Earlier this evening, I was looking through the photos on my iPod and making sure that everything was backed up for the iOS 6 update that’s coming out in a few days, when I came across a screenshot I took a few weeks ago.

Yes, on Wednesday, September 5, 2012, I took over 12,000 steps and went up over 30 flights of stairs. I thought this would be a good way to go into my epic story of how inefficient the laboratory key rental system is at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In the morning of this epic day, I had a lab meeting with my research group, where I learned more about the research we would be doing during the semester, and got administrative information about the credits that went along with participating in the lab, as well as getting keys to access the laboratory experiment rooms.

At first, it seemed to be simple. All we had to do is go to the second floor of the psychology building and talk with Gary, who would give us our keys. But, there was a catch – we needed to put down a $10 cash deposit ($5 for each key) before we were able to get our keys. Unfortunately, I never carry any cash around with me, so I had to go to an ATM to withdraw some money. From the Brogden Psychology Building, I went to Ingraham Hall, which was where the closest no-fee ATM was for my credit union.

From Ingraham Hall, I went all the way back down to the psychology building after withdrawing $10 in cash. I went to the second floor and finally found Gary. I told him which keys I needed and gave him the $10 in cash. Then he told me a tragic story.

I have to pay my deposit at the bursar’s office, not at the psychology building. The worst part is that the bursar’s office is about half-way across the entire campus, and Ingraham Hall, where I got my cash, is more or less on the way to the bursar’s office.

So, I had to head all the way over to the bursar’s office, passing again the street I used to head to Ingraham Hall.

After making my deposit at the bursar’s office and getting a receipt, I had to walk all the way back to the psychology building to show proof of payment and get my keys.

This epic trek across my campus to get my laboratory keys, as well as going to classes and going to the Herald office to work, ended up getting me over 12,000 steps taken today.

At least I got some exercise. -__-