Much, much easier

When we lived in the 'hood, our apartment complex had a fitness center. I was particularly excited about this because I'd gotten quite fat over the holidays. (Or at least I percevied that I had, and that's just about as bad as actually getting fat. You ladies will understand.)

I got up early one morning (7:30) and went down to try out the equipment.

Most of it was broken.

After several confused attempts, I got on the treadmill and tortured myself for 20 minutes. That was all I could handle, I despise treadmills. I always remember the hamster I had in high school, Delancey, and feel like a rodent. (Except Delancey was too fat to use his/her wheel. He/she just sat around, ate tons of hamster food and was grouchy.)

All the other exercise equipment they had, aside from the treadmill, was either broken or not plugged in. A waste of space, if you ask me.

At our NEW apartment there is also a fitness center. Since there are over 6,000 apartments in our new complex, the idea of going to a new fitness center alone on a day like today (it was a long one) scared me.

"Joey, I think I want to go try out the new fitness center here."

He had his face buried in the computer. "Ok, sure."

"No, I want you to come with me. I'm scared."

He looked up. "Ok, I'll go with you." (He's very agreeable.) He packed up his flashcards a book and the iPod, I changed my clothes, and we were off.

I was quite pleasantly surprised to see a zillion treadmills (fancy ones), ellipticals, steppers and every other imaginable piece of equipment in their fitness center. I parked it on an elliptical and spent 20 happy minutes trying to read Sense and Sensebility while bouncing around. It was not easy.

What WAS easy was the fact that the exercise machine actually worked. I feel like I got a workout, but not that I worked so hard that I have torn ligaments and tendons. (The way the broken stuff over in the 'hood could make you feel if you stayed on it for too long.)

Gosh I'm tired. This isn't making any sense. More to the point, I am cold, have a cold and am going to bed now. You should too.