Gym Inspirations

I think I've blogged in the past about how much I hate the gym. It doesn't matter how much I try to like it...I don't. So when I am at the gym, there is a constant inner monologue about how much time I will spend there. I try not to leave before 30 minutes, cause really then what was the point.

A typical day at the gym consists of the elliptical machine. I talk to myself to try and figure out how long I am going to stay on the machine. I start with 30 mintes. And by minute 11.5 I am ready to leave. However, by minute 28, I am thinking I can do 45. Then I almost give up at 30, but keep going until 45. Sometimes, I even make it to 60 minutes.

This weekend I was at the gym on LI and I was around minute 28 trying to decide whether I could tough it out to 45 when in comes my hs Journalism teacher. A really cool, all too macho 50+ year old guy with muscles that would make 24 year old gym fanatics jealous. Exactly how I remember him...and this wasn't the first time I've seen him in the gym at home. I do my best to avoid eye contact which is my MO at home when I see anyone from high school.

Needless to say, I not only made it to 45, but I did the full 60. This teacher interacted with my mom once after I left for freshman year of college. My mom saw him at open school night for my brother and answered honestly when he asked how I was doing by saying that I was still adjusting and it wasn't as easy for me to go away. He made some snide snotty remark about knowing I should have stayed home for college, etc. Well-- look at me know. 7+ years strong in the city and I love it. I've loved it since about the second semester of my freshman year.

So not only did I survive going away to college in NYC, but I survived 60 minutes of cardio as well. Everyone has something that gets them to push themselves harder at the gym. For whatever reason, he made me feel as though I had something to prove. Now only if my hs teacher worked out at my gym in the city, I would really be in great shape!

Boys will be boys...

So I've finally finished going through the 500+ work emails I received while on vacation and now have a spare minute to post about something that happened while we were away.

My friend and I were out partying one evening when we were ambushed by a group of guys. There happened to be nine of them, all together for a bachelor party. They were from LI so we automatically had something in common. They were ordering drinks at the bar and immediately started talking to us. This one guy starts talking to me and flirting and telling me how beautiful I am ("you have lips people pay for") while he's giving me a mini massage (clearly he's been out long enough to put a few back...).

As he is sweeping me off my feet with his flirtacious ways, I begin to think...wow, I haven't met a guy like this in ages. A guy where you seem to have that immediate attraction, a spark so to speak. And maybe, just maybe, he started making out with me. He turns to his friend to say something and I turn to my friend and casually ask, "so who is the bachelor?" My friend smirks and points to the aforementioned guy who was showering me with attention.

At this point I nearly fell off my bar stool. For a moment I was saddened by the fact that he wasn't someone I would ever hear from again. Then I realized, why would I want to if this is how he treats his fiancee. I know I deserve better.

I guess I have met guys like him in recent times...guys who would kiss girls during their bachelor party weekend and think nothing of it.

Audience Participation

So, come tomorrow I am officially on vacation. I've never taken a full week off before. Normally I take a Thursday to a Wednesday or something like that. But this time, I am off from Monday through Friday. It's been rough preparing for a week out of the office. I probably worked an additional 20 hours last week to get ready.

I've made a promise to myself, that although we have internet at the house I am staying at, I will not check WORK email. So, that's where you get involved. Leave a comment with a guess of how many emails will be in my inbox when I return. I've been checking my email from home yesterday and today. I have one more project to complete and once I send that email this afternoon, I am officially signing off until Monday the 14th. Keep in mind that I will have google alerts, news letters, list serve emails, and the random "who stole my stapler" or "there's food in the kitchen" emails. I don't even think I could make a good guess of what the inbox will say, but I am curious to hear your estimates.

Happy Vacation!

Softball Diamonds

haha, the title of this post cracks me up. It's very clever if I do say so myself. Because this post is about softball and diamonds (the shiny, expensive ones).

I currently play on two softball teams and I am noticing that female players play with their engagement rings on. I can spot diamonds from a mile away and I truly can not fathom that people (as in more than one) would take a chance with such an expensive and sentimental piece of jewelry.

I am all about the symbolism of rings and personally plan to have more than one wedding ring. I will be one of those women that always has a wedding band on. I'll have the expensive fancy one for special occassions and the plain one that I can wear at the gym, playing softball, at the beach, etc. But an engagement ring??? I won't be stuffing my shimmering finger into a baseball glove ever, that's for sure.

Rider Strong

Has any caught that new sitcom with Rebecca Romijn, "Pepper Dennis?" I tivod a few episodes and when I finally got around to watching them, I noticed that Rider Strong is on the show.

A few years ago, I rode in an elevator with Rider Strong during my internship at a celebrity PR agency. He was very sweet insisting I exit the elevator before he did. Nothing like some chilvalry from a sitcom star.

It may have just been a small, polite gesture, but its something I won't forget. So, check out an episode and keep your eyes peeled for a more mature "Boy Meets World."