5 Reasons Why I Have Been Avoiding The Gym

I haven't gone to my gym since the end of July. Although the membership fee is burning a hole in my wallet, I'm sure I'll return soon. There are some very specific reasons why I've been staying away:

My new part-time status at work has forced me to change my entire daily schedule has changed, and I'm now working out exactly where to slot the workouts.

I'm spending a large chunk of time gearing up for my next money-making venture, which eats into day.

I worked out like a maniac last year, with personal trainers pushing me further than I've ever gone before. I continued this year, on my own, and I feel I needed some time off. I want to do personal training again, but that costs $$$.

I have no special events in the immediate future that require me to be overly concerned with how I look (although you could say that now is the perfect time to be working out, when you're not under the gun of some deadline.)

This stretch of great weather here in DC has forced me outside, and I've been mainly riding my bike.

I've taken time off before, and I always go back. It's tough those first few workouts. But I know from my past experience that I'll get back into it. Too bad I can't put my membership payments on hiatus while I'm busy doing other things. But there's bad weather coming as late Fall and Winter approach, and then I'll have to go back.

Yes, I do feel some guilt. Maybe that's why I'm writing this post.

You Do Have People Working There, Don't You?

When I'm pulling up a "new-to-me" Web site, 90% of the time my 2nd click is either on "About Us" or "Contact Us." What I find on that page far to often is either an online form to fill out, or a generic email address.

What I want is: A list of staff and a physical, street, suite number, city state and zip address.

Why do sites continue to act as if they don't have staff? When I can't find people's names, it makes me think:

you're a fly-by-night group that doesn't exist;
you've got your people locked to their desks in the basement;
your employee turnover rate is close to 99%;
you're afraid that listing staff names will give them too much power;
you just don't care.

There's probably no real excuse not to have staff listed on an organization's Web site. Not anymore.

Tranquility Base

If I ever get an iPod (which may be never, but go with me on this), the first thing I'd do is download a bunch of classical music that I find not only tranquil, but is able to put me in a totally different physical location altogether. These snippets from suites and larger works engage my brain chemicals in such a way that I feel I'm on a beach in the middle of summer when it's actually February. In other words: Instant Vacation. I have many of these on CD, but I haven't checked to see if they're all available through classical music iPod download sites. They're pretty much all from the 20th century, with French and English composers filling the most spots for some reason. And they are:

Ralph Vaughan-Williams
“My Pretty Bess” from Five Tudor Portraits

Jean Sibelius
1st movement, Symphony #6

Maurice Ravel
"Menuet" from Le Tombeau de Couperin
Pavane pour une infante defunte
2nd Movement, Piano Concerto in G

Erik Satie
Gymnopédies

Malcolm Arnold
"Allegretto" from Four Scottish Dances

Gabriel Faure
"Sicilienne" from Pelleas et Mellisande
Pavane
"Pastorale" from Masques et Bergamasques

Percy Grainger
"Harkstow Grange" from Lincolnshire Posey

Aaron Copland
1st movement, Clarinet Concerto

Claude Debussy
Prelude a l'Apres-midi d'un faune
"Nuages" from Nocturnes
"En bateau" and "menuet" from Petite Suite

I sometimes wonder what other people hear in these selections...