Yard Work Man...And The Case Of The Missing Airpod Vol 2: Conclusion

 My reaction to the potential loss of one airpod fell somewhere between mild panic and frustration. Since I use my airpods mostly for podcasts, and usually only have one in at a time, having only the right side isn't the worst thing. Still...

It would suck having to replace them.

I found when there's something I don't know, I pull up a quick internet search. Turns out, Apple has a way to find lost airpods, iPads, computers. It's call the Find My app. 

A glimmer of light.

I turned on the app and tried following the instructions. I walked around my backyard with my phone close to the ground. I made one tour of the yard...nothing. I took a second turn...nothing. I even went to the bag of weeds we gathered and held my phone close and I moved the bag back and forth. 

Nothing.

Bummer.

I wondered if I was operating the app correctly. After all, I had the other airpod in my pocket and it wasn't finding that one. A thought kept returning to my mind...the lawnmower chewed it up and it was gone. Dejected, I went inside and powered up my laptop so do a more in depth search. I found out my laptop has the Find My app, too. I turned it on and it gave me the same instructions that I found on my phone, and I got the same result.

Since I couldn't figure out how the Find My app didn't seem to find my other airpod, I hit the Bluetooth on the laptop and something interesting happened...it showed only one airpod and the airpod was at 50% battery.

It found the left-side one, the lost one. Finally, a bit of good news. It wasn't destroyed--it was out there, somewhere in the backyard.

I renewed my search. I went around the yard, phone in hand. It eluded me. I returned to the computer to check and noticed the battery for the airpod kept falling, which meant, I was running out of time. The longer the airpod was paired with my computer, the more energy it took. If I didn't find it quick, it'd most likely be lost forever.

One last search. I checked where we had put down fabric and where soon gravel would cover. Something changed on the phone...a slight change, but a change. I stopped and lowered the phone. That's when I heard it...a steady "beep beep beep." I moved the phone in one direction, the beeping stopped. I moved it back and it picked up again. I moved the fabric, dug a few scoops of dirt, and there it was.

Success.

Personally, I thought it was gone forever. I know it's a small thing--literally the airpod and the fact that it was lost--but finding it made my day. Hopefully, in the future I won't have to go through that again.

Yard Work Man...And The Case Of The Missing Airpod Vol 1

"The morning's always better," at least, that's what I've been told. I'd say they're right, but that means I'd have to admit they're right and I'm not ready to do that, at least...

Not yet.

The season change brings other changes, too. We had a free Saturday morning last weekend and since it wasn't snowing or raining, it meant only one thing...yard work. I started early, going into the garage, putting on my "gardening shoes," my work gloves, my large-brimmed hat...and the last part of the wardrobe, an airpod--not both, but just the left one. Perfect for catching up on missed podcasts.

The morning goal: clear the ground and lay down fabric.

We bought the good stuff, not like that cheap fabric we tried last fall--we'll never make that mistake again. As mornings go, it was almost perfect, temperatures in the mid-50s, a light breeze. With stories in my left ear, nature in my right, things were going well.

My wife joined me a little later. I had pulled weeds and moved some of the rocks, but I needed her to finish the job. Together we jumped right in. I only had a few minutes on the current podcast so I took out my phone, stopped the broadcast, and put the phone back and went to work.

Together we finished clearing the ground and putting down the fabric. It looks great. Something that needed doing was the lawn so I mowed it, then got out the edger to tackle the redwood-sized grass circling the yard. It took a while, but glad I did it, and when I turned off the edger for the last time, a sense of satisfaction washed over me. That's when I reached up to my left ear to retrieve the airpod, and...

Nothing.

No biggie. I'll just dig into my pant's pocket, get the airpod where I put it, and stick it back into my ear to finish the podcast.

I checked one pocket--not there. Not to worry, it's in another. Checked another one...nope. Now I'm a little nervous. I quickly check every pocket and the airpod's not there.

It's somewhere in the yard, finding it is going to be tough. Then, an even worse thought hits me. What if the lawnmower pulverized it?

Now I'm bummed.

Tomorrow, I'll finish the Yard Work Man and the Case of the Missing Airpod.