blessed bluetooth

I typically leave my windows cracked when I'm away from my car. It's a habit I picked up from my dad, who always cracks his windows when he's away from his car so that the interior of the car won't be as hot when he gets back into it later. This strategy totally makes sense in sunny southern California, but its benefits are a bit more dubious here in the frozen north. Still, I do it pretty much everywhere I go and at any time of the year, and I ultimately feel like it keeps my car's interior smelling fairly fresh and not too "leathery", which I like.

I was at the gym this morning and noticed that it had started to snow, so I decided to step outside to roll up my car's windows. After I got into my car, I realized that I had done something very stupid: I hadn't brought my gym access card with me, and had left my phone and wallet inside the gym. The place I go is very low cost and is typically not staffed, so you have to have an access card in order to gain entry. No one else was there, so I decided to sit in my car and wait until someone showed up so that I could get in. There were emergency contact numbers listed on the door, so after half an hour of waiting (it was early and I didn't want to wake anyone up), I finally decided to call the gym owner. This wouldn't have been possible if my car hadn't had Bluetooth. My phone was on the inside of the gym, but it was still close enough that I was able to connect to it and dial the number with my car's controls. Anyway, I got the owner's voicemail, but she called me back a couple minutes later and gave me the code to a hidden lockbox outside the door. Problem solved, I finished my workout, and all was well with the world.

I get tired of cell phones and generally hate talking on the phone, and think that people (including me) wearing Bluetooth headsets look like fools, but today I'm very grateful for these two fabulous pieces of technology.