Could you BE more annoying?

My nanny (a.k.a. father-in-law) was sick today, so I got an unexpected day home with the girls. Actually, Ella was in school most of the day, so it was Sadie that I spent the day with. That kid is fun to chill with. I'll say this, if every day could include a two-hour nap and an hour at the gym, sign me up to be a stay-at-home mom!

Anyhow, the girls' very favorite Maze attendent was working today, so we headed to the gym this afternoon. While they hung out with C at the Maze, I had a fantastic quick two-mile run. I was lightning fast. In fact, a bit of the run was done at a sub-9 pace. Honestly, it was such a good, fast run that I suspect the treadmill was off (though I usually find that the treadmill pace skews slow, not fast). It's a good thing I had such a great run because the people on either side of me were the epitomy of annoying gym behavior. (The room I was running in only has three treadmills--it's like an overflow room--so I was basically surrounded by annoyingness).

On my left side was an overweight, middle-aged guy. I was on my treadmill for 20 minutes (plus the 5 or so minutes it took me to strip off my winter clothing and stow my bag). So, we'll say 25 minutes. This guy did not MOVE the entire time. He stood on the treadmill and watched TV. The ENTIRE time. Every once in a while, I would glance over (out of sheer bewilderment), and then he would do a little stretch or something. But basically, he just stood on the treadmill and watched TV. I haven't done any research, but I'd wager that you don't burn many more calories standing and watching TV than you do sitting in a recliner. In a month, he's going to complain to all his family and friends that his workout efforts are not paying off. And I could tell him exactly why. Step one: Turn the treadmill ON.

More annoying, though, was the woman on my right side. Who proceeded to plug headphones into her cell phone and chit-chat on the phone while walking at a snail's pace. Seriously? Only being able to hear HER side of the conversation did not make her any less annoying. The Y has a very strict cell phone policy (realizing that people find it annoying when other people talk on their cell phones loudly while working out), and it's posted ALL over the place. But apparently Little Miss Cell Phone is above the law. Or something. Grrr!

Spring can't come too soon. I'm ready to take it back on the road!