We all know that swimming is my least favorite activity to do but this summer has really tried my patience. I know that I have mentioned this probably more than once but this week in particular has really pissed me off. Before I go into my rant I will say I actually do like swimming but my idea of swimming is something like this….
Or maybe a bigger pool with a floatation device and a frosty beverage in hand with music playing in the background. I don’t however enjoy swimming laps looking at the bottom of a pool with nothing but my thoughts and boredom to keep me company. Anyway on with my rant.
I am a YMCA member only because of the pool. I will occasionally use a treadmill but now that I have one so I don’t need it for anything except for the pool. There is a facility conveniently located near my house and work within like a few minute drive. However, the struggle I have had is that I wanted to swim over lunch (around 1-2 pm) or after work (5-6 pm). During this summer they have kids summer camp during the day and then swim lessons in the evening. This seems to happen from 9am to 8pm. Now I understand and appreciate the fact that they provide a very positive alternative for parents to do something with their kids while school is not in session but they really need to remember that people like me who don’t have kids would like to use the facilities also and pay for it. I have actually asked when the best time for me to come was and the girl literally said to me “anytime before 8am and after 8pm”. SERIOUSLY? WHAT THE FUCK?!?
After being told over and over again that the pool is closed from 5-8pm for swim lessons and being kicked out of swim lanes over lunch so little kids can have “time trials” I’m pretty much super fucking annoyed at this point. I gonna get sort of shitty so judge all you want, it’s ok. One day I was swimming over lunch. I had already been kicked out of my lane and then this boy, he was probably 8, kept swimming across all of the lanes. I had ran into him several times and finally I snapped. I was trying to train and he kept fucking up my stroke, swim and mojo. I stopped swimming, looked at him and told him to pick a spot and swim in it. STOP SWIMMING ACROSS THE POOL! Now I make is sound like I was super assholeish about I wasn’t. I was stern but nice. It was extremely rude what he was doing and he need to be told so I told him.
Now back to this particular week. As you might have noticed I took a couple of weeks off from training to do crossfit to sort of reset my mind. Now that that was over it was time for me to get back to training. Tuesday I had decided that I would do a swim in the morning and a run at night. I forced myself out of bed at 4:30 to go to the pool…the last thing in the world I wanted to be doing but I did it anyway. I walk in and stood in line. I over hear a lady talking about the pool but my desire to pay attention to her jabber and the fact that my brain wasn’t awake, I didn’t register the words she was saying. She then looked at me and said “the pool is closed for maintenance until September 3rd”. All I could do is laugh. How fucking ironic. I didn’t want to be there but here I was and yet I still wasn’t able to swim. I looked through the window is this is what I saw….yes is it completely empty!
Shaking my head as I walk to my car I decided I would go home and work for a bit and just go after work to the pool close to work. I didn’t let this ruin my mood, it was what it was and I could use the time to catch up on some work since it has been super crazy.
After work I head to yet another YMCA but obviously not the same YMCA instead the one close to my work. I had my mind set on this swim and I was bound and determined to get a swim in. I hadn’t been in the pool in almost a month and I desperately need to get into the water. I walk into the Y and look down at the pool. To my disbelief here is what I fucking see….
Another fucking empty pool! WTF man!?!?!?! Guess what? It is also closed until September 3rd. Go figure. Two weeks without a pool. Now I know what you are thinking, why didn’t you go to another pool? Well let me tell you why. I have two wonderful loving and very needy dogs at home. I already leave them home 10-12 hours a day. I don’t feel it is fair to keep them locked up longer than that (that is even more than I want to keep them confined without going out) because I would have to leave my house at 4:30 am to get to the pool and I wouldn’t be able to come home after but instead would have to go straight to work. That isn’t fair. I also have a job to do and right now it is a bit crazy. I’m doing two people’s jobs until I hire my replacement (remember I got promoted) and so I have been working long hours. So guess what suffers….my training. Its ok though. I love my job and my dogs more. I will figure it out. In the meantime, I am starting to hate the Y and after this is over, I will be cancelling my membership.
katie palmer moore 