I discovered something about my gym, 24 Hour Fitness, last week. They are open 24 hours. I thought it was just some sort of clever marketing idea, as in “24 hours of fitness, around the clock” or something like that. But as it turns out, they are actually open 24 hours a day.

This changes things! Being the insomniac, night-owl, crowd-hater that I am… this is perfect! For the last 4-5 days (nights) I’ve been going to the gym at midnight. I figure I’m going to be awake until 4 or 5am anyway, so why not go to the gym really late?

I walk in the door and there are 2 people using cardio equipment. 1 person is swimming. 2 guys are using the freeweights. This is fantastic! It’s quiet, it’s not crowded, and best of all I feel like I can breathe. I can use any of the equipment I want without having to wait for it, and use it as long as I want without worrying about hogging it.

Best of all, there are no gym people in the gym at midnight. And that’s just fine with me.

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

I went fishing again with Dave yesterday. Got out there about 4pm and we stayed on the water until after 10pm. Dave caught 5-6 bass. I caught nothing.

No bass for me. Not even crappie. After the sun went down I rigged up a catfish pole–I couldn’t even pull one of those out. Nothing.

AND I managed to lose 3 lures, one of them my favorite. And I lost at least a couple plastic rigs.

What a bad day of fishing. But still a good time =)

I ache. My legs hurt. But you know what? It feels great.

I am not a very dedicated gym person. In fact, I loathe the gym. I’d much rather hike in the mountains for a couple hours than do the hamster on the treadmill thing at the gym. And gyms stink. And they’re dirty. And gym people irritate me.

You may or may not be a gym person. If you’re the guy that screams and throws the weights down, poses in front of the mirrors, and walks very slowly and deliberately around the gym (so everyone sees how buff you are) then you’re a gym person. If youre the gal that dresses in flashy, trendy outfits and parades around the cardio machines for a few laps before hopping on one in the front row (so everyone sees how cute you are) theyn you’re a gym person. And you bug me.

Most of the time I’m happy to leave the gym to the gym people. But, funny thing about going to the gym–I feel pretty good when I’m done. And after getting back in the gym, after a long absence, it feels even better. So why don’t I keep going? Why do I go religiously for a few months, taper off, and not return for at least six? I wish I knew.

At any rate, I feel good today. I can’t wait for the opening day of hunting season, September 17th. I should be ready for Jimmy’s ranch, it’s not all mountainous like Trinity. And come October I’ll be in even better shape.

And then after hunting season is over I’ll probably stop going to the gym. It will be another six months before something else motivates me…

And that’s just the way I am.