Day 308
There are days when I worry that Alzheimer’s is creeping up on me. It started when Tim died. Stress, grief, hormones, lack of sleep, poor diet … all combined to totally erase and eradicate any short-term memory cells and storage.
Seriously. It’s gone. And since I wasn’t sleeping (and am still not, either) I didn’t get any of the short-term memories filed away in the long-term memory storage – so, everything was basically going in one ear and out the other.
And for six years it (pretty much) has continued to do so.
Because of that I have a paper brain. If I need something or need to do something I write it down and then I can function … I get/do whatever is on my list. If something isn’t written down … it is out of my head. Gone. Lost. Like it never existed as a thought, idea, need, whatever.
And lately, I haven’t been very good at writing things down. Or I write them down – and then leave my list at home. Which is JUST GREAT!
Today I was at three stores … my list was at home. At each store I stood like a codfish, mouth agape, in the middle of some aisle looking around to see if anything popped out at me that said, “THIS IS WHAT YOU CAME IN HERE FOR.”
Merchandise spoke but not the stuff I went to get!
I got home without wrapping paper (why I went out in the first place). I forgot my receipt for the thing I was returning at store #2. And I got home without the twine I specifically went out to get from the third store. Good grief! I did happen to come home with other things however, just not what I wanted/needed in the first place!
I am a good multi-tasker … and sometimes I wonder if that is my problem. I am doing two or three things at one time and not fully in tune with any of the things I am doing. Maybe if I slowed down I’d be more efficient. Maybe I am just short-circuiting myself out!
Today I was drying my hair after my morning shower. I don’t have much hair – so it really doesn’t take too long for it to dry. So, one would think that I could just concentrate all of the 3-5 minutes it takes to fully dry my wisps without doing anything else. But oh no …. not me! I have to be busy all the time.
So, today while drying my hair – hair dryer on in one hand … I decided I’d refill the dog water with my free hand.
Um … yes … you see where this is going.
My idiocy with water and electricity stems from my ancestry … Ben Franklin is a Great-Something uncle. I will blame the lack of brain cells in that area on his lack of judgement and from being zapped while out in that electrical storm flying that kite! I’m sure this lack of sense is hereditary.
Anyway … I’m lucky I’m not toast as it wasn’t until after I poured most of the old water down the sink (still with the functioning dryer in the other hand) and was almost putting my free hand INTO THE BOWL to swish whatever water was left to clean it out did I come to my senses! NOT A GOOD IDEA to stick one’s hand in a bowl of water while operating a hair dryer!
I could have been like Mel Gibson in the movie … What Women Want. Egad!
So, with all that in mind, I have one request …
Remember me fondly when I’m in the loony bin.
I think they’re getting my room ready right now!