Post-COVID Stake Dance

Man, I drew this gag a year ago the last time we were convinced COVID was ending. That was obviously premature. Chances are it is still premature, yet here we are. Typically, I'd have no desire to chaperon a stake dance, but after a two-year pause, it might be fun to watch the extreme awkwardness of it all.

Chili Cook-off in the Age of COVID

The scariest thing about Halloween this year might be the ward chili cook-off. Tonight is our ward's cook-off. If I'm unable to post next week, you'll know why...

Coming Back

Next month my stake will return to in-person two-hour church. Up until now, we've been attending every other week and streaming everything else. After 16 months, there are going to be a lot of new faces I'm going to have to get used to.

With the return of regular church, maybe this will be my last COVID gag!

Fast Sunday Breath

I've got an Instagram account where I'm posting my comics of the week once a day, six days a week, starting from the beginning of this blog. I've already worked my way to 2018. I suspect that once I catch up, I'll start the whole thing over again, which means that sometime in 2023 I'll be posting pandemic-era gags like today's. 

I wonder how they'll age.

Bring on 2021!

I worry that I have equivocated the challenges we've faced in 2020 with the year 2020. In other words, a little part of me expects things to magically get better once the clock strikes 12 later tonight and we move to 2021.

I believe that in the whole 2021 will be better than 2020, but we are still going to be dealing with COVID for a while--and you are still going to be dealing with COVID-related gags on this website for a while too (sorry).

Santa's Quarantine

Did you see the news? There are now COVID cases in Antarctica. If that's the case, then you can be pretty sure that there was an outbreak in Santa's workshop sometime in the last several months. At any rate, Santa should probably self-quarantine after his deliveries tonight.

Despite all of the challenges we're facing this year (and maybe because of those challenges), our Christmas can be bright because of the birth and life of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas, everyone.

Social Distancing Christmas

Here's a way Santa can deliver presents and not risk infection this year. (Given the number of cookies he'll avoid, it will also help his diet.)

Today's gag comes from the mind of faithful reader Glen W.

Santa's Treat

Believe it or not, there is a lot of news regarding Santa Claus and the COVID-19 vaccine this year. 

First, Dr. Anthony Fauci announced a couple of days ago that he personally traveled to the North Pole where he gave Santa the vaccine. Surprisingly, giving his hostility toward Dr. Fauci, President Trump has not declared this to be "fake news" during a 3:00 AM Twitter rant. 

Still I have my doubts. Given the infection rate here in the United States, I question whether Santa's workshop would allow travelers from the United States to visit the North Pole this year. Furthermore, the vaccine is received in two doses--three weeks apart--Fauci spoke of only one visit to the North Pole, not two.

The other news story comes from a couple of months ago where it was revealed that the Trump Administration was considering a plan to inoculate Santa Claus performers early in return for their help in promoting the rollout of the vaccine. The Administration ultimately backed away from this plan for unknown reasons.

Honestly, given the news these days, it's clear your going to find more chuckles reading the headlines than you will on a so-called humor website like this one.

Home Office Ugly Sweater

I've been working from home for about nine months now. Not only am I in line for winning the ugly sweater contest, but I've also expanded casual Friday to include Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday, and Monday.

Introverts' Quarantine and a New Book

Sometimes I find myself asking this same question.

A couple of days ago, I received in the mail my copies of my latest book: The Super Sunday Activity Book. It's full of fun activity pages to make any Sunday a Super Sunday!

Tomorrow, I'll be sponsoring a giveaway on this website as well as my Facebook and Instagram pages. Look for it!

COVID Thanksgiving

Amen, brother, amen.

This year I'm grateful for my readers. It's hard to believe I've been doing this for over a decade. Believe me, I wouldn't still be doing this without your support. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Sacrament Meeting Length

For nearly 40 years, sacrament meeting ran for exactly 70 minutes. Oh sure, you might have a missionary homecoming here or there that ran over, but for the most part you could count on the meeting ending at it's prescribed time. In 2019, we moved to 60 minutes which was a little disconcerting for those of us averse to change, but there was still structure in our lives.

And then the pandemic hits and when we return to church it seems that sacrament meeting runs until it is over--some weeks that might mean ending after 30 minutes. And speaking for one member usually averse to change, it is actually pretty cool. It's kind of like watching an episode of The Mandalorian* where the episodes run shorter or longer based on how much time it takes to tell the story. No more filler is a good thing.

*Eh, this is the way, I suppose.

Zoom Tithing Settlement

It's a good thing I'm not bishop.

Unfair Critique

Our ward, stake, and area have begun streaming meetings this past month. Every other week, my family and I gather around the TV to listen to talks from our fellow ward members. I've enjoyed it much more than the guy in today's gag.

Transylvania COVID

I've been drawing the eerie adventures of this particular missionary companion for years now (they populate this page every Halloween). Today, they finally came in contact with a truly scary monster. 

 After living with COVID for eight months now, we've all learned how to deal with it. I worry that we are also becoming complacent. For months, we've been warned that COVID could get really bad once the weather changes. Well, the weather is changing. Let's be safe out there.

General Conference Vs Online School

All this online schooling that we've inflicted upon our children these past six months have likely prepared them for General Conference. Spending two hours at a time looking at an adult lecture to them--no problem!

COVID Time

You know the old idea that every one year is seven to a dog. Thanks to COVID, we are all living in dog years.

Back to School

I figure I'd better get this back to school gag published before school gets shut down...

Hey, remember a couple of weeks ago when I told you about Ceder Fort Publishing's Come, Follow Me podcast? You know, the one they inexplicitly let me guest host? Well I hosted another episode. This time I covered the chapters on Samuel the Lamanite. Check it out here (it's episode 13).

Online Upon Online

This is likely going to be a brutal fall. There are stories throughout the United States of COVID outbreaks striking schools and universities that have recently reopened. Despite that, most of the country is set in the coming weeks to once again open school doors. If I were a betting man, I'd wager that we'll be stuck doing online schooling just like we did in April and May by Halloween. I don't know about you, but I find that deeply depressing.

So with all my doom and gloom, let's be inspired by the words of a prophet. Here's Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin comparing our struggles with the despair that surely faced Christ's disciples immediately following His crucifixion:

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.

 This isn't over, but someday it will be. Hang in there.

Back to School Shopping

This year maybe we should do our back to school shopping at the army surplus store.