Darling Ducklings Manque

This morning, walking to my office on campus, I saw a mother duck parading up the sidewalk, followed by five thimble-sized, downy, brown-with-darker-spots ducklings. All the women in the vicinity immediately started squealing and pointing their cameras, and even the men looked charmed.

But did I point my camera? Did I take a video of the darling toddling ducklings? Did I call the local paper to report that Spring Has Officially Sprung, based on duckling sightings? Noooooooo, because I, nimnoid that I am, had left the friggin' camera/video/phone IN THE CAR.

So I can't show you a picture of the utterly irresistable ducklings, which is just as well, because if I did, you'd all collapse into swoons and be found hours later in puddles of drool, which isn't good for the economy.

As Gary knows, I've been forgetting everything lately. The phone, three times now. My swim goggles, two days ago. Two of the three rings I wear on my wedding finger, this morning. Names, constantly. I was starting to become truly alarmed (often without remembering why, of course), until I did a Google search and learned that forgetfulness is one of the most common behavioral symptoms of grief.

Whew! That explains it, then.

Forgetfulness is also, as Gary points out, a common symptom at the end of the semester. Classes met for the last time today, although we're required to meet during the "final exam" time even if the class doesn't have a final, as mine don't. That's next Monday, for both classes, but I may be on jury duty -- and won't know for sure until I call the recorded number after six on Friday to learn if I need to report, ho hum -- so I've made alternate arrangements for collecting final assignments.

I'm sure I'll forget all kinds of things between now and then.