OK. The strangest thing has happened and it is giving me the WIGGINS.

The situation: I have a wonderful travelling coffee mug that I use EVERY DAMN MORNING during the week. I used it yesterday, Tom took it out of my backpack when he was doing the washing up after dinner. A little bit after that, I needed something else he'd washed up and extricated it out of the dishrack (which, incidentally is positioned inside one side of a double sink). I saw the mug and its lid, made a concious decision to leave it in there to air dry overnight. Tom was there too, in the kitchen. We finished up in the kitchen together and went upstairs and got ready for bed, and went to sleep.

This morning: mug is GONE. GONE. Gone out from under a pile of dishes on the rack. I go ask S., who is staying with us if she used it for her coffee this morning, which would have been a reasonable mix up. She says no. It is NO WHERE to be found.

My current theories are:

• S. did take it/use it, felt like she couldn't admit it, and then lied to keep up the charade.

• S. is a CRAZY PSYCHOTIC LIAR

• Someone who has keys to our house came in and took it. (WHY? I don't know. It was buried under crap, not really out there).

• Ghosts.

• One of us sleepwalks and took it out of the dishrack and nothing else that was in there.

I am really tweaked about this!!!!

Check the most stupid cabinet (that is, a cabinet where it would be utterly senseless to find the mug), the fridge, and the stove.

Or S is lying.

eta...

Any chance Tom took it without thinking? That is, does he know you couldn't find it?

Check the most stupid cabinet (that is, a cabinet where it would be utterly senseless to find the mug), the fridge, and the stove.

We looked in every cabinet and in the fridge. Not the stove though.

Or S is lying.

UGH. I gave her a good way out, explaining how freaked I am and how we are seriously considering changing the locks today, and that I understand that mistake happen, etc... I hope she fesses up given the chance.

Any chance Tom took it without thinking? That is, does he know you couldn't find it?

No, we were together in the morning routine... he was the one who discovered it missing to begin with, when he went downstairs to make the coffee while I was in the shower.

If S used it for coffee, wouldn't it still be around? Weird.

Thanks for posting (links to) Kristen's news here, Cindy - I went and checked after reading COMM but it's xpostworthy!

When will that tour begin?

July. I'm actually a little excited. I was kind of hoping we'd do another overseas tour next, but in a hardship location...but if not that, then DC, so it works out. Now I just have to line up housing and daycare from here. And a job for myself.

I think the plan is to rent a friend's house in Reston while we are looking for a place to buy. R's job includes a parking space, but only for a year; after that we'll have to be on the metro or near Foggy Bottom. Of course, every time I mention living in the District, he breaks out in hives.

Gratuitous baby story: Last night, Mal pointed at a picture of a dog, and I barked. He mimicked me: "Arf! Arf!" Today we went to the zoo. When we saw the wolves, who were playing chase, Mal pointed and said "Arf! Arf!"

Huh. Nora, are you sure you don't have pets? I always blame them when stuff like this happens.

RAQ! In DC! YAY!

There was other stuff, but I'm just crazed about how it's December 1, and it's 65 degrees outside. Craziness!

Damn Nora, I hate when that shit happens. Also, what Cindy said.

Tom's going to go home at lunch and double check every cabinet, the fridge, and the stove- he is wondering if he didn't put it away mindlessly while putting the other stuff in the rack away.

Yay, Raq!

We'll have to meet up. Hubs and I aren't that far from the other end of Reston Parkway/West Ox Road.

I love Mal stories. I don't think they count as gratutious posts. He's so precious.

Someone who has keys to our house came in and took it. (WHY? I don't know. It was buried under crap, not really out there).

Ghosts.

Probably not a one of those.

Did you check the backpack? I mean, I know you said you made a conscious decision to leave it in the rack, but there have been plenty of times I've done something like that, then spaced out about the fact that I rescinded the decision and did the opposite, after.

Tom's going to go home at lunch and double check every cabinet, the fridge, and the stove- he is wondering if he didn't put it away mindlessly while putting the other stuff in the rack away.

I can understand you freaking first thing this morning, because it's just weird. But that said, the odds are huge that one of you did something stupid with it, and it will eventually turn up, like in a linen closet, or on the back of the toilet, or under a sink, or somewhere dumber than dumb.

They're slightly less in favor of S lying, because what would be the motive. She lives there. She used a cup. No biggie. Is there big tension between you, in general, otherwise? I mean, I know it's not comfortable having long term house guests, and that there's been some discomfort with her there, and issue with her departure date, etc., but I mean above and beyond that. Even though I guessed she was lying, earlier, unless she had a tremendous judgment lapse because of pre-existing tensions, I can't understand anyone lying about something so trivial.

Maybe it's not worth freaking to the point of Tom sacrificing his lunch time?

Nora I'm pretty sure somebody just picked up the cup unthinkingly and set it down where it doesn't belong and did not even notice what their hands were doing for whatever distracting reason.

People do this. Our bodies do a lot of automatic behaviors.