Two weeks ago I left a pair of movie tickets at home.

On New Year’s weekend, I was meeting up with Bob from Eternal Sunshine to watch LAWRENCE OF ARABIA at The Lightbox. After 30 minutes on the subway and walking through downtown, the fact that I didn’t have the tickets to the movie I was on my way to see dawned on me – a mere one block away from the theatre.

While I knew I had no chance to turn around, get the tickets and make it back in time for the show, I didn’t sweat it too much. While I faced the bummer of now paying for a pair of tickets I’d once had in my hand for free, there were plenty of tickets to be had…and $15 didn’t seem like such a harsh penalty for such silly forgetfulness.

I bring this up, because I’m noticing more and more how my brain works…and it almost scares me. (More after the jump)

That same weekend, I won Kai’s game on The MILFcast. Three times during this game I was able to name a movie after being told the year and genre. Why? Because I seem to have some strange well in my brain for the years movies were released. Then there’s Jess’ Movie Mashup game (or Quotable Quotes on the podcast with Rachel for that matter)…all of which seem to set off the lightbulb over my head with alarming speed.

But why would that scare me? It scares me because my movie-encyclopedia-like brain doesn’t work that way across the board.

Without checking I could name you the nine actors who played the main soldiers in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN…but I have a better-than-average-chance of forgetting my wallet at home most days.

I could tell you all five films that were nominated for best picture in 1994…but Lady Hatter has to ask me to take out the recycling at least three times before it gets done.

And I could recite Jack Nicholson’s entire “You can’t handle the truth” monologue at my very groggiest…but if not for Susie Q reminding me, I’d most certainly forget what I’m supposed to buy from the supermarket on the way home.

In short, my short-term memory sucks. It sucks for most day-to-day chores. It sucks for making sure I have what I need before I walk out the door. It sucks for remembering people’s names moments after they’ve introduced themselves. I’m not at the point of needing to tattoo my body with phrases like “Got your cell phone?” and “We’re out of kitty litter”…but some days I feel like I’m not far off.

It’s not even a question of remembering something I care about versus something I don’t: the Lawrence tickets proved that. Furthermore, I’m not put off by picking up groceries or taking out trash. I am put off by upsetting my wife when I forget to do these things.

Part of me almost worries that there’s something wrong with my brain…but I don’t think it’s anything that couldn’t be fixed with a better routine, or at least a few exercises. When I start forgetting the names of the Corleone children, then it’s really time to worry. For now though, i’ll say that winning dvd’s from Kai sure is nice, but I’d give ’em all back if it meant that remembering my phone and wallet when I walk out the door could be more of a given.