I had three builds going on at more or less the same time. I put the SR500 Cannondale on the back burner and finished the other two (Olmo and another Cannondale). In the fray I lost the front caliper intended for the SR500. I guess I put it where I finally found it for a good reason , but now I've lost a 600 RD.

Anybody else have these WTF moments?

Brad

Sadly, with increasing frequency as I get older.

I have found a great way to ensure that the lost item turns up! Just purchase a replacement. Querecia Bike co-op must love my forgetfulness...

They are most likely hiding out under the dryer with your long lost socks.......... or the dog ate them...

They are probably with my cone wrenches...MIA for about a week! So, if I find a 600 RD, my wrenches will probably be right under them? ;-)

I sold and shipped a Campy Super Record 27.2mm seatpost to a C&V member before I went on leave, then forgot all about it. When I recently won a Medici frameset on Ebay, I went into my box here to pull out the post and it was gone. I actually began to wonder whether or not I'd even had one out here because I'd completely forgotten that I'd sold it!

He noted in the last couple of days that I'm in the market for another Campy post, contacted me and gave me the reminder. Doh

DD

I use to be able to tell you where everything was. Now I can't remember what I have much less where it is! This can happen in less than 15 sec. It is age and the trend line is not looking good! Now that I don't take the good memory for granted anymore, I focus on remembering and it is getting better!

I was able to take nearly anything apart and remember where ever part went and in what order and come back to it months later. Now I put them in labeled zip lock bags and try to remember to put them in one container instead of spreading them out where they might fit!

Did I sell or trade someone a 45t TA outer chain ring? I bought one ten years ago and can't find it now. I've been looking for it for so long now, I'm beginning to suspect I don't own it any more.

Try consolidating two households into five storage garages, then taking up a huge bike collection and moving twice in 3 years! OY!

I also work on a few bikes at a time, because I'm always waiting for parts. In any event, although I have a decent work area in the basement, I like working outdoors when the weather is nice, so that complicates matters too. I find big stainless steel kitchen bowls that you can pick up at garage sales for $2 are the best parts solution when stripping a frame. Better than ziplocks for sure. Toss the parts in the bowl, run the parts through the ultrasonic cleaner, and keep going.

I liked Robbitunes old signature, "It was here just a minute ago."

My cycling shorts have been MIA for over two weeks. And I live in a very small place. Missing a cone wrench as well. I'll keep an eye out for that derailleur.

Yeah, like so many other things, that just vanished one day and hasn't been seen since.

Somewhere out in the barn is the 105 headset I planned to use on the Miele build but damned if I can lay hands on the thing.

Top

Wel,.....l if you did not get to wash the shorts before it got lost,.......it should eventually reveal itself "olfactorily".....

I'm pretty sure I hand washed them, and hung them somewhere safe, to dry.

this is a billion-dollar product/service opportunity: "finder of lost things"...
that's a quote from somewhere, but I forget!

I misplaced my Cinelli laser somewhere on planet earth. Please let me know if you find it. I will offer a $100 reward.

It looks a little like this:

My dad could never find the tool he needed. He solved the problem by duplication. Eventually, you get to the point that when you lay the tool down you find the same one you were looking for when you picked up the last one you used!

^this is pretty much my M.O., but I've gone to "triplication" and "quadrication"...

I spent the better part of two days looking for a headlight that was right in front of me the whole time, the level of chaos in my shop was such that I ended up spending a day sorting and organizing things.

It is a constant battle.

Certainly this is a problem that comes with age. I am constantly looking for some item, many times it is a bicycle part that I had in my hand 10-15 minutes earlier. But even if I can't remember the last time I saw the part, my OCD will not let me rest until I track it down.

With age comes the possession of more and more....Uhmmm...stuff!.....So sometimes it's nothing physical that's causing the loss of things,....it's just the mess is much bigger and deeper than the ones you made back in college....when you did not own anything....

My method is exactly the opposite: When I own only one of each tool I am much more likely to keep track of it or to search it down before it migrates to the bottom of the pile... But I think Chombi got it right - Too Much Stuff!
Brent

YEARS and years ago, when I was in HS, we were building a house...being our own GC, and contracting out for specific trades. With all the runs to the hardware/lumberyard...all too often it was..."Pick up another claw hammer, can't find mine"...when we were mostly done and cleaning, reorganizing the 2 car garage we were staging the building out of...I counted 14 hammers....THAT should be enough to get it done!

So that was my Dad. My duplicates are for tools that are distributed sets, tools in bike bags, tools in cars and the mother of tools in the tool chest. I do have some in drawers on the third floor so I don't waste too much time stair stepping. Rather do that on the bike.

There is the matter of amount. Car, bike, woodworking, and metal working tools, not to mention power tools. I wonder if the space needed for tools competes with the times to be worked on! Can't get the car in the garage because there are too many tools! Oops, no such thing as too many tools!

I compiled a list of my non-floor mounted power tools because they are in two and sometimes three locations. Here is the inventory.


Hammer drill Dewalt
SDS Rotary Harbor Freight
18v Dewalt
12v Dewalt
12v Dewalt
1/2" Dewalt plug in
Right angle Milwaukee drill


Makita drywall gun
B&D drywall
AEG drywall


B&D 3/8 drill cottage
18v Dewalt cottage
B & D sawzall cottage
Makita circular saw cottage
B & D jigsaw


Ryobi drill press
Makita sawzall
Milwaukee circular
Makita compound miter
Dewalt jigsaw
18v Dewalt trimsaw
Dewalt bench grinder
Dewalt angle grinder
Dewalt sander
Craftsman belt sander
Bosch orbital sander
Harbor freight oscillating saw
Dremel tool
Zip tool
Porter cable router
Pancake compressor
Craftsmen compressor
Vintage compressor