Since Weezy and I are moving in a couple (3) weeks, there's a lot of stuff to be done at the current house. We have to get it ready to sell. One thing that needed to be done had to do with the bathtub. It was kind of stained and old looking. There was a little spot of rust or something in one corner. So instead of replacing it, we went with something called electro-something or other. It's some sort of super-duper coating that makes it look shiny and new for pennies less than replacing the tub.
One drawback, though. Nobody can use the tub for 5 days. Not a big deal. It works pretty good with my shower schedule.
So I was like "Hmm ... Where can I take a shower?" Then I was all "I know! I can just go to 24 hour fitness and shower." I've been meaning to get back into shape and this is as good an excuse as any to get started. So saturday morning I "worked out". Loved it. Endorphins, runner's high, all kinds of shit I don't usually get when I exercise. Or maybe I never noticed because I used to exercise intensely pretty much every day.
Well anyways, I was hooked. I didn't go Sunday because I had to golf (90 on a par 68). Actually, I was thinking about how I might squeeze a workout in. This is like it was years ago when I was truly addicted to it.
I figure if I get up at 5 each day, I can get a good workout in and be at work before 8. Yesterday was great. I felt great all day. relaxed. cool. When I quit several months ago, it was pulling teeth to workout. I guess I needed a break. But that's not what reminded me of 1992.
In 1992, I had been married for almost 3 years. About 2.9999 years of that - absolute, unrelenting misery. Horrible. I'll talk about it someday, when I can laugh about it (like tomorrow or something).
Jolene (my daughter) was 2 years old. I was poor for the first time since 1986. I had slowly amassed a small nest egg from 86 to about 90. I had a policy of living debt free. I was saving to pay my way through college. I wanted to go to U.N.O. and Major in Computer Science. Everything was going pretty well. I worked part-time at Idelman Telemarketing. I had a nice little apartment. I had lots of Christian friends and we'd hang out at Village Inn drinking coffee, studying the bible, laughing at sinners and generally being assholes. I had heard about this very serious, devout, woman of Christ named Wisa Wike (Fake Name, to be discreet - or is it discrete?) She was sort of a self contained separate being, I guess. We'll I had heard about her many times as being no-nonsense. Several of my brothers in Jesus were pretty much in love with her. I had never met her, but I kind of liked her, too - from the way people talked about her.
Turns out, she had way more faith than I ever will. For instance, she believed that the bills would somehow miraculously get paid. Or that if someone offered us credit, it was God's way of saying we needed to consume more than we produced.
So by 1992, I was in more debt than ever before. A trend that would continue until I got away and dug my way out.
I have to stop there because I'm tired from all that working out and I have to get up at 5 tomorrow ...
6 comments:
If not for the dates being off a little, it would have been quite possible that my ex wife was married to you before she married me. I'd like to say that I will laugh about it tomorrow, but since tomorrow is today where I am (and I'm not laughing), I guess that I have to complete some more penance while I count my blessings.
So by "work out," do you mean lift weights? I remember you being pretty buff when we all first got into cycling. Then, when we all started getting pretty fast, you had dropped quite a bit of upper body weight.
The reason I ask is because this morning reminded me of a cold winter day in 1993 when Michelle saw a different version of me. See we had been going out for 2 years by this point and her parents had got a divorce. She was living over in Chicago with her dad and brother, but we were still keeping it together. 1993 was my first year of highschool and I was taking weight training for gym. I was also eating like mad. In 1990, I shot up to 5'10" but was only 135 lbs. I could eat anything, but not gain any weight. So when I started lifting weights in high school, I was very proud when I got up to 150 lbs and I could actually bench press my weight too!! Then, Michelle came back to Omaha for Christmas break and instead of the usually scrawny Mike, she found a little musclier Mike with a couple pounds of fat on him. She liked this very much.
Well, then I messed up my back muscles trying to get my squat above 230 lbs and I had to quit lifting. I stopped any exercise all together when I switched my focus to music during college and got pretty tubby. After college I took up cycling and got down to 150 lbs again. Now, I'm not biking as much and am at a boring, medium, kinda flabby 165.
So all this is to find out if you have a weight training program going on? If so, could I join you in the early morning hours so I can wail on my pecs and such?
Brady - I forgot your ex-wife's name was Wisa.
Mike, Yeah here's the current Plan.
Mon, Wed, Fri - Cardio (there's a 5:30 Spin on Monday and Wednesday).
Tue, Thu, Sat - Legs, Back, chest.
I base my weight lifting "routine" around the 3 power lifting exercises. Squat, Dead Lift, Bench Press.
I get there at around 5:30 and do 20-30 minutes of warmup on the stair master or the treadmill or both. Then, I too, wail on my pecs.
I've always enjoyed cycling the most, but I tend to enjoy mixing it up sometimes. Plus yeah - Jill likes it when my shoulders are wider and my hips narrower than hers.
HHHmmmmm.....
Which club do you use? I could probably only make it to the Cass St one to workout with you and to make it to work on time. Plus, for December, I'd have to do my own thing as my schedule changes for that month to 6:30am - 3:30pm.
The only other thing to think about is the cost. The cheapest route would be $240 for the year.
HHHmmmm... Ponder ponder ponder...
Yeah - I go to the Cass one. About 6 years ago I got a deal. 3 years, unlimited for $500 Cash. Then life for $99 a year. That's why I never gave it up even when I thought I'd be using the U.P. facility for the rest of my life.
You should call them and demand that they give you an unlimited membership for $8.25 a month. I bet they'd go "Oh fine, you big baby."
Well, online they have a deal that's $550 for 3 years, then $150 for the "First 12 month renewal rate." So my main question is, will the rate go up after my 4th year?
The other issue is still the cost being all at once. Granted, putting it into perspective, $12-$15 per month to pay for the quality of gym that 24hrfitness is, makes some sense. If I use it. Let me see if I can figure out a way to make this work and I'll get back to you.
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