Originally Posted by
genejockey
When I was still working in the lab, I used to be very particular about laying out everything I needed for larger experiments, so I could just work my way through them. Small experiments, not so much. That generally involved trying to remember where things were on the fly.
Nowadays, when I'm rebuilding a bike, I lay out the tools I'll need, the parts I'm using, the little bits like cable ends and stuff like that. But as I'm going through it, I just put tools down when I'm not using them and I end up having to hunt for things. Usually it's the 5mm Allen key that I'm looking for.
Sunday while I was cleaning up the garage from the engine work on the avalanche. I couldn't find the 10 mm wrench I used to put on the battery cable. It was the last thing I did before pushing it outside. I looked for 20 minutes before I finally said enough, It'll turn up. After I mopped the floor and put all the other tools and parts away I had still not located that wrench. I said screw it and went in to wash my hands and found that 10 mm wrench on the edge of the laundry tub. I must have been tired to bring it inside and leave it there and not remember doing it.