James Herriot would NEVER overcharge
Idiot that I am, I first took this strip seriously. The vet says it will cost between two and three thousand dollars. When asked to be more specific, he says, "$3,400." I said, "Huh?" I tell you what, you can't put one over on me. I was like, "Now wait just a rootin' tootin' minute, there, Mr. All Creatures Great and Small! If I remember my numbers correctly, 3,400 is NOT between 2,000 and 3,000!" I got out my calculator, and determined that $3,400 is actually between three and four thousand dollars.
To say the least, this confused me. Was it a mistake by the artist? Or was there some sort of play on words that I wasn't getting? "Between two and three thousand dollars." Is there an interpretation I'm not getting? Hmmmmm. . . my brain gears grinded over this for awhile.
Then it hit me. I think this is nothing more than a cleverly disguised Cribbed Ziggy. This is the joke -- typically made of mechanics, home repair men, and doctors -- they give you an estimate, but when you get the actual bill -- it's HIGHER THAN THE ESTIMATE! HA HA HA! That's always a good one. Here, the twists are that:
a) it's a vet -- not a typical member of the "over-the-estimate" joke club, and
b) he's actually being up front with her about the final cost (which must be why vets aren't a part of the club -- too honest?) Of course, he's saying $3,400 BEFORE the surgery, so I'm guessing it's still an estimate, and he could end up charging more than that anyway. And if he does, it will be soooooo funny.
So, it's a Cribbed Ziggy. And it took me a good while to figure that out. Well played, Sally Forth. Well played.
You may be thinking, "They found Kitty. Why doesn't Big Al drop this and move on to something else? Like Dagwood buying every stamp in the stamp machine?" Because I'm tenacious that's why. We're seeing the Kitty Saga through to the end! Also, I'm lazy, and it's not always easy to figure out what to post. The Kitty Saga is easy.
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Odie's innocent little piece from yesterday has turned into quite the barking match.
posted by big al at 11:02 PM
5 Comments:
Kitty needs some "Colon Blow."
Geez . . . all our hope for some "poop elves," and a stinky pile of kitty crap, and it ends up she has a blocked colon. Ironic!
So, even if they hadn't "misplaced" Kitty, she wouldn't have been using the litter box anyway.
And even better, the vet looks amazingly like Mr. Whipple of "Squeeze the Charmin" fame. But Kitty's not going to need any toilet paper anytime soon. HA HA!
What happens when little kids ask their parents, "what's a colon?"
Oh wait, I think this is one of those strips kids pass over when they read the comics. That'll save a few awkward moments!
Sorry to bypass (heh heh) all the colon jokes, but this just needs to be said.
This is so stupid! Why is this even up for debate? I don't know whether he's overcharging or not, since my cat has never had a blocked colon, but what's the alternative? Put Kitty to sleep? Kill an otherwise apparently healthy cat so you can save $3,400 for the Paris trip? Oh, wait...we're talking about people who hardly notice that they HAVEN'T SEEN THEIR CAT IN FIVE DAYS. I guess it is a hard choice for them.
Oh yeah, I'm getting ahead of myself, but when I read today's strip: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/comics/sforth.html
I thought, well that does it for the Paris trip! Although Ted does look thoughtful, as if considering . . .
NOTE TO TED AND SALLY: Should you try to use the money for the Paris trip, and let Kitty die . . . your costs in later therapy bills for Hilary will outweigh any money you save here.
On a completely new topic, check out MaryAnn's blog (link on sidebar). She has posted a WP article on Johnny Hart's B.C.
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