Mystery of the lost remote control…

If I had $1.00 for every time I lost something, I would be at least $500 richer by now. It’s not only frustrating trying to find the missing item, but I also have a really difficult time concentrating on doing other things.

After trying to find the remote control for our camcorder for over three weeks, I finally gave up, I searched the internet and discovered that it was available at eBay. Since my brother, Russ has bid and purchased everything from two vehicles, a snow blower and the saxophone for Abby, I asked him to go ahead and “Buy it now!!!” for me and I would reimburse him later.

I really wanted the remote control again, because it not only makes filming easier since you can zoom in and out with it, but setting up the camcorder with the menu settings is done by using the remote.

We haven’t used the camcorder for at least a year, but I thought the remote was in the house some where. On the other hand, we took it to a family reunion, so it may have been left behind. Then I figured, it was a “lost cause” to try and find it if it may not even be in the house.

Two days after Russ bought the remote control, I was lying in bed doing my morning bed exercises when I thought maybe it was in a box that was in the back utility room. Eureka, I was right! How it got there is a story all in itself.

In August 2008 when I had the first foot surgery, I stayed at the nursing home to have therapy and when I was ready to leave, they gave me some really nice boxes to pack my things in. When I got home, I was non-weight bearing for about five more months so my three wonderful brothers moved my office desk and chair into my bedroom and my bed was moved into my office so I could use my computer, watch TV and look out the window while I continued to recuperate.

I also purchased an over-the-bed hospital table so some of the small items that were originally on my desk, such as note pads, pens, books, mail and yes, remote controls, could set on the table. After I was able to walk again in January 2009 and the room furnishings were switched back, all of the small items that were on the hospital table were packed away in one of the nursing home storage boxes. I’m actually surprised that I even thought about the box, but like I said, when I lose something, I can’t stop thinking about it until I have found it and this time I had to rewind my memory back to a year ago. That’s actually pretty amazing for me to recall something that far back considering most of the time I can’t remember what I had for lunch and dinner the day before!!!

Trying to remember someone’s name is also frustrating, because I’m in the same predicament when I lose something; having a tough time focusing on other things.

For instance, one night several years ago before going to bed, I was trying to remember the names of my cousin, Nancy’s kids.  At the time Nancy and her husband Steve only had five kids, but now they have seven – so it’s surprising that I would even remember the incident, but it’s always stuck out in my mind. I got the first four kids right; Frank, Samantha, Chad, Maria and then I went blank. For about an hour, as I lay in bed, I went through the alphabet at least ten times, trying to remember her son's name by saying each letter. I finally gave up and the next morning I looked up his name in a family history book and believe it not, but his name started with an A. It was Adam.

Does your memory fail you at times and do you use tricks like going through the alphabet to try and remember things? If you do, then welcome to the club!

To be continued… the story of my life!