Ah, the failing attention capabilities of the middle-age brain. I am well acquainted with this problem, and it has nothing to do with childbirth or gender. I only wish the What-Am-I-Doing-Here? Paranoi did not strike me so frequently when I go down to the basement or garage with firm purpose, and arrive completely clueless as to why I am standing down there and the only way I can remember is to march back up the stairs and stand where I was when the bright idea to go downstairs occurred to me. Or there was the day I showed up for a ride with very different colored gloves (at least they were for different hands); or the 50-mile ride I showed up for with nary a single water bottle, or .... This is a fascinating article that goes into detail on our "affliction": http://www.oprah.com/health/Midlife-...-Remember-More