Aaughh Department II

Don't stress over the visit with the relative with short-term memory loss. Both DH and I write ourselves little post-it notes and carry them with us when we walk from one end of the house to the other so we'll remember where we are going and for what. We would blame the condition on our age and the side effects (formidable) of our medications, except, we notice folks half our age with the same problem. We suspect it's caused by global warming. Anyhow, people with significant short-term memory loss know they have it; nothing to get stressed about. Just smile and repeat whatever you said. We appreciate your patience. Polly

"Julia Altshuler" > Aaugghh Department I was yesterday when I went to make the binding for

You had a lot of great replies, but to be practical- get a power strip cord and plug your iron and a lamp into the power strip. Since you are good about turning off lights, when you leave the room you can just flip the switch on the power strip to off and it's done- the lamp is the reminder.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

This is precisely why I have an iron that turns itself off if it's not moved around every few minutes.

Sunny

Here's my three point plan to help cope with short term memory loss.....

1. If you forget something and nobody reminds you or points out that you forgot it's small stuff. Don't worry about it.....but then you wouldn't anyway because you've forgotten it.
2. If you forget something and somebody reminds you it probably *is* important but you don't have to worry about remembering because plenty of people *will* remind you. (Large red trucks with lights and sirens pulling into the front yard are a great memory jogger.)
3. The third point is.......ummmmm.....uhhhhhhhhh.....*blink, blink*.............~sigh~

Val

This is exactly what I've been thinking about for years. My trouble is that Jim is an electrical engineer. When he designs a project, he does a better than spectacular job. If it can't be better than spectacular, it doesn't get done. First he put in the best shelves in the world. I'm only exaggerating a little. My sewing room is the only room in the house with fresh paint and custom built shelves.

Then I needed lights. We talked about and shopped for track lights, but that never happened. Instead, I have some garage sale lamps that work satisfactorily well. I'm delighted with my work space and am not complaining, but Jim thinks of this as something that didn't get done right.

Whenever Jim brings up the idea of better lighting, I first say that I'm happy with what I've got. Then I suggest wiring the room the way you say. The switch by the door would turn on the power strip. I could turn the iron off with the dial on the iron, but if I forgot, it would go off anyway when I turned off the lights. Jim thinks this is a good idea, but it means rewiring. Why not do it the simple way? Because we don't do things the simple way in this house. It's an all or nothing mentality.

It sounds like I'm complaining, but I have it pretty good, and I know it. I'm not blaming Jim for my faulty memory. I can see where safeguards make sense for things like this.

--Lia

Nope, that wasn't quite what I said- use the switch ON the power cord (built right into the power cord) to turn off both the lamp and the iron. Jim never has to know.... LOL

Leslie & The Furbabies >> You had a lot of great replies, but to be practical- get a power strip

Similar to my set-up, Leslie. I have a Mondo-dee-luxe 12 station powerstrip with 4 surge protector thingies. My son got it for me quite awhile back, kind of pricey, nice gift. I have all my task lights, machines and irons plugged into it. Before this strip was used I always had the problem of forgetting to turn off my little Clover iron even though I was good about unplugging my steam iron. I turn my machines off then reach over and snap off the red power switch on the strip...VIOLA!.....everything is cut off in one swell foop. DS, the electronic guru, told me to always turn my machines off before shutting off the power strip, and snap the strip on before turning on my machines......the whys escape me now but I always do it that way. In a sewing class there was a gal who said she had a radio plugged into her power strip with the iron. That's how she knew whether she left anything on in her sewing room. That's a good idea, too.

Val

Waaaaaah! Val. You got me with swell foop. Reminded me of the time a nervous instructor directed us to post a notice in bull few. (He was nervous because when he looked up from his speech notes, we had all donned Groucho Marx noses and eyebrows - except, of course, for the oddballs in the bunch who preferred M-i-c-k-e-y Mouse ears.) Polly

"Val" > Similar to my set-up, Leslie. I have a Mondo-dee-luxe 12 station powerstrip

Lia,

I know it doesn't help, but I'm glad I'm not the only who does stuff like that! ;-)

Maybe your stress over the upcoming visit with the elderly relative is contributing?