Comments on 3:39 - Thurs. Nov. 15, 2001

[AetherKnight]

Well, by the title of the strip group "STRESS", methinks it is simply a plot device for Josh to draw more nudity. He's using the Ceiledh - Joe fight to segue into a touching (read: PSL laced) make-up scene.<P>But, this is only a wild conspiracy theory by someone who has gotten exactly no sleep in the past 47.25 hours, so procede with caution.<P>------------------
If I survive I'll tell on you. - Hybrid<P>[This message has been edited by AetherKnight (edited 11-16-2001).]<p>[This message has been edited by AetherKnight (edited 11-16-2001).]

[ASimPerson]

I've always believed that your high school relationship should *not* be a factor in your continuing education, which is what Joe is trying to imply, I think. Unfortanately for him, Celidh seems to think that Joe being forced to go to school somewhere he doesn't want to go just to be with her is a good idea.

[ollie]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ASimPerson:
<B>I've always believed that your high school relationship should *not* be a factor in your continuing education, </B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>plus higher education, university/college can be a fresh start for you (like Ceilidh ariving at AHS as a fresh start, years ago) so you might not really want an *old* relationship keeping you back<P>if that's not too strong a word, but anyway *it had to come sooner or later from someone* this kind of happened to me, both ways, so...<P>[flashback wibbly lines] basicly, went to my first year of university trying to keep up a long distance (SW England to Dublin!) relationship, i was always waiting for the phone, to the point where i planned my whole day around just hearing her voice for half an hour *awww etc* but in the end i quit my course, and just at that, most unstable point of my life, she dumped me (on the night of Wrestlemania 2000) she was sick of me clinging to her i supose, who could blame her?<P>So, single again, i grew a Taliban style beard, worked for the summer and started a new degree course the next semester (with a cut down beard), as my own person, with more friends now (time to go out etc, rather than wait for a call) and more *space* to do things<P>although, if she asked me tomorow, i'd take her back on teh spot, why? I'm weak, that's why <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspot.com/KeenBoard/wink.gif"> [/wibbly flashback lines]<P>it's easyer being single while you're sorting yourself out i supose, when you're stable again, see if your previous partner's still up for it, if so, great, if not, well, 1 down, 3 billion to go... <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspot.com/KeenBoard/wink.gif"><P>Joe wants the distance, the space, but it might be Ceilidh who does the dumping, cutting off her nose to spite her face, as it were?<P>------------------
ollie.
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[davey3000]

Damn, I didn't notice the title change - that is quite worrying... <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspot.com/KeenBoard/frown.gif"><P>I think it's a case of Ceilidh not wanting to sound like she's being too clingy and wanting to go the same uni as Joe, so she's trying not to say that she wants him to (assuming she does). And Joe is probably undecided and doesn't want to commit himself, so he's trying not to say anything incriminating.<P>---
davey3000

[Sertrel]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by davey3000:
<B>Damn, I didn't notice the title change - that is quite worrying... <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspot.com/KeenBoard/frown.gif"><P>I think it's a case of Ceilidh not wanting to sound like she's being too clingy and wanting to go the same uni as Joe, so she's trying not to say that she wants him to (assuming she does). And Joe is probably undecided and doesn't want to commit himself, so he's trying not to say anything incriminating.
</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>In my opinion... Joe has proven to be good at reading Ceilidh, but very bad at utilizing such information properly (witness his reaction to very vulnerable Ceilidh pouring her heart out).
Unfortunately, in my opinion, there is no elegant solution to Ceilidh's insecurity at the moment. In any "first relationship", especially at this age, it's really quite difficult to accept the transience of the moment and that paths diverge. But I do think that it's extremely poor form for Joe to just be so cold on this topic, particularly since it is important to Ceilidh. At the same time, Ceilidh should recognize Joe's preoccupation with finances, after all, how is he going to pay for university?<P>Truly realistic... Unpleasant and bitter, but very real.<P>Sertrel<P>------------------
<I>"Kodomo desu... atashi tachi." -- Shinobu Maehara</I>

[K A H]

As I had to wait until I was most of the way through my second year of university until I entered into my first relationship, I can't venture an opinion on the dynamics of high school relationships, at least not one based on first hand experience. However, I know the pains of being involved in a distance relationship, and how much more painful it is if the distance opens up after the relationship is in full swing. And this, I know from first and second hand experience.<P>My second (and so far, last) relationship started out long distance anyway, just before I entered into my last year as an undergraduate. She lived in middle Georgia, I was just north of Chicago. Well, since we were only one time zone different and we were both 'net addicts, we spoke online nearly every night and phoned each other fairly often as well.<P>But when I was accepted at Cambridge and knew that I'd want to take a year out either before or after the course, the prospect of me returning to England for two years didn't sit terribly well with her. Ignoring advice to put the relationship on hold and see where we stood if and when I returned to America (at this point I can't even guess if I'll even be going back any time soon), I suggested we try to keep things going.<P>What a mistake. It was a very lonely year and I became extremely clingy, more so when we started drifting apart because of the sharp drop in the volume of our communication (this time, we were five time zones different). I felt ignored, she felt smothered.... well, it could only have gone one way from there, really.<P>(This was part of the inspiration for the centre section of the Caprice in "Souvenirs d'Avalon". I'm sure I'm not the first person to think this, but I thought maybe the reason Hel

[Wapiko]

Well, it's certainly an appropriate title. I mean, Ceilidh is already stressed with homework, tests, university hunting, and she's also in a relationship for the first time. She's unsure, and probably still feels that she has pushed Joe into going steady, and is unsure of herself.<P>Joe, with such a volatile girlfriend, the same tests, university hunting with a really tight budget, and a volatile girlfriend also has a lot of pressure on him.<P>A good mix for fireworks, don't you think?<P>Unfortunately, Ceilidh seems to be shaping Joe's words to match what she believes. I fear that she is spoiling for a fight to relieve her stress. She may even try to use this as an excuse to break up (Yes, I do mean that Ceilidh is the one who would break up with Joe) just so that there is one less thing that she would have to worry about.<P>Poor Joe. He reads Ceilidh so much better than she seems to read him. He's probably not going to be able to keep silent, Ceilidh wouldn't let him. But instead of fighting and pushing, she should be trying to help him out.<P>And they should go eat some potato chips.<P>Wapiko-chan<P>------------------
<I>potechi taberu?</I>

[Darth Paradox]

I've got a bit different of a story. Near the end of my 11th grade year, in April of 2000, I met a girl at practice for the statewide math team (practicing for a competition in Iowa).
Anyway, I was immediately smitten, and spending well over 24 hours with her over the course of three days (on a bus out to and back from UI) didn't change that. Only problem was, she lived 60 miles away. So I started driving out to visit her every once in a while. As the frequency of my visits increased, so did our closeness, and we started "officially dating" (merely the formality of actually kissing her) that November. We were, of course, deeply embroiled in college applications at the time, and that was a question constantly on my mind. She, playing the grounded student, said we'd just see how things turn out. I, playing the hopeless romantic, told her I'd follow her anywhere if it came to that.
Anyway, through whosever hand, we ended up at the same university (Michigan)...
It'd be a happy ending if it weren't just another beginning. We celebrated our first year about a week and a half ago.<P>Gods, I hope for similar happiness for Ceilidh (and Joe). Late updates are forgivable - I have forced myself into sympathy by starting <a href="http://scatterplot.keenspace.com">my own comic</a>... But if Ceilidh is sad at the closing of the series, I will have to take matters into my own hands. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspot.com/KeenBoard/biggrin.gif">
*<i>Darth Paradox makes scary faces at Josh</i>*
Seriously, though. I'm worried about what Joe is doing - as usual, he underestimates Ceilidh's emotional stake in the issue at hand.

[Death of Rats]

I agree with Wapiko that Ceilidh will be the most likely to break up, though I am not quite sure what will trigger it. I have the impression that Joe is not ready yet to invest more in this relationship emotionally - heck, he didn't really intend to end up in this realtionship in the first place! He just didn't have the guts to say "no" at the right time, back at Tim Hortons in summer. Although she puts a lot of pressure on him to make him a boyfriend of her liking, and I am pretty sure that it bothers him, he is not very likely to make a clean break. In my opinion, he'd rather let it taper off, preferrably augmented by a long distance. Another reason why he doesn't want to decide whether or not they should move to the same town.<P>Well, this is just another case to support my hypothesis, that one is not mature enough to form a lasting relationship in Highschool. So don't be too disappointed if you break up soon after graduation...<P>How about some potato chips now, just to calm the waves?<P>[edit:] I have to work on my language skills.<P>------------------
SQUEAK.<p>[This message has been edited by Death of Rats (edited 11-16-2001).]

[Josh Phillips]

<A HREF="http://www.avalonhigh.com/d/20011115.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.avalonhigh.com/d/20011115.html</A> <P>JOSH.

[Anh Minh]

Personnaly, I'm more worried about what Joe 'doesn't say'. And about his general defensiveness. Ceilidh's concern was to be expected, but Joe... He looks a bit like he wants to escape her or something.<P>Albatross-Minh

[ollie]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Klaus Petersen:
<B>... Mr. Evasive will become the gentlest, sincerest, most perfect boyfriend Feebs could ever hope for. Hel

[Klaus Petersen]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ollie:
<B>*then again.... <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspot.com/KeenBoard/wink.gif"> *</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>In the interest of promoting lowbrow humor, wild speculation, and creative misinterpretation, here's another one:<P>In the case that Alan does <I>not</I> tell Hel

[Klaus Petersen]

This would have come up inevitably - both what's coming after High School, and, for that matter, some major disagreement between Joe and Ceilidh. It's not like they have a <I>'whatever you say, dear'</I> kind of relationship. Ceilidh will see to that: she shies away from neither desperate gambles nor confrontations of any kind. She's good for Joe that way! <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspot.com/KeenBoard/wink.gif"><P>The way I read the dialogue, they are both probing each other, they are both being concerned about the survival of the relationship, and they are both stressed out to no end about the (apparent) enormity of the decisions they have to make. They are still young: up to this point, their paths have been laid out before them, and their homes have (mostly) been safe harbors.<P>Whichever way this goes, I can't see it as an unhappy ending. There's a first time for everything, relationships included. Harsh, I admit, but if their relationship can last, it's because they can work things out, not because there's never any issues between them. I'd say their relationship started real well in that respect. If they break up, I for one will be happy for the time they had together, how ever short it was.<P>K A H, why should you, of all people, worry about embarrassing yourself with off-the-mark plot speculation? Everybody else has! <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspot.com/KeenBoard/biggrin.gif"> I'll dive in at the deep end, right here: Alan, perhaps at Joes insistence, will finally stop stringing Hel

[Freemage]

I don't know... I'm getting the notion that Joe is considerably less certain of his own opinion than most folks are stating.<P>When Ceilidh asks if he thinks their relationship should be an important factor, he kicks it back to her immediately--that potato isn't just hot, it's radioactive.<P>And I read "Ah, I'm still eligible for the sacrifice" in almost the opposite way folks seem to be taking it--"Ah, since I'm still undecided about what school I'm going to, I can still be cut loose, if I make a decision you're not happy with."<P>Remember, Joe was horribly insecure about accepting Ceilidh's advances, not because he didn't care for her deeply, but because he _does_. Here, he seems to be rather stressed from the notion that, just as he's come to get comfortable with the relationship, it's getting a curveball, and a potentially bad one, at that. As much as Ceilidh seems to be fishing for an agreement to go to the same school, he seems to be fishing for a declaration from her that different schools wouldn't matter.