Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for February 26, 2021

It saves money on airfare.

But just in case they decide to surprise him with a visit, he’s keeping a cross and some garlic by his bed.

I am shocked! Rat and I actually agree on something. Although I’ve found 1000 miles to be sufficient.

Mine are almost 2 hours away, I like them and their kids, and we still don’t see each other because of this dang virus.

as for my siblings, my older brother lives on the other side of the country (New Jersey) whereas our five stepsisters still in Clark County, Washington (eldest in the same town as me and our parents whereas the other four live elsewhere therein

lol

Most of my family is on the East Coast. We e-mail, we phone, it works out fine until this virus is gone.

For Rat’s siblings, for sure.

Know thyself Rat!

Restraining orders tend to have that effect.

My nearest sib (of six) lives about 1600 miles away as the highway meanders. Though It’s only about 1200 miles to my nearest cousin, who’s pretty close to a sib because she spent several years living with us.

It’s farther, not further.

works for me…

I do the same with my mother.

Both my siblings have passed away, I’d love to see them again, even if from 6 feet away!

Sounds like my family. Some of us got even farther apart over the last four years.

I live in the East, my one brother lives on the West coast, and I have 2 more living close by. The one living 2000 miles away and I talk more than the close living ones do!

He’s a Norway rat, after all!

Sounds like sibling revelry to me! :D

Rats first zoom meeting with his relatives didn’t go so well so he won’t be rezooming another meeting.

But Rat is a rat. He might have thousands of siblings; how can he keep track?

My rule: no relatives living within my zip code.

Yea … Who would want to admit that Rat is their brother ;-) … Croc Power !

Sometimes it takes more than fences to make good neighbors.

Hey! Rat stole MY idea!

My family motto is: “We get along wonderfully … at 500 miles distance.”

Stop giving Fauci & Biden ideas.

He’s probably got hundreds of siblings out there.

It always worked for me.

Yup, that’s how we’re doing it, by Zoom.

2000 miles between family members is often a good idea, not just during a pandemic.

Even better if you can put the Mississippi in between

RootsTech

ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!

TEST

TEST

TEST

Distance makes the heart grow fonder, or we just forget how much they annoy us???

For a rat, that could be a lot of siblings.

I guess Rat isn’t the only anti-social cretin in his family. No wonder we don’t see his relatives.

If you are reading this, Pig, they are going to put you in two pairs of socks, rent you one of their neck ties and tie a pillow to your tail. If you are not reading this, well, see you later.

The sign on the door said “We treat you like family”

Yep, NOT goin’ in there.

I’ve been married for 36 yrs, and from day one my rule is that I have to live at least one state away from his mother. I knew she didn’t like me from the first phone call he made telling her about me, but what she said at the wedding was the final straw. He makes the obligatory calls on holidays but I haven’t spoken to her since 1986. Social distancing from his family? Not a problem.

Well nice calculation

You’re still a little close rat, mine are at least 2500 miles.

If he has a number of siblings to the typical rat, it’s probably a real good idea

Sis lives in Oklahoma. Which is just far enough away.

You need to be at least an hour’s travel time apart to give the homicidal rage time to cool down.

My family isn’t far away, but I wouldn’t mind if they were.

Works for me too, but Zoom is useful.

It was actually the family’s idea to keep Rat two thousand miles away.

Don’t tell my sisters that I like this.

Now that’s what you call ‘Distant Relatives.’

My sister lived just three and a half miles from me, but in Brooklyn, that’s several neighborhoods’ distance. We saw each other two or three times a year and were fine with that; more often and we’d have gotten on each other’s nerves.

I hear ya rat, I hear ya!

I completely identify with this sentiment!

Actually, their going to be closer to each other, they just don’t wan Rat within four thousand miles of them and Rat doesn’t want to be anywhere near them. But he also doesn’t want them to be too happy so he’s ruining the gathering by coming within two thousand miles of them.

When the pandemic is over I still want most of you to stay far away.

I like Rat’s attitude. I’d share it, even though I don’t even have any siblings!

“Happiness is a large family — that lives in another city.”

Economics!