Hi,

Due to something, I am not sure what even though it was explained to me, we have to wait until Wednesday to sign up...

Bill, the owner is on vacation and can't be reached. Ya, the people there know two of us have already signed up and they have the list of people. But, we have to wait.

Sorry everyone.

-James

Hi,

I signed up on Wednesday and have worked out there twice so far at different times. Seriously, I have never had to wait for a machine. Even if I am doing three part supersets I still don't have to wait. They must run the cleanest gym. Not only do they keep the place sparkling clean, they also compel their clients to be clean. I never see anyone leave a machine dripping sweat like a fountain and not clean up with sanitizer.

The test of any gym is the locker room. Bacteria and mold should be right at home thanks to the warmth and humidity of four private shower stalls, a sauna, and jacuzzi. But I could see no mold anywhere and there was not a funky smell to be found. It is seriously clean.

For you cyclists you don't have to lock your bike up on Allen like I did when I went there to talk to them. You can park your bike right in the building and it is under video surveillance, so no one will mess with it.

Bill Mahr is the owner and the one who arranged our group rate. Not only is he super easy to work with but he is also one of the nicest guys I have ever met. We got to meet the day I signed up and we chatted for ten minutes. He is the kind of guy you would love to get a beer with.

So, everyone should sign up. Go, do it now.

-James

• edit*

Oh, we don't have a group name. Just go in and say that you are part of that group signing up.

Howdy,

I just heard back from Allentown Athletix owner Bill Maher. Everything is a go! So cats and kittens, go on down there and sign up and start lifting weights, jogging on a treadmill, or rolling around with strange men on the floor in ju jitsu class. Your membership begins the day you sign up. So, if you sign up today your membership will expire a year from today, not on May 1st 2009.

Also, if anyone wants to do one of the classes as a group you can use this space to arrange it. Here is the scheduale:

Monday:
5:30PM - Belly Dance
6:30PM Abs
7:00PM Ju Jitsu

Tuesday:
5:30PM Pilates

Wednesday:
6:00PM Abs
7:00PM Ju Jitsu

Thursday:
12:15PM Pilates
5:45PM Yoga
7:00PM Ju Jitsu

Friday:
7:30PM Belly Dance

Saturday:
9:00AM Bootcamp (additional fee)
10:00AM Tai Chi (additional fee)
11:30AM QUEEN CITY ROLLER GIRLS EXPERIENCE with MIA MAULER! (additional bad ass!)

See everyone there

Hi,

The final figures are in. First, Bill and Pete at Allentown Athletix are both a pleasure to work with. If they google AA and find this journal, thank you guys, you kick several flavors of ass.

It will work to $299 in one payment or $50 for six months. That is still a $170 savings. Again, it is preferred that a payment in full is made.

So, you may sign your souls over to me via this final head count. This is starting to feel like an elementary school field trip with all this counting.

Me
Jim
Paul
Terry (I am going to assume yes because Paul is in)
Fing
Dave
Yvonne
Steve! (Thanks for joining us)
Mike (?)
Chico

So, confirm and we can get started.

Aloha children,

I have a meeting with Bill Mahr from Allentown Althetix tomorrow. We will be going over our options, so I will have ideas about costs and stipulations and what not. So I will fill you folks in on the details tomorrow sometime.

He wants a list of names of people interested. They don't do high pressure sales like Buffalo Athletic Club so he wouldn't use any info to leave voice messages begging you to take a tour.

Here are my beloved (e:peeps) so far:

Paul
Terry
Imk
Mike
Libertad
Libertad's mystery friend
Chico
Felly
Mr.Fing
Lauren

if you are not on this list, your coolness is slightly diminished.

-James

• edit* You are all still members of the cool kids club. Each and everyone of you whether your name is on this list of not.

I love you all.

Howdy,

I just heard back from someone at Allentown Athletix. They would be willing to do a group rate if we commit to a year long membership. He would like to schedule a meeting. So, I am looking to get a more accurate head count. If you responded in my last journal, bug your boy friends/girl friends/life chums/what ever the heck you have so I can give him a more definite number. The meeting wouldn't be until next week sometime, but get back to me.

People who have expressed interest:

Paul
Felly
Imk
Mike
Chico
Terry
Libertad
Libertad's mystery non-blogging friend


Let me know kids

Howdy,

I know (e:Paul) and (e:libertad) have expressed interest in Allentown Athletix. This August I am going to be getting a membership there no matter what. But what about group membership?

If enough people are interested in going there I would approach them and talk about getting a group rate. If this sounds good to you post a comment.

It will be glorious.

Well crap,

I suppose if anyone could take mugging and turn it into a workout the Japanese could.



If they offer classes like this at Allentown Athletix I am so switching!

Howdy,

To catch you up if needed, two posts ago I wrote about the human feces which littered the men's locker room at the Buff State Gym.

Well, I wrote an email to the facilities director to let him now he needs to have a chat with the custodial staff. I got a reply back in a few minutes letting me know that the matter would be taken care of immediately. Awesome. Then, an hour later I get another email from him. He would like to meet. um, ok.

So, I show up at his office. He is a nice guy. He takes me on a little walk to show me that the mess has been cleaned up. He then offers alternate substances. Perhaps it was mud. Perhaps it was chewing tobacco.

Chewing tobacco?

Iowa Earl's Chewing Tobacco. Now with corn!

seriously. There was a nut or something in the mix. I am not entirely convinced. But the mess was cleaned up, so I let it go.

He reassures me that the staff has been informed to be more watchful for messes. He thanks me for opening up new channels of communication with his staff. And finally he thanks me for not telling everyone and their mother that there is shit all over the place.

oops, too late.

• update* I was told that if it was feces that they would have to clean the room with a haz-mat suit. After a decade of hanging on the wall I don't think it harbors anything we don't all already have.

Dear Buffalo State,

I have given you a lot of money over the years. Why, you nearly even denied me financial aid this year because my graduate program is considered an undergraduate program. But we fixed everything and I forgave you. Then, I gave you money to use your gym. It is free to undergrads, but I am not an undergrad even though the financial aid office says I am. But, this was just a bureaucratic technicality, and I didn't begrudge you when I gave you my hard earned money. But I draw the line at human feces.

You see, the men's locker room at the gym should be a meditative space. Where one takes off the atire of the outside, academic world and transforms oneself to perform a new roll. And then again shower off the sweat of your labors and return again to the outside. But the tranquility required for that needed transformation is spoiled when the aesthetics of the locker room are spoiled by shit smeared on the walls and on the benches.

When I first noticed it I thought 'my, someone really must have been ill to launch filth so high up against the walls. I hope they are feeling better, and that this mess is cleaned up.' One month later and it is still there, hardened like cement. It isn't like it is hard to notice, or hidden in a locker. It is, allow me to say it again, shit smeared on the walls and on a bench! How can you miss it? But, I guess they aren't cleaning at all.

What do I do? Who should I talk to? Should I talk to one of dozens of full time program directors? Perhaps one of the legions of student workers? How about the faculty that is getting paid by me to sit in the rehab room just feet away from the offending stains?

College kids are gross and inconsiderate. I can understand grabbing a turd and getting all Jackson Pollock on the locker room. You are stupid and egocentric, how could I be upset at you, oh large child. But the staff that walks around there, the cleaning people who work in that building. It is implied that part of your job is to keep the cascading human crap to a minimum. How hard is that? HOW HARD IS THAT?

I hate this veil of tears of a world.