“Gee, I wonder where that hairbrush/peeler/car key will eventually turn up.” And they all do, turn up, that is, just not where I’d expect them….

It’s uncanny how I’ll have an article (or two) in the works — notes, outlines, supporting facts, and anecdotes. Then something will happen in real life that resonates so strongly, it virtually turns itself into an article, while the other topics gets kicked down the road.

Case in point: Last Tuesday I was working on an article about do-it-yourself mishaps (I generally write about what I know), when I found half an onion on my spice carousel. This seemingly innocuous discovery brought to mind all of the other times I’ve found unlikely items in less likely places. The can opener in the refrigerator. The phone book in the silverware drawer. Not to mention the unusual things that turn up in my pockets.

Does this happen to anyone else? (Please answer yes.)

The scary part is that I can’t blame other family members for these strange discoveries, because I usually experience some fleeting “aha” moment of vague recognition when I come across... let’s say, the toothpaste in the sock drawer. Riiight, I put that there for a reason that made perfect sense at the time. (Or more likely, I was distracted and simply didn’t think about what I was doing!)

This is the flip side of the common problem that I hear so many of my (middle-aged) friends complaining about. We can’t remember where we’ve put things. And unfortunately, the more important the item, the more likely we will have stored it away especially “safely”… thus the less likely we are to find it!