Close to Home by John McPherson for October 12, 2020

Bleeb is checking out how the packing is going. Dalcon looks peeved probably because he’s locked out of the house.

You still have to pay for luggage over 50 pounds

So…how much are you going to have to leave behind in New Zealand when you can’t find a Compacto-Smush to help you pack for going home.

Also the miracle of vacuum bags!

But now they weigh a ton.

But how are you going to get it back home?

Are wrinkled clothes in style in New Zealand?

Can only imagine the over-weight charge.

Modern day problems require modern day solutions….

Good idea. Though I’m thinking it may be a bit of a challenge packing to come back. Especially with all your new Hobbit clothes and LOTR swords and such.

Another McPherson brain storm. Should have been an engineer!

Oh, good. Now we can bring your tiger mascot costume.

I hope John has as much fun writing these as we have reading them!

" But now our clothes smell like hot garbage."/ “Silly, we’ll be wearing masks.”

My wife would always pack light. That would give her an excuse to buy clothes in stores that she wouldn’t normally shop at. The suitcase on the way back was always bursting. Some of the clothes would find their way into MY suitcase when she ran out of room.

Garfield, is that you?

I was gonna slip in sump’n humorous, then find a way to add in my usual precautions about Bleeb and Dalcon, but I decided… NOPE, I shouldn’t even mention it. Normally, I would warn the cartoon characters against steppin’ on Bleeb or Dalcon, because stepping on ‘em lets off a powerful stink, sort of making reference to the several species of Pentatomidae stink bugs, and then continue on about not stepping on them because there would also be an enormous amount of yellow substance in the form of a sort of “goo”, and in that case, making a reference of sorts, to something like Snoopy’s dog house and how when you look at it from the outside it’s small, but on the inside it’s enormous, thereby formulating that if you did step on Bleeb or Dalcon, there would be more yellow goo than should reasonably be contained by something so small. But, I am NOT gonna caution the couple about not steppin’ on ‘em, and I’m not gonna mention anything about how they will let off a powerful stink, and I’m not gonna mention how there would be yellow goo everywhere… I am, however gonna remain polite and simply wish them a safe and happy trip to New Zealand and allow others to figure out their luggage dilemma, and not say anything at all about stink and goo!

Like anyone can go anywhere right now…

Are the toiletries in there too?

I never understood the point of a personal trash compactor. They’re great for businesses with a lot of boxes, but otherwise it strikes me as a waste of money, electricity, and time.

Doesn’t New Zealand also have vacuum compactor bags?

Where are the plane tickets? OOOPS!

First you put a suitcase inside the bigger suitcase for the souvenirs coming back.

All their clothing will smell like last week’s garbage.