Okay, I'm sure that everyone has their own reason as to why they have a blog. I know one friend does it so she can show it to her kids one day, and they can see all of the fun stuff they did while growing up. My guess is that "one friend" is a lot of you. I admit, I do want to be able to go back one day and show TJ and Taryn some of the things they did while little (first word, goofy hair, saying, "She gots two butts!", etc.), but that really isn't my motivation for writing this.

I'm sure there are some that would just like to let the world know what's up in their end of the world, and keep family and friends informed. Again, not me. I do enjoy getting the comments and knowing that people are reading (okay, I enjoy it IMMENSELY!), but that does not compel me to write every other day or so.

When you get right down to it, my reason for keeping this blog is because I have Alzheimer's. Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. It's true. Okay, I don't have it yet, persay, but it's on its way. My great-grandma had it, my grandaddy has it, my mom better have it coming(or else she better come up with a really good excuse as to why she's so insane!), and I have little doubt that I'm in for a treat in not enough years from now. I ordered information about Alzheimer's once, and, in reading, found out that symptoms can start as early as 32 years old. Great! I'm 27 now, that only gives me 5 more years of mental health. Although that's probably pushing it, and little did the researchers know, undoubtedly symptoms can start as early as 20! I wonder, perhaps, if drug use increases symptoms and the likelihood of getting it earlier? In that case, my brother is SCREWED, and I'm a little unlucky myself!

Anyway, I'm beginning to notice that things are getting harder and harder to remember each day. I'll admit, I still have a touch of mommy brain from having Taryn, but that was a lot different than now, and before I was pregnant with her. I married Trey b/c he has a great brain. He is smart, and has one helluva memory. I am constantly asking him where I've seen actors before when I see them on movies or shows. He's really good with that. I, on the other hand, can watch a movie, and a week later, watch it again as if it were a brand-new movie that I've never seen. Sure, I can remember little bits here and there, and maybe the main idea of the movie, but overall I watch scenes as if they are all new and have never been seen by me before. I suppose that's good in that if I buy a movie, it's always new to me, and I'll never get tired of it! Everything in my brain is a half-memory. If I don't work hard to commit it to my long-term memory, it's all but lost forever. When I make an appointment, I have to make sure it's written down, and even still it's more than likely going to be forgotten. My bills pop up on my computer screen to remind me when to pay them. If I don't have something written down, I must repeat it to myself about three million times over until it starts to stick. I'm just so thrilled that I've never forgotten my children anywhere, but I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I never let them out of my sight!

I took a class once, while I was still working, on using memory strategies. While I was in the shower today, I thought about that, and I was proud of myself. We did this exercise where we had to list from one to twenty, and each one had a word that went with it. There were significant reasons for each word going with each number, but you had to get those in your head before you could really remember them. The teacher read out the words, and then afterwards, we went back and wrote as many as we could from memory. We went through it a few times until we fully understood it, and I was so glad to see that I knew almost all of them still! Let me show you what I remember...

1. tree
2. lightswitch
3. stool
4. car
5. glove
6. gun
7. dice
8. skate
9.
10.
11. goalpost
12. egg
13. witch
14.
15. paycheck
16. candy
17. magazine
18. voting booth
19. golf club
20. cigarette

Not bad, eh? I think I took this class in Feb. or March sometime. It's from some widely popular memory book or something, but I can't remember what it is. If you look at the words with the numbers, you might notice that they are related. For instance, the first one I remembered was 15. paycheck, b/c most people get paid on the first and fifteenth of each month. Anyway, I know that if something affects me enough, I'll remember it, but most stuff I don't. I would have to think for at least ten minutes just to tell you what I had for breakfast yesterday, and I usually eat one of three things! I really, really remember the movie The Notebook (even though I had to look up the name of it, b/c I couldn't for my life remember that!), b/c it was about Alzheimer's, and it really struck home for me. However, I can't remember the movie The Grudge b/c it was stupid and I can't stand Sarah Michelle Gellar. I just don't get it. Maybe I'm only saving room in my brain for really important stuff!

Anyway, that is my reason. I figure one day I might need a little reminder of who I am, and what has gone on in my life. I do pray that Blogger stays around forever, and that they keep all of my archives right where someone can find them to remind me that I once had a life of some sort, and that I was once in my right mind.

Have a great day, and I'll see you soon!