The best laid plans

This story requires a little background information first...

Most of the local rec centers will allow you to use their indoor walking track for free or a very nominal cost.  When Ozark  opened their new facility a few years ago they were no exception and this was very convenient.  Well, somewhere along the way they must have decided they weren't making enough money and started charging a full day pass price of $7 to use the track.  Clearly it's not reasonable to charge the same price to use the track which requires little maintenance and no support staff as it is to use the rest of the facility.  So my alternative plan was to drive to neighboring Nixa, who allows me to use their track all year for a one time fee of $10.

While the Nixa track is about 20-25 minutes away it is worth the drive for those days I do my long runs and don't want to be trapped on the treadmill.  Yesterday, I got off work at noon, went home for lunch, did a few chores and headed over to the gym. I was prepared with my iPod (phone actually but same difference), new sports arm band for said iPod, and my $10 to renew my pass.  As I pulled into the parking lot I realized I had forgotten my ear buds.  Grrr.

Options were a) gut it out for 7.5 miles to whatever they had playing at the gym, which prior experience told me would not be good, b) waste time and gas going back home to get them c) going home and running on the treadmill (which would be possibly more tortuous than running to the oldies station at the gym) or d) buying new ear buds at the wal-mart down the street.  I went with option D.

So, I went to wal-mart, got new ear buds and headed back to the gym.  Although I would barely consider ear buds electronics they of course come it those ridiculous plastic packages that are more difficult to get into than Fort Knox.  Since my multi-purpose tool was confiscated the last time we were at the airport I really didn't have anything to open the plastic armor with other than car keys.  So, I spent the next ten minutes working up a sweat in my car hacking, slashing, and gouging the dang thing open.  I felt like I had worked out before I even set foot in the door.

In the end I still got in my run and was home in time to clean up before taking Zodiac to pet therapy.  But I no longer take much comfort in the fact that you are supposed to able to use car keys as a weapon of self defense.  And more importantly, I now have a set of ear buds for home and for car so I don't get into such a mess again.

And yes, I realize if that was the worst part of my day, my life is pretty good!