It’s a jungle out there…
It was fifty years ago today on February 17, 1972 the 15,007,034th Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the assembly line and onto the roads of the world. That particular Bug was significant because it made the Beetle the most produced model of automobile ever, surpassing the record set by Henry Ford’s famous Model T. While the Model T brought the horseless carriage to the masses in America, it was the Beetle that did the same throughout Europe and much of the rest of civilization after World War II. Over 21 million Beetles were manufactured before the line was retired in 2003. In the US, they’re mainly associated with the culture of their peak of popularity, the 60’s and 70’s, and are often the butt of jokes for their diminutive size in a country full of big honkin’ gas guzzlin’ SUV’s. Volkswagen means “The People’s Car,” and if you love the Beetle, you can thank the German leader with the Oliver Hardy mustache for helping to introduce them to the world…
Speaking of Bugs, it’s time to catch the love bug with Melanie’s Share Your World questions for this week! Given the obvious theme, these are guaranteed to go over like a lead balloon….
You better have a diamond necklace ready to give me after this romantic walk, dear…
Which traditional Valentine’s Day gift would you rather receive: chocolates, flowers, or a card with a personal message?
I only like cheap, mass produced chocolate that’s frozen… I have no use for flowers… and the only personal message I want to see in any cards for me is “In God We Trust”…
This is SO me…
Do you like romantic movies?
Does Pee Wee’s Big Adventure count as a romantic movie? The dude was in serious love with his bike…
I’ll bet he was thinking about his bike when he was caught tending to his other pee wee in the bathroom.
Is Valentine’s Day only about romantic love? Or is it a good occasion to celebrate friendship as well?
Valentine’s Day is about buying expensive trinkets of love, and Hallmark cards, and candy in fancy boxes…. oh and lots and lots of cute, furry stuffed animals! That’s what they teach me at Mecca…
Without Valentine’s Day, there is no Mitzi!
How do you deal with unwanted romantic attention?
I’ll be sure to let you know if I ever receive any…
Perhaps you’d like to share your experience, Snuggle?
Share one or two of your favorite memories of your special loved one if you’d like.
What. Ever…
And ten years later, I notice I typed the word “dollar” instead of “hour” in that last panel….
Evil Squirrel's Nest 
love the valentines dinner… buster is very raw-mantic
Buster will probably not last as long as the flowers…
Nice bike! We had a VW bug when we were first married. Went everywhere in it until it threw a rod.
I’ve never had a bug or even been in one, but they sure were popular for a while!
Learned to drive in a pea green 1963 Beetle. Best car ever and assured my parents I’d never be able to ‘drag’ Main Street.
I’ll bet I could find a souped up Beetle. I always thought the same about my Neon, but someone else in town had a charged up version that looked just like mine, but wouldn’t start to come apart if you went over 65…
65? Boy that’s well above the top range of a Bug’s speed. But boy were they ever a hog when it came to climbing up a snowy hill with that rear engine.
I want that jungle theme VW!
I was surprised how many inspiring paint jobs I saw on Beetles while I was looking for a picture to lead off this post. I did like that jungle one the best!
HA! I had to go back and re-read the last ‘toon…..my mind had automatically substituted “hour” for “dollar”…..just goes to show you where my mind is.
Pam
Well, after all of the years you’ve tolerated my humor, I’d assume it’s somewhere close to my demented mind!
Lady Mitzi, always so elegant, even after being in box for years. Oh memories, my first car was white Beetle.
I’ve unpacked many of those boxes, and those poor critters are jammed together like sardines for a long time. I’m sure it was worth the journey for Mitzi to end up here where she’s loved, unlike the rest of her box-mates who have probably long been thrown away like the disposable Valentines gifts they were intended for…
You are a good man, you take care of so many critters.
Thanks Bill (aka E.S.) for Sharing Your Heartfelt World! I’ve been on a date with that last guy and he had to go home and take of his Dreamcicle all by his lonesome too. If you want the booty, don’t be so snooty! Good advice. Um where were we… oh yes! Excellent answers to all the questions, in true Squirrel Style! I’m sure Snuggle has an essay or two about his encounters with ‘strangers in the night” whose attentions weren’t invited. It would be a very bleak Nest without Mitzi certainly. I hope your own V-day was special in the way you wanted it to be! Everyone should celebrate the hearts and flowers day (or not) as they wish! Have a great week!
That comic was inspired by some of the stories I was told by another internet friend from the kinds of male profiles she saw on a…. ahem, mature dating site. I’m just fine by myself rather than get involved with some of the weirdos of both genders in that scene…
Your last two answers are what I was planning on writing…
Frozen chocolate?
Feel free to reuse them, I won’t tell anyone you were copying off me.
Warm chocolate is just nasty! I won’t eat any kind of chocolate candy until it’s been in the freezer for a while…
Bugs were novel because they we back asswords. Engine in the rear and trunk in the front.