Since I am no longer riding my bike, I spend a lot of time at the gym and the closest one to home is CFF (California Family Fitness) at Sunrise/50. I either go in the afternoon around 4 before the herd of cattle come in after work or I go at night at about 8:30 - 9. Favorite activities are stairclimbing and eliptical and weightlifting. And no, I have not seen that woman with the grandma perfume. She just made a one time appearance, thank goodness! As for how I pass the time away while climbing stairs, I don't want to listen to music because the ear buds keep falling out and watching TV from three rows back is not enjoyable. That leaves people watching and believe me there is a lot to see, some pleasant and some not so pleasant. Among the interesting people are a couple I call Kitty and Beefcake. She is Kitty because of a small tattoo of a Kitty on her right ankle. I know Kitty lives in Gold River because I was standing behind her once at the Bel-Air market on Sunrise. Beefcake is her boyfriend or husband. Kitty could be Hispanic. I can't tell but she is very attractive, probably early twenties with long, dark hair and dark eyes. Beefcake is, well a beefcake. Short blond hair and just generally thick all around. The fun is when they work out together on the cardio machines. The truth of the matter is that Beefcake can't keep up with Kitty who has tremendous stamina. He can usually last around 20 minutes before he peters out while Kitty is still going strong. She sometimes teases him about it which I imagine he probably doesn't like but that's what happens when you focus too much on heaving weights up and down and don't spend enough time working up an aerobic sweat.
As for me, I usually get drenched and that is how I like it. Others don't seem too enthused when I head over to another machine dripping but I am diligent about cleaning my mess up.
Usually when I go there I really have no interest in conversation. I just do my thing, sweat, change my shirt and exit stage left. Last few weeks have had more social interaction. For example, I met Ortega Rodriguez from Durango, Mexico while playing with pumpkin in the pool. Nice guy. Likes to joke and I have someone I can talk to in Spanish. Oh yea, last night I was in the locker room, a place where I have even less interest in talking to anyone when a stocky Russian guy next to me holds up his smelly, sweaty shirt and proclaims in a thick Russian accent that his shirt is too sweaty. I look at him and then hold up my dripping shirt. I thought I had him beat but he hadn't even started working out yet. Yecch! I am out of here!
That's all for now. Tomorrow is wedding in Bay Area.
