POLITICAL PIN PLEASANTRIES

Today I felt puffy, lethargic, frumpy and icky. I happened to notice a flyer on my desk with a special deal for Lifetime Fitness. I grabbed my towel and swimsuit and drove down Highway 61 and up Highway 96 to White Bear Parkway. Turn right and there you are. Hey, that used to be White Bear Swim and Raquet. Apparently Lifetime bought them out. Gee, I can even afford it now. Well, I really can't. At all. They had a deal, though, so I didn't have to pay the sign-up fee. Since you can't put a price tag on your health and you can't put a price tag on your life, I went in, took the tour and heard the spiel.

Todd Amundson was my member advisor. Is that what they're calling the sales reps these days? Very nice man, but I noticed he wasn't looking at me like I was a likely sale. I came as I was: old sweats, tacky pullover, no makeup. He obviously thought I was wasting his time. He was polite, though. I have a talent for sensing how people are really feeling.

He showed me around the club. Very nice. Swimming pool, whirlpool, jacuzzi, lots of exercise equipment, a healthy cafe, racquetball court, inside tennis courts, outside pool (closed today for some reason) and wi-fi for someday when I have a laptop.

When we sat down to talk business, he noticed my political pin. If I were taller, he probably would have noticed it earlier. (I better watch what I say because in the end, I gave him my blog url.) So he asked me if I were a Mark Dayton supporter. That is why I was wearing the political pin. He's a big supporter too. He told me about The Marsh. I asked what that club has that this one doesn't. He said it's huge and they even have physical therapy. He's in awe of Dayton because he practically owns The Marsh. He was so impressed that Dayton started up a fitness club. I had an extra Dayton pin in my coat pocket so I gave it to him along with my blog address written on the back of my Toastmasters business card. It's pretty exciting to put a plug in for both Dayton and Toastmasters in the same encounter. In return he said that if I ever wanted to go visit The Marsh, he would have his friend Tim, who works there, get me in. Todd knows a lot of people in the business because he used to sell exercise equipment before he went to work for Lifetime Fitness. I wouldn't mind seeing what The Marsh is like, but Minnetonka is a long, long way from White Bear Lake. Where's the light rail transit system when you need it?

After signing away the meager bit of my life savings I had left (if you will recall, Rybak won most of it in a bet), I grabbed my bag and  headed downstairs. I haven't been swimming in a couple of years. It's like riding a bicycle; you don't forget how. The jacuzzi sure felt good. Next time I come in I get to have a personal trainer. Can I have a pool boy, too?

If I get my weight down to where it used to be not all that long ago, MNGastro said that I can try treatment again. Oh joy. Treatment for hepatitis C is a gruelling 48 weeks, if you last that long. Many people can't tolerate it that long and have to go off. I tolerated it fairly well for the 12 weeks I was on it last time. It did wreck up my thyroid for about a year afterwards. It's ok now, but won't be if I go on the protocol again. 

By the time I finished all that exercise, including running around the indoor track ten times, I was hot and sweaty. Where's that Fresh Start that Susan Gaertner gave Rob Hahn? 

I'll go back again tomorrow, either before or after the annual TakeAction Minnesota meeting. Gotta get my money's worth.