This is beginning to be a real issue with me - I have a bad habit of leaving burners and ovens on and then leaving the room. In the past, I'd done it a few times and ruined one or two good Farberware stainless steel pots by leaving them on the burner only to eventually start melting the bottom off. I got better about it for a long time but lately that's all gone to "pot". I did go out and buy a kitchen timer to carry with me and that method had been working but the other day I was making a quesadilla and forgot to turn the burner off after I put it on my plate. I went upstairs with it to eat and do stuff on the computer and about ten or so minutes later I started smelling something a little weird and went back downstairs only discover the burner still on with a Teflon pan on top. Yikes...
Just tonight I was broiling a piece of chicken breast and forgot to turn the broiler off.
I am scared that I'll end up starting a fire! Why am I not paying attention to these things?