Where In The World Is La Pauline?

Two Maps and a Compass, originally uploaded by retro traveler.

Whoo! I've been away from the blog, haven't I? It's been so ignored that even my mom called to see what was up.

I'm here, albeit a little busy lately, although with what I'm not sure. Real estate keeps me very busy, and I'm still teaching my writing classes. (Two this fall.) Junior League claims me on Monday nights and the rest of the time I like to go to the gym, and yes, even watch Charm School: Rock of Love with some regularity.

Speaking of the gym, this evening I went to get my run on, when the guy at the front desk reminded me that 76th and 1st was not my "home gym", 23rd and Park was, and that technically it was "illegal" for me to work out on 76th and 1st before 8:30 p.m. If I wanted to make 76th Street my home gym, I would have to pay $40 to switch.

Why would I be charged $40 just so that some gym manager can hit two keys on a keyboard and make 76th Street my home gym? They're not offering any more value, and half the time no one cares or bothers me about my home gym status. New York Sports Clubs, are, by nature, crappy gyms to begin with. 76th Street is particularly a pain, given all the stairs you have to climb just to get get from the cardio to the weights to the locker room.

I'm going to avoid switching as long as I can. Do other gyms do this? What is the point of charging someone to change their status? Is the $83 a month I give them not enough? Someone, please enlighten me.

What's The Deal With The New York Sports Club On 23rd Street?

Row of Treadmills, originally uploaded by vwong22.

Today I joined the New York Sports Club on 23rd Street. It's right by my house and I figured I'll need it with all the Christmas parties I plan to go to.

I signed the papers right after work, then went home, changed, and headed back to work out. By the time I got to the gym it was almost 8:00 p.m., so I figured the after-work rush would be over.

How wrong I was. The NYSC on 23rd is one of the busist gyms I have ever seen. Even when I left at 9:00 p.m. there was still await for treadmills and almost every elliptical and bike on the second floor was taken. How many people are working over at Credit Suisse that the gym is packed after hours. And not for nothing, but these people were doing some hard core exercising. Crazy.

If anyone has any insight into this bizarre gym, I would love to hear it.