Isn't it annoying when people have a big win or success and won't stop "bragging" on themselves? When they crash and burn, you never hear about it. You might even ask them how their event, meeting, game, etc. went and they say, "I don't even want to talk about it." That always annoys the crap out of me because I remember how he/she wouldn't shut up because he/she is "so AWESOME!"

I have to confess that I am guilty of this. A few weeks ago, we won our first co-ed softball game and I dedicated an entire post to brag about our team. Since then, we have lost three games and I haven't made a single post. Last week was BAD. Not only was the weather horrible, it was about 44 degrees and had been raining most of the day, but we had a double header.

We joked that with the gold sleeves on our shirts, we looked like the Bad News Bears!

We fumbled around when catching the ball and all in all we looked very uncoordinated. We almost made a come back on the first game. The score was 2 - 22 and it ended 19-22. The second team we played was semi-pro and we had no chance! Maybe they weren't semi-pro, but most of them were on competitive teams and played three times a week. The game was actually called early due to a run rule. This means they scored too many runs for us to be able to catch up and the umpire called the game.


Our plan of action is to have a practice this week and work on our fielding as this seems to be our major area of weakness. We hope this will ensure Team Domination a win when we go against the Bud Light Slammers on Friday at 9:30 p.m.

Citizens of Sweatsville: Dead Guy

Dead Guy is approximately 55 years old and balding. His workout consists of riding the "old school" stationary bicycle. This is the kind where the handlebars move back and forth and the "tire" spins around like a fan when you peddle.

There are two things that make Dead Guy noteworthy. Before Dead Guy travels upstairs to get on his stationary bicycle, he has to stretch. There are many places to stretch at the gym, most of which are tucked away and not out in the middle of the cardio area. Apparently, Dead Guy likes to stretch in front of others. His location of choice is in front of the StairMaster. For some reason, 75% of the time that I am on the StairMaster, I look up to find him standing with his legs stretched apart and his bicycle short-wearing butt up in the air, in all its glory. It's a little distracting, but I'm a mature adult, so I don't let it bother me. Who am I kidding? If you are reading this, you know me and know that statement is false. I try not to look, I really do. It's like a train wreck and I can't look away. He continues to do other stretches that are obscene to my immature mind.

What does this have to do with being called Dead Guy, you ask? Well, his name was actually coined by Katie. The first time we saw Dead Guy, he was on the bike and we were lifting weights. Katie looked over and said, "That guy on the bike looks like he is dead!" I looked over and saw a middle aged, flushed-looking man riding the "old school" bike with his eyes closed and his mouth gaping open. His head remained still while his legs peddled and his arms pushed and pulled the handlebars. And so, Dead Guy was named. The name stuck because anytime he is on that bike, his eyes stay closed and his mouth remains open.

If only I could figure out a way to take a picture of the Citizens.

Next Week in Citizens of Sweatsville: The Magazine Girls

Citizens of Sweatsville

Nick and I are members at a certain gym in town. Nick has been going on a daily basis for four years now. I joined him in his quest to "be fit" about four months ago. This is really the first time that I have been disciplined and regular. I finally talked a friend into joining "our" gym so I could have a workout partner. What a difference it has made to have Katie to workout with!!

This posting isn't to brag on my recent attachment to the gym. It is to introduce a new feature, if you will, to the Family Hillosophy blog. When you go to the gym on a regular basis, you begin to see the same people every day. It's like a weird community where nobody knows your name. BUT in a bizarre way, you feel like you know them because you see them every day and begin to notice all their unique characteristics or tendencies. Since you don't know their name, you make up a name for them.

Enter Crazy Stepper Lady. Not to be confused with The Other Crazy Stepper Lady, as Crazy Stepper Lady is the original. CSL is approximately 58 years old and has the legs of a 25 year old. Don't get excited, boys. Don't get jealous, girls. Read further. You do not want to be like CSL.

Until recently, she could only be found on the StairMaster (the big one with the rotating stairs). I believe she has had an injury because you can now find her in a habitat that is rare to the CSL species - upstairs in the weight area. That's another thing about going to the gym each day...not only do you come up with names for complete strangers, you being to make up stories about complete strangers.

CSL wears a gray sweatshirt every time she works out. If it's 28 degrees out and snowing, she wears a sweatshirt. If it's 95 degrees outside, she wears a sweatshirt.

CSL disregards the rule that you can only use the stepper for 30 minutes. She will get on the stepper and when her "allowed" 30 minutes is up, she will get off, quickly get a drink and get back on for another 30. I am pretty sure she knows that no one is willing to mess with her by jumping on the stepper before she is really finished.

I forgot to tell you that she is SCARY. Forget the fact that she has witch-like, long, gray hair that is worn in a pony-tail. Forget that her bony frame (from being over worked) resembles that of a witch. She is MEAN. You know the mean lady that lives down the street that all the kids are scared of? That's her. One day, Nick overheard a couple of girls politely ask her how long she does the stepper each day. Her response was, "ENOUGH." My friend, Madaline said CSL rarely speaks when spoken to but when she does, she cusses like a sailor.

She is also, in my opinion, a repeat offender in the locker room. As most of you know, I am not the most modest person. I do feel that walking around the locker room with only a towel around your waist or while you dry your long, witchy hair is not very polite. I really don't need to see her oddly-fit-for-her-age body and tiny, mature, lady lumps while I change clothes.

Next week in Citizens of Sweatsville:
Dead Guy