Spupdate

Title = "spa update."

I have chosen my spa. Ultimately I had narrowed it down to three clubs - Topanga Fitness, 24-Hour Fitness, and Spectrum. I visited each club and toured with their spokes-specimen, then did a spreadsheet based on their deals.

Spectrum was the first one eliminated. Even though they had the obviously best facility, a huge building about 2 miles from my house, they also charge $80 bucks a month for the privilege of belonging. I go the gym for the weight machines and treadmills and they all have 'em; so the extra money would have been spent, essentially, to avoid working out around people like me.

Incidentally the Spectrum rep was a pudgy little guy, short and funny, like a character actor. I found him far more reassuring than the Golem I wound up signing the papers with.

At the other end of the scale, I had a sweet deal offered at the local, unenfranchised, Topanga Fitness. Farthest from my house but near the freeway; nominally on my way to work, this club offered the smallest facility but low, low prices. about $14 a month and they were going to throw in a free massage. In addition to being too far, there was no one there when I visited except a trainer and a member. I would also avoid working out around people like me; or any people for that matter. Too depressing.

I'm going with corporate behemoth 24-Hour Fitness. Three or four days a week, and I'm in for five training sessions with the goal of actually MEETING my optimum actuarial table weight and having a little definition to my torso instead of the ectomorphic pale blob it is now. My weight? If you know me you might think I'm slender, but I've been about 10-20 pounds more than the insurance people recommend for my whole life. I want to go to my death bed one day saying, "you should have known me for that month when I had a perfect body."

One can only hope I don't say it a month after.