My time with my dad went fine. He's relaxing in front of the TV, watching "Modern Marvels" on channel 37. He's had breakfast, his pills, his insulin, 3 sugar-free chocolates, a glass of milk, and 2 sugar-free Oreos®. And soon it will be time for lunch.

Mom's trip went fine. She should be home in an hour or so.

I've been organizing my mom's kitchen. I am realizing how much of her frustration comes from having a naturally disorganized brain. She's smart, but used to dithering about, so she does weird things. She buys 4 of something and then realizes she had 3 at home. She makes lists but can't find them. She doesn't have one place where her keys or purse or mail go.

Being like my dad, I am driven crazy by this. So is she, but it's as if she can't see that her behavior on the front end (dropping things wherever, for example) creates the frustration at the back end (getting stressed out looking for things, wasting food because there is too much and some of it goes bad).

I moved the toaster out from under the paper towel rack. Seems to me that's inherently dangerous. She can move it back if it doesn't suit her, or I could move the towel rack for her. Makes no difference to me, as long as there isn't a hot thing under the paper goods.

My parents' home is a bit storage-challenged, but it would be less so if my mom didn't buy duplicates of things. She has way too many little tubes of redundant skin care products! There is shit everywhere that she hasn't looked at, but can't get rid of. Part of this is disorganized thinking or forgetfulness, but part could also be attributed to growing up in poverty in Jersey City. You get some weird programming about what to keep and what to toss when you're raised in that situation.

I am a behaviorist, especially as it applies to others. (I'll keep dealing with my versions of these habits, be certain.) I believe that my mom could learn to use a system. But she just breaks down and can't handle something like keeping a list on the fridge on which to write items needed at the store.

If this is truly genetic, I'd better learn some new habits ASAP. Just as I don't want to die of the same physical ailments my dad has, I don't want to die in a house full of crap, sitting among my 14 magazine subscriptions, unable to find the phone, or my glasses, or the door.

Hmm! That all just poured out. I'm going home to organize and further decrappify my house. These days I buy less and I'm outside more. Of course, that means buying gear . . .

Like I said, I'll keep dealing with my versions of these habits!