And with the news that we’ll be stuffing our faces with treats for the next three weeks, I should mention that I’ve joined the gym. Well, Amy joined me a month ago as a little gift and I have renewed the membership.

I like it quite a lot. Since moving to the woods five years ago I haven’t been to the gym. And when I did go to the gym before that, it wasn’t pleasant in any way. Masses of people… hogging your favorite machine. Super fit people, silently judging your rolls. Or at the very least, you judging your own rolls unfavorably against the super beautiful people.

This new gym is actually in a hotel across the river. Or, maybe they’d appreciate if I called it a resort. It’s on a lake. The thing that’s great about it though is that it’s very close to home and no one ever goes there. It’s not publicly advertised as being a gym and the guests must use it at times that don’t conflict with my schedule. So I have multiple elliptical, treadmill and cycling machines to myself along with a full set of weights and lifting ‘system’ in the Nautilus vein. Not only that, but this is my view as I run or ride in place!

The birdies fly around, the ducks swim by and the critters scurry around gathering nuts. How can it get better?! A finely tiled personal walk-in shower and separate sauna, that’s how. I work it out, stretch it out, shower it down, sauna it up and shower it off. It’s quite the ritual. I find myself looking forward to the whole thing. It’s like having my own personal spa. Sometimes Amy’s there too, but she’s not so bad.