Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for April 07, 2018

Well, Irma – you sure had a lot of input into that. Perhaps it was a surprise.

that was quick of Al

Remember to bury a headless Barbie doll before pouring the concrete.

To appease the comic strip gods.

And to think – some of us (me included) thought this plot line was going a bit slow…

Well, what took them so long?

Of course they’ve got to hurry up and get the guest house built: unbeknownst to the Bergers, the wedding is scheduled for later this afternoon.

That should be interesting.. pouring the foundation on top of the grass.

He doesn’t let any grass grow under his feet.

You may not realize it yet, curly haired Bubba, but you’re in trouble. That there thang going up around you is a jail, your jail.

Uncle Hitch has the green, and now has Irma to spend it with. A new life is coming alright. Enjoy!

That was quick Al, when is the wedding this coming Fri.

The lumber is first to be used to build the stadium seating to watch the digging and the pouring.

Whoa, Irma, you better reconsider your acceptance of marriage proposal. Seeing that he rushes ahead, giving so little time to ponder, controls things, making decisions…before you know it, you’ll be a Stepford wife. Forced to keep away from Gunthie, forced to be content to serve Al and Les, and Ann when she moves in to hide. Wake up, Irma, put a stop to the crew starting work. Scream!

No Gunther.

Life as YOU know it has ended as your ‘Creator’ appears to be duty bound and determined to CRAM You into that tiny house with Les Knox.

And be sure to stay tuned when Knox tell Gunther in no uncertain terms, “Who’s in CHARGE around here and to stay the Heck away from Tiffany because she’s MY girl!”

Mr. Gray no doubt is "I’m not one of those ‘good things come for those who wait’ " types.

I can visualize Mr. Gray jogging with the coat & tie on.

So which is it? Gunther can’t be separated from Mom – or he simply doesn’t have the means to do anything else.

Grass doesn’t grow under his feet. I could go for a guy like that. :D

And that ends that sappy moment

My opinion of Mr. Gray has just turned negative. This isn’t self-assurance. This is a total lack of consideration for anyone else. This is someone who cares about nothing but what he wants.

No groundbreaking ceremony?

Move it,Gunthie.

Mr. Gray must’ve ordered a crew, online.

-

And probably chose the “free shipping” program they offer.

“…..And Tune In For “This Old House”!….followed by, “Gone With The Wind”!……"

“The Red Tape Marathon”

“Can You Diiiiihhhgg It? Part III”

“Throw A Couple Of Lincoln Logs In The Fire”

“That Tinker-ly Feeling”

“Starring In An Erector Sketch”

“You’re Pulling My Lego!”

“I’ve Got My Own K’Nex-i’ns!”

“Breakfast At The Waffle Block House”

“The Construction Papers”

“A La Model”

“The World’s Record For The Largest Pool Of Melted Popsicles”

“Welcome Back, Totter”

“Yankee Doodle Is Back In Town…” (♩)

“Putting Your Elbow Into some Kraftwerk” (♩)

“She’s A Model, And She’s Looking Good…” (♪)

or

“The Fast And The Serious”

Gotta admit – the man gets stuff done.

The central question is not being answered so far: Why is Mr. Gray kicking Gunther out of his own house? A few years ago, would he have sent Gunther off to boarding school?

I get it. He’s a man who gets things done. But it seems like a waste of resources to have he cement truck sitting there while they dig and build the forms.

3rd. panel image: “crew’s here” said the spider to the flies, as the curly haired duo look surprised, apprehensive, and caught in an unexpected web.

They brought a cement mixer and haven’t even dug the footings yet!?! Geez, Evans, have you never watched a building go up?!

Mistake 1. There is no foundation and you already have lumber being delivered. You may want to get a level foundation and think about plumbing prior to having lumber delivered. Another thought. You just gonna lay all that lumber on the ground while the foundation is being built?

Irma was all atwitter about sharing that kink sized bed earlier. Apparently so is Al!

Sorry. “King” sized bed. Freudian slip. :o/

Love a guy that can pick up a phone. Irma you got a keeper here, and I think Mr. Gray will make an excellent stepfather.

Some seem to forget that Mr Al Gray is a take-charge man, who gets thing done right away. He has been portrayed this way since his first appearance here to run The Fuse.

Why is Al walking like he’s taking a sobriety test? Is he listening to Johnny Cash?

After today’s scintillating strip, I looked at the news on CBS and saw a clip of Steve Mnuchin talking about the possibility of a trade war with China. It is incredible how much he reminds me of Clutch Cargo. Only the lips move.

I do not like where this is going…..

“No, I mean it’s amazing that you’d actually believe I’d ever spend even one day living with Les. After I leave here I’m going apartment shopping.”

Is anyone else concerned about Irma’s lack ignorance commitment? She only seems excited about sharing a bed. Either say yes and mean it or walk away, woman.

Crew might have arrived – doesn´t mean they actually get any work done, since so much has to be prepared before they do anything.

Slab construction: No basement. A concrete slab is poured, and the house built on that. But, usually, the gas, water, and sewer lines are placed before the slab is poured, so the pipes are under the slab.

OK, this is happening just a tad too fast. Why does Al Gray want that house up so quickly? Does he really think that will push the wedding along sooner than later? Don’t know. My gut tells me that Al is looking after Les, more so than Gunther. I guess if Les has a place to stay where Al can keep an eye on him, he might turn out better. We’ll see.

I just hope Al is on the level about all this and doesn’t have ulterior motives in re: Irma (and, by proxy, Gunther). We’ll have to see.

if you’re gonna build a house don’t you first have to dig a foundation? that means bulldozers and concrete mixers; I think that vehicle on the right may be a concrete mixer…….. I see a June wedding on the way.

Based on the expected quality of the concrete, he probably doesn’t expect them to be there long.

on the other hand, 9.5 cubic yards of concrete and a floor space of let us guess 15 feet squared, 25 square yards is 1.14 feet thick. It shouldn’t crack easily and should be hard to blow over. Give it a little rebar and who knows?

We’ve got the lumber and the concrete-pouring mixer-truck. There must be at least six men on the job (3 fully drawn; 2 silhouette-men on the lumber flatbed, and a presumed driver-operator for the concrete truck, at least; maybe more, too). So, Mr. Al Gray, the man who Gets Things Done, is getting this “guest house” built as quickly as possible. Gunther had better be getting himself prepared for living with Leslie Knox!

One does wonder what has become of Mr. Gray’s shady sister, Ann Eiffel. Will she show up to cause trouble at the wedding or soon after? Fifty shades of sister Ann?

You need to dig into the ground, lay the pipe and pour the slab first and foremost.

No one can ever accuse Mr. Gray of wasting time…

In a day or two, Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition comes over and says, “Bus driver?! MOVE – THAT – BUS!”

All these technical instructions for building a house………..in a cartoon strip. I love it, although I’d rather see Tiffany come back and get the specs from Souffle Lingerie for supporting her new implants.

You’d think it would be better for Gunther & Les (and I assume Quill) to live at the Berger’s old house.

So far, several commenters have praised Al Gray for:

1) “Getting things done”.

2) “Not wasting time.”

3) “Moving fast.”

4) “Fast Mobilizer of construction personnel.”

5) “A take charge-man that gets things done right away.”

There’s another term for that that’s been left out.

6) “Running Roughshod.”

Just wondering if Mr. Gray ever knew Jimmy Hoffa? Hard to believe they never found him, but I think that The White House has more leaks than The Mob. They know how to keep a secret.

Mr. Gray gets things done. I would love to know more about his past. He ran a nightclub in Las Vegas for years, has heavy connections to the trucking and construction industry and always wears a suit. And he is a man accustomed to getting his way without having to raise his voice.

Next week see Mr. Gray’s little project get a red card (stop work order) for building without a permit. ;)