Here’s Just How Absent-Minded I’m Getting

Ever find yourself losing your keys, phone, or something else? I'm okay with those two things, but my absent-mindedness reared its ugly in a new way last weekend.

It was Friday afternoon, and my wife and I were headed to check out the St. Patrick's Day party in downtown Rochester. We parked along the street, and were walking away from the car when, after trying to lock it with the key fob, I noticed the car didn't make that usual quick horn sound that signals it's locked.

Now, I had driven and we'd taken my wife's new car. We bought the car in December, and she usually drives it to work each day. It, of course, doesn't have keys anymore; it instead has those new-fangled wireless fobs-- along with the slick ignition on/off button.

All you have to do is have the fob in the car, put your foot on the brake and hit the button, and the car starts. Conversely, you need to remember to push the button again to shut the car off once you've parked it.

Which is, as it turns out, what I'd forgotten to do. Sure, I turned the headlights off (which I didn't need to do, since they shut off automatically, anyway), but, yes, I walked away from the car...WITH IT STILL RUNNING.

And I didn't even notice.

I thought maybe we'd walked too far away for the wireless key fob to work. Luckily, though, as we walked back over to investigate, my wife noticed it I hadn't shut the car off. Sheesh!

Now in my defense, there was some loud construction going near where we parked, so I didn't hear the car running. And, because the fob was in my pocket already, I when I checked to make sure I had the keys, I guess I'd assumed I'd already shut the car off, because that's the only way to get the keys out of my car. (Yes, my 2008 SUV is so ancient, you still need KEYS to drive it.)

Ever do anything THAT absent-minded?!?