Losing things you know should be/aren't lost?

[jimmyg352]

A few months ago I decided to check a camera that's been in a cupboard for ages with a view to selling it. (Panasonic Lumix G1) There it was, in the bag. Complete with flat battery, 2 lenses & the charging cable but no actual charger. I keep some other chargers in a 'special' drawer so checked there. Wasn't there, so I turned the house upside down in search, including 2 drawers in a Welsh dresser which I literally emptied. No charger. At all.
Well I couldn't even check the camera so went on Fleabay & luckily found one for the price of £19.99. At least it was a genuine article & It arrived, perfect, spot on & the camera's fine.
Cue last night & I'm scratting round in the Welsh dresser drawer for something else & what's the 1st thing I pick up?

I swear we have a poltergeist.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Well if you have it's cousin lives in my house!

 

[Hutch]

Got back home, cleaned the van and took it back to storage, 12 miles away, next day thought, where are the spare car keys, must have left them in the safe place in the van. No not there, got home searched everywhere, with Mrs H saying every 5 minutes, where did you have them last. ( That is always a help). 2 am the next morning, suddenly thought, I know. In the pocket of the coolbag where that poltergeist put it.

 

[Mr Plodd]

, I know. In the pocket of the coolbag where that poltergeist put it.

The same place as any other sane person woulkd have put them then?

 

[Mel]

A few months ago I decided to check a camera that's been in a cupboard for ages with a view to selling it. (Panasonic Lumix G1) There it was, in the bag. Complete with flat battery, 2 lenses & the charging cable but no actual charger. I keep some other chargers in a 'special' drawer so checked there. Wasn't there, so I turned the house upside down in search, including 2 drawers in a Welsh dresser which I literally emptied. No charger. At all.
Well I couldn't even check the camera so went on Fleabay & luckily found one for the price of £19.99. At least it was a genuine article & It arrived, perfect, spot on & the camera's fine.
Cue last night & I'm scratting round in the Welsh dresser drawer for something else & what's the 1st thing I pick up?

I swear we have a poltergeist.

Got one too. Constantly hides my glasses.

But what often happens is that you think that you know what the lost thing looks like, so you sift through matching each item to the item in your head. Anything that does not exactly match is disregarded quickly. There only has to be a small difference between the actual item and the way you think it looks for it to happen. When you stop looking for the thing and are just going through the drawer, you are using a different search process based on recognition of each thing in the drawer. Then you find the lost thing.
So best way to find a lost thing is to stop looking for it 😀
Mel

 

[Beachball]

I keep losing my reading glasses and now got three pairs on the go so think the poltergeist keeps hiding them

 

[Bluetonic]

yeas, the charger for my cordless drill, that one is still a mystery.
And the charger for our cordless vaccum, I bought a replacement and as soon as the new one was delivered, found the old one.
🙄

 

[Tobes]

Some thirty years or so ago, my brother asserted the idea of analogue loss. That is to say that things are not "lost' or "found" but somewhere on a continuum of known location that goes something like this.

With regards to this item it is : (time since found)
1) In my hand (found) (0 seconds).
2) Just put down in front of me. (1s to 1 min)
3) In a surface on the room I am in. (1 to 5 mins)
4) On a surface in the room next door (5 to 10 mins)
5) In the house in a "safe" or "correct" place (10 mins to 1day)
6) In the house in one of a number of likely places (1 day to 1 week)
6) Definitely somewhere in the house (1 to 2 weeks)
7) Probably in the house, but maybe in the car/shed/caravan garage. (2-3 weeks)
8) Likely at a friends / family members house (3 weeks to 1 month)
9) I have seen it in my minds eye / I can remember where I think I last used it (1- 2 months).
10) I can't remember having it, but I don't remember throwing it out / giving it away either (2-6 months)
11)) Lost (6 months +)

It is definitely possible to skip levels, and reset them, for example by glancing in the "safe space" drawer, but make no mistake - it is on its way to lost.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Earlier this year we were about to start a trip to NZ to see famly. Just a couple of days before departure we needed to make an online purchase - something to do with the trip. Went to get credit card and its not there in the place its always kept.

We have never lost one since the introduction of our 'flexible friend' but couldn't find this one. Turned the house, car, caravan inside out and still nothing. Tried to recall last places it was used and decided it was definitely not left in the store.

Checked online statements and no suspicous use but no option but to cancel it. This didn't leave enough time to get the replacement before setting off. Somewhat of a nuisance but we could manage with debit cards and bank transfers.

Just heading out the door to get to the airport and my wife puts her hand in her coat pocket and there it is. Useless now since its cancelled.

She admitted it was her fault - I asked for that in writing

 

[jimmyg352]

Oh, another one I just remembered.
I have a Smile debit card which is only used for anything to do with a rented house we have. Expenses & the Tax man mainly. Anyway, the chap who does the tax return (I don't rust myself no matter how straightforward it may be) came round, did the tax return & paid my tax with the debit card. A few days later I was looking in my wallet & noticed It wasn't there so I phoned Martin who checked everywhere at his end but no card, so like Sam Vines had no option but to cancel.
The card never leaves the house but I still haven't found it!

 

[Steve1962]

One word answer……

Marbles

Steve