Ponder this:

Sunday, March 21, 2010

"I'm not confused, I'm just well mixed." ~Robert Frost

I am becoming addled.
I have witnesses.


#1  T, my cleaner person came last Wednesday. The day of her previous visit, two weeks prior, she had phoned to say that the check I had left for her was written for more than I owed her. 
"Reeeeeally?" I asked. "Okay, just keep that and I'll pay you the difference next time." 
Last Tuesday evening and I wrote the check for the difference, put the check in an envelope marked "T," sealed the envelope, and threaded the sealed envelope containing the check through the loop of the paper towel holder that sits on the counter.  (...that lay in the house that Jack built.)
When I got home Wednesday afternoon, T's envelope, with the check atop it, lay on the clean kitchen counter. I  immediately thought, "She must have left it because she forgot that I overpaid her. She must have thought I was shorting her!" I imagined T in high dudgeon, offended that I would pay her less than I owed her with no explanation. With all that circling in my mind, I worked up my courage and phoned her. 
"Hi T, it's June. You left your check. Did I misunderstand?"
"Yesss, June. Remember you overpaid me? So you didn't owe me anything this time."
"But don't I normally pay you $1xx.00? ...and I wrote that check two weeks ago for $2xx.00?"
"Noooo, June. You pay me  $xx.00, and last time your check was for $1xx.00, so you owed me nothing this time, and next time you'll only owe me $xx.00. And then we'll be straightened out."
"Ohhhh...." I said.


#2  Relieved to know that all was in order with T, I hung up and opened the refrigerator to see that Husband, who would be away overnight, had used the last of the milk. I phoned him to ask if he'd arrived at his destination yet. He hadn't, he told me; he was still fifty miles from the end of his trip. 
"And oh, by the way," I said, "I can't believe you used the last of the milk and didn't tell me so I could buy some on the way home."
"I did?" he asked, shocked. "I don't remember doing that."
"Well, there's an empty jug in the trash and there's no milk on the shelf in the refrigerator."  
It suddenly occurred to me that sometimes Husband, operating in Husband Manner, puts the jug of milk in the shelf on the inside of the fridge door, where the jug of water lives, instead of on the shelf where the jug of milk habitually resides.  Phone carrying Husband's voice still to my head, I opened the refrigerator again. There was the milk jug in the shelf on the door.
"Ohhhh," I sighed to him in relief, "There it is!"


#3  As I've mentioned here before, both dogs get daily medication. Thyroid med for Angus, heart med for Max. I seem to run out of Max's pills far more often than I do Angus' pills, so I wasn't surprised that I had come to the bottom of Max's pill bottle in what seemed like a very short time. On Thursday I went to work and when the vet's office opened, I called to tell S, the receptionist, that I needed more Max Pills.
"June, I know. They're right here. You already called."
"I did?"
"Yes," said S, chuckling. "You called on the . . . (checking her records) . . . fourth of the month."
"I did?"  I was nearly speechless. "Did I pick them up?"
"No, they're still right here."
We were both giggling by this time, she in amusement, I in near-hysteria, thinking, "What is happening to my mind?!?!"


I remembered, then, having gone to the office to pick up the phoned-for Max Pills, and having to wait a few minutes for them to be prepared, which I thought very unusual. Normally, the meds are waiting right at the receptionist's counter and it's an in-and-out stop. After my first call, I must have arrived in the window of time between the request being sent to the back and the prescription having made its way to the front counter.  And now the originally-requested prescription was waiting for me. 


On that last one, that #3 there, that's my story. 
And I'm sticking to it.

16 comments:

Once in a while said...

Hi - No you're not becoming addled just succumbing to growing a little older gracefully. It starts I don't know when! But I have a friend who always assures me it starts very early in your life, but I shouldn't worry, just be content I haven't stopped growing older and live life to the full. Keep blogging - Regards Patrick

rachel said...

Oh, so you've got it too. Don't worry; roll with it, because it doesn't go away.

In my working life, when I was renowned for needing additional prompts to remember things, I once said, in a hoity-toity manner "Why wasn't I asked to that meeting?". There was a small pause, and then the response came gently "Er, you chaired it...."

Jinksy said...

Did you know, stress addles the mind just as much as approaching senility? How about a bit of time out to relax?! LOL

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

It happens to us all!! It's just a little disconcerting ... a sense of humor, like yours, helps.

Wanda..... said...

My husband has just started asking me...to remember to remind him to remember something! We're both in trouble!

June said...

Once in a while, thank you for coming by with your reassurance! I've been to you and find your posts hugely entertaining and interesting.

Rachel, what a funny (if very discomfiting, since I can see myself there) story! :-P

Jinksy, yes! I did know that. With that in mind I have schedule some vacation time as soon as possible...in May.

Bonnie, because of your profession, I am comforted by your words. I had been telling myself, "It's okay that you wrote the check for too much; at least you knew what a check was!"

Wanda. Oh boy. I send myself emails in cases like that. (A word to the wise.)

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Ha Ha June----glad it's not just me who does crazy things like this... I always say that it's just a Senior Moment.... Guess as we all get older, we can say that we are "well mixed".... ha

Have a great Sunday.
Hugs,
Betsy

Linda Myers said...

I laughed out loud at your post and the comments. It's SO good to know I'm not alone!

One summer, while traveling in Vermont, we bought a lovely Christmas ornament - a wooden replica of the B&B we'd stayed in. The fellow said he'd need to make another, and he'd send it to me when it was complete.

Two months later, I commented to my husband one day that we hadn't received the ornament in the mail yet. He said, "Don't you remember? It arrived last week and you commented on how much you liked it." I was horrified that I had no recollection, and a little scared that IT was finally happening to me.

The next week - the ornament arrived in the mail. I was relieved to have not forgotten - but concerned that I lived with such a forgetful man!

Barb said...

Dear June, I'd like to respond to this, but I'll have to reread first. I forget what you wrote...

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

I tend to put things down and have to hunt high and low for them seconds later . I'll be glad when I retire and can devote more time to keeping track of gloves , train tickets , keys , glasses , the kettle .....

#1Nana said...

...and that is exactly why I took hormones when menopause hit. My brain just refused to work.

Susan said...

Welcome to our world. Combine this with being messy AND wearing tri-focals and not only will you not remember anything, you will never find anything. My dressing table is like the black hole, my art table is worse and chances are there are frozen foods sadly thawing out in the refrigerator side right now. That's what we get for multi tasking!
Great post. I am somewhat comforted by the knowledge that everyone in my family has always been like this. My hubbs and I work as a team, what he can't remember, for some reason I can. So it seems to balance out. Take care, Susan.

Friko said...

Oops, you mean to say that this is unusual for you?

Joe Todd said...

I'm still waiting for the check. I don't know what it's for but if you want to send it ok by me LOL

kanishk said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Peace Thyme said...

Hey, honey. Chalk it up to Spring Fever and forgetaboudit!!!

Works for me!!