Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for August 09, 2015

The third time is a charm.

Today’s lesson: Never iron anything.

Must have forgotten to check the campfire in the basement.

The furnace blew up. In the summer.

Sounds like me whenever I go away for a few days. I tend to obsess over whether I locked my front door.

today’s theme song: Burning Down the House by Talking Heads

Next time you think you’re obsessing, remember the poor guy from “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.” Every time he sealed an envelope, he would become fixated on the notion that he had sealed his daughter inside it. He’d tear it open to check, then prepare and seal another envelope, then become fixated on the same idea again, and… well, you can imagine. Probably could have solved it all with a quick phone call. “What’s up, Dad?” “Sweetie, where are you right now? You’re not trapped in an envelope or anything, are you?”

Yep, I’d get out of there too if I were indirectly the cause of the house burning down. Guess the iron was on after all.

somehow it think the “doors” are involved….

Yeah… he left the iron on… you know, to iron all those CLOTHES he DOESN’T wear. Oh, the irony!

With my luck my house wouldn’t have burnt down because I left the water running.

Some things only work if you do them every time.

“Our house burned down.” Does Pig live with Rat?Candles! What about candles? Did they leave a candle lit?

Did I close the garage door, make a pass to see. Did I really check it the 2nd time, better check again. Don’t do that often but you feel weird doing it.

It was that cigarette that Rat was smoking the last time he went to “check”!!! A cinder must have been still smoldering, so now you can see what happens from your compulsive “checking”…..

I actually did find that I’d left a propane oven on all day once. Didn’t burn down the house, but the kitchen was pretty hot when I got back. I worry more about whether I left one of the top burners on.

best solution-cartoon showed family setting out for vacation & dad becomes paranoid about…-mom shows polaroid pix taken as they were leaving showing everything turned off & the door locked. now you’d use your time stamped camera

I hate that feeling like I forgot something. Did I turn off the lights? Did I lock the door? Is the stove on? Did I leave my keys in the door?

It might be already too late, Goat…

xxx

Strictly speaking, he’s not checking everything a million times (OCD). He’s checking everything one at a time. His error is not checking it all at one time and being done.

A LITTLE OCD never hurt anyone.

Looks like Goat has converted (last panel). Rat’s Church of OCD gains a member even as he and Pig lose a house….

I have a habit of checking all the vents and cords in the house for no reason. Usually right before going to sleep.