The apple tree

When I was a kid, like a thousand years ago, I used to climb the apple tree in the back yard and read books.  I would read for hours on end and must have completed a few hundred books from my precarious perch in that tree.  I loved to climb up there with a good Nancy Drew mystery and read the afternoon away.  Sometimes I miss those trips to my own little world of discovery and relaxation.  If I got hungry, I had apples readily available so I could spend the better part of a summer's day in that tree.  And I often did.  I would hang out in that tree reading and hoping that my parents hadn't noticed my disappearance.  Once in awhile they would notice my absence and I would get in trouble for not telling them where I'd gone, but to tell them took away some of the mystique of the experience.

A few months ago I talked about the hidden benefits of running—at the time my marathon running buddy, Brian, had graciously morphed into a super cool coffee delivery man providing me with top quality caffeine during a time when my coffee pot was on the fritz.  Not unlike that story, this is a story of hidden benefits; a story of hidden jewels.  I always suspected that the Aquatic Center probably had some extra paybacks as well. You know, benefits other than a great workout and an incredible staff. Well today I discovered one. A really big one. Today I discovered the showers at the Aquatic Center! 

Yes I did say showers. Yes I am talking about a public shower.  And yes I realize this sounds very, very strange.  I always knew that they had showers, but today I discovered the showers. To most a shower at their workout center is probably rated average at best, but to me it was excellent, heavenly, glorious!  I spent a good fifteen minutes in a hot, luxurious, uninterrupted shower.  It was the perfect end to the perfect workout-a leisurely four mile run.

Today in that shower was the closest I have come to the old apple tree experience in a very long time.  Now that I am the mom, there is no apple tree in our backyard and it is my job to keep tabs on everyone, a trip to the apple tree to read books for the afternoon is just not possble.  Instead of hiding in an apple tree reading books, I hid out in the Aquatic Center's shower and enjoyed the longest uninterrupted shower that I have had in over five years. I have already decided that even on days when I don't feel like working out, I will be heading there to shower!  My personal hygiene is about to get a major boost!

Anyway, the point to all of this is that the past week or so I have not watched television because I have been too busy.  We are cleaning house in a major way getting ready for the big move to the new house some time in November!   We are preparing for a massive yard sale later this week and we are working out.  The official taper for the marathon training kicked in so now I run a lot less and eat a lot more.  It's pretty fantastic!  We're still hear listening to the Tigers on WLAV and maybe someday I will get to climb that tree and read for a few hours until then I will retreat to the Aquatic Center for a long, hot shower even if I don't plan to run!

Vern Out