On Tuesday I look through the cancelled checks from the past month or so. I notice that one check was dated 12/22/2000 - not 12/22/2002. I also notice that one check didn't have a date on it at all. Was I that distracted/disturbed during the Christmas timeframe that I couldn't get the date right on the checks? It's a good thing that both my debtors and my bank know that I am scatter-brained and unconcerned with detail to let my checks pass through the system with something as trivial as an incorrect date.
On Thursday I'm walking into the Vons with my head turned sharply to the right to see if the Wells Fargo ChiChi is one of the bank tellers today. Before I know it I'm running into another man. "Excuse me! I wasn't paying attention. I was looking to see if ChiChi was there."
Simultaneous to my apology is the man, now being steadied from falling by my grasp, saying, "I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. I was trying to figure out if common minerals can be used to reduce ketones to alcohols by catalytic reactions."
As I let go of the now-steadied man I look at him and say, "You and I have something in common." But we're both in a hurry so we go our own separate ways. I get out later for a five mile run in order to clear my head of distractions.
Finally the Northrop Grumman re-badging process comes to my building and I receive a brigt, shiny, new Northrop Grumman badge. I was tired of looking to the past and seeing the TRW badge each and every morning.