"On the topic of losing things in plain sight," says Jackie Carnes, "there was a story many years ago written by a home-schooling mom to The Home School Court Report, a publication of Home School Legal Defense Association.
"She was teaching one child math at the kitchen table; another was also at the table with a worksheet, and the 3-year-old was playing on the floor near her.
"She suddenly looked up and said, 'Wait a minute, where's the baby?'
"Her children looked at her like she'd lost her mind. Finally one of them said, 'Mom, look down.'
"She was nursing the baby.
"That's 'mommy brain' for you, I've experienced it many times myself."
Carlisle's roaming
My Advocate colleague Deanna B. Narveson, of Baton Rouge's Spanish Town, the proud owner of four pet snakes, adds to our "snake escape" tales:
"One of them, Carlisle the ball python, seems to get into trouble more than the others — Shania Twain, Leslie, and Travis.
"One evening, I was sitting with Carlisle and he slithered away into the couch! I had to have a friend help me tip over the couch and cut open the back of the upholstery to retrieve the little rascal. Well, not so little: He's nearly 5 feet long.
"Another time, I was cleaning the snakes' enclosures, and I forgot to lock Carlisle's back up. A moment later I realized what had happened: He was out.
"My roommate and I frantically scoured the apartment. We tipped over the sofa (we learned from the time before). Then I heard the cat meowing near the front door. Carlisle was curled up there.
"Only about five minutes had passed from start to finish of the whole ordeal. And the cat was not in danger; I was more concerned he would hurt the snake."
Rough translation
Our Tuesday "wrong word" story reminded John S. of this:
"Dr. Fritz Dohse, of LSUNO (later founding dean of the UNO College of Engineering) told his 1966 engineering class about the time, as a young man from Germany, he was still learning English:
"He was with a couple who had a grown son. In conversation, using his new English, he said, 'I understand your son is an adulterer.'
"He then learned the difference between 'adult' and 'adulterer.' And he never forgot that lesson."
Dead wrong
"Speaking of wrong words," says Anne Maverick, "when I was in seventh grade, I was assigned to do an oral report on the Peace Corps.
"I pronounced it 'corpse' all the way through. Fortunately, I had a wonderful teacher for civics that year. Miss Tompkins kindly corrected me and we moved on."
Where's that phone?
The above-mentioned Anne Maverick has this observation about current communications technology:
"On 'time is money': I am sure I'm not the only one who has saved a few bucks by canceling the landline, only to lose a lot of time searching for the phone I could have called on if I'd had that landline."
Musical interlude
1. Alex "Sonny" Chapman, of Ville Platte, says, "Just thought about a musical malapropism. After hearing George Jones singing 'Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,' I definitely favor Willie Nelson’s version, as he lightly plucks his guitar 'Trigger' and sings it Acapulco."
2. Peter Dassey, of Kenner, says, "I am sure everyone has sung the wrong lyrics to songs.
"Country music star Morgan Wallen has a song with a strange repeating lyric. The oft-repeated lyric is 'Sausage and rolls.' It makes for a lovely breakfast song.
"My daughters corrected me. The lyrics are 'Thought you should know.'"