The Gym

The girl has a membership to the gym at the Y through her job. She goes, on occasion. After a membership that was paid for, it was good to see her diss the "free" membership as often as the paid one.

She found out that she also has the benefit to her immediate family. Woot! That would be me. So I purchased new sneakers, yoga culottes and athletic shirt. We finally got an opportunity to go to the gym! So we went. She didn't give me the ten dollar tour, but I did find the tread mill. Don't know how to us it, and she showed me how to use it, sort of.

Let me preface this with the fact that I own an elliptical machine. It has very few miles on it. Two months after getting the machine, I developed plantar fasciitis, and for nearly one and half years, wasn't able to use it, and then sciatica. At last, after 2 years, I was able to get on it. Did about 2 miles and climbed off only to wake up with a severe case of twisted hip. After a few adjustments, I am feeling better, but it still hurts. I will not get back up on that demon device. I will put it up for sale.

That is why I chose the tread mill. I know I can walk and I know that other than a slope, I just keep walking. This I can do, and did. I got on, turned it on and began slowly and then increased the speed as I felt comfortable. I found a pace I liked, plugged in the "tunes" and began to find my own place.

I started looking around a bit, though not much. That is rude to look at people in the gym, or so I heard. I looked out the window at the pool, glanced to my left where the girl was, checking out her speed, and looked to my right. What!! There was an older lady to my left just a few machines away. She was wearing the same top as me. I quickly looked away, since I don't want to appear like I am gawking. So I start the look around again, window, pool, girl, and there she is again, looking at me. I quickly noticed she was a fatty, like me. She also has a long gate, like me. Must be a fat person thing. So I start the look around again, window, pool, girl (her speed has increased and its making me look like a tortoise,) and back to my left and there she is again, looking at me. At least I know I am not the only old fat lady at the gym. I am feeling good about that since I hate being the "only" of something.

After the time is up, and the girl is stepping off her machine, she told me to get the cleaner from the machine behind me to wipe up. She cleans her machine and when she goes behind me to put the cleaner and towel up, I looked back and dang, there was that lady again.

I also saw the girls reflection. Oh yeah, did I feel like a kook! That was me I was looking at all that time. Only because I wouldn't spend enough time to really look at the fat lady did I not know who the reflection was. I was ashamed. But I am over that. Next time, I will look at that lady more intently.

Now that Thanksgiving is hours away, I have a few thoughts. The turkey is brining, the rolls are rising, the pies are all made and the sweet potato stuff is cooked and cooling. Tomorrow brings a few last minute things to do, but it has become less so each year. I appreciate being able to do less work each year, but some things will always remain the same. You have to work to have a fancy dinner.

I don't watch much TV. Just don't have the stick to it-avness to sit and watch TV. Still, I've seen enough commercials to know who is going to be open on Thanksgiving Day. I just find that to be disrespectful to family to go shopping on Thanksgiving, or Christmas for that matter. I find it to be cruel to employees who would like to be with family to make them work. If one store opens, it creates the domino affect that support stores will be open. See, if the mall stores are open, then the food court is open. Gone is the family time, the memories of spending time with extended family and friends and teaching your children the joys of home, cousins, grandparents and aunts and uncles.

When we sit down at dinner tomorrow, let me always remember the stories of my past Thanksgivings, so that some day I can tell them to my grandkids. Before they go shopping.