Yes, I have been in a pretty foul mood most days. I have not been able to put my finger on why....until now.
So...everyone knows that in the beginning of the year (January 1st, to be exact) there is always a rush of new memberships at gyms across America. I have known this for years. So many people make it a yearly resolution to get in shape, lose weight, make exercise apart of their daily routine...you get the idea. So they all rush out the door on January 1st with a fiery vengeance, and head to the fitness facility of their choice.
Now, I happen to go to a local YMCA that is (literally) 3 miles from my house. My kids love the men and women who work the kids area both during the day and at night. They LOVE the kids area in general (it has a large area with what they call "the tunnels", its basically like a big McDonald's PlayPlace if you can imagine it). There are tons of toys and activities planned for them. And they have a great time when we go.
HOWEVER............................
Since January 1st reared its ugly head....it has been nearly IMPOSSIBLE for me to enjoy my gym time. And THIS, my friends, is what has put me in such a foul mood for weeks now. I didn't realize it until yesterday, but it really is why I get pissed off in the beginning of my day. See, my routine has been as follows:
- Get up, have some coffee, and generally relax until its time to wake up the boys.
- Get the boys up and out of bed.
- Prepare breakfast and sit with them while they watch some morning cartoons and eat.
- Get boys dressed and ready to go.
- Drive Jeremiah to school and drop him off.
- Come back home with Jonah, continue trying to coax him to eat breakfast.
- Get dressed and head to the gym.
So, you can basically say that the first thing I really do with MY day is go to the gym. As many of you know, I have long since regarded the gym as "Me Time". Its 90 minutes where I don't have to look after the boys. I'm not really worried about them. I can just listen to music, sweat and think about nothing. But, because I only have 90 minutes worth of child-free time, I go in to the gym with a plan. I plan out each day's workout(s) ahead of time. I know what machines I'm going to use and at what time. Now, to be clear, I have ZERO PROBLEMS with having to wait a bit here or there for a machine to open up. I do not have any grandiose ideas that all machines should be open for me as I enter the facility. That's just silly. But what I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH is when people are inconsiderate of others.
Just today, for example, I was using these stepping stair things (not sure of the proper term for them, but you'll find them in a 'Step Class'). I took great care at setting them up at the right height, grabbed some hand weights and started my leg routine. I'm half-way through and standing off to the side of said stepping stairs doing weighted lunges, when a guy walks up, LOOKS AT ME, looks at the steps, then.....PROCEEDS TO TAKE THEM APART!!!!!
UMMMMMMMMM............WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU F*CKING MORON?!?!?!?!?!?!
No. I didn't say that. I was actually more polite than I probably would have been when I was younger, but I did correct the dude by telling him I was still using them and that I would be done in a few minutes. I mean....COME ON PEOPLE.
Here is my tip for many of you out there who may not be very regular gym goers. Find a friend, or even someone you don't know that well, that you know goes to the gym religiously. Ask them to sit with you for a few minutes and give you some tips on GYM ETIQUETTE. Trust me, it will be the best few minutes you've spent in a long time.
In general, be CONSIDERATE of others. If you see someone working out next to something and you're not sure if they're using it or not, ASK THEM! *Listen, we may have very intense, almost angry expressions on our faces, but that's merely from concentration and focus. Most of us will not mind a simple question if it means you're following proper gym rules*
So I said all this to say, I've changed my routine. I now go to the gym EARLIER so that I am not surrounded by so many aimless, inconsiderate, morons. I just can't handle it. And I hate feeling so angry first thing in the morning. Hopefully by this summer, some of these people will stop going. I know that sounds bad....but...the people that I'm referring to are the people who don't take it seriously in the first place.
