YMCA

also known as the place from hell on the last day of no joiners fee month...

It started out ok. I put dinner on to stew and then we left to to join the Y. Yes, this will make the third gym I've joined in about 3 years. It just occurred to me that I have become one of those gym flunkies that I laughed at previously. Oh well. We should have realized something was up when we drove in and the parking lot was packed. Even worse, we went inside and the lobby was this swirling mass of loudness.

I asked for a tour to see what it was all about. I'd decided that I wasn't going to join if it wasn't something that I'd really use. Big mistake. We waited and then were grouped with a family for the tour. The dad said little to nothing the whole tour. The mom was outspoken and commented about EVERYTHING. The older girl was about 5 and kept interupting the tour guide with the Walmart receipt from her jacket pocket or by taking everyone's picture with her pretent cell phone. The shutter noise was really authentic and when she did it to me, it make me stop and wonder why a girl was taking my picture. The younger girl was about 3 and just wondered aimlessly.

In the pool area, the girls wandered through the family dressing room looking into every place and slashing through the puddles. The mom and dad never said a word to them. The mom said that she'd only swim if she could wear her clothes. The guide had to point out that every swimmer had to have a suit. The mom was rather large and told the guide that they couldn't afford to buy suits for all of them, they usually swam in their clothes. The guide said that they'd need to get suits for this pool. As an aside, Pete and I should have figured out then that this tour would be all about them.

We went upstairs next and the Dad simply grabbed the younger girl by the hand and carried her up the stairs by holding her in the air by her hands. The younger girl wandered all over the stairs making Pete and I have to change course several times. Upstairs is the child free zone. Kids are not allowed up there normally. It's where all the machines and workout areas are. the older girl kept snapping her imaginary cell phone at everyone until the guide had to tell her to stop because people kept thinking she was really taking pictures. The younger girl was running all around and on machines and pulling, and yelling... I quickly walked by Pete who walked away so that people didn't think the kids where ours. The mom kept saying that all she'd do was walk on the treadmill and all she wanted to know was about them. She kept saying that she'd never lift weights so we didn't need to go over there. Finally Pete spoke up and said that he lifts weights.

After about 30 minutes of touring, we were done. Both done with the tour and Pete and I weren so done with being there at that time. But the guide sent us down to fill out paperwork for joining. It was at that time that the other family piped up with "Well, we cannot afford to join." Pete and I shot each other a look, but stayed quiet. Then we went to our own table to fill out the paperwork. The guide told them that they'd be eligible for reduced rates if they had a pay stub. The Dad shot out of there like a rocket and came back from the car with his pay stub. The mom said she didn't have hers. In the end, the family was paying half of what Pete and I pay for a dual membership.

Then we had to wait for about 30 minutes to get our cards from the front desk. By that time, Pete was so done. The front lobby area is clearly not for us. And I didn't have the heart to suggest that we go back to work out after dinner last night.