Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for July 01, 2014

But let mom do the cutting!

Parting is such sweet sorrow… ;)

I like the way this is going. Gunther has a wise mother.

A little forethought is better than a lot of hindsight…. – And we don’t know where we’re going, until we know where we’ve been….

“50 Ways To Leave Your Smother” ♫“A ’Sticky Situation”“Knowing When To Leave” ♫“Make It Easy On Yourself” ♫

or “A Sweet Covering For A ‘Stacked Deck’ "

Ma Berger is full of surprises!

Since when does relying on someone automatically make it a “bad” experience? Smothering? Well, in that case, yes. OK, so Gunther is going to Peru (what, Mom, no shock that he is not going to start college in the Fall?!)…so What will his Mom do? Go out on the town and find good male friends? Perhaps. Obviously, there is going to be a big hole in both their lives once they are separated… ;)

not necessarily go out on dates, but a chance to think more on herself and maybe herself go to school, and get a better job, on the other side, despite that quill is more secure on himself, Gunt’s mom might treat him more as her new son

So, Brdshtt, I guess he’ll be “drowning” in syrup? Hahahha! ;)

Bourbon? What a way to start the day! Hick! LOL ;)

BTW, way Rosa is, she would make Gunther learn to assert himself more if their relationship progress

Or have “You And Me Against The World” playing…. that song could possibly cut through even Leroy’s “steel”…

“deserting the family” got changed to this….. –

Heheheh! ;)

Hope not! Its hard to deal with a crying jag once it begins =-O

Hmmmm…just a “few” problems… ;)

“You’ll always be my baby, but you need to become your own man. You can’t do that here.”

LOL Big-Time! ;)

I don’t think he’ll be able to keep track of all those trains……

Whenever the “age” of legal purchase gets debated, oftentimes, I’ve heard the “comparison” between the views of the US and Europe……

Have to get up Really early this coming morning…its going to be Hot and I have to be able to walk my IS, Katie, Before the temperature gets out of hand! ’Nite all! ;)-——————————————————————————“The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.”(Edmund Burke, 1729-1797)

Heh. Gunther gets to Peru, only to find Rosa pouring his syrup!

…D’oH!

Hoo, Boy.

Ma Berger is REALLY givin’ Old Gunther the “Heave Ho” Right Outta the House!

Could it be that Ma’s “Plans” include getting a New “Roomie”?

Don’t look Now Gunth, but there MAY be a “Stepfather” in Your Future.

….That’s Provided Greg Evans Doesn’t COMPLETELY Write the G-Man out of the Strip, that It….,

there is a great engineering school in Lima, and he can do costumes for the “Gran Teatro Nacional” http://www.vibtech.com.br/upload/downloads/18.jpg http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://granteatronacional.pe/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dteatro%2Bnacional%2Blima%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1600%26bih%3D766

I think Mrs Berger has not been completely honest with Gunther about his dad. Personally, I doubt there ever was a Mr Berger. There was a young woman who wanted a child, and once she was pregnant showed the guy the door without telling him either.

Rosa is in for a rough journey with all the basic things Gunther is used to not doing for himself. Quill needs to give him 2 weeks worth of independence lessons.

When Gunth is in Peru, who’s going to chew up his food and spit it into his mouth for him?

“Pour my own syrup”, what an amusing metaphor.

Now, Gunther, this is not the time to be developing a sarcastic tone. Your Mom is doing you and herself a huge favor. Accept it with love, and eat your pancakes before they get cold!

Rosa’s relationship will end. Too much money, and maturity, which is why she was going to go to Yale.Quill’s sisters fawned all over him, as an only boy. He is a lot like Gunther-needed to “get out of the house.”Gunth will eventually come back as a far wiser guy, in so many ways-how the poor survive, including himself, a new language, history, travel, food, friends, etc.After seeing misery firsthand, he may wish to become a doctor, instead of an engineer. But, that’s a great place to see engineering. How did they do all those things, with primitive tools, like the Egyptians?Rosa will not have time for boyfriends. She will be too tired. Or, may come down with something, from the clinic, and leave the scene, altogether. Which may send Gunth back home, to a new “dad”.But, you can never go back!!

The like the pause between Father…and …departed. Died, ran away or divorced?

This will be great for both of them. Is Rosa on board ?

I’m really surprised at this turn of events, but I’m liking mother’s attitude here. Not many smother mothers realize what they’re doing to their kids, and don’t want to let go. Still not sure if this is a good move for Gunther, though.

At least it looks like she uses “real” maple syrup. Until recently, I never knew that there is absolutely no real maple whatsoever in the likes of Log Cabin, Mrs. Butterworth, Aunt Jemima, etc.

So in two weeks he’s going to magically get a visa, money etc etc to be able work/live in Peru? To all those suggesting schools he could go to, I’m pretty sure two weeks isn’t enough time to get accepted if they’re even accepting applicants.

If Mom is so wise, why is she still pouring his syrup in the first place?

You want to see the store my son started at age 20 without any help from his father or me? Google Ground Zero Board Shop, Davis, California or Roseville, California. We let our sons live at home while going to college and pursuing their goals which is different than those who sent their kids away as soon as they turned 18 or 21. We provided the room and board so they could save money to reach their goals. If we were that mean, why would all three have been happy enough to stay at home until they got settled in their careers. We carefully chose an area to raise them where they could reach their goals while we provided a place for them to sleep. One of my sons got a double degree from UC Davis and also went to Germany to learn the language. He could have gone to Stanford or Harvard. He was accepted to both, but he decided to go to UCD to save money.

I wonder…does Mom have a little somebody hidden in the woodwork? It seems a little contrived that she would be so ready to send her baby boy into the jungles of Peru and with a beautiful girl unless she has something in store for herself. Oh, well, contrived? Hmmmm.This IS A COMIC STRIP! (Nevertheless, I really want to watch Gunth go through this new drama!)

“What will his Mom do? Go out on the town and find good male friends? Perhaps. Obviously, there is going to be a big hole in both their lives once they are separated”*ORM – wouldn’t it be a blast to see Mom try to go back to dating, after what, 15 years?, of being a strong widow?

“… why not enjoy life more by reading a different strip instead?”*Dave53— there’s an adrenalin rush in causing a commotion or just in hating (which RB isn’t really doing).

Yes. There may be separation anxiety, but it’s the thing to do.

I don’t find it impossible that Gunther’s dad may have run out on the family when Gunther was either not yet born or very small, and when he was old enough to wonder why other kids had daddies but he didn’t, it may have been easier for his mom just to say “he died”, rather than go through it all again herself while trying to explain it to a four- or five-year old.

It may not be as common today, but in my generation I knew at least a couple of families like that. The baby’s Dad bailed, Mom told the kids (and maybe her new guy) that he was dead. Fifteen or so years later, Dad reappears just about the time the kids are self-supporting and don’t need child care any more. Hilarity ensues!

Even if Mrs. B later leveled with Gunther, it may still be the first thing that pops into Gunther’s head when talking about his dad, because it was the first story he heard. Seen this way, her use of “departed” makes sense as her admission that she hadn’t been honest with four-year-old Gunthie, and regrets it even if he now knows the truth.

And will people please stop assuming that Gunther is being written out of the strip? Greg has invested way too much character development in him, including this week, to just send him off to the Far Side. He’ll still be around, I guarantee it! And Rosa isn’t done being good for him, even if they eventually end up going their separate ways.

Mrs. Berger, please.

1.Never do for your child what the child can do for his/her self.~2.Never say to a child, “It is okay for me but not for you” when it is in regard to something that breaks any of the Ten Commandments. It is not setting a good example.~3.Teach a child to clean up after him/herself. You clean up after yourself, too. Be a role model.~4.A ten year old is old enough to do his/her laundry. Teach them how to do it including how to measure the detergent and fabric softener and how to iron.~5.Six year olds are old enough to sew on their own buttons when the buttons pop off their clothes. They might poke themselves, but it is only a poke which is something they often get during playtime anyhow.~6.Teach them to eat healthy and feed them healthy, three square meals a day. Don’t require them to eat more than they are able. It leads to fat, lethargic life styles. ~7.Read to them every night before bedtime beginning by their first birthday, then see them to bed, kiss them goodnight, and tell them you love them.~8.At their first birthday, start time outs. Tell them what they did, what they could have done differently and to sit for the number of minutes that corresponds with their age. One year, one minute, five years, five minutes. Then repeat to them what they did and what they could have done differently. ~9.Teenagers should have a paying job. They should have been taught and required to wash a car, mend, do yard work and do housework when they were children, so they can use those skills when they are teenagers. ~10.Teach them that the last thing they do before leaving home or going to bed is to go to the bathroom. Require it.~11.Don’t punish the child for wetting the bed if they used the bathroom before going to bed. They are asleep and may have dreamed they were going to the bathroom or have a medical condition. If it happens often, take the child to the doctor.~12.Teach them not to yell when angry or scream when playing unless there is actually something to scream about.~ 13.Don’t give a small child or baby magazines or other paper objects to tear up. They get confused about what is okay to tear up and what is not. Teach them to respect the things around them.~14.Homework should be started within minutes of arriving home. If they say they have no homework or already did the homework at school, call the teacher for verification. ~15.Children should go to bed the same time every night including weekends, holidays and school breaks.

The glass is always half empty for you isn’t it?

Mother Berber has not visible means of support.Gunther’s…departed…dad either had a fabulous death benefit, or the alimony is ‘sumpthin’ else!"

ReallyBad really enjoys this comic strip, just not for the reasons the rest of us do, rather to imagine fault. Gunther may come to regret some of the things he’s about to do but he should never regret the fact that he did them rather than wondering forever what course his life should take.

I believe that in Peru, that would be more like Pisco Sour’s

Gunther’s Mom must have one hot guy lined up to date. She’s too eager for him to go to a foreign country where he has no income, no place to live and doesn’t speak the language. Any mom in REAL life would encourage him to start being independent gradually. Live in a dorm on campus, do your own laundry and shopping, etc.

ORM,Gunther can make new friends, learn new skills, use the skills he has, depend on some support from Rosa’s tio and his friends helping show him the ropes to get him started.He intends to be useful, always has..By the way, at least one of our 2014 high school graduates is already dead. Too fast for road conditions. Not paying close enough attention to driving. Over correcting after running off the road. Not wearing her seat belt.Her whole life was ahead of her but the whole rest of her life was less than a month long.

-What Gunther’s mom is saying is “I want you to experience new things…but I also want to experience new things.” If Gunther were to change his mind at this point, he’d actually be letting his mom down because she’s looking forward to a new life with him not around-What Mrs. B said was “This will be good for both of us.” Then she explained it further by saying that he had been her whole world, and they needed to stop relying on each other.-What in the world is wrong with a parent recognizing that it will be good for both the kid and parent to stop being ‘co-dependents’ and start being independents ?!!! -If Mrs. B had burst into tears and begged Gunther to stay, you would have condemned her for tying her to her apronstrings for all eternity.

Where in that list did I mention hitting or spanking? Only one of my five grandchildren has ever been spanked and only once and with a hand, and it wasn’t by me.

-I’m happy to hear that we will ‘agree to disagree’, since I find it very challenging to see how anyone can interpret a character who smiles a lot, is always available to help her kid and his friends, and lets her kid’s insults roll off her back as someone who “desperately needs to find happiness in her own life.” Sheesh….

Oy…..

JPuzzleWhiz: The homework rule is there because we had some homework problems. My parents paid no attention to it. They didn’t have the time, and I didn’t have enough self-discipline. I lived to regret it. I didn’t pay enough attention to it with my kids. Yes, I was afraid it would look like I didn’t trust them. How wrong I was! If it happens rarely in your home, then take the child’s word for it. I speak from experience.

Don’t try to change for meIt’s not to bewe men can’t change‘Tis beyond our rangeBesides, I’ve come to enjoyYou argue with the hoi polloi(Probably got all of that wrong, no rolls for me this week)And see the worstof the universeyou’re still free to overly gripeeven as we think you’re full of tripe(How does tripe taste, anyway?).Don’t limit yourself on our account.It takes all kinds to make the worldand the whole world to hold them.

Wow! There is WAY more subtext than I saw! Thanks for the eye opening expositions. Oh! And you might want to check all that extra baggage. It can really cost you on your trip.

I will have to admit that I was a victim of a mother who could sometimes be like Mrs. Berger. I was the late surprise like Quill, and also a very young aunt, so sometimes Mom would go into some kind of time warp and stuff a wad of paper towels under my neck for a bib. Other times she would come up behind me and ask if I’d like some catsup. Before I could answer, she would shake it over everything on my plate. Sometimes I would get up to refill my water glass, and she would take my plate and start eating what was left on it. It is kind of funny now, but it wasn’t then.

Gunther isn’t being deep sixed. He’s going off to see the world and gain functioning cajones. So much the better if Rosa keeps slowly coaxing them into existence.

…For whatever reason, Rosa really enjoys ‘fixer upper’ type men. Well, some girls are just like that.

Re: “Anti-Cheers” Actually, I think, there really Are some graduates who Want to move as far away from “home” ASAP! Maybe cutting the apron strings cleanly and not in pieces, is the best way for them. Now, for Gunther?! He’s in for a Very Big Shock! It will be interesting to see how he handles being away from home and everyone and everything he knows (provided Greg lets us in on this). I don’t think Rosa will be able to soften that blow… ;)

Once again, I think this is a dumb idea like I said before. But since this comic strip is not like real life, Gunth will most likely have a beard visiting for a holidays. Along with this, Rosa might have one “In the oven.” I didn’t claim myself as a Mama’s Boy, but I did care about my late mother. I was in the AF in active duty and she had serious health problems along with my Dad. Both of them tried their best to raise me right, so I decided to help them out when they became senior citizens. It seems some young people want to stay away from their parents or don’t care for them.

Hahahahaha! ;)

“If Mr. Evans needs to know a certain history of a character, all he need do is ask me.”

Right? Lol!

Sometimes, under pressure to finish an assignment in a hurry due to procrastinating or whatever, I’d end up doing my best work!

Hey, you gotto do what you gotta do! The same (sort of) thing happened to me with a 10th grade book report. I chose Nicholas and Alexandra and read the entire book in about a week, I really enjoyed it. We had five weeks to write the report and when it was due I asked the teacher for an extension because I told him I needed more time to read it because it was so huge. So he gave me two more weeks. The night before it was due, at I think about 10 pm, I sat down and scribbled out a five page book report as fast as I could. Later, when he was done grading all the reports, he held mine up as a shining example of excellence and announced to the entire class that I was the only one who had received the highest grade, a 5/5! Lol!

That is a hilarious story, lol:D Maybe the teacher didn’t even notice the misspellings. Your friend sure owed you one!

Hey….maybe even in the teacher’s eyes (which must have been very tired after 21 pages) the predominating thought was: “it’s Science… not English”.. .LOL!!!

Thanks!

Yeah, maybe so… but I still like saying the “it’s Science, not English” thing….. – Reminds me of a teacher who caught me saying "I can do my homework in another class, as long as it’s not in her class (when it would be due)… surprisingly, she agreed with me…..

I was just going to mention that, about multiplication of 40 papers to grade.. but then, that’s bringing math into this…..

I think the absolute worst high-school project that my son had to do was a difficult report on something critical to his grade in that class (I don’t remember what that was!). Anyway, I woke up in the middle of the night hearing this very slow tap, tap, tap. He was trying to re-enter his report on the computer. The first time around when he had finished his report and hit “save” (I bet you all can see this coming!), his entire report had disappeared! It was five pages long and nary a letter to be seen! Since it was about 2:30 am, I told him to go to bed and I would re-type it for him. I did so in about 20 minutes. He never did find the original version of his paper (which he got a really good grade on). I wasn’t even tempted to “edit” it for him (a nasty habit of mine!) as he had written it so well. This has special meaning as he is both dyslexic and disgraphic. We never forgot that experience… ;)

Evans: Now might be a good time to give Gunther’s mom a boyfriend .. and no tricks to it either. You’ve created a character who has raised a wise and sensitive son, now it’s time for her to have some intimacy .. and it’s to your credit that you don’t have her calling him ‘the man of the house’.