Road to Nowhere

While in quest to be thinner and more desirable to no one, I went back to "spinning". 

I have a bike, though it needs some decent amount of tune-up before it would even be street legal. But having Shep makes it harder for 710 and I to go out biking. Maybe next year we will try. 

In the meantime, I got on a stationary bike on Sunday and rode 10 miles. 

The gym has Lifecycles. In any gym I've been to, I have never been a fan. For the last few weeks I've been trying their recumbent bikes, but you know, it's just blah. Maybe I'm getting a workout, but I don't feel it. 

But my current gym has six Peloton bikes in a separate room. I've never been on one and honestly, I had no desire to pay for a Peleoon membership on top of my gym one. In the 4.5 months I've been there I have seen two people use them. 

My sister said, "maybe it's part of your membership already".  Maybe. As it turns out it was / is - and she's the one who had to tell me because she did the research. 

On a running break day, I went, "eh, why not".  So I did. 

Honestly, it took me as long to set up the account and pair my audio as it took to do my first ride. I kept trying to pair my phone and not my headphones, so it kept failing.  DUH. 

Then there was the workout / instructor selection.  I limited it to a 30 minute ride - as it had been a while - and tried to find a decent play list.  Out of frustration, I just selected one. 

The workout was in German.

My friends Jon and Meredity laughed and laughed at this.  Rightfully so. 

You'd think I would have stopped it and found something more up my alley than the warm tones of the Germanic people.  You'd think wrong. 

It turns if you're somewhat intelligent and speak little to no German, you can still figure it all out. I could see that during the ride my resistance should be at X and my speed should be at Y. At worst, come the end of the workout, I can count from 5 to 1 in another language. 

The ride was doable and sweaty. 30 minutes was a good intro and I think I can progress fro there on m non-running days. It's good to mix it up, I think. 

During my ride, it was difficult not to think back to spin classes and how much better some of the instructors - especially my fave, Andy.  I had such a man-crush on him, I'd have made-out* with him in a heartbeat. But he really was the hardest and best instructor at my former gym. 

I kid you not, when I walk out of the Peloton room and there doing fucking chin-ups is Andy. 

I'd say ' what are the odds ' but number of gyms divided by number of men in the 216 with the open earlier than x amount of gyms by y number of hours probably takes it to a high probability. 

I'd say we 'caught up', but I'm 99.97% sure he has not idea what my name is. He is nice and pleasant to look at, and talk to, but whatever lust I had for him no longer existed.  

It's called 'growth' people! Sheesh!

*'made-out' is for the PG-13 crowd, FYI. 

Song by: Talking Heads

Slow Ride

My taint is sore.

Yes, you heard me.

With so much time off from cardio, and a new pair of orthodic inserts - albeit the non-custom ones - this last Saturday I braved going back to Spin.

My weight has crept up from lack of any cardio (ok, I've run a mile or two on the treadmill per gym visit), and I needed to get back to doing something what wasn't lifting related.

Mind you, I haven't blown-up or anything, just at that 190 mark that I struggled so long to get below. My goal is to stay below that and hopefully get back to 183, which is what my driver's license says I am.

Anyway, armed with a water bottle and my biking shorts and shoes, I walked confidently into the gym 35 minutes before the class was to begin. I had every intention of lifting for 20 minutes before starting to warm-up on the bike.

That plan was shot to shit as I was almost at the door of the gym.  You see, I notice people patterns - it's one of those things I can't help.

So, as I'm approaching the entrance, I notice this woman hustle to the desk. She always always always shows up for Spin just as the door is shutting. But I checked on Thursday and everything says Andy is teaching at 09:30.  I'm good.

But I change into my gear figuring I'll lift while wearing my Spin shoes. Then I notice a regular, named Ernie, walking upstairs toward the Spin room. For whatever reason Ernie shows up after class starts and warm-up has been completed. I never got that since he is clearly there well before the class begins.

I call up to him and ask, "is class starting?" He said it was starting at 09:00 and is now 75 minutes long and not an hour.

Well, crap.    ....on two counts.

First off, I hate being late and secondly, I didn't mentally prepare for an additional 15 minutes of class....forget physically.

I knew I was pushing the boundaries thinking a day after getting these inserts that I could just jump back into class, but I figured I was going in feet first - pun intended.

Did I ride to my full potential? No.  Did I ride at as high of a resistance that Andy told the class?  I did not.  Did I ride as fast as instructed?  Most of the time, yes.

The important thing is that I made it through the class.  Winded. Sweaty. Exhausted.  But I made it.  Currently there is no foot pain. Taint pain, sure, but nothing in the foot.

The absolute worst thing of the class (other than they've upped all to 75 minutes?):  apparently there is a disco dance song that incorporates Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat".

Oh the pain...........the pain.



Song by: Bonnie Raitt

Too Slow to Ride

It's been a long two and one half months, but as of yesterday evening, I'm back at Spin class.

Honestly, it's been over two months since I've done any Cardio.

I may have mentioned the last time I did Spin, what turned out to be Tendinitis in my right foot, was so painful I was on the verge of tears, but I stayed through the class - probably like a moron.

Any cardio hurt, so I stopped doing it....altogether.  (It's an Airplane joke, folks.)  I would love to say I missed cardio - but that'd be a lie.  I missed the routine of it, but not the act of it.  I missed Andy.

Of course, Andy only did Spin class.  I stopped treadmill, stairmaster and elliptical.  I actually had to - that is how much pain there was.

I finally saw a doc who I thought told me to take 800mg of ibuprofen a day.  It turns out he said it incorrectly or I did not hear him correctly.  It was supposed be take 800 three times a day.  2400mg.  Quite a difference.

...and it has made all the difference.  Is it 100% better?  Noooooooooooo.

Can I make it through an airport without cursing under my breath that I had to walk 4000 yards?  Sometimes.  Which is better, because before it was all the time.

So I have been a week almost entirely pain free.  Not completely, but mostly.   So I went for it.

Adny did a double take as I walked in the class and took my rightful seat in the front of the room.  He started to say something and I said, "no snarky comments".  He just shut his jaw.

In truth, he's seen me at the gym and has known of my "situation".  He's been kind and even though he's a doctor of teeth and such, he gets disease states.

Let me tell you - a few months of no cardio, then jumping back into it, leaves one tired, winded, thirsty and totally wiped out.   But I made it through with no major pain.

I'll try again Saturday to see if I can keep this up......or I can keep my waistline down.   ....and to see Andy.



Song by:  Nina Gordon

Hurts So Bad

I guess it was bound to happen. Someone got hurt in the gym yesterday - and no, it wasn't me.

We were finishing our hour of Spin and a woman ran up from the back of the class to Andy the instructor and said something in a frantic voice.

Andy jumped off his bike and hurried back to the room, and even though the place is entirely mirrored, I couldn't quite see the issue. Partially because other had gotten off their bikes, partially because we ride with minimal amount of lighting. It was also a completely full class, so my line of sight wasn't the best.

I started to get off my bike to see if I could help, but I already saw two people around the woman who could assist better - one a doctor and one a nurse practitioner. Another class member had gone downstairs to alert a full-time staff member.

The woman wasn't passed out or in coronary distress or anything like that, she clearly did something to her foot, ankle or leg - while Spinning.

The best I could come up with is that if she was wearing clips (and I am not sure she was) and they became disengaged during our heavy resistance ride. Or if she were strapped in, that her foot slipped out and somehow twisted.

The thing was, during this time, we were sitting, not standing and I just don't know how she did it. Maybe she re-injured an existing malady. Either way, they had to carry her out of the room and into the hallway.

My favourite thing about the entire event, an older Spin instructor came rushing into the room to see if he could assist.....................with our cool down. LOLLLLLLLLLL.

Yes, Andy was busy helping his student, but not only was our cool down the least important thing going, we had also pretty much done our own anyway - not that anyone was focused on that.

I hit the showers afterwards and when I dressed and was exiting the locker room, I almost ran into Andy. I mock pleaded with him "don't hurt me" - insinuating that his tough class had injured the lady. He at least laughed. I mean, it could have gone either way.

After Andy passed, I saw the stretcher.

At some point EMS was called and they were upstairs working on her. I'm sure getting her down the stairs wasn't going to be easy - for any of them. I did go outside to my car where I saw the EMS vehicle you see in the title image. I do hope she's alright though.

And speaking of injury - I don't have one from my personal training sessions. Mostly because they haven't begun. My trainer has not returned from his surgery. So far he's a week and a half later than expected. I hope his procedure didn't go awry. At some point I'll need him, though as of today, no financial transactions have taken place, so in that respect I'm good.

But I do expect to be gym-injured in the near future. No EMS is to be required. Hopefully.



Song by: Linda Ronstadt

Set the Fire to the Third Bar

I got talked into going to another G2H2 last night. I think I'm like 0 for 6 in having a great time at these things. Or even a good one.

It wasn't horrible, but it just seemed more of the same. Mostly clique-y kind of groups who don't really talk to anyone but themselves..........kind of like regular gay bars.

Once again, no taking over a straight bar. No, the sign on the door said 'closed for private party'.....completely keeping any straight people out and once again, giving gay bucks to a straight establishment who segregates us.

We're a proud people! {sarcasm!}

I love how the place had two TVs. One plaed Fox News. The other? NASCAR. Oh, how they know their audience. Shoot and SCORE! {sarcasm!}

I was abandoned shortly after going with a co-worker and was about to leave after finishing my one beer. And then a guy came over and introduced himself. ...not in a creepy way.

He was a nice guy. His name was Ahmed. He was alone, abandoned as well. He thought that neither of us should just be standing around. He was actually fun and funny to talk to. He then made me do one walk-around with him and thought we should talk to just anyone. I wasn't sure about that last part.

Ahmed mentioned to me that he was mid-eastern. He actually laughed when I blurted out in mock surprise: "Nooooooooo!" I guess it could have gone either way, but he got it.

Ahmed talked to a few folks and introduced me, whom I promptly forgot. Then we ran into my spin instructor, Andy. I guess that whole gay/not gay question has been answered.

He had way cool glasses on. He mentioned he liked mine and then I realized he's never seen me in glasses. I always wear contacts when I workout. Andy always wears glasses, but these were new and way cool.

We've never had a discussion on our outage, but now it is out there, so that is kind of cool. He's a nice guy.

One beer. One new introduction. One car ride home. This morning I spin.


Song by: Snow Patrol w/Martha Wainwright

Come On Come On

The title of the post is also the seemingly new phrase that is being used by my spin instructor - ad nauseum.

You know I heart Andy, and I know it's supposed to be a motivator, but him saying it just grates a tad on my nerves. Or nerve. It's possible I only have one left.

As this summer goes, I've been riding more outdoors and finding myself skipping spin class more and more often. In reality, I need to do both, but sometimes I am just lazy. Yup, it's true.

Last week, upon returning after three weeks away (or was it four?), Andy did his "well well, look who is back" routine, on me.

Normally, he does that to, what I consider, his regulars. His clique. Even though I've been in his class for well over a year, I still don't feel like I've earned a place as a regular. Yes, I am aware it has more to do with self-esteem issues, but truth be told, after well over a year, Andy still doesn't remember my name. More ego deflation.

Still, it is nice he did that shtick, cause it is kind of nice to be missed. It also reinforces that life is an extension of high school. The only difference is that now and again it represents the cool kid who is nice to the dork, but then goes back to the cool lunchroom table. (for the record, I am the dork in this scenario!) {sigh}

Oh, and I should say, I probably shouldn't have been as spin at all yesterday. As I alluded to in yesterday's post, I'm feeling quite old.

Thursday, in the weight room, my back went out. Again. I was almost to the point of tears - for a minute. The pain was - and is - still there (though not as acute), and the thought of tears lasted only a minute. I manned-up and didn't cry like a little girl.

...and get this, I wasn't even lifting anything. I bent down to move something and never got that far. I just moved the wrong way at the wrong time.

I knew after my accident earlier this year, and my stint in physical therapy, I was probably at risk for continual relapses. Backs usually don't go back to "normal", so I need to treat it with kid gloves. I just felt so much better over the last 4-5 months, I lapsed in judgement, but to be honest, bending over to get something wasn't how I ever would have thought I'd reinjure anything.

I just have to remind myself, "I am a delicate flower".

One who like cupcakes and ice cream, but a delicate flower, nonetheless.

Friday, in the office, I spent the day on the stability ball to fix my posture and to use it for stretching out my back. I think it helped a little bit, but I'm still tender and delicate.

So, I made it through an hour of spin, though it wasn't the hardest class I've ever been to. Far from it. Yet, I'm sure I will regret doing it later. (Oh, I'm drafting this on Saturday afternoon - so the post spin back pain has not yet hit.) But it had to be done. I'm dedicated to my routine.
My big goal is to stay out physical therapy for another round of expensive treatments, even if my therapist was handsome. The price is still too high.


Song by: Mary Chapin Carpenter

Turning Up the Heat

Yesterday was my first true foray into getting back into Spin with Andy. Yeah, I went for a partial session the other week and then a full session last week, but the instructor for that 60 minutes was not Dr. Andy.

Andy is tougher than the other dude, whom I've seen but never did catch his name. I mean, he opted to wear a fanny pack during our "ride". People, these are stationary bikes. He wasn't going to need his wallet, chapstick or EuroRail card. He (the other guy, not Andy), had us do this mock drill like we were riding the Tour de France. Puh-leese!

btw....as a group, we totally won the race!

But for all my whining about that guy, he did have us do a few drills that were good and different, and while I loathe to admit it, every now and again, change is good. Sure it goes outside of my patterns that I've established for comfort levels, but..............

Yesterday though - can I say, even though it was a tough class, it wasn't the toughest. Can I also tell you, I have never sweated so much in my life. I've probably been hotter, but not during exercise.

I was wearing a white sweat-wicking shirt and in theory you shouldn't really see the dampness, but there was no hiding it. And peeling that shirt off after class was a chore.

Oh, and I did step back on the scale yesterday too. After the other week and that 6 lb weight gain, I wasn't sure if I was up for the challenge, but it's better to know than bury my head, I suppose.

Mr. Scale says I lost 3 lbs. As much as I would like to believe that I lost it, I suppose the gain might have been a blip or a scale malfunction. I just have never lost 3 lbs in two weeks. Either way, I'm still above the weight I had once fallen to, but I'll get there. (and speaking of weight - today is Pi(e) Day. Well, it is at 1:59. And apparently, it is also Steak and a BJ day too. I'm sure you all wanted to know.)

So, I'm back to Spinning. And it's time for me to get the regular biked serviced so it's all ready to go once the weather is a little warmer.


Song by: Any Trouble

Round & Round

It's a miracle. I made it to (and through) SpinFest II.

Seriously, the 'to' part was nothing short of a miracle. I was taking Tylenol and codeine for my back up until Wednesday. And miracle of miracles, I woke up Thursday with some stiffness, but very little pain. Ditto for Friday.

I had already paid, so I though, WTF, I'm gonna ride. And ride I did - for 2 hours.

This was the venue before start-time. People could ride/pay in 30 minute increments, and I'd say about half of us paid for the entire 120 minutes. Yes, paid. All proceeds went to the Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland.

The bikes were assigned and damn it if I didn't get the last row (I'm #45 there) and I got stuck with a shitty LeMond bike. I prefer the grey Schwinns. They're sturdier, they are better rides and as it turns out, better built.

I'm the guy in the back row, white shirt, black shorts. 2nd from the left. The guy with little hair.

You can kind of catch a glimpse of part of me here, right past the person in deep blue who is blocking my photographic moment (as always, click image to enlarge)

In the 100 or so Spin classes I've been to this last year, I haven't seen any one of the Schwinns break. That is what we use in our gym, but they had to import the LeMond bikes in for the extra folks.

Oddly (or maybe not), I could get my left foot into the clip easily...but I it didn't stay. I can't tell you how many times it became free. And on the right one, I wasn't sure it would ever go in, but when it finally did, there was almost no getting it out - even if you wanted to.

But everyone else on the LeMonds were having a lot more trouble than I was. Pedals fell off. Handle bars would not stay up. The drink holder thingy wouldn't stay on. ....and hydrating yourself during an event like this is critical.

It wasn't a normal spin class, obviously. Five instructors, no cohesiveness to the ride, all of them had different styles and the music was crappy. They tried to appeal to everyone which turned out probably not appealing to most anyone. When they started out with "Flashdance" and moved into Scandal's "The Warrior", I knew we were in for a bad time. It was almost a sigh of relief when they finally played "Single Ladies" from Beyonce.

....I said "almost".

Oh...oh...oh....and in the last half hour, they brought in - get this - a live gospel choir! I shit you not. Can I tell you how many of the riders this might have appealed to, if were going by racial stereotypes? One.

Can I tell you how many of the riders were Jewish, if you went by the sign-up list? I'd say about 85%. So songs about Jebus setting us free didn't really really resonate with most of the crowd.

Besides that, the gym floor, as you can see, is a nice one. Having women in 4-6" spiked heels walk and dance on it - not the bestest of ideas. Having one woman with a mic and 16 others (estimated) with none, care to guess how many people you could ever hear sing? It's a gym! There are no acoustics for something like this. That part of the event was flawed at every turn.

So two hours of spin went ok. So far, no repercussions ala my back, so I'm taking it as a win. Maybe I can get back on the exercise wagon - slowly and more carefully. I mean, I've gained 1.5lbs in the last two weeks!

Update: I pre-wrote this, as I knew I was catching a plane to TN. Spinning might not be the cause of my back, but right now it aggravated it. It took 30 hrs or so to kick in, but kick in it did. Sore sore sore. I have packed the T3s to take while I work. Yeeehaw.

Song by: New Order

Puttin' on the Ritz

Yesterday I attended a two hour spin session (a two hour spin session).

It was hot, it was tough, and it seemed way longer than 120 minutes.

This was the brain-child of two of the gym's spin instructors - cute Andy being one of them. "Let's help people out after a fattening holiday meal/weekend!", they concocted. I swear it was like Abu Gharib, but with stationary bikes.....and music.

Jamie, the other instructor, is the Lynndie England of the work-out set. Of the 8-10 spin instructors, she is by far the hardest....or in the top two at the very least. No mercy. No compassion. And I'm guessing more of a core instructor than she is a cyclist. She's the kind of gal who gets off her bike and walks around and tells you that you're not working hard enough. I hate that. ...and not just because I feel like I'm being called-out. More like she has no idea what my limitations might be or my experience in the class.

...and she has horrible taste in music.

Seriously, music really does make or break the spin class. With decent motivational music, you can really make it through any routine. Anymore when I play music at home or in the car, I consider one of two things (or both): Can I spin to this? and/or How can they do this on Glee?

Andy has the best music of all the instructors, but he goes from Lady Gaga to Bon Jovi in a heartbeat. No one can tell if he's truly gay or not. I'm still very split on it and my gaydar is giving up nothing.

So when you team the two up together (Jamie and Andy) you get a really weird mix of songs. Andy was consistent on his choices (I swear, if I have to hear the Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feelin'...one more time......). Jamie was in a "jazz" mood. ....though someone needs to tell her playing Bette Midler singing "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", Judy Garland's "Get Happy" or something by the Andrews Sisters is not "jazz".

One of her last song choices was Fred Astaire's version of "Puttin' on the Ritz". I guess we could be happy it wasn't Taco.

Now, in the area where I was spinning were two other regulars - and we all are men of a certain age. So while we know of each other, we don't know each other - not really. With no set-up, with not winks or nods before hand, when Mr. Astaire sang: "If you're blue/and you don't know where to go to/why don't you go/where fashion sits....", well, the three of us kind of did the Young Frankenstein response.

Not loud-loud, mind you - but loud enough where we knew all three had done it. Smiles, grins and guffaws all ensued. ...then we had to finish the climb we were doing and sweat and pain replaced the fun, but it was a great momentary distraction.

Now, I can link you to another post of mine - 3.5 years old where I reference this same song, and the Young Frankenstein version used for Clyde & Seymour's Spooky Kooky Castle and my history with that. I won't redo that whole thing here.

I made it through the two hours (one guy left after 15 minutes - what's that about?). My legs were a little rubbery at the end, but I made it. If nothing else, it was a good warm-up to SpinFest II, coming in January. There I'll spin for 120 minutes to raise money for the Cleveland Free Clinic. It's a good cause and I have to spin anyway - so what the hell.


Song by: Frederick Frankenstein & the Monster

Too Funky

There are downsides to working out. It's true.

Yes, we overlook them (or try) to get that better body, better mental state or just improve our overall health.

Did you know it is almost impossible to get through a spin or yoga class without performing a bilateral boogerectomy? It's true.

Ok - I am speaking for me. I cannot speak for all. But breathing is essential, especially in yoga. It is important to have a soft face in your practice. It is as much about breathing as it is about contorting your body into positions you never thought you could. The inhalations and exhalations are vital to keeping you centered and concentrating on what you're doing.

Ditto (to a degree) with spinning. You gotta keep your airways clear to do 60 minutes of intense cardio/aerobic exercise. So, yes, getting rid of your snot is important. Not pretty, but important. It's true.

And since shoes are off in yoga - for g-d's sake, make sure you keep those toe nails clipped. I'm talking to me - not others. I don't know if anyone else pays attention, but some days if they did - oy! So I'm much more diligent about these kinds of things. You'll thank me later as these things pass over onto other aspects of life.

I know I've gone on here before about my lack of deodorant usage. And while I sweat now, I also shower. I do not think I smell, but if I did, I would think I would want someone to tell me. I think. Of course, it depends in the manner which they bring it to my attention.

Twice a week I play Russian Roulette at spin class. There is a woman who attends, that for the longest time, no matter where I'd sit, finds a place directly in front of me. I'm downwind, if you will. It isn't pretty. It's actually quite rancid. It's true.

...and it is not me who is the offender. I've checked. My nose has gone to my pit too often for me not to know.

I know she rides her bike to the gym, I've seen her. But clearly she hasn't showered since at least the day before. At least. We haven't even started class and I immediately have to rework my strategy to get through the next hour by breathing through my mouth entirely. It's that bad. It's true.

The last few weeks, I've played around with my seating assignment. I'm a creature of habit and like what I like - and even if I don't my OCD tells me what to do. To complicate matters, the room is set up where I can only sit in certain places. In spin, you stand and stretch - and with HVAC ducts and sprinkler systems (and my height), I have exactly three of the seven rows which I can use. So I'm limited.

I'd come early to pick a new bike, she'd find me. I'd come in later and be stuck with the only bike that meets those above parameters - which would happen to be behind her. Yesterday, I did something I hate: I sat in the front row - directly in front of Andy (the dreamy/geeky instructor). I took an end seat so there were not bikes to my left and another woman was to my right. My problems were solved.

...or so I thought.

Smelly Girl ended up one row over from me and two rows back. Ok - not an issue - far enough away that she's someone else's problem.

...or so I thought.

Two minutes into the class, Blobby was striving to survive by once again, only breathing through his mouth. I was sitting almost directly in front of the AC too, so air was not only coming my way but should have been blowing the smell backwards to the less fortunate in the room. Then I realized, I think we were all the less fortunate.

The people to the sides of her, behind her and in front - all victims. Though I haven't confirmed it with anyone else, I can't be the only one to be affected by this - right?

Someone has got to tell this chick, but I don't see why it should have to be me. I have no idea how to go about this. Tell Andy? Tell the gym staff?

But I know what will happen. No one will want to make her feel bad, so nothing will be said and nothing will change.

It's true.


Song by: George Michael

Spinning Wheel

Long time readers might remember me posting about my lack of wearing deodorant/antiperspirant. As weird as it was, only one person commented on it (RJ). Of course the funniest thing about the post was that a few days later, the Cleveland Plain Dealer on-line addition picked-up upon it. (From the media front, I can guarantee no more than 81 people ever saw that blurb.)

Of course, I was taken a little out of context. One of the reasons for not wearing aluminum under my pits was simple. I never really perspired before. Not really. You can go back and read the rationale for my lack of underarm protection if you feel the need.

With my work-out routine earlier in the year, I got to the point I'd break a sweat, but I was never one to stain, let alone soak, my shirt (or anything else).

Spinning has taken care of that. Completely.

If any of you drink (ha!), you'll probably know the term 'breaking the seal'. I can drink a half-dozen beers without peeing, but once I talk to that man about a horse, I'm back having that conversation much much much more often.

Sweating, I find, is like that.

In Spin, I broke the seal. Completely.

But it carries over from spin. Now I sweat completely at workouts and yoga too. I have the soaked shirts to prove it. ...shorts too. But I can sell those on fetish markets for a hefty price.

It has gotten to the point that if I do spin class and work out consecutively, and in that order, I have to bring a change of clothes. No one - and I do mean, no one - wants to follow you on a machine after you've put your sweaty back on the vinyl seats.

Yeah, I look all butch with my 94% wet shirt - and it shows that I have been putting forth the effort, but it's still a bit weird to walk around like that.

And do not suggest sweat wicking clothes. These ARE sweat wicking clothes I'm already wearing. "designed to transport sweat away from your skin" - MY ASS. I mean, they do, but then they trap them in the shirt, which rests against.....oh yeah.....your skin!

So with all of this you'd think I'd be more on-board with the deodorant thing. But so far I am not. So far, a good shower with soap in all the right places keeps me not smelling ripe. At least I'm pretty sure. I don't smell me.

I will keep an eye (and nose) on the situation. I do not want to be the guy I see three times a week rubbing an antiperspirant stick right above the crack of his ass after his shower.

What's that all about?


(above image is not me. I now sweat more than that)

Song by: Blood, SWEAT & Tears

Doing What I Can

I know - I know, I'm late posting. What can I say? I have good excuses, of course. I always do.

Let's start with that I hit G2H2 again. It was better than the last few times, but still a very very controlled environment. They actually took over the entire restaurant for it and closed it to the public. Ok. But again, why give the $$$ to the straight establishment - give it to the queer guys if you're just gonna do that.

Denton opted not to go, so I went right after work. Me and one other guy were there in suits. Oh well. I looked good. I hung out with some guy I see at the gym and know peripherally, and his partner. They introduced me to a few guys too. No biggie. I stayed for three drinks and then met the man for dinner....and a bottle of wine. Yikes.

In between I went home and our power was off. We had storms earlier, but I don't think that was it. I do love that in a way. Neighbors are all out yakking since there is nothing to do inside and people are carrying around wine and such. But we were hungee and went for food. And wine.

I was not really thinking ahead here. I had Spin class at 08:30, a bunch of booze in me and no power at home. And it didn't come on until about 02:30. I didn't notice because for all intense purposes, I was down for the count.

Since things were running late this morning, it was all I could do to get my padded shorts on and get down to sit on a bike for an hour. ...and by sit on a bike, I mean be tortured by cute Andy on moving faster and using more resistance. I think I do it for his approval. I found myself wondering if he counts down the way he does when he's about to ejaculate. 10.....5..2.1!!!! One can hope.

So Spin and then my weight routine made me sweat any access alcohol out of my body.

...and that's why I'm late for a post.

Now I'm just waiting for the man to get back from his gym (yes, we go to separate facilities) so we can go to lunch and stop by Pride. Assuming it does not downpour again - for the 14th time today.


Song by: Lindsey Buckingham

Andy, You're a Star

This was to be titled "Joy Ride" which still would have been a Killer's song, but this title works too.

I've made no secrets about my OCD, (except what my actual tics might be) but as I sat in my third spinning class in four days (shut up, I know!), it became clear to me that this isn't obsessive or compulsive. It's addiction.

Back in the day, I took an MMPI that told me I had addictive behaviours. I was young enough then that I might not have picked that out had I not heard it from a trained professional. I've kept it in the back of my head since then - during many destructive phases.

But there are worse things than being addicted to exercise, I guess. Alcohol, Sex, Gambling, Narcotics, Cutting. I find addicts to be weak-minded. Of course, I guess that's what makes them addicts. I'm not judging, I'm just saying.

I had a fairly unhealthy relationship with alcohol, but could I quit anytime I wanted? Yes. Yes I could. And I didn't need a higher power to do it.

Ok - I didn't quit. But I quit drinking and getting drunk 4-5 nights per week - a habit that lasted almost a decade. ....and for the record, I would never cut myself. Ouchy. Maybe that's where people get their narc habits, to ease the pain from all their cutting.

So yesterday was the best Spin class so far. Each time there have been different instructors. Each has a different style. The instructor yesterday, Andy, had the best style....and the most engaging.

Oh, and he's hot. (in a nerdish glasses-wearing dentist with a hot body, kind of way.)

It turns out Andy, not Virgil, is the dentist. Now, I think dentists have sadistic tendencies. Couple that with him being a Spin instructor, what did I think I was getting into? There was no mercy. But it's probably what I need - someone to kick my ass. Figuratively, people. Figuratively. ....and he did.

I've blogged before about the amount of gay dentists there seem to be, and I think Andy is on that list. Just like Morty predicted. Though the dance remix of "Holding Out for a Hero" might have been a dead giveaway on its own. Still, his music choices were slightly straighter than Virgil's. All I'll say is Sylvester's "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" was one of his song selections.

Whereas I said in the first Spin post that I liked, but not loved, the class - I am liking it more. I can see me skipping Virgil's class as he wasn't that enthused nor did he get others jazzed either. And you kind of need that. Or I do.

Oh - and what is with the resistance knob on the bikes? They are like hotel showers. You can turn and turn them and get nothing - and then you get scalded. Or feel like your stuck in molasses. The latter description is for the bike, not the hotel shower.

After class, I hit the weights (after I changed my soaked shirt) and ran into Andy as I was leaving. He asked if I liked the class (oooooh.....he talked to me!) and we just chit-chatted. Yeah, I probably have a guy-crush on him, but it will pass. It is just some transference for my exercise, I'm sure.

Jon posted on FB yesterday: All your posts are the same...off to the gym..off to the gym. Is it your substitute for love?

It isn't. It's just all I have got going on in my life right now, besides home and work - and I'm ok with that. For now.

And you know, it's not even addiction. I don't have an addiction. The MMPI said I have addictive 'behaviours'. So I can quit anytime I want to.

But for now, I'll be heading out for Sunday Spin and work out. But I won't be posting it on FB (psssst.....check my Twitter account though!).



Song by: the Killers