Loose Ends

I have been watching that scientific phenomenon - natural migration - for years and am just beginning to understand it. I am, of course, talking about pencils. No matter how many I put in the jar beside the card holder where I put the latest 'buy at the grocery store - get at the concrete floor store' list, when need to add something to the list, there aren't any pencils in the jar.

And shoes. They like to migrate to the garage floor near the back door. Currently that flock of footwear includes two pairs of snow boots (right - it snowed in December and this is March), three pairs of muddy yard shoes and one tennis shoe. My other half and I are not sure which mouse ran off with the other shoe but agreed that it must have been a mouse since neither of us is responsible for its disappearance.

My papers migrate to the pile on the floor just off the end of my desk. Oh, and magazines and catalogs, too. It's the "Do something with this later" pile. I don't remember adding anything to that pile so those things are obviously migrating. Last time I straightened the pile, the catalog on the bottom was dated Spring 2005.

I still don't understand the migration pattern of the things stacked on all but three of the steps going up to the extra bedroom. The candles, Christmas cards for next year and the holly garland that I forgot to put away with the decorations all go into the upstairs closet.

But I have no idea what the napkins and the wedding wrapping paper are doing there. Or the two books on raising-wait-raising hamsters? They must be left from our 'kids living at home when they were still kids' days.

I never did find the part that said, "When the hamster doesn't move for ten days, the bell has long since tolled for it.")

I do remember the feeling of relief when my daughter didn't request a funeral. I think my other half must have served as the burial squad. Wouldn't I remember if I buried hamster?

Dust and cat fur have migration patterns. Within hours of vacuuming, a significant amount of dust and fur can be found behind the bedroom door, in the back hall under the bookcase and in the corner of the breakfast nook underneath the planter.

The primary migration site is under the bed, though. It is said there is a place in Africa where the elephants go to die. Maybe dust bunnies need a place like that. Once under the bed, they don't leave voluntarily.

Socks have solitary migratory habits. Found socks are never found in a pair. If I find two socks behind the dryer, one is blue and the other is white. Two white socks mean one is blue and covered with dust.

Now if I could just figure out the migratory destination of money.