Have you ever had a brain blip?

Have you ever had a brain blip? Well, it seems I’m having more than my share. All day yesterday, I thought it was Sunday. I have no idea what happened to Saturday. Late Saturday night, I finally realized it was not Sunday. I said realized because it gives me some grace but really, I was informed and was shocked at the information. Now it is Sunday, and even though I know this, I was alarmed when two clocks in the same room had different times on them. It took a little time for me to realize the time had changed, a perfectly normal thing and not some supernatural occurrence.

Wow, it feels good to get that off my chest, but I must confess there is more. I had guests from out of state a week ago and it seems we were out and about most of the week. It was a beautiful week and I thoroughly enjoyed their company. On Sunday, we decided to go to Cades Cove on a picnic with my daughter and family. I looked forward to the outing, as it had been several years since the family had been to Cades Cove, or even picnicked for that matter.

That morning, we loaded the cars and started on our way. The food was carried in my daughter’s car, and the chairs and ice chest with drinks in the car my guests and I were in. We had instructions to find and secure a table for the picnic. This was not a job unfamiliar to me, as my husband and I were always the scouting party for family picnics. Equipped with chairs, news paper, coffee and a doughnut or two, we left early, found and secured the site and the others found us in plenty of time for a delicious lunch.

This time things did not go so smoothly. Since I was not driving, I indulged in a short nap on the way up the mountain. I remember giving directions at Sugarlands, but not much of the conversation after that. I’m sure if asked, my guest could describe the snoring coming from the back seat. All at once I heard my name and shot straight up. It seemed only a little while since I had “just closed my eyes”, and we all know how long it takes to get to Cades Cove.

Well, she read the sign, Cades Cove, Picnic Area and ask “is this it”? My thought was that it didn’t look quite right, but things sometimes change, so my answer was “yes”. We pulled in and found a perfect spot, close to the roaring creek and the “facilities”. We set up the chairs and cooler of drinks. My daughter and I had talked after they started, and we knew they were about fifteen minutes behind us. So now we waited.

And waited… we worried … we started a fire in the grill… we drank, took pictures and waited. I finally began to believe we were in the twilight zone and we asked our next door picnickers if this was the Cades Cove picnic area, and were told yes. I asked if my guests had passed a place called Metcalf Bottoms while I slumbered and they could not remember. We had no food and were getting hungry, so should we go or wait in case something had happened to the others and they were still on their way?

We tried cell phones but could get no reception. About three hours later, we left with intentions of going to the camp ground, just in case. We drove up the mountain and I knew we were not at Caves Cove. We passed Metcalf Bottoms and I knew this brain blip was a “dilly”, one that would not be lost in memory by anyone. We did find Cades Cove, but not the family. Instead, on the way down, we turned toward Townsend and closer food. The broasted chicken and fudge was devoured in the fashion of hungry lions.

A day not to be forgotten… an adventure. Now that I have admitted to my recent brain blips, is Aricept in my near future?