as well. Especially since the thing has indicated that foods I *like* are bad for me to eat. (I happen to like raw tomatoes. I can't eat them as they give me heart burn.)

*headdesk*

Simply a reminder that just because you don't understand something that doesn't mean it's supernatural.

Chapter 10, Page 12 Sacrifices for fashion

Could someone please explain why it's necessary to freeze our ears off in the name of beauty? It's especially cruel right after a hair cut when one's hair is still slightly damp from the washing and all the weird spray stuff they use.

And people wonder why I have an attitude.

Chapter 10, Page 11 Explain then cut

I think I would have taken the notion of beauty parlors and clothes shopping a bit better if they hadn't involved, well, this.

Seriously, people, is it really so hard to explain what it is you're doing before you subject a girl to it? This isn't fun at all when you don't know what the heck is going on.

Actually, a picture book with various hairstyles to choose from might've been a good idea.

Chapter 9, Page 10 Left behind

This is not going to end well.

Chapter 9, Page 5 Repetative Repetition

I cannot begin to tell you how often I've done something like this.

chapter 9, Page 3 Just a cartoon!

In case you're curious, or couldn't guess, Mary and family are watching X-Men: Evolution in this episode.

That still bugs me...

Chapter 9, Page 2 Over thinking.

Mom's suggestion was a good one. It's just that Mary has a way of overdoing, well, everything. She also tends to be rather dramatic. Or did you already notice?

Chapter 7, Page 33 Cleansing change.

I still prefer baths to showers. How is it relaxing when you have to stand the whole time?

Oh, and I know it isn't Mother's Day yet, but I just wanted to say, "Sorry, Mom, for everything I put you through."

Chapter 7, Page 29 Clothing options.

Also, back then they were called brassieres and were huge, exquisitely uncomfortable looking things.

There are days I really feel for Mom.

Chapter 7, Page 4 Little situation

Ever have one of those days? I think Mary feels like she's having one. She may be right. (Maybe if she wasn't such a klutz...)

Chapter 6, Page 7 Transition

What, one page in and she's giving up already? Is this the same girl who reads the encyclopedia for fun? What new low is this?

Well, at least the Encyclopedia is written in English! (Modern English, anyway. Shakespeare is in English too, but that's not always easy to tell at first glance.)