God protects drunks and fools…
As my father used to say.
I’m well aware that ditziness is a major character defect of mine. Aside from over-all recovery from my main addiction of compulsive over-eating, I’m doing so much life-style stuff to try not to be a ditz. So much work on digital distraction, practicing meditation and yoga, getting enough sleep. My plan of eating (no gluten/grain/sugar/legumes/dairy) is partially rooted in the fact that sugar and carbs make me stupid and I truly am in the camp that believes that dementia should be called Type 3 diabetes.
And yet…
This morning, I walked from 16th to 24th St. approximately 1 mile, with my phone on Pandora, listening to Krishna Das chant the Hanuman Chaleesa and then Sita Ram. At 24th, I started listening to an episode of a Podcast called “You Must Remember This,” but also took out the puzzle book I’ve been working on. I turned off the Podcast and was absolutely positive I had put my IPhone in my bag. The train to SFO arrived and I got on it, took out the book I’m currently reading and got ready to text my “Phone down while reading on BART” accountability partner…and my phone was not there. Went through every nook and cranny in all the bags…nothing. Got off the train and took the next one back to 24th St. Not there. Went upstairs to the booth. Nothing turned in. Gave her my contact info (email) and had her put an announcement through the system.
I was obviously and appropriately panicking at this point, but somehow kept it together enough not to start sniveling or to go for the food to quell the nerves. I took Muni back to my place and got my new Ipad. I discovered that it was not set up to find my IPhone. (It just kept telling me I had it, thinking it was my IPhone.) I couldn’t get into Uber from a different device. I couldn’t get into What’s App and I wasn’t sure if I could get Octa to work, but at least it was loaded.
Octa being how I get into the VPN at work so I can do my job.
Went back to BART, went to the airport, got through security. I had been able to text my TL and he was extremely patient and sympathetic. Another example of why he was a better choice than me for the TL job. I would have been livid.
He even offered to let me use my Booster shot time off (which I hadn’t needed because I already had a day off after my booster and wasn’t sick or sore anyway) so I wouldn’t have to take the unexcused absence hit for the time I was now late.
I was literally on the phone with IT trying to get Octa set up on the Ipad, when I got a text from a program fellow. Someone had found my phone, gone through my recent contacts and texted a few to see if they could get in touch with me. One of them emailed me, which I was able to see on the Ipad.
I called the lady who had my phone and it turned out she was a teacher in the City at a school in the Excelsior district. I hauled as back to the City on BART, then realized it was NOT a quick walk from 24th St. Actually found a cab in the City. Paid him extra to call her when we got there….and got my phone back approximately 3 1/2 hour after this whole drama had started. (I gave her a 20.00 as well.)
Then I was able to get Uber back to the airport and go do my job.
Luckily it’s been not busy lately so my co-workers weren’t left too high and dry by this crap.
I can’t believe how lucky I am. But I’m terrified that this happened.
I’m always losing shit and I try to have the Buddhist approach of “It’s already broken,” but I can’t really embrace the ditziness when it’s something this important. Of course, it’s still just a thing, but it’s a really, really important thing.
I really hope the lesson isn’t that I’m not allowed to do puzzles outside the house, but I’m afraid it might be.
I’m well aware that ditziness is a major character defect of mine. Aside from over-all recovery from my main addiction of compulsive over-eating, I’m doing so much life-style stuff to try not to be a ditz. So much work on digital distraction, practicing meditation and yoga, getting enough sleep. My plan of eating (no gluten/grain/sugar/legumes/dairy) is partially rooted in the fact that sugar and carbs make me stupid and I truly am in the camp that believes that dementia should be called Type 3 diabetes.
And yet…
This morning, I walked from 16th to 24th St. approximately 1 mile, with my phone on Pandora, listening to Krishna Das chant the Hanuman Chaleesa and then Sita Ram. At 24th, I started listening to an episode of a Podcast called “You Must Remember This,” but also took out the puzzle book I’ve been working on. I turned off the Podcast and was absolutely positive I had put my IPhone in my bag. The train to SFO arrived and I got on it, took out the book I’m currently reading and got ready to text my “Phone down while reading on BART” accountability partner…and my phone was not there. Went through every nook and cranny in all the bags…nothing. Got off the train and took the next one back to 24th St. Not there. Went upstairs to the booth. Nothing turned in. Gave her my contact info (email) and had her put an announcement through the system.
I was obviously and appropriately panicking at this point, but somehow kept it together enough not to start sniveling or to go for the food to quell the nerves. I took Muni back to my place and got my new Ipad. I discovered that it was not set up to find my IPhone. (It just kept telling me I had it, thinking it was my IPhone.) I couldn’t get into Uber from a different device. I couldn’t get into What’s App and I wasn’t sure if I could get Octa to work, but at least it was loaded.
Octa being how I get into the VPN at work so I can do my job.
Went back to BART, went to the airport, got through security. I had been able to text my TL and he was extremely patient and sympathetic. Another example of why he was a better choice than me for the TL job. I would have been livid.
He even offered to let me use my Booster shot time off (which I hadn’t needed because I already had a day off after my booster and wasn’t sick or sore anyway) so I wouldn’t have to take the unexcused absence hit for the time I was now late.
I was literally on the phone with IT trying to get Octa set up on the Ipad, when I got a text from a program fellow. Someone had found my phone, gone through my recent contacts and texted a few to see if they could get in touch with me. One of them emailed me, which I was able to see on the Ipad.
I called the lady who had my phone and it turned out she was a teacher in the City at a school in the Excelsior district. I hauled as back to the City on BART, then realized it was NOT a quick walk from 24th St. Actually found a cab in the City. Paid him extra to call her when we got there….and got my phone back approximately 3 1/2 hour after this whole drama had started. (I gave her a 20.00 as well.)
Then I was able to get Uber back to the airport and go do my job.
Luckily it’s been not busy lately so my co-workers weren’t left too high and dry by this crap.
I can’t believe how lucky I am. But I’m terrified that this happened.
I’m always losing shit and I try to have the Buddhist approach of “It’s already broken,” but I can’t really embrace the ditziness when it’s something this important. Of course, it’s still just a thing, but it’s a really, really important thing.
I really hope the lesson isn’t that I’m not allowed to do puzzles outside the house, but I’m afraid it might be.