KennyG
Elite Member
It's so comforting to know I'm not the only one.
How fast can you lose something??
- Thread starter jymbee
- Start date
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TomSeller
Super Member
My wife is half my problem. When she sees something I left somewhere she puts it in a drawer or on a shelf. No rhyme or reason as to where. Her mother was like that. She'd just fill up the drawers, shelves and closets randomly, then when she couldn't find something, she just bought another. When she died I took 92 full size pick up truck loads out of that house. The basement was up to the ceiling with a narrow walkway through it.
s219
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2011
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- 8,548
- Location
- Virginia USA
- Tractor
- Kubota L3200, Deere X380, Kubota RTV-X
What pisses me off about tape measures is when doing a project, I normally keep one on me and have one next to the saw. Well somehow they both end up at the saw, and I normally don't find out until I am up on a roof or something. Coming off a roof, down a ladder, and then having to head back to the saw (which could be a couple hundred feet away) to find a tape measure gets to be a pain. I can only blame myself for being absentminded.
Utility knives are the worst -- they seem to blend in to anything. I saw one in the store already painted bright green and bought it even though it cost more. I started using it right away and that helped my sanity. That green one doesn't hide on me all the time like the others do.
Utility knives are the worst -- they seem to blend in to anything. I saw one in the store already painted bright green and bought it even though it cost more. I started using it right away and that helped my sanity. That green one doesn't hide on me all the time like the others do.
Trails End
Gold Member
I have found that the quickest way to find something that I have 'misplaced' is
to go out and buy a replacement. The misplaced item is sure to reveal itself
as soon as I return home with the replacement. :duh:
to go out and buy a replacement. The misplaced item is sure to reveal itself
as soon as I return home with the replacement. :duh:
RedNeckGeek
Super Member
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
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- 8,753
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- Butte County & Orcutt, California
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- Kubota M62, Kubota L3240D HST (SOLD!), Kubota RTV900
How fast can I lose something?
How long does it take to leave my hand?
I've never had good short term memory, even when young. So I've had to develop habits that make it easier for me to remember where I put stuff.
My number one rule is to always put things back where they belong instead of just dropping them where they are when I stop using them. This especially applies to tools, so I set up my work bench opposite my roll away tool chest so that it's easy and quick to put a wrench or socket back in the drawer rather than leave it on the bench or lift. If I'm working on the house or some other project away from the bench, I pick one place to put tools and don't put them down anywhere else.
It's more difficult when it's not a tool. But the same idea applies: spices and herbs go in the spices and herb cabinet, silverware goes in the silverware drawer, pots in pot drawers or cabinets, keys on key hooks, etc. I have a lot of books, and they are organized on the shelves by subject matter. I have several file cabinets, again organized by subject, filled with clearly labeled folders in alphabetical order.
One of my biggest problems is remembering to take something into town with me, so I'll either put it in the truck while I'm thinking about it or put it on the counter under the key hook. That way there's a pretty good chance I'll see it when I grab my keys. I still regularly forget my billfold as I'm not comfortable leaving it out on the counter under the keys, but after having to return from the hour round trip to town empty handed a couple of times, I've developed a habit of checking my back pocket as I head out the door. And sometimes I'll put my keys on top of what ever I'm supposed to remember taking, even going so far as to put them in the 'frig or freezer if it's a food item. This is a bit risky, though, since I don't do that often and I tend to panic if the keys aren't on the hook, thus forgetting to look in the 'frig.:ashamed:
I wear glasses all the time, so there's only one place I put them when I take them off before I go to bed. I'm getting to the point that I don't see well enough to find them by sight, so this is kind of important. I do have older pairs of glasses I keep as emergency backups, and you guessed it, they go in the glasses drawer. A good friend of mine doesn't like progressive bifocals, and has several pairs of glasses he uses in any given day. He was forever walking out of the house with his reading glasses on, only to find he couldn't see where he was driving to. So he got a black magic marker and drew an 18" wide picture of a pair of glasses on the window in the door leading to his garage, which worked for a while. Now he reports he's so used to seeing past the picture he's back to forgetting to change glasses.:laughing:
I also have a program on the computer that makes it easy to keep notes on things, and it synchronizes to the iPhone so I can take the notes with me. Like the book shelves, the notes are organized into folders, and both they and the folders have meaningful and clear names. I'm also careful to keep each note focused on only one subject. Even so, I'm amazed I haven't worn out the search tool on the computer!:laughing:
Even after all this, I still regularly lose things. First thing I'll do is circle back to the places I've been in the last few minutes, then in the last hour. If that doesn't work, I'll write the name of the item on a list I keep on the refrigerator door. Chances are excellent I'll find what ever it was when I'm looking for the next thing I lose. So far the record is held by the handles from my drill press. They disappeared when I moved up here and I didn't find them for THREE YEARS!!!:shocked: And yes, I was looking for something else at the time:laughing:
How long does it take to leave my hand?
I've never had good short term memory, even when young. So I've had to develop habits that make it easier for me to remember where I put stuff.
My number one rule is to always put things back where they belong instead of just dropping them where they are when I stop using them. This especially applies to tools, so I set up my work bench opposite my roll away tool chest so that it's easy and quick to put a wrench or socket back in the drawer rather than leave it on the bench or lift. If I'm working on the house or some other project away from the bench, I pick one place to put tools and don't put them down anywhere else.
It's more difficult when it's not a tool. But the same idea applies: spices and herbs go in the spices and herb cabinet, silverware goes in the silverware drawer, pots in pot drawers or cabinets, keys on key hooks, etc. I have a lot of books, and they are organized on the shelves by subject matter. I have several file cabinets, again organized by subject, filled with clearly labeled folders in alphabetical order.
One of my biggest problems is remembering to take something into town with me, so I'll either put it in the truck while I'm thinking about it or put it on the counter under the key hook. That way there's a pretty good chance I'll see it when I grab my keys. I still regularly forget my billfold as I'm not comfortable leaving it out on the counter under the keys, but after having to return from the hour round trip to town empty handed a couple of times, I've developed a habit of checking my back pocket as I head out the door. And sometimes I'll put my keys on top of what ever I'm supposed to remember taking, even going so far as to put them in the 'frig or freezer if it's a food item. This is a bit risky, though, since I don't do that often and I tend to panic if the keys aren't on the hook, thus forgetting to look in the 'frig.:ashamed:
I wear glasses all the time, so there's only one place I put them when I take them off before I go to bed. I'm getting to the point that I don't see well enough to find them by sight, so this is kind of important. I do have older pairs of glasses I keep as emergency backups, and you guessed it, they go in the glasses drawer. A good friend of mine doesn't like progressive bifocals, and has several pairs of glasses he uses in any given day. He was forever walking out of the house with his reading glasses on, only to find he couldn't see where he was driving to. So he got a black magic marker and drew an 18" wide picture of a pair of glasses on the window in the door leading to his garage, which worked for a while. Now he reports he's so used to seeing past the picture he's back to forgetting to change glasses.:laughing:
I also have a program on the computer that makes it easy to keep notes on things, and it synchronizes to the iPhone so I can take the notes with me. Like the book shelves, the notes are organized into folders, and both they and the folders have meaningful and clear names. I'm also careful to keep each note focused on only one subject. Even so, I'm amazed I haven't worn out the search tool on the computer!:laughing:
Even after all this, I still regularly lose things. First thing I'll do is circle back to the places I've been in the last few minutes, then in the last hour. If that doesn't work, I'll write the name of the item on a list I keep on the refrigerator door. Chances are excellent I'll find what ever it was when I'm looking for the next thing I lose. So far the record is held by the handles from my drill press. They disappeared when I moved up here and I didn't find them for THREE YEARS!!!:shocked: And yes, I was looking for something else at the time:laughing:
Ken
Veteran Member
About 5 years ago with the G-kids coming and didn't want them to play with a pistol .
Normally on desk but also computer they would want to look at. So placed in area that they would by unlikely to get to.
In the garage on top of metal shelf . where when out side would place the pistol.
Lost it and have looked several years and nothing . Cleaning up the shop to get rid of old magazines lifted a book on bottom of the stack and saw box of shells so dug deeper and found the long lost pistol.
Still cannot remember placing it there and know it was locked while the kids were here because of several tools saws plainer drills all electrical.
So when old age gets me things will reappear as if never gone.
ken
Normally on desk but also computer they would want to look at. So placed in area that they would by unlikely to get to.
In the garage on top of metal shelf . where when out side would place the pistol.
Lost it and have looked several years and nothing . Cleaning up the shop to get rid of old magazines lifted a book on bottom of the stack and saw box of shells so dug deeper and found the long lost pistol.
Still cannot remember placing it there and know it was locked while the kids were here because of several tools saws plainer drills all electrical.
So when old age gets me things will reappear as if never gone.
ken
The other side of the problem is finding things that you didn't know you had.
Every time I clean up the garage, etc, I find a part or bagged bolts, screws, etc. that I have no idea what they are for or from.
Bruce
Every time I clean up the garage, etc, I find a part or bagged bolts, screws, etc. that I have no idea what they are for or from.
Bruce
/pine
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2009
- Messages
- 12,450
A lot faster than it usually takes me to find it...!