I am so glad I got the jump on my New Year’s resolutions and started back in early November. That way I can already begin to slack off. Even though I beat the rush, hordes of others seem intent on getting started.
Thursday I pulled into my athletic club parking lot to find it nearly overflowing. What I found most amusing was that people were actually circling the lot to find the rare spot close to the door. Kind of defeats the purpose of going to the club doesn’t it?
Inside was not much better. Available lockers were rare, as was changing space. Out in the gym proper, the cardio machines were in heavy use, although the weights seemed to be getting average use. I guess that’s to be expected. Newbies can usually figure out a cardio machine right away, but weight machines can be a bit more intimidating. At least, that’s how I was a couple of months ago.
Regardless of how crowded the gym gets, I do have one pet peeve – people who camp out on the machines. First, there are the not-so-fit types. They do one set of reps (or part of one) then sit on the machine immobile for long periods of time. I would prefer that they go elsewhere to do nothing so I can use the machine. The second type are the socialites. I find these most often in the mornings or during what would be normal work times. A cluster will gather around a machine with one person on it (most often, the one machine I want to use at the time) and stand around chatting. I stand politely, albeit intently waiting for the machine, but they don’t seem to get the hint. I may have to be less subtle next time.
I’m sure the crowds will diminish as those resolutions go by the wayside. I’m hoping that since I’ve already had two months to get into a groove, I’ll stick to the routine. Getting back to a regular work schedule after holidays actually helps.
Speaking of resolutions, I used to have my students write them when we got back from holidays. It was a quick and easy lesson plan, sure to kill some time while addressing some vague writing standard set forth by the state. One of the formats I used was to write a couple of resolutions for yourself, then suggest a couple for someone else. This, of course, could get tricky. You would get the usual, "I resolve that my teachers should give less homework" or "I resolve that my little sister stop pestering me", but occasionally you’d get the heart-rending "I resolve that my parents fight less" or "I resolve that my daddy stay home more." I’m not sure that I’d be allowed to even do this lesson given today’s classroom climate.