For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for August 06, 2022

how long until Michael does move out? two, four years?

They leave in the blink of an eye and when they’re gone you wonder how it happened so quickly

I turned it off I TURNED IT OFF

no!

Dad has incredible restraint.

Everyone says “oh, I want a baby. Babies are so cute!”

I have never heard anyone say “Oh, I want a zitty, hormonal, teenager who doesn’t listen and ruins everything I spend my hard earned money on”

No one.

Why would he turn off the engine? I leave the engine running with it in neutral.

grow up and move out and have kids just like them

In comics, dads always seem to be fixated on the kids moving out “some day” – in my own experience, it was mom who wanted to get rid of us ASAP, not dad.

I will never, ever understand the trope of the parents being so looking forward to their kids moving out. While my husband & I are constantly readying our girls for the day when they do move out – and I mean REALLY move out, not just college – I feel like I’m working against myself. We’re bringing our oldest back to college at the end of the month & I’m not looking forward to it…and NEXT year we’ll be doing it to our younger one…and I’m REALLY dreading that. I know I’ll be worse when they permanently move out.

The American Dream.

One day they’ll look back on this and just laugh.

Mistakes were made. Lessons were learned. Mike needs a car of his own. ..or a scooter.

Yes, thankfully . They do all move out. Eventually. A friend who had 5 adult kids discovered the only way to get his kids out of his lake shore house was to sell the house and build a new, much smaller house with only 2 bedrooms in it.

I guess one advantage to my Nissan Leaf is that just after turning it off, I can still close the windows.

Speaking from personal experience, they may move out, but several years later when they move back in they will have a wife and a couple of kid in tow.

Who the heck turns off their engine in a car wash? That’s just plain stupid.

Can we find the engineer who decided that the car windows can’t be closed unless the engine is running and lock him in the back seat with a swarm of bees? I am amazed that the automotive safety people haven’t had a conniption about this.

Shouldn’t the car wash operators have noticed they were open and suggested he close them?

The good thing here is that Michael will be grounded for a month!!

Some day…some where over the rainbow……….

Leave her in the sun, doors open, she’ll be fine.

Okay, I can see putting the car in neutral….but turning the engine off? Why? No wonder they couldn’t close the windows!

I’m guessing ‘the face’ is because he realizes it could just as easily happened to HIM instead of Michael, so he can’t yell.

And have kids of their own…

Dad sure is taking it well. But he hasn’t checked out all the electronics / controls yet. They did get wet, you know. Rule of thumb for wet electronics…let them sit a day or two and not use them.

Don’t bet on it!

A father and son learning moment for the both of them. The father learns that son is a total air head when he is in love, and son leans the fine art of bull $hit. Such a touching moment.

Do not depend on that.

If this arc had been a road trip, I would be asking, “Are we there yet?”

don’t bet on it they’re called boomerangs

Never had to borrow my parents car. Bought one for $100 as soon as I could drive. Cost me an additional $1000 in tickets and insurance

and have children of their own.

Congratulations, John. You are now as materialistic and shallow as your idiot wife! Michael and Rhetta could have drowned for all you know, but all you care about is that STUPID car!

But at this point John’s wondering if Michael will ever wise up.

Like, when did Michael start talking like a “Valley Girl”?

Yeah… they will grow up and move out… And then ten years later, they will show up back on your doorstep, divorced with two kids…

Ahhhh! The advantage of he manual roll up windows!

This must be an old strip… kids just move back in with their parents after college… some with new rules, and others are still treated like kids!

Don’t sweat it, dad… it will all come out in the wash.

Wait, he turned the engine off? Well there’s the problem! Why would he do such a thing?

Also, unless there’s something SERIOUSLY wrong with it, the engine won’t turn off unless the car’s in park. And if the car’s in park, the conveyor won’t move it forward.

I wouldn’t let him drive my vehicle anymore.

Considering how the strip ended,looking forward to Mike moving out is a waste of time and effort