Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for September 02, 2021

of course… binders!

Binders get too heavy nowadays.

Do they not have a home study or office room at The Fuse where they do the bookkeeping? Seems odd and unprofessional to be doing all that on your kitchen table.

Luann: wants to do something her parents have asked her to do

Bernice: wants to do something no one asked her to do

That’s a horrible idea leave Nancy mess alone. She has that way for a reason.

Hmm, is Bernice going to reorganize Nancy’s papers by putting them into binders, and then Nancy won’t be able to find anything?

This will not end well.

Luann could do more to help, perhaps take an accounting class?

Binder. Spread eagle.

How does Luann know she didn’t finish the bookkeeping? Maybe she finished it and just didn’t put it all away and plopped in bed? Bernice has no idea what Nancy’s work system is and should not even think about touching any of her stuff!

Because if there’s one thing people love, it’s when you reorganize all their paperwork when they’re not looking. No way that backfires.

On the bright side, maybe this will clue Nancy in to the mistake she made in letting Bernice live in her house.

Some people filing system that is messy.

Bernice Halper, “the Organizer”

Don’t go there, Bernice! I wonder if she’ll peek, mistakenly discover that The Fuse is in the red, and cause a horrible drama that will take two weeks to sort out…

Some of you figure the girls will mess up the system Nancy set up for her bookkeeping. Bernice has this binder idea – she just might surprise us and help Nancy be better organized using binders and perhaps cut down on the consumption of time on bookkeeping.

Binders? Seriously?

Back away from the pile and leave it alone! We loosely stacked and teetering organizers know exactly where in the pile to find what we need and how to extract it without causing a landslide!

Luanne, your mother is overwhelmed. Why not ask her what you could do to help her out? Perhaps you could learn some valuable life skills out of it.

From now on, when Bernice makes crepes, she is going to put them in individual binders.

Do not mess with other peoples’ messes; oftentimes, it is the only way they get things done!

Here we have Luann’s beginnings of her career choice and decision on her college major. Accounting. Great choice actually and pays good.

Enough.

Luann? You Wanna Really “help” your mom out?

Well then, listen to Me very carefully:

GO-TAKE-A-WAITRESS-JOB-AT-THE-FUSE!

It’s a good way to be useful and make a couple of bucks, to boot.

PLUS: (It puts YOU ahead of Brad when it comes time to inherit the family business. But don’t tell him I said that) ;-)

Yes, binders will make it all better. Go back out in the woods with Nil already….

Spoiler Alert: Tomorrow, Bernice sends Luann to Office Depot or Staples to pick up some binders. Meanwhile, Nil stops by and sits with Bernice as she is organizing Nancy’s bookwork. Nil finds this to be boring and figures that they have some time, so he rakes all the stuff off the table, grabs Bernice, and

I hate to say it. But Bernice could be perfect to help Nancy with the bookkeeping. And I hate to say it because that will make Bernice more important into the life of the Degroot family. But Nancy needs help… better start something here, for her sake. Luann and Bernice are motivated and ready!

Did you see the look in Bernice’s eyes when she said ‘binders’? Positively demonic!

Bern is acting like so many of us— when disaster strikes, we do what we want to do rather than doing what’s needed.

Binders? I feel sorry for her future patients………..

It’s that old dilemma, binders vs blinders.

Bernice will make an excellent accountant for The Fuse.

Luann would make an excellent bartender, but I doubt she is old enough.

Its a nice sentiment. They should try to sell the idea to Nancy when she’s there, and not “reorganize her” as a surprise. But where’s the humor in that?

Just coincidence? I am seeing an ad running just above the strip for magnetic BINDERS!

Maybe they should just hire a bookkeeping service.

These young women are in college? Luann isn’t twelve any more, she’s living in her parents’ home and does no work? And Bernice? Color coded binders? Wow! So helpful!

Don’t touch it. Just leave it alone. You’ll seriously just screw things up for Nancy.

Bernice’s idea will be an “either, or” fix. Nancy will either appreciate the effort, or wish L&B would have left it alone. Depends, also, on how precise Bernice labels each category.

What is this Chores? The dishes are clean? Put them away. The floor is dirty? Sweep it. The clothes are dirty? Wash them. This is just life Lu.

I used to have a colleague who had a coffee mug that read, Please do not straighten out the mess on my desk; you will confuse me and screw up my whole world.

You shouldn’t meddle with peoples work habits.

Cleaning up is a thing, but my personal experience is that the messiest of kids (mine were up there in the messy hall of shame) end up being neat freaks in their OWN place. But it would help if Luann could try to help around the house. Bernice likes being around a normal, kind, if a bit snarky family I note. Will we ever see more of Bernice’s people?

Luann answered her own question. Maybe Frank, Nancy, and now Bernice’s, constant reminders about clutter have internalized the message. But it seems that it has only made her feel guilty and not caused the desired change in behavior.

Nancy’s bookkeeping table looks something like Luann’s room at its worst.

Aren’t Bernice’s boobs small enough already without needing to bind them.

Hands off, girls. Bernice has always been a “Miss Smartypants”, do not follow her lead.

Hmmmm, maybe someone at the Fuse, who’s studying business might be able to help . . .

Luann, take over doing the chores. Bernice, leave Nancy’s stuff alone. See how simple that was?

Oh-oh. Nancy knew where everything was! I had a boss that had contracts on the floor, 50 programs open on his computer at once, his office was a disaster. If you tried to clean it up, he’d be lost!

These two nitwits are going to completely mess up Nancy’s paperwork. Why do people that age never think of doing some actual work when they say they want to help?

I’d choose “blinders” but okay Bern, UBU.

This strip is all over the map lately with none of these stories adding any value

“Hey, Luann! Let’s break… I mean, FIX everything!”

So Nancy manages, bartends, and waits the occasional table, and does the books for the Fuse and the household. What does Frank do besides regulate the temperature and read the paper?

Been is trying out to be new bookkeeper at the Fuse. (Bookkeeper is fun to type!)

Wasn’t the “warehouse plan” Frank’s idea? Why isn’t he seen as being more involved?

It is ONLY Bernice’s idea to organize Nancy’s bookkeeping. Luann has nothing to do with this bad idea.

Miss “Everything In Its Place” strikes again.Everything in its place.And only Nancy knows where t hat place is,so back off.

If you want to change somebody else’s system, you have to take ownership of the project

Looks like my desk at work

Thank gawd they didn’t decide to help with the bookkeeping. At least not yet.

Do not mess with what Nancy is doing. While it may look cluttered and a mess to some, I am quite sure if asked, Nancy, where is the deposit for Jan 26th, she can go ‘its right here’ and get it first thing. I find it more interesting though in panel three. Luann just kind of zones out, expecting yet another snark comment from her supposed bff. Your friends should build you up, not always bring you down. Yes, friends kid each other, beat each other up and can play. It should always be fun. Luann does not have an expression of fun, no life in the deadpan eyes. Luann really needs to spend less time with Bern and go find better friends.

I had a boss whose desk was way messier than that yet he could find exactly what he wanted within a few seconds.

I like that fact that Luann was anticipating Bernice being an annoying nag and that the joke is that she isn’t today.

OK, there is a laptop.

It was harder to see in the printed comics page today.

Yes, leave it alone, and both of you go do some chores instead of hanging out doing nothing.

Binders—that’s Bernice’s philosophy in one word. She’s all about the frantic grasping for control.

I know people hate Bernice because of how insufferable she can be, and I’ll agree with that to an extent, but I have to admit, I do at least really like her character design – there’s just something about those slightly unkempty nerdy girls that does it for me.

I don’t think Nancy is old and worn out. She just has a lot of work on her plate and gets behind (as we all do from time to time). Bern’s right in the sense that if you have an overwhelming amount to do, first get organized. It would be great if Bern pitched in and helped Nancy in this respect. Luann is now seeming like Nancy herself (i.e. confusion… what to do?… this is my fate …what now?….etc etc…) while Bern is coming across as the idea person, the go-getter, the problem solver… the energizer bunny. It would be nice if tomorrow shows these two organizing the work, but G&K keep segueing from one scene or topic to another.

“It would be nice if tomorrow shows these two organizing the work” GAH! DO NOT TOUCH SOMEONE ELSE’S STUFF WITHOUT PERMISSION.

Bernice is all about the Organizing.

Talky, talky, talky. Nothing gets done. Between Bernie’s smug “I give advice; that is all,” and Luann’s self-indulgence, House DeGroot is hopeless.

Everything’s better with a big binder!!