Memory Failures and Oblivious Newbies

I got to the gym really late today because I spent several hours searching for my ancient iPod. I had the distinct memory of dropping it into the ziplock bag where I keep multiple earbuds in my gym bag. I searched all around my gym bag and pulled everything inside it out. Finally it occurred to me to retrace my steps and actions. And I discovered that my iPod was in the pocket of the sweatpants I happened to be wearing. Ugh! So that distinct memory was either a lie, or an older memory from a time when I'd actually performed that action! It was what I had planned to do and had done so often before, but it was not what I had actually done.

Memory is deceptive and fluid, and not to be trusted. We can have memories of things that never happened. My son and I have been discussing dreams, especially dreams that seem real until one realizes that no, we don't indeed own a stove top with a shelf in front where the burner knobs sit perpendicular to the front of the stove. That was an image from a dream, a harmless false memory.

But we use our memories to gauge our positions in time, and sometimes, they are inexplicably false. I got caught in NYC during the summer blackout that took out most of the Northeast and parts of Canada. There were no trains, no traffic lights, no lights, no water, no refrigeration, no bathrooms. The pay phones were working though and I remember calling my husband to tell him that I was stuck outside Grand Central Station. He offered to drive down and get me. I distinctly remember telling him to stay home with our son, because I wanted our son to be safe. And in my memory, my son was about 18 months old. Except the great blackout occurred in 2003. And my son was born in 2005. Hmmm. My husband teases me that I must've fallen out of an alternate timeline. Yeah, okay.

Well, at least I made it to the gym, albeit much later than planned, which effectively cut my gym time in half. So I skipped part of my cardio workout, and a bunch of other exercises, but did the core components. While I'm working delts, I see a newbie woman. She's doing delt raises with DBs standing right in front of the DB rack. That's a rude rookie move. She's dressed like a Dana Linn-Baily wanna-be, with white leggings and a cut-off tank. One arm is heavily tattooed. I'm not a big admirer of tattoos on body builders because the ink obscures the muscle. She has a good basic structure but nothing to really look at. She's moving between the DBs and a cable station, and is completely oblivious to the barbell she knocks into.

Normally this wouldn't be an issue except that it's fully loaded and actually in motion. Her action causes the dude on the bench to lose his balance and the bar tips. He manages to get one end on the stay, but the other is precariously angled down 45°. Because of the spring collars, the plates don't fall off onto the floor. The guy's not in any immediate danger, and luckily Little R notices the situation and is able to give the fellow a hand with the bar. Wanna-Be girl is still oblivious, and later walks into a pull-down bar situated on a hip height handle rack. I've never seen her before, and I hope I don't see her again. Seriously.


Friday Workout

30 min x-trainer
Calories 142
Miles 3.79

HGPU 31
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 100
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dog 2 x 60s
Side Plank 2 x 60s

Smith Inclined Bench
Bar x 15
12 reps x 50, 70, 80
8 x 90
25 x 60

Smith RG BB Rows
25 x 50, 90, 120

DB Lat s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25 lbs x 12/15 x 3

HGPU 31