My memory seems to behave in this extremely context-sensitive way. I've now walked downstairs three times, and when I get near the TiVo I remember I'm supposed to look up when The Dresden Files is going to start airing. Then I walk upstairs and poof it's out of my head. Yesterday, every time I got into my car, I remembered I was going to use Google Maps to look up the street layout near my house, so I didn't get lost going on a walk again. Every time I got back to my computer? I immediately started paying attention to whatever web browser windows I had open.

Sometimes, this is incredibly useful. It helps a lot when I'm dealing with a massive, sprawling code base. There's no way I can remember what all the code I've written over the past six years (O_o) does, but when I start working on a part of it, the details come flooding back. Sometimes, it's pretty frustrating -- I'm not very good about small talk or telling stories spontaneously, because I usually need to get some context before my memory kicks in. Once it does kick in, I'm fine, although I find I have a tendency to tell the same story over and over again for weeks once I have one in my grasp.

So, yeah. I get the impression not everybody else has a whacked-up brain indexing scheme like I do. How does your memory seem like it works to you?

P.S. It starts on January 21st, which is why the damn thing isn't look-uppable on the TiVo yet. And the last time I tried to look that info up, I got distracted finding out that the third book in his fantasy series was finally out. Which I promptly forgot until just now. BRAAAAAAIN!