Fleeting Thoughts

Maybe I'm just crazy, well wait we know I'm crazy but have you ever noticed how many thoughts pass through your mind throughout the day that you would love to elaborate either in personal reflection or communication with others?
It's classic to say "if i can't remember its not important" or "if it matters it'll come back to me"
But honestly I've found that it's those fleeting thoughts, much like dreams, that really have the potential to open our minds and give us the ability to not only grasp but recognize new concepts.
Then the great part is when those ideas come back to us in "aha" moment as my teacher would say. There is a multitude of events that can jog that brain floating inside in our heads, like rambling on just now finally smacked the idea I've been playing with all day back into the forefront of my mind.
Being a person that has a brain moving at a thousand miles an hour i have to admit thoughts very rarely stay with me for more than a few seconds, if that at times. Like dreams in the time it takes to just roll over the most exciting, crazy, passionate, insightful dreams are gone. I've tried keeping dream journals, but lets face it i gotta pee when i first wake up and turn the light on let the pups out right away by the time i sit back in my bed to jot down that really cool dream i just had I'm lucky to remember even 2 that I've had in an entire month.
Now when I'm on my own studying, cleaning, reading, playing games, it's easier to grasp these thoughts. All i have to do is put one trigger word on a piece of paper toss it into my purse or pocket. Later it's great when i come across that paper i can give the topic the attention it deserves and then apply whatever it is in my life or share it with others.
But lets face it if you're having a conversation or out with a bunch of people it's not always going to be appropriate to write something down real quick. so what do you do? my teacher has taught our class a bunch of ways we could initiate triggers subtly. they don't work! well not for this scatter brain.
If anyone knows me you know that i just tend to ramble on at a quick pace jumping from subject to subject with very strong opinions, you'd swear i was Italian lol. I admit this is a major fault and yes it is worse in person than in writing. So the question remains, how do i cage those thoughts in order so that i may play with and free them later? it may be time to invest in a voice recorder and just accept that I'll have to be a little rude so i can keep my sanity. but really who knows...