What is in a Number?
Mrs. Cranky
thinks I make fun of her too much. (Every Thursday is Mrs. Cranky Thursday.) I disagree. Well maybe
a little, but then she does have some unusual traits. Not all of these traits are
tease-worthy. Some of these traits come
in very handy.
I believe I
have mentioned that Mrs. C has an amazing ability to know where she is and the
shortest route to where she is going.
She not only has a built-in GPS, but she knows all the landmarks of an
area.
Mrs. C will
give directions and not just tell you what street to turn on, but she actually
describes the street.
“Take a left
turn off Amboy to Prospect drive. It is
just past the dry-cleaner, across the street from the 7-11 actually it's a Krauzers, and there
is an Exxon station on the corner…”
You get the
point.
Mrs. Cranky
also has a thing with numbers. She can
take one look at a credit card and she will remember all the numbers. She never forgets an address or a zip code.
To be sure I
remembered our wedding anniversary; she planned our nuptials for December 11,
2010…12-11-10.
It worked!
All of these
memory and numerical feats astound me, but the other night she topped them all.
“Joe, your phone is ringing.”
“I know.”
“Answer it!”
“I don’t know the number, I’m not
answering it. If it is important they
will leave a message.”
“What is the number?”
“Why?”
“What is the number?”
“732-555-4027.”
“That’s Brunswick Lanes, pick it up,
it’s about bowling.”
It was
Brunswick Lanes. It was about bowling.
“How in the name of Ray Bluth (GIYP) did you
know that?”
“I used to call them when Casey
bowled in high school.”
“When was that?”
“Ah...11 years ago.”
Scary isn’t
it.
Scary? Only a tad. ;) Nah, it's quite brilliant really. By her ability to describe streets by landmarks and retain phone numbers and addresses, it sounds like she has a photographic memory. There are a number of tests online to see if she does indeed have one. I'll bet she'd ace them.
ReplyDeleteI'm the anti Mrs. C. Get lost on the way to the bank, the library...places I frequent often. Ditzy.
ReplyDeleteI haven't got a clue where I am most of the time but I do have a strange recall for dates, even seemingly insignificant ones.
ReplyDeletewow i'm impressed!
ReplyDeleteYou guys ever go to Las Vegas? You might find another use for that ability. Some guys from MIT had similary abilities, they wrote a book about it.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a female thing. My Mrs. C. can remember the birthdays of people I've long forgotten, along with every phone number we've had for forty years. Yes, it IS scary.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Now you've got me thinking.
ReplyDeleteNot scary, it's amazing. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. :)
What do Girls In Yoga Pants have to do with bowling champs?
ReplyDeleteInquiring minds, ya know.
My sister owns an internal GPS, too. How every road relates to every other road. Every landmark. But not the number thing. You have double trouble.
ReplyDeleteI call mine my social secretary...repository of all birthdays, anniversaries, divorce dates, Christmas lists, social security and phone numbers. She amazes me with her recall at times....yet goes to the store and forgets T.P....go figure!
ReplyDeleteThat is impressive! I have to write down directions turn by turn, and then write them in the reverse order to find my way back. None of that GPS nonsense, either. That's harder than writing down directions twice. I once got lost inside a Dillard's department store in the mall, because that main walkway was circular, and there were mirrors on the walls. Thank goodness my friend found me wandering, and led me out.
ReplyDeleteWow - that is impressive! Have you seen the show "Unforgettable" on CBS? It's about a cop who remembers EVERYTHING. I wonder if Mrs. Cranky has the same skill.
ReplyDeleteGood for her! I used to be like with numbers but then I got older and not quite as sharp with them. I used to be able to keep the grocery list in my mind, not so much more.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is real good with remembering how to get some place we've not been in over 10 years in a different city. Me, thank goodness for GPS.
betty
That's SO very cool. I love that!! I have a thing with birthdays. If someone tells me their birthday, I always remember it. Always. And this started way back in elementary school. I know the birthdays of the kids that I knew back then, even if I haven't seen them in years or even if I've never seen them since elementary school, I still associate their name/face with their birthday. Like, I can see an old photo of someone, and their birthday will pop into my head just as if it were their name. It's weird.
ReplyDeleteScary? No.
ReplyDeleteImpressive? Yes.
And I wish I had that ability.
I have a different ability. I'm able to forget everything you just told me within 3-5 minutes.
I envy her so much. I can only remember a few numbers at a time and keep having to look back at the piece of paper, not trusting myself. Lucky, lucky lady and...yes.........a tiny bit scary.
ReplyDeleteShe is really good. I had a mother-in-law like that. They owned a service station and she knew everyone in towns licence plate. No one in town was safe to commit a nefarious act while in their car with her around.
ReplyDeleteYou have a treasure there! As you age, and forget your own name, she'll keep you on track. I'm that person in my house, the one who can point things out that nobody else remembers. Perhaps is a woman's thing.
ReplyDeleteI can barely remember anyone's phone number. That is impressive.
ReplyDelete