Misadventures in fitness:

So yesterday I needed new indoor shoes before I could join the gym my workplace has just signed a deal with. Instead of going the Payless route I thought I'd splurge for once and go to one of those schmancy stores where they examine your stride and find shoes with the proper alignment, all that hoo-ha.

It started out well; the clerk had me roll my pants up and walk around, noticed a thing about how my left ankle wobbles, got me some NASA-designed sneakers to try on, had me test them on the treadmill...and then he said "You can roll your pants back down now."

And I could. not. DO. it.

The cuffs were narrow, and my calves were plump, and ye gods, there I was in the snootiest shoestore I've ever been in, struggling with my pants like a starving dog trying to get a bag of chips open.

Every now and then I'd take a break and try to act completely casual, like I meant for my pants to be that way. I'd try another pair of shoes on, test them on the treadmill, struggle with my pants a little more, take the shoes off...eventually I got my right leg down, which meant I just looked like a brain-damaged bike messenger.

Oh, and after all that was over? The gym I'd BOUGHT the shoes for, the only affordable one in the area? Was full and had a 92-person waitlist for membership.

(no subject)

The sandwich & pizza places around where I work have started competing for customers by putting up HD TVs. I *love* it.

The pizza place has it permanently set on a nature channel...last week it was an undersea documentary, but yesterday's theme seemed to be "fuzzy woodland critters". I had no idea that badgers' fur is so loose and floppy that when they run it undulates along their sides in a sine wave, making them look like little furry jellyfishes. Now I've seen it, and I'm richer for the experience.

Also, not to say the Bass Department professors are a little behind the times, but I saw a couple of them in the sandwich shop (which plays MTV) watching the "Hey Ya" video and cracking up.