Is that a rabbit in your....?

Yesterday afternoon I ventured to Eastern Market on Capitol Hill. I decided to make a pot of rabbit gumbo this week and the only butchers that I know of in DC (enlighten me if I'm incorrect.) are at Eastern Market.

Within a few minutes, I found the perfect rabbit, purchased it, half frozen and left. Now, I hadn't planned well, I realized as I was walking out into the hot summer day. I was headed to Results the Gym on Capitol Hill directly from the market and it probably would have been a bad choice to leave the food in the car, because when I returned the rabbit would already have been roasted.

As I drove to the gym I made a quick list of my options. I didn't want to sacrifice my rabbit or my workout. However, as I got out of the car, I made a quick decision. I grabbed the rabbit and shoved it into my gym bag (along with a pound of bacon.)

It occurred to me as I was swiping my card and saying hello to the front desk woman that I was walking into the gym with a dead rabbit in my bag. The idea seemed odd, and I'm fairly certain of the reactions I would have gotten from her if she only knew.

Later, as I was working out, I looked around me at the other gym members and thought about the fact that they didn't realize that there was a dead rabbit in my locker. Even now, I am thankful that it didn't fall out of my bag as I was changing. My gym has a strict policy against mobile phone use in the lockerroom, so I can only imagine that a dead rabbit on the floor is against some rule.

I know that many of you will feel sorry for the rabbit (maybe even send me threatening emails) and no doubt think that I have learned some valuable lesson from this. And I have. I have learned that I need to plan better when I am visiting the butcher shop before the gym. Or at the very least, bring a cooler. Now that's valuable.