I’m quite certain I won’t be experiencing the Empty Nest Syndrome
18 VIPs have spoken »
It looks like another Random Tuesday has rolled around (rubs hands together) and random is my specialty.
We spent the day at my friend’s house (she has five kids and one large dog) swimming in her pool, jumping on her huge trampoline and relaxing as those kids tired themselves out.
I was just thrilled that each one of my kids had a playmate (even Emily) and that they would be tired at bed time. And then her 8-year-old asked if Katie could spend the night. And if Katie’s staying that means Allison is staying, too.
My friend is so laid back and spontaneous she said “Sure!” but not in that oh-shit-I-have-to-say-yes-now way. She runs the house that every kid wants to hang out at. I need to take notes from her; I don’t know how she does it.
But she does. And she did last night and this morning.
Mr. C and I were drunk with freedom last night. We didn’t know what to do since Emily goes to bed at 7:30. So we ended up eating burritos and fell asleep watching Dr. G: Medical Examiner.
That’s what 15 years of marriage and three kids will do to you.
My euphoria is short lived, however, since I will now have to host a sleep over with her two girls before the summer ends. That should be, um, interesting.
The weird part is that I seem to want the Random Converse more than occasionally and I still have not created one. I’m getting lazy here.
They then upped the ante telling members that there was a one-towel policy in place. If a member required a second towel, said member had to provide his own.
So you can imagine my shock and surprise when I read the most recent note posted everywhere. The Y began with an inventory of 3,600 towels. As of this month they have 350 towels.
Ninety percent of the towels have been stolen?! WTF people? Are times so difficult that members are resorting to stealing towels just to keep up their home supply? I really find this amazing and mind boggling. I just cannot wrap my brain around this.
I would imagine perhaps ten percent of the towels would disappear and the Y would anticipate that as a business expense. Yes, I still think it’s terrible that a business would have to plan for dishonest patrons, but it happens.
But come on. Over 3,000 towels have been stolen? I don’t get that.
Carry on.
Maybe the Y should start charging a deposit for towels? People stealing things isn’t on.
They have suggested that as a last resort if the thefts continue. I guess I might have to start bringing my own towel. That’s a drag.
Um, after only two years of marriage, that’s what we do. We caught up on our DVR recordings and went to bed at 9:30 and discussed our impending move and he was snoring by 10.
I used to LOVE sleepovers. That’s what I always did for my birthday. I have some tips when it gets closer. Three words – Slip and Slide.
No towels provided at my college gym. And you weren’t even allowed in the workout room without some sort of terrycloth fabric, meaning I barely passed by with my washcloth I kept in my bookbag beause I don’t sweat. I can’t remember at the Y from high school. I never showered there. I remember hand towels with “YMCA” Sharpied on them in the weight room.
90%?? Must be a clepto thing. But I don’t understand people who refuse to follow rules. It’s a rule for a reason, people!! Oh, and stealing all those towels is like consistently being late, totally inconsiderate and disrespectful. I get a little irritated thinking about it.
Funny, I really only remember going to one sleep over in my life.
I’m surprised your gym required a towel. Or a wash cloth in your case. I’m so surprised you barely sweat. I can literally squeeze water (sweat) out of my shirt and my pant legs after a workout.
I know, that’s disgusting.
And I was also totally floored to see that 90% of the towels have disappeared. That’s almost unbelievable, you know?
Well, I only had one friend in my “neighborhood.” We were constantly at each others’ houses. And her grandmother could cook. And I had the same school mates my entire lives. Seriously, K-12. We were bored.
I know lots of people of sweat a lot, I actually had a heat stroke once because of my lack of sweating at a car auction and my mother figured out I was having a heat stroke because I was sweating. I also have freakishly small feet and huge head for my height. Sweat glands are kinda like why calico cats are all different patterns.
That would be boring having the same classmates for 13 years. And I never knew sweat glands are similar to the different patterns on a calico cat.
I guess sweat glands and calico patterns are like snowflakes, eh?
When my husband was home on R&R, his mom watched the boys one evening so we could go out. We went out to eat (natch) and then didn’t know what else to do, so we walked around downtown for awhile. Its like, after having kids for so long, you can’t figure out what you used to do before they came. I do, however, distinctly remember honing my pool skills in various smoke-filled establishments…
rats..I forgot to change my name back to soonerchick….
No joke Miss Tasti, I mean Soonerchick. It is difficult to remember what a date was like before kids. I think we strolled around and then ended up at a coffee shop chit chatting and people watching.
Now when the babysitter is here we grab a burger and watch the clock.
Dinner and smoke filled establishment last night for us. Sometimes we have dinner at the bar. We don’t even go out on dates on vday. We just go to a nicer restaurant, then go to the same bar.
I think “real date” ideas are hard, we just blocked it out. Dating is traumatic.
Random is a good description of this post! The converse you made fits it just right.
I want to be the house all the kids go to. I was before we moved, but not here. I’m going to have to work on my shyness. Mostly I want to do this so that I always know where my children are & what they are doing. I don’t trust other parents. Mostly because I’ve seen them in action. As long as the house doesn’t burn down, they don’t really care what the kids do. That works just fine until hormones hit.
The Y should make their towels some weird shape that is totally inappropriate for anything at home, like a super long skinny rectangle or something, or put a big ugly logo on it. Or just say, “oh, too bad. all the towels were stolen. bring your own.”
I also want to be that house minus all of the work. No chance of that happening, I know. Remember that show Please Don’t Eat the Daisies? I wanted that house and I wanted to be as cool and pretty as that mom.
That would be interesting to see if they could create a long, narrow towel shaped like the letters YMCA with a hole in the middle of the A. It wouldn’t work well as a shower towel and it might shame people into leaving it behind, although I imagine it would fit just fine inside a gym bag.
Hmm, they might start doing a bag search like they do at the airport. Now that would be interesting.
A deposit for towels sounds like a good idea. People suck sometimes. As if towels grow on trees. As if the local YMCA doesn’t have enough budget problems as it is.
A night without the kids would be fun and is much needed in my house. Good for you that you got one.
Oh and get that Random Converse. Stop being so lazy, Cardiogirl. Just kidding, of course.
People do suck sometimes, don’t they? I really do find it amazing that so many towels have disappeared. I mean these are the suburbs.
I do want that shoe — I frequently feel random in real life.
The Y I usually go to doesn’t do this, but the OTHER Y I sometimes go to charges $2 for a towel. I don’t know if they charge everyone or just guests (which I kind of am, since I’m registered at the other Y). Outrageous. I just bring my own. Or not.
Do you get your money back when you return the towel or is it just part of the fee? I don’t know why I’m so opposed to bringing my own towel, if they start charging. I know I can get a flimsy pack of five from Kmart for $5.
It’s the principle and being lazy. One more thing to remember. What a first-world problem, eh?
We have some friends that have a boy and two girls, and often will invite both of my kids for an overnight. Their house is always chaos, and they seem to enjoy it (!?) I love it when they are both out of the house. That means at least dinner at a civilized restaurant, and usually a movie at home, since we usually fall asleep! But you are right, there is always a price for this happiness, and that would be owing them one. I cannot stand having a boy and a girl sleepover at the same time because they do battle late at night and it makes me psycho.
With regard to the towels, it makes you lose some confidence in humanity, doesn’t it? Are we all just a stolen towel away from becoming animals? I like the idea of making the towels really butt-ugly to prevent towel envy.
We only have girls over here, so I won’t have to deal with the boy-girl issue, but isn’t that a can o’ worms?
I guess that’s something to be happy about.
And yes, I agree totally. I have lost some respect for my fellow exercisers and I do feel like the folks who are stealing are one step from a pack of wolves.
Hola Cardio,
I think the Y should do what they do when you get bowling shoes, they take your ID. No one is gonna take the towel because that would mean losing his/her ID. It truly is a sin that they would have to resort to such but clearly you live near thieves…I kid I kid, partly! I live around thieves too did I tell you how they stole half of my license plate to get my registration stickers. This is worse than the towel thing by far, ah Philadelphia.
Anywho a slumber party…should be fun but I suspect you are a little at odds with having to reciprocate this shindig. One step at a time and remember it’s only one night. I wish you the best of luck and will drink a sangria in your honor.
That is a good idea — leaving the ID to force them to be honest.
That’s crazy about your license plate. I actually knew someone who partially experienced that quite a few years ago. Someone snipped just the small end to take the tag. Isn’t that nuts?
Those things are so sticky I can’t imagine how someone would remove it to re-use it on his car.
I read a story about that.
http://www.violentacres.com/archives/97/it-is-less-painful-to-embrace-defeat-rather-than-cross-the-dmv
Oh, and people will do anything to save a buck. Probably ripped the corner off their own plate and kept the two.
I totally dig your random Converse. You know I’d wear it every single day if I owned that shoe, don’t you???
Should I admit that I accidentally came home with a blanket from Grace’s stay in the NICU at Children’s in Seattle the night she was born?? No? It wasn’t intentional, by any means. But it’s not like I could just pop in to Children’s any ol’ time I wished to return it. It’d cost me at least $30 just in ferry fees. If I accidentally came home with a towel from the Y, I’d totally return it the next time I went. I don’t understand the not returning it, I guess.
Grace hasn’t had a slumber party yet. I keep thinking she’s not old enough, but my friends’ kids have had them this young. I guess she hasn’t really had any girl friends yet. Mostly she hangs with boys. She’s tough like that.
It is a fun look, isn’t it? I might have to put that one on my wish list. Oy, they’re so expensive.
I thought they sent babies home with those blankets. I know we had a couple of those ones that are mostly white but have a few pink and blue stripes. I guess I might be part of the universal towel problem after all.
That’s one tough chick you have — that’s cool. I wish my girls were a bit more rough and tumble.
Ooooh! I don’t know what was more exciting – sitting here in my room at camp writing a post to my blog or logging onto Cardiogirl and being able to post a comment, while I’m at camp!! I’m sitting here at my Eee PC and marvelling. Meanwhile, MS is sleeping and YS is sitting across from me picking the jewels off of MS’s treasure box craft (he might not appreciate my computer time when he rises from his nap to find his treasure box dismantled. Anyway, it is too cool to still feel connected, whilst away at camp! Hoping all is well with you.
And just so you know, this is the first time I have ever seen the click to edit option with a fifteen minute timer – too cool!
Yay, Wendy! I’ve been thinking about you and hoping I can quickly finish my letter so you have it waiting for you when you get home. I shall make that my vow — you will have a letter awaiting you
Isn’t it funny the things you’ll do to get a minute to yourself? I like to ask for forgiveness after the fact rather than permission (that probably won’t be granted) beforehand.
Isn’t that a fun edit feature? I love it!
I won’t be experiencing Empty Nest Syndrome, either. And MY towels keep disappearing, too…
As usual, one Wonder Twin brain.
Think you’d consider lending me your half of The Brain for a few weeks? I’d like to know what life could be like if I was whole-brained.
That would be crazy to see what life with a fully functioning brain would be like. You’d be extremely witty and smart and it would be hard to live up to that once you returned the brain.
I’d be the same way, when I had the full brain everyone would want to hang out with me and then they’d shun me when I went back to my standard half brain.
I don’t know if we could live up to the rep if we started sharing the brain.
No worries. It’s not like I’d give it back, or anything.
no empty nest syndrome here. when the kid leaves, i’m changing my name and relocating.
actually it’s quite nice when she’s out of the house and tv is never on the agenda.
oh yeah, wth on the towels. i would ask for a $2 deposit and they can get it back when they return the towel. that’s rude and freaking nasty. i bring my own towel.
I’d like to join that Witness Survival program as well.
I used to like some background sound, before kids, but now I like the silence which is quite rare in the summer time. Almost one month until school starts, but who’s counting?
I just might have to start bringing my own towel. Another thing that surprises me is that the towels are really thin terry cloth and they are not soft! They’re prickly. I would never want to use it as a bath towel. Yuck.
Our Y charges 50 cents for a towel. They aren’t that great so I try to bring my own but my boyfriend uses them.
We do have 1 at home, by accident. I made him put it in his gym bag to take back, after we washed it. Come to think of it, we have some crappy cheap towels from Wally World that I would love to get rid of. I should “donate” those- I’m tired of discovering those in the good towel bin, mysteriously left behind by unknown persons.
I don’t know why I’m so opposed to bringing my own towel. I know I’m going to end up doing that anyway and I’m more apt to remember to bring my own than I am to bring money to use one of theirs.