It's both more and less awful than what we've been seeing; it's more awful because the reprint we're in for is from 26 April 1981 which means that Early Spring could end up being May. It's less awful because, hey, it's a reprint!
Panel 1: We start off with John removing a piece of paper from his coat pocket.
Panel 2: He CRINKLE-CRUMPLE-CRUNCHes into a ball.
Panel 3: As Elly makes the bed, he tosses the wadded-up ball of paper into a full waste-basket.
Panel 4: As anyone with a brain could expect, the thing ROLLS towards the floor; John proves he isn't burdened with a brain by looking confused.
Panel 5: Having picked the ball up, he puts it back on the pile.
Panel 6: He smiles because it's staying in place.
Panel 7: He reverts to standing around looking as if he'd been smacked on the back of the head with a two-by-four when Elly asks him why he simply didn't empty the wastebasket.
Panel 8: His response of "You can still get something into it" leaves her sitting on the bed looking at the over-full waste bin as if having a slobby husband who doesn't tidy up unless he has to is some sort of hellish existential terror.
Summary: I can see both sides of this argument; I don't want to waste my time on busywork like John but I also want to live in a tidy living space. If only the two of them had met halfway instead of insisting on being extremes.
