Hitting the Gym

Mike and I have kind of an unusual arrangement with our finances. Most of my married friends dumped their checking and savings accounts together immediately, but Mike and I kept our separate accounts and then added a joint savings. The lines between our accounts are gradually getting blurrier, and within a few years I imagine we'll have a joint everything. But for now, he pays some bills, I pay others, and after putting a chunk away for savings what's left is our spending money.

This is important to know because you need to understand this in order to comprehend my thrill at being able to cut our grocery bill. I pay for the groceries, and up until recently we shopped at a Pick'n'Save here in Milwaukee. After much discussion I decided to start doing my shopping at Woodman's, which is a big grocery store in Kenosha. It's way cheaper than anything in Milwaukee, and I've found that I save $20 a week on groceries.

Now, Mike wasn't to impressed until I pointed out that $20 a week is $80 a month. And there's a lot I can do with eighty dollars. I could get my hair cut at a place other than Supercuts. I could start getting some quality jewelry. I could just blow it on new clothes or CDs or hobby supplies.

Or, I could use it to buy a membership to a gym so my asthmatic husband has some motivation to go and get back into shape.

My friends, this is what love is.

So tomorrow Mike and I are going to the athletic club where Mike has a membership. He hasn't gone in forever, but since his doctor thinks his breathing would improve greatly if he'd get out and exercise some it's important that he starts to go again. I can get in once for free as his guest, but after that if I go again I'll have to buy a membership.

I'm actually dreading it. I've never, ever been athletically inclined. In fact, when I was in grade school they put me in a special gym class along with the kid who was born pigeon-toed and another kid that had some type of physical disability. It was awful. I've never been coordinated or physically skilled, and one of my favorite things about adulthood is being able to live most of my life without worrying about failing at sports or someone laughing while I stumble off of exercise equipment.

This afternoon Mike asked me what exercise machines I'd use at the gym, and I had no idea. I don't even know the names of them. I suppose I'll pedal the stationary bike for awhile, and then if they have a track I'll just wander in circles until Mike's ready to leave.

Mike told me that they have a hot tub I could go in, but with my legs still rashalicious and my stomach still pudgy from the holidays, walking around in a bikini would be even more humiliating than trying the exercise bikes.

Perhaps this will all go better than I expect. Or perhaps the cool kids will laugh at me while I try to figure out the weights. Either way, it's worth it if Mike can start breathing better.

I think. Maybe.