I was talking on the telephone this morning while feeding the dog. I took the Glad container full of his home-cooked food (yes, I cook for the dog), doled out the portion, microwaved it to take off the chill, put the dish down - and stowed the storage container in the microwave instead of the refrigerator.

I can't even blame the phone call. All of this took place while I was only half listening to the person on the other end of the line.

Fortunately, I discovered my mistake before several days worth of Baxter food went sour.

Some people might call this simply a case of preoccupation, distraction - or even of losing one's marbles.

I prefer to think of it as inadvertent multi-tasking.

Now that I'm not forced by work that was extremely detailed to keep track of everything, of storing away every action, every word, every appointment, I find myself involved in mindless multi-tasking pretty frequently.

A trip to the bathroom can end up in cleaning the bathroom sink. A foray into the garage to put a load of clothes in the machine can evolve into watering the orchids, even walking across the street to talk with the kids.

It's as if my brain is taking a vacation; as if everything in my short-term memory has oozed out through my ears while I take my naps.

And oh, those naps.

Usually around 2 p.m., Baxter starts looking at me. He yawns. He stretches. He makes me sleepy. There's nothing on television, I've already been on the computer for several hours. So with not much else to do - and that huge hole in the afternoon gaping in front of me - it becomes time to take a nap.

The phone comes off the hook, the ceiling fan goes on, the television goes off and I settle on the world's most uncomfortable couch for an hour or so.

Oh, that reminds me. I have to call the upholsterer about new cushions for the couch. I wonder where I put that telephone number?

Hmmm.

Now where was I going with this?

I have no idea.