Repeat offender

Mrs. Expatriate and I were coming home this morning. I decided to stop by the school and pick up some books to make an order. I ran up to my office, grabbed my books, and popped into the office. The secretary was working and my boss was gone.

Me: [hanzi]早安[/hanzi] ([pinyin]zao3an1[/pinyin]) [Good morning!]
Secretary: [hanzi]æ—©[/hanzi] ([pinyin]zao3[/pinyin]) [Good morning.]
Me: [hanzi]你在乾媽[/hanzi]? ([pinyin]ni3zai4gan1ma5[/pinyin]) [What are you doing?]
Secretary: [hanzi]主任的爸爸昨天過世了[/hanzi] ([pinyin]zhu3ren4de5ba4ba4zuo2tian1guo4shi4le[/pinyin]) [The chair’s father died yesterday.]
Me: Eh?
Secretary: [hanzi]他在桃園[/hanzi] ([pinyin]ta1zai4tao2yuan2[/pinyin]) [He’s in Taoyuan (for mourning)].
Me: Oh…ok.

Not really sure what to say, I walked out. Mrs. Expatriate was waiting in the car.

Me: [hanzi]主任的爸爸昨天過世了[/hanzi] ([pinyin]zhu3ren4de5ba4ba4zuo2tian1guo4shi4le[/pinyin]) [The chair’s father died yesterday.]
Her: What?
Me: The secretary just told me.
Her: I definitely have to go to that funeral for the department this afternoon, then. (She was talking about a different funeral. One of the professors’ mothers died and the funeral is this afternoon).
Me: OK.

10 minutes later, we’re at home. Mrs. Expatriate gets on the phone and calls the secretary to get more details. I decide it’s time for my morning movement. A few minutes later, I’m sitting there, and Mrs. Expatriate comes in.

Her: [hanzi]主任的爸爸昨天過世了[/hanzi] ([pinyin]zhu3ren4de5ba4ba4zuo2tian1guo4shi4le[/pinyin]) [The chair’s father died yesterday.]
Me: I just told you that 10 minutes ago.
Her: I definitely have to go to that funeral for the department this afternoon.
Me: I know. You just told me that 10 minutes ago.

This happens probably 4-5 times a day. I’m not really sure why Mrs. Expatriate feels the need to repeat things like this 2, 3, or even 4 times. Many times I will tell her something and then she’ll tell me the exact same thing 5 minutes later, as if it was her idea. Does she have a really horrible short-term memory? I’m not sure.

For the record, I knew she did this when I married her. It’s still rather annoying, though.

She did just make me a grilled ham ‘n cheese sandwich, however, so I can’t go too hard on her.