“Yah, so I’m going to check it out at three today…” said Mike hurriedly on the phone as I began to barrage him with questions and gently remind him he was seeking not only for himself, but for his family. “Yep, yep, got it…I know you better than you know yourself,” he said before hanging up, leaving me to smirk as I hit the end button and proceeded on with email replies, meeting agendas and the everyday grind.
Hours later, I hear our family is now part of the Lifetime Fitness family, a gym chain that conveniently enough is less than four miles from the house and chock full of amenities that every girl considers before joining a fitness center. (Wait, er, that may just be a certain plus-size gal that needs some motivation to hop on the elliptical that seeks this kind of luxury…in a gym). Curious, we made plans to do our first drop in on Saturday. And drop in we did…
And it.was.heavenly.
Heavenly in the way the chlorine smelled as it hit my face, the memories of years of five a.m. practices flooding my heart and mind with remarkable moments that cannot be replaced. Smart in the way the employees dress and react so kindly to members, the family changing room clean, accepting and easy to use, and a child care center so darling, it practically trumped the little one’s day care. Refreshing in that not all the visitors were bone thin, ripped and the color orange, that pizza was on the menu as well as protein shakes, and that people were friendly and forthcoming, even in the middle of a squat. Innovative in that their business is very family-centered, they're open 24/7, machines are lined up by working body parts, there are a bzillion classes and the pool is so luxurious, it can practically bring a state champion to tears.
Did I mention I dug the pool?
Likely because the joy experience by our family in two hours on a rainy Saturday afternoon was like being at Disney World. Feeling like vacation, we waded into the zero-entry side, watching as our son’s face lit up in excitement and his confidence grew with the understanding of where his feet met the ground in this crazy thing called water. Deep splashes and giggles coincided, his little pinkies wrinkling as he dove in and out, messing with the fountains and making slam dunk after slam dunk with Daddy. Then, there was the unadulterated magic of ducking in and out of the mushroom and it’s never-ending stream, a concept so surreal to a 18-month old, it would practically make you weep with it’s innocence and wonderment.
So yeah, getting out because of red, droopy eyes and severly wrinkled skin was not an easy task to convince him of. Thank goodness there were Mac n Cheese puffs in the cafe…
After years of pinching pennies and putting ourselves second, we look forward to improving our health and home with several visits a week to what we now jokingly call “the spa.” And as the hubs works to figure out why I’m totally into this place versus those we’ve joined in the past decade, it will be my little secret that it rocks my world you can eat, get a hair cut, work out and zone out all in one place. In Shawnee. Four miles from our house. For much less than a price of a vacation.
Now, here’s hoping all this time at the new place means looking fab in my bridesmaid dress with a svelte new figure vs. just beautified nails and mane…
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