Strange Things About The Gym

So, I have been going to the gym since the beginning of the year, mostly to relieve stress. It has turned out that I have strengthened my body and lost about 20 pounds gained after Eric's death, which is good. But what is strange about the gym, so noteworthy and yet so ordinary, are the little rituals and sounds and sights that comprise a visit:

1) The sounds of agony. I workout partly in the weight room, and I always try to do a little ladylike huff when I am doing some work with weights. But there is always someone- usually a man- who sounds like he is being put to the question by the Inquisition. When it sounds like the person is being disemboweled, I put on some music from the iPod.

2) Japanese Sauna Hour. The Japanese community in Beaverton seem to all belong to the 24 hour Fitness, and when you want to do a sauna or a steam, thee seems to be an entire family of Japanese, catching up on the day and having a chat. I always feel as if there should be tea served. Konnichiwa!

3) The not so deep pool. I am very comfortable in the pool because it is not very deep- only 5 feet at it's deepest. So it's perfect for doing water exercises with old people, who like the fact that the pool is not too deep, either, honey.

Of course, I could talk about the basketball players, the fried tan worshippers, and the guys on the lookout for a hookup, but that has so stereotypical that I don't need to talk about them.