The great disappointments in life

Some days it doesn't pay to get out of bed.

Each morning I make my way to work (the room across the hall from my bedroom) and log on to work, I check email, check the calendar for the day and start to plan my activities. 

While I am logging on I turn to my personal computer (also on my desk) and check my personal email, and click my hotlink to the Seattle Times where I scan the front page for the daily news and then click the clink to the comics.  Ever since I was a kid I have enjoyed starting my day with the comic strips.  I have had favorites that have retired or started over which is an odd thing, when a strip starts from the beginning it isn't seldom relevant and they generally lose me. 

I am an avid reader of Luann, Sally Forth, Arlo & Janis and 9 Chickweed Lane.  I also read Zits, Pickles and Dilbert. 

Today, I clicked the first link in the listing and anxiously awaited to see what was happening on 9 Chickweed Lane.  All spring and summer  they have been telling the story of the grandmothers experience in WWII and a tragic love story.  It has been fascinating and a little saucy for a comic strip.   So, without paying attention to the link I clicked the first on the list, as 9 Chickweed Lane comes first when alphabetized. 

I was confused when the strip Arlo & Janis popped up.  After reading it, I surfed back over to the main comics listing and... and... 9 Chickweed Lane was NOT ON THE LIST. 

At the top of the page I see this:

Note to readers: You spoke. We listened. This spring, more than 15,000 of you filled out the The Seattle Times' comics survey. Your enthusiastic responses tell us that you value this part of seattletimes.com and the newspaper. Starting this weekend, you'll see some changes that are a result of your feedback.

Then a link to a bigger story.  The bottom line... they dropped my favorite comic strip. 

The loss is confounded by their retention of comic strips that are essentially running re-runs.  Don't get me wrong, For Better or Worse is a great strip, but it they are republishing her work from the beginning.  I suppose it is nice that a new generation gets to follow this family but grrrr I've already done it.  Same with FoxTrot.  Heck they only publish new strips on Sundays.  Monday-Saturday the strips are from the archives.

Those of you who are too erudite to read comics and think my pain is trite can pop back into your corner and leave me alone.  I'm going to pout for a moment.

(YES, I am aware that I can find the comic online elsewhere, but I liked my ritual.)