Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for July 31, 2009

Dad, you should have never handed a 6 yr. old that bag in the first place…

Oops! More relaxing and less activity for Dad. After all it’s dangerous to walk around in the wildernes when everything is just a blur.

The week could improve, or not.

Murphy’s vacation week

I often think that Calvin’s parents (especially his dad) get what they deserve.

Yes he did. That way he can’t see what other trouble Calvin gets up to.

Hey Dad,

One day as I sat sad and weary feeling lonesome and forlorn a little bird came along and said, “Cheer up, things could be worse.” So I cheered up, and sure enough, things got worse.

Yes, things could be worse - Roslyn could have joined them to babysit with Calvin - and Hobbes!

the folks should have taken calvin to the sitter for the week and had a great vacation and calvin could explore a whole new world from her house

True, bald, but then that would make sense, wouldn’t it? :)

What’s Hobbes’ take on all this.? Just pleased he did not get dropped in the drink with the perishables.

cleokaya said, about 4 hours ago

The week could improve, or not.

I think: or not…

Murphy may have been an optimist, but the results are always funny–especially when they happen to someone else!

Are these the brand-new binoculars in the first panel ? Good grief, Calvin, what did you do again with them ?

Going down hill from here.

me thinks that Murphy did come for a visit. and his name is Calvin.

I can understand Daddies sadness!

I think Dad will change his tune now. My idea of roughing it is staying in a hotel that doesn’t have a restaurant.

I will understand daddies rancor.

For pouncingtiger, only in North America; in Britain, SOD’s vacation week!

For thogorman, that would only be worse for Calvin and his pet tiger–but for his parents, ideal.

Am I the only parent here who would have made my son retrieve it?

As mom hands dad some canned slop (3rd panel)… oh yeah - things are getting better already.

Cheer up Dad, Calvin could have been twins

Good grief now his glasses are broken. You better turn around and go home right now unless Dad needs the glasses for driving in which case Mom will drive home.

Wow, look at that pile of stuff Calvin supposedly dropped—would’ve weighed a ton to a 6 year old.

Betcha dad actually dropped it (yesterday’s panel 3) and is now getting what he deserves….including broken glasses on a very scenic vacation.

Cheer up folks—it’s gonna get worse. :D

It took a long time for someone to say what I was thinking but you finally said it, Macushlalondra

pouncingtiger, I believe there’s a guy in Scotland named McGillicutty who thinks Murphy was an optimist!

Has anyone actually had a vacation where all went well, I thought I did last year …… then I woke up.

You’re right grazer, it was dad who busted his own glasses (we don’t even need to look at yesterday’s strip, today’s panel 1 works just fine).

Isn’t camping fun… Calvin just may start enjoying this.

Dad is off the clock with his hot wife (Mom’s got the sexy librarian thing down), he got to take a nice canoe paddle, take a refreshing swim and now he no longer needs to worry about breaking his glasses.

Geez. Sound like paradise. What’s the guy got to complain about?

Dad definitely doesn’t look happy in that one panel. It is this and other kinds of events that reinforces my belief that sometimes parents really do need a vacation from their children. Get the grandparents to babysit … or better yet, Rosalyn. hehehehe.

They couldn’t afford Rosalyn’s rates for babysitting Calvin for a whole week.

I’d get a babysitter if I had a kid like that. :P I don’t think I ever had a vacation that went smoothly. SOMETHING has to go wrong!

I think we all know now where Calvin gets his “oops factor” from - his dad.

This one is mom’s fault. In panle 3 she cursed the whole thing.

I hope Daddy will become more grumpy at camping for a month! And Mommy and Calvin might become happy, too!

Yes I would have made Calvin retrieve it But first I would have tied a rope to him no more oops

Can Calvin really take all the blame for this series of unfortunate events? :-D

The one bag with all the fragile and perishable items in it is the one bag that any rational adult makes sure to schlep ashore himself.

And you don’t pack all your fragiles and perishables in one bag, in the first place.

And you pack ‘em so the fragiles don’t break and the perishables don’t get exposed.

do those of you who advocate for Calvin doing the retrieval really expect that a 6 year old can dive down 10 feet to do said retrieval? it would take a very athletically gifted 6 year old to even possibly have that ability - and Calvin is not such a child. (remember the baseball play earlier?)

if i were calvins dad i would pack up go home relax and be lazy the whole week rather than have more bad things happen

I love these camping trips! Reminds me of the time we went on a hunting trip, drove miles out into the middle of nowhere. The ground was covered with ice crystals and my dad began to set up the tent. He was a mild man but this time he swore. Had forgotten the tent poles. We slept in a lean-to on the tent with the tarp over us. LOL!

Dad’s poll numbers ought to shoot way up after this adventure.

why u do not give stuff to him?? I have pushed my bro off the boat once srry