Margaret put beans in my ears

You know that story about the boy whose mom tells him never, ever, to go into the kitchen, take a chair and put it next to the counter, climb up onto the counter, reach to the back of the top shelf, take down a jar of dried beans and put the beans in his ears? The boy would never have thought of it on his own, but once it's been put into his mind like that, what's the first thing he does next time his mom leaves the room? Of course -- he goes into the kitchen, takes a chair and puts it next to the counter, climb up onto the counter, reaches to the back of the top shelf, takes down a jar of dried beans and puts the beans in his ears.

Well, yesterday I was running really late to work and barely missed the bus to the metro. I could have just driven in to work, but I didn't want to pay $15 to park downtown. (Yeah, you heard me right. $15.) Anyway, I decided to drive and park as close to the metro as I could and walk the rest of the way there.

As I was parking my car, I remembered Margaret's awesome adventure and made a mental note, "I MUST remember to drive my car home from this spot tonight and not just take the bus."

This morning I was getting ready for work and thinking, as I do many mornings, about the pros and cons of driving vs. metroing to work. And I remembered parking my car the previous morning, but couldn't remember driving it home. In fact, I couldn't remember getting home at all, whether on the bus, walking, driving -- no memory at all of how I got home last night. (And I don't drink or do drugs so that's kind of unusual for me.)

I looked out the window -- no car. I racked my brain. What was I doing last night?

Oh yeah! I met up with Dawn and Susan for dinner and visiting teaching right after work, and Susan gave us both a ride home! So that means my car is ... still parked on Upland Street about a ten minute walk from the metro. (Twenty minute walk from my house.) Awesome.

Would this still have happened if I hadn't read Margaret's detailed account of forgetting to drive her car home? We'll never know.

OK, fine, it probably still would have happened.