Precious time

Tim came home early so we could get the kids out of here for exercise. I'd been at home all day with them because Maureen is still coughing, but without a fever or breathing problems. I knew I couldn't take her to the Y alone and check her into the nursery, so we packed a dinner and took off at about 5:00 p.m. Tim fed the kids and held the baby while I headed to the exercise room to get on a treadmill. He would take Maggie and Frank to the pool when I was finished. After I got buzzed in and heard the door lock behind me, I walked down the stairs and felt a huge weight fall off of my shoulders. No one was following me, I was as alone as I get these days and I didn't have to listen to or talk to anyone for 30 minutes. Halleluia.

It's been a while since I've used the exercise machines at a high volume time, so I signed up for a treadmill and went and got on one. It was glorious to hear only the sound of the machines working hard all around me. That sound drowned out everything else happening inside and outside my head.

About 20 minutes into my workout I saw a young woman circling me and trying to catch my eye. I ignored here and went on being "alone" as best I could.

At minute 28:45 of my workout, the woman approached me and said that she had signed up for the machine starting at 6:00. I said that I would be done in one minute and then she could have the machine. Instead of saying "oh, okay no problem", she said "I want you to get off the machine right now" in an authoritative tone that her therapist would have been proud of. I looked at her, put my finger up and said "I said I will be done in 1 minute". She gave me a snake eye-ed look before heading for the nearest Y employee to tell her woes to.

I looked at my timer and it was 29:29 and the woman was pointing angrily at me as she spoke to the Y staffer. The two of them started walking toward me, and I noticed that the little spandex blondie on the treadmill beside me was also giving me an eye. Before I had to do any more talking, I stopped the machine, got a paper towel and wiped the machine off before leaving the exercise room. I ignored the Y staffer who was gesturing for me to stop and chat.

This was my only 29:29 minutes to myself in four days, and there was no way in hell that I was going to waste another second of it.