Your problem is common. You're at the point where you need to start writing things down. Then don't forget where you put the paper you wrote it on. Laurel is right, it's often best to carry a little notepad with you in your pocket or purse so you can write stuff on it. When you've finished the appointment, or whatever it was you wanted to remember, tear out the page and throw it away. I have to do this. For a long time I'd forget where my notepad was. So now I keep one in my purse, and one on the end table next to my Lazyboy chair. I also need to keep one next to the computer. If it's not on one of those lists, it doesn't get done. And, get this, I absolutely HATE making lists and doing any organizational efforts. I'm a big concept gal, and hate to trouble myself with details. But I've found, that if I don't do it, sooner or later I end up embarrassing myself and looking like an idiot. So I just have to do it. I've found, it didn't kill me, even though I was sure it would. Like you, I can remember the latin name of nearly any plant species on the planet, but I keep calling my husband by the dog's name. Some things we just have to chuckle about, lest we cry. Lainey

Dawiff, I'm a fan of these county conservation district plant sales. I'm affiliated with a non-profit camp/conference center and they donate leftovers from the sale free to such organizations. I always attend and often volunteer at the Snohomish County Conservation Disctric plant sale. The plants are sold bareroot in excellent condition. There often are oversized plants available too, not listed in the catalog. Sometimes a batch of trees goes 2 years before they are dug, and they offer them at ridiculous prices. Once they had 8-foot tall paper birches for $3! Best to you, Jim Eichner Here is a link that might be useful: You are invited to the Green Elephant Plant Swap

I won't be tipping anyone this year for Christmas 1. POSTAL Carrier: I did gift something special to Donna who was our only carrier for 20 years. Since she retired last year the rural route I live on now has at least 4 different carriers each week and the mail is delivered more often wrong than right. Tip? I don't think so! 2. TRASH: can pickup man makes $5.35 per hr more and the driver of the truck makes $9.50 more per hr. than I. They also have better benefits. Often I have to chase down the rd for my trash can because it has been tossed down and rolls away down the hill. Tip? I don't think so! 3. HOUSE STAFF/Helpers: YES How much depends on what I can afford a Christmas bonus and a B-day gift. These are people who have been my extra hands for years. 4. STYLIST/manicurist: I tipped each service, so No to holiday tip. I don't have salon services often. My hair nails and such I do myself or we friends and daughters have "gals night" where we help each other, have snacks & drinks and talk, watch movies or whatever. More fun than a night at a bar or the movies. 5. PAPER DELIVERY PERSON: Yes I had a young man for years who delivered regular and everyday. I gave him a nice gift of cash $20-$25 for the Holidays. He had the paper to my front door everyday on time and made sure it would be dry if it rained. When he graduated and moved on a man and wife took over. I got tired of paying for a newspaper and not getting it delivered or wet, tattered, having to search the bushes for it when it was. So now when I want one I go to the store and pick one up. Tip? I don't think so! When someone does regular services for me or goes beyond the expected I try to gift as generously as possible. For many of us the budget this year is slim to say the least. debby_ab said she tipped "because I feel guilted into it." I can understand that sentiment. I have tipped a bad server because I felt guilted into it by the folks I was with. NO MORE, NEVER AGAIN The next time I got a bad server the tip consisted of a pamphlet of "hints and tips" How to Serve Better & Receive a Generous Tip from a Past Server. When you feel that the person deserves a bit of extra, you have the funds available and it feels good to give then by all means do. In these harder times right now don't feel you have to "Holiday tip" because it is customary or others do. Happy Holidays LIL

As far as the trash folks are concerned, I tend to agree with lindsey_ca. Granted, the job used to be very smelly and physical, however, talking to several people who know the pay, they are very well paid for the job. Some do an outstanding job and of course some should be fired. I recall the days of 3-4 men manning a a truck. Today, with automation, it's often just one. But some on the older trucks really have to hustle while the new ones drive, push a button, watch the monitor and move on. Not far from a postal carrier IMO. Paper carriers are close to my heart. I carried papers about 20-25 years ago. It was for the big "business" paper which shall remain unnamed. I will say I enjoyed the job. I did it for probably a year and a half and it was a nice second income. Especially on the nice summer days it was very pleasant to be out at 4 or 5am cruising around when it's quiet, peaceful and refreshing. Turn up the radio a bit and off you go. Now of course, rain, snow and the like are the problem days. And in fairness to the carriers, it's not always the carriers' fault when the papers are late. I remember more than once when the plane was late arriving so we didn't have the papers to deliver. So we had to sit and wait for sometimes 3 hours or more and occasionally the paper would be canceled for that day. Many times the carriers lost on that. But the good part was I had the "bad" route. Nobody wanted it because it was so much driving. IIRC it was somewhere around 150-200 papers over 50-55 miles. Nobody wanted to drive that much with their new cars. Well I had a beater and I did all maintenance myself so I made out well on the mileage allowance. Things have changed though. I talked to a carrier for one of the big papers in town and the pay hasn't increased much from when I carried! AND to top it off, they make the carriers pay for the rubber bands and the plastic bags! (For this paper anyway) That really irritated me when I heard that. This explains the higher turnover rate. FWIW I got a couple tips as a carrier and I was the only one I knew of who did. I think it was $5 each. I was a bit surprised but then when I considered the snobs that got this paper wouldn't tip like the ones who got the daily local paper. The ones who tipped me sent it to the company specifying it was for me. That was very flattering. Carriers also put up with one other problem. The ones who keep calling and complaining for the purpose of getting their subscription extended. I had one person who kept saying they had a wet paper and when I delivered in wet weather I would double bag the papers. Paper in the bag, fold the bag over and the open end went in first into the second bag. No way could it get wet, but the complainers kept trying. The boss finally went out and followed me one day and checked the paper. They canceled the customer! :D When I got the paper and got good service I'd tip the carrier $5-$10 about every three months. Percentage-wise, that's pretty good. I was paying 75 per week for the Sunday only paper. But I did the several-times-a-year tip because of turnover. I didn't think it was fair to essentially penalize a new carrier doing a good job because the prior carrier got tipped at the holidays. And I would try to catch them in the morning. I'm usually up early on Sundays so it wasn't a problem. I would prefer to see people tip more frequently rather than at the holidays. A lot of people get jobs for the holiday season and could benefit from the generosity at the time and others are essentially doing the hard work all year long.