Forgetfulness

I had a great plan for completing this flash fiction assignment. I came across the beginning of a story written some time ago on lined pages of mini-pads. I would take that germ of an idea and dictate it onto my laptop.

Like a lot of things lately, I don’t know where that pad is. I thought I’d put it under my laptop. No such luck. Funny: St. Patrick’s Day is Monday. Might I have the luck of the Irish? I do have an Irish last name (my ex-husband’s).

How far should I go in retracing my steps to find it? This exercise runs almost like clockwork because I’m always misplacing things. I can’t even remember what the story was about. I can swear I had it in my hot little hands yesterday.

So…guess I’ll have to come up with another idea.

Perhaps - each time I perform one of my frantic searches - I should keep a log. Mark down the missing item, how long I searched and, if I located the item, where the hell it was.

Things I’ve lost lately: 

• My faux leopard winter coat. It could be at Wake Med in Raleigh, UNC Johnston (Smithfield) or one of the three ambulances I rode in after my car accident in Nov 2023. Gone for good ☹️.

• A pair of prescription glasses lost later that same month. Never found; they had to be reordered. ☹️

• Dropped my phone stylus down the side of my recliner. It’s a hungry piece of furniture.

• No matter what it is I look for, it “disappears.” ☹️

• That first pair of glasses went the way of my stylus. ☹️

• Dust bunnies were all I could find.🫣

• A check I needed to mail to the treasurer: search time was 1-½ hours. Finally found it in my purse (halleluja). 😁

• The last time my son visited, I lost my latest pair of Rx glasses. We both searched the house to no avail. When I rechecked my bedside table that evening, I spotted the blue wired frames had fallen to one side, caught in a maze of electric cords.😄

• My large tube of sensitive toothpaste seemed to vanish. This was a real head-scratcher. Turns out, the tube had somehow found its way into a plastic tub with other, smaller tubes of creams and ointments. That mystery wasn’t solved until Day 2.😁

Is losing things (my mind being one of them) my Special Power? It sure isn’t Finding Lost Things. At my age, I worry that 

I. Am. Losing. It.

But then, surely I have lots of company (or at least I hope I do). My shrink did an impromptu cognition test (elephant, camera, TV; draw an analog clock). This exercise was in answer to a conversation we had about… you know…

I often blame the cat for rearranging items around the house. This time I can’t do that. Sure; everyone misplaces stuff. It’s just happens so often, to what can I attribute this frequent inconvenience? There’s just Tulip and me. I can blame bad odors on to her litter box. (Okay; sometimes I am the stinker). Who can tell? The litter box is outside the main bathroom, which increases the chances that I shall remain blameless.

Yeah. Old age stinks.

#forgetfulness

#old_age

#cats

Mostly Reclaimed Kitchen

 

Tulip won! 

I'd largely given up cordoning off most of the kitchen countertop. Of course, half my magnets were moved onto a cookie sheet, now hanging in my bedroom. Although I TRY to keep Tulip out of trouble, she continues to:

• Walk on any clean or dirty dishes.
• Nibble on the paper towels.
• Jiggle the toaster's lever. 
• Disturb the "coffee bar" atop the microwave.
• Mess with items on the stovetop shelf. 
• Those things now sit inside the blue cabinet (one of her favorite perches).
• Now she walks on the shelf, unimpeded.
• Just like she planned all along.

Tulip is the living dictionary definition of a curious cat.

Telling Our Stories 2/27/25

The prompt our little writers' group received is: "I'm Looking At."

I'm looking at my friends gathered at the Telling Our Stories table. I did not know any of these people when I joined the JoCo Writers Group. I mean, maybe they're just acquaintances. But it seems to me that we've each shared so much of ourselves. That makes them friends to me.

I count myself lucky for having known you for the past five-ish years. How you-all feel about me matters, too. Not how you feel about my writing, but how you feel about me as a person.

I'm looking outward as well as inward.

I can hear Dr. Wanda's pen scratching as she writes the assignment. Sherwood is clearing his throat as he considers what thoughts he can't write down due to his broken arm. The rest of our group is diligently scribbling down what they are looking at.

I wonder if our stories will be alike, or the usual mix of unique perspectives. "It's all good."

#writingprompt 

#friends

Fugged-about-it!

There are two well-known phrases attributable to New Jersey (my former stomping grounds). 

"Crazy Eddie's prices are In-Sane!" and "Fugged-about-it!" They were often used together in the same television commercial.

What I have forgotten is: 

• Where in the heck did I put my composition book? I remembered our homework assignment (whatever it was) is due today. 

• Where is that medical bill I need to address? This will be the third month I need to call.

• Which writing conferences have I registered for? I know that for one, I need to make hotel reservations. Both are happening in May.

#memory 

#writingconferences 

#debts

#gettingold

Friday

After a few days of sub-zero weather, I ventured outside for a walk. I needed to put my Senior Games application in the nearest mailbox. Hopefully, it will arrive on time.

Can't remember when I last took a walk. My body told me it's been too long. Man, my legs felt so tired when I was halfway to my destination!

I'm still wearing PJs for much of the day (underneath my jeans). 

So...what am I going to do at the Johnston County Senior Games? I'll submit a poem and sing a Linda Ronstadt song.

#coldweather #pajamas #seniorgames

Catch up with Tulip

Cat-proofing efforts have stopped over the last few days. I picked up more metal racks that I'll put behind the TV when I have a chance. Lately, I've ignored her obnoxious attempts to feed her NOW. I just worry that the whole television set will end up needing replacing. If I ignore her antics long enough, maybe she will give up.

Patience is a virtue I rarely have an abundance of.

It's been peaceful while Tulip is napping on the back of my recliner. Since I started typing this sentence, she woke up. 

I tried to video Tulip, but the file was too big to attach. That is something I need to learn how to do. Some other day.

Interesting News

Tuesday, February 11, 2025 www.mydailyrecord.com

It’s not every day that I pick up a local newspaper. 

• In The Week in Review, for example, you’d get four pages of old news (history), local sports, religious dinners, and slews of public notices for the Benson-Four Oaks area. In other words, there’s seldom anything in the rag that I would spend (waste) fifty-three cents on. 

• The Daily Record at least reports salacious happenings in and around Harnett County. These public records made for fascinating reading this week.

The Record lists restaurant health inspections, DWI arrests, real estate transactions, marriages and divorces, among other categories. While perusing the public records for Child Support, two individuals stood out to me as the worst offenders. It left me scratching my head, wondering what was so appealing to multiple women about these men. (Low standards?)

Reginald M’s name showed up four times. He obviously likes to get around.

• Betty was owed $11,777.66

• Monica was owed $1,171.18

• Trynika’s past due amount was $6,363.22

• Lastly, Rhonda was owed $2,287.76

Grand Total of $21,599.82

↓

Next is Joey P. He only had two women trying to get child support.

• Kimberly had $9,064.39 in past due payments

• Linda was due $4,046.32.

Grand Total of $13,110.71

↓

Weren’t any of these women aware of each other? 

Of course, there were plenty of other individuals named. One Baby Daddy to one Baby Mama; you can bet each man shirked his fatherly duties. Apparently, publishing these records holds no shame for them. If they get sent to jail, the kids would still suffer. Can someone please find a workable solution to this commonplace dilemma? (We know birth control and abortions are out).

↓

Where is Jerry Springer when you need him?