An incomplete list of things I've forgotten

6 Sept 2011

An incomplete list of items I’ve forgotten at various times in life:

A 9 pin to 9 pin firewire cable that connects my hard drive to my computer, while stuck at an airport in Minneapolis and now unable do the work I’d planned. Instead, I’m starting this list.

My black windbreaker jacket with white stripes down the length of each arm. In an overhead train rack somewhere between Manchester & London.

The office mobile phone. In a taxi. In Scotland. The office was in London.

My keys. In the bike lock, around a post near a busy subway station. When I got back, the bike was gone.

The correct day of a flight (went to the airport the day after my flight.)

The correct airport of two other flights (went to Heathrow instead of Gatwick. Twice.)

To phone my sister and tell her where I parked her car at the airport before getting on the plane. She spent 3½ hours driving around O’Hare’s short term parking lot looking for it. I’m still sorry about that, Jenny…

The name of my sixth grade teacher (I can remember grades 1-5: Mrs Melka, Mrs Flynn, Miss Bonomo, Mrs Shultz & Mrs Huetemann. But not 6.)

The surnames of three of my college roommates: Mark, Tim & Tom.

Most of the 1975 Chicago Cubs baseball team starting line-up. I remember: Jose Cardinal, Rick Monday & Bill Madlock, and pitchers Rick Ruschel & Paul Ruschel. I used to know them all. I loved that team.

To turn off the lights. To turn off the burner. To turn off the oven. To seal the bread bag. To shut the refrigerator door. Repeatedly.

To turn off the water faucet. Before a 10 day trip to Peru. The hot water faucet.

99.9% of all jokes I’ve heard. I remember some though, mostly simple ones: “Two elephants fell off a roof. Boom Boom.” “Why was six afraid of seven? Because seven eight nine.” Jokes like that.

How to play euchre. How to interpret differential equations. I can't believe I even knew that once.

How to execute a successful back dive. How to ride a motorcycle. I reckon I could pick that up again pretty quick.

Which side of the road you drive on in Japan (for about 300 meters, until Chris said "Bob, where are you going?")

The line, “So what do you get up to in Syndey then?” in the show The Festival with Lone Twin Theatre. It’s the line that sets up the story of the main character Molly was playing – her life, her family, her job, what the show was about, basically.  We sat at the table on stage across from each other and I wondered why she was giving me such an intense look, and why she wasn’t saying anything.  Eventually, apropos of  nothing, Molly said, “So, uhm, my life is pretty good. Yeah, uhm, I’m from Sydney. I have a mother. And a job, too. Uhm, I thought you might be interested. Are you interested?”  Then I remembered.

Lots more things that I just cant think of right now. I’ve forgotten them, too...