What day is it?

Brother Jim told me tonight on the phone I need to write more often. He's getting bored looking at the same page. I'll try to pull something out of my...hat.

I called Jim today because I found myself a little confused about the date of his visit. I kind of had it in mind that he was coming THIS week instead of next. That sort of thing happens to me a lot. I get a 'round-about' date in my head and somehow never confirm it with a calendar. I don't know why I don't write more things down. Several times in my life I've shown up for meetings the day before or the day after the scheduled day and time.

Somehow I managed to mess up the date of my departure when I went to Russia and went a whole day early. Of course Bruce was in Siberia when I arrived in Moscow, so I just went to the hotel I was supposed to be in the next night and told them THEY must have made a mistake. The weird thing was, Kevin had left me at the airport at 5:00a.m. for my trip. I couldn't get hold of him to have him come back and get me. Its an hour-plus trip to the Portland airport form Salem. Anyway...the fellow at the check in desk did a little magic with his computer and put me on the plane anyway! It turned out OK because I got to sleep a whole day and get used to the major time change. Of course there was no one at the airport in Moscow to pick me up as Bruce had so carefully arranged (they would be there the next day and wonder where I was) and I had to make my own arrangements to get into town in a language I didn't know, but it all worked out.

It happened another time when I was supposed to be arriving for a visit to Ventura (my hometown in California) from Ames, Iowa where I lived at the time. It was sometime back in the 80's. I was at home in Ames, ironing my clothes for my trip that I thought was the next day. My sister-in-law called and said "WHERE ARE YOU!" I said..."uh, I'm here ironing...where are you?" She was at the airport in L.A. waiting to pick me up (NOT an easy drive from Ventura) and she was not happy with me.
Ding-a-ling Deb does it again. Somehow these earlier experiences didn't end up costing me any extra travel money. Back in those days, airlines were more willing to work with ding-bats and make concessions for stupidity. Not anymore.

I came close to making a similar travel mistake when I went to visit my neice and her family in Maryland last September. I thought I had another day at home before I was to leave. Several days before the trip I thought about my travel fiascos of the past and decided I must check my flight info with my calendar. Low and behold! I was a day off in my estimation! Whew! I saved myself that time.

How in the world do these things happen to a (relatively) intelligent woman who has managed to keep a handle on four children and not lose any of them. (Well, except for the time I misplaced Kevin in Thailand, but that's another story...)

I better get a calendar and use it.