The internet can be a very handy tool if used correctly.
Proper usage includes repeated viewings of cat videos on YouTube, attaining new
recipes for dinner, and frantically pressing F5 to refresh any and all news
regarding to the closure of Furniture Row Racing. And yes, I am still very
bummed about that last one.
Of course, there are certain things one should not do on the
internet. For example, when wanting to virtually peruse Dick's Sporting Goods, always
make sure to type the full store name. Or when writing a very important term
paper, don't use Wikipedia as your primary source.
All of that being said, the internet is only as good as its
user. If you don't use it correctly (or at all), then it's not going to help
you. That was a hard-learned lesson learned yesterday morning when Ellie and I
set out on our adventure for the day.
With Ellie and I having spent a majority of the past week
suffering from and unable to defeat a nasty cold, the two of us finally being
"healthy" was cause for celebration. For Ellie, that meant one thing
and one thing alone was in order: a trip to the zoo. Therefore, shortly after
Bethany left for work, Ellie and I set out on our quest for zoo-based fun.
Obviously, zoo-based fun is something that everyone loves
and adores. However, there is one prerequisite to zoo-based fun that rises
above all others. That being that the zoo must actually be open. During the
summer, Ellie and I became accustomed to hitting the zoo right as it opened at
8 am. However, as I learned yesterday, those hours of operation change to 9:30 for
the remainder of the year beginning Labor Day weekend. Information that clearly could
have been made known to me with just a simple Google glance.
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| The proof is out there... |
Under normal circumstances, Ellie and I would have found a
playground or taken a nap in the car to pass the time. However, recent events
in Ellie's life require her to stick to a rigorous and dedicated routine. I
know you're wondering what kind of rigorous and dedicated routine a toddler
would need to follow. The answer is simple: the bathroom schedule.
Bethany and I have placed Ellie on a pretty strict schedule
of going no longer than 45 minutes in between bathroom breaks. Unfortunately
for us, that's pretty much the amount of time that had passed during our
commute. It was imperative that we seek out a restroom even though the zoo was
scheduled to open in a paltry 30 minutes. As Ellie was still in her car seat, I
fired up the motor and we headed out of the zoo parking lot in search of a
public restroom.
As I ran down the list of possible options with Bethany via
phone call, the first place to come to mind was a Wendy's somewhat near the zoo.
While it might not have had the cleanest bathroom imaginable and I would surely
be tempted by food, it was all we could think of initially. As I drove out of
the zoo, my eye was drawn to a large building a block over. It was then that I
remembered that Swope Park is home to a community center. Even though I
couldn't be certain it was open, I figured it was worth a shot.
As we pulled into the lot, I was overcome by the urge to
cross my fingers and hope for good luck. Unfortunately for me, I lack the
ability to cross my fingers. Fortunately for us though, it wasn't necessary as
the community center was open and had public restrooms waiting for little
Ellie. About five minutes later, we were back in the car and returning to the
zoo for our long-awaited, zoo-based fun.
Even though the rest of the day went off without a hitch,
the moral of the story is that the internet can be a good thing. All you have
to do is use it correctly, or in my case, double check before loading up a
toddler in a car with the promise of zoo-based fun. #DaddyWrite
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