The World According to Mitch

It was a beautiful afternoon one day last week and so after my work was done I decided to take my Princess Sophie to the park. She is usually very patient with me during the day, knowing that I will almost always take her to the park.

We walked around, she did her business, she played with other dogs, and then we were sitting at a picnic table because a buddy of mine called. I was thrilled by the comfort and sound quality of my Jaybird Vista earbuds. I was almost done on the phone when one of Sophie’s best friends came into the park, and we went over there. I took the earbuds out and put them in my pocket so that I could chat with Joey’s mom. We followed the dogs around for a bit, and then it was time to go.

I had to stop off at the supermarket to pick up fixins’ for dinner. I was about to walk into the store when I realized that I could continue listening to my book on tape… all I had to do was put my earbuds in.

I found one of them.

There are three permutations of how I put the earbuds away when I take them off on the go. 1) Both in my right front pocket (the usual but not exclusive routine). 2) Both in my left front pocket. 3) One in each of my front pockets. I fished around in each of the pockets, finding nothing. I actually found plenty… in my left pocket I had my wallet, my business card holder, and a golf glove. In my right pocket I had my car keys, a golf ball, three golf tees, a divot repair tool, and my challenge coin. I point all of this out because it is easy to lose something in clutter. I emptied each pocket in turn, making sure that the earbud was not there.

While I couldn’t imagine I would, I even checked my back pockets. No dice. I searched my car, the area around my car, under the car seat, you name it.

I have not had the new left earbud for two weeks since it was replaced, and it was gone again. I knew they were not going to replace it for free again… this time it was going to cost me $65.

I did my shopping; at the cash register I was opening my Apple Wallet to pay when it hit me… I have a Jaybird app on my phone! The Jaybird app has an option called Find my Buds!

I had never tried this feature before, but I figured what the Hey. I opened it, and sure enough it told me that my left earbud was last seen at Triunfo Community Park. Okay, that covers a lot of ground. Fortunately, I knew where I last had them both for sure (the picnic table), and the general course I walked from there until I left the park. Before venturing in, I checked around where my car had been parked. Nothing.

While GPS tracking is pretty accurate, devices that are turned off or asleep cannot report their location. If they did, the GPS would have guided me to within a fifteen foot radius. As it was, I would have to comb an area maybe 200² feet. Not too large, but it could still have taken a long time if I didn’t remember exactly where I had been.

It took fifteen minutes, but I found it. The earbud was in one of the last sectors we had been in, walking toward the car. In fact, what likely happened is that is the spot where I took my car keys out, and out popped the earbud.

The picture I took of it where it lay was from less than two feet away. Still, without zooming in it is difficult to see. However, thanks to the Jaybird app’s Find My Buds feature, I was able to do a proper and targeted search. It cost me almost fifteen minutes; it saved me $65. I hope it taught me once and for all that my ear buds should not just be thrown into a pocket, They have a case, maybe I will carry that with me when I am out and about. Or maybe I will keep them both in my wallet pocket and not my car keys pocket, where the chances of pulling them out is obviously pretty high.

Thanks Jaybird!