My Week Away from DC

I can't say I missed it. My morning metro rides? Nope. The homeless guy on the train - doing god-knows-what under his jacket? No. Don't miss that either. I did have 2 cheese people experiences while away though. Well, more like 1.5... But either way, I'm sure the suspense is killing you!

Hooters

This is a quick one: We went to Hooters to eat one night. I like their boneless chicken wings and curly fries. Seriously. And I can watch a lot of sports at once. I don't have to explain my enjoyment of Hooters to you!

Regardless.

We're sitting at our table and this family comes in. Very nondescript - son, daughter, mom, and dad. But there's one thing: The son is wearing a Hooters shirt. To Hooters.

Who actually wears a Hooters shirt to Hooters? And what was the process of the decision to wear said Hooters shirt?

Parent: We're going to eat at Hooters for dinner tonight.

Son: Sweet! This gives me a chance to wear that Hooters shirt I got last time!

The Lady from Vermont

The Atlantic Ocean in Maydoes not yield the warmest of waters in North Carolina. But it was hot. So to cool off, I would let the waves crash onto my feet. As I was standing there, this lady comes walking down the beach. I turn to watch her, and she's giving me the thumbs up. Finally, when she's within earshot our conversation begins.

Lady: Go for it! Get in there!
Me: Not today. It's a little too cold for me.
Lady: Do you live north of here?
Me: Yeah, DC.
Lady: Vermont. It's much colder up there. But it's warmer down in the southern beaches. We were trying to drive down there, but our car broken down [something about the radiator I believe... I can't quite remember]. So we're stuck here for a couple of days. Anyway, we'll explore up here. High Five!

So I give the lady a high five, and she was on her way.

Nobody around here just doles out high fives like that. It was fun.

So, I'll leave you with one last shot of my new happy place. I will close my eyes and go there often.

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Gym Cheese Person

This is the true meaning of my blog's title. My sister and I have this uncanny aura around us that causes people, often weird people, to just come up and start conversations with us. Completely random conversations, about nothing, that go on for some time. Those are Cheese People. So on with the story.

My iPod froze this morning. Basically, it hates me. But, I still needed to go to the gym and exercise. I went down to the gym and decided on the second treadmill from the end. There was a gentleman walking on the end one. Let it be known, that there were two treadmills open - in either case, I would have had to run next to someone.

I was lazy today, I walked for sometime. When I started to run, I placed my towel over the time thing... I hate staring at that. I am not a good distance runner, and I grow impatient - constantly glancing at how long (or little, really) I've been on the treadmill.

"Does that really work?" He asks me.

Here comes the Cheese person.

"I'd like to think so," I respond. It is so hard not to respond to a person when you don't have your headphones in. So, I engage in the convo... because, well.. Basically, I'm too nice. "It's just so hard to just run and not stare at the clock."

"Well," he says, "I've heard that it's easier to exercise if you have a conversation companion."

So it starts. Here's my thought process: If I continue a conversation with him, I will keep running. I hate running and I'm ridiculously out of shape. I claim to do "intervals" when I'm on the treadmill, but it's really me being lazy and not wanting to run for more than a consecutive five minutes, and then resort to walking.

So we continued our conversation. We spoke about our workplace. He's been there for almost 25 years (me, 2). We talked about the weather (like all people do), activities (he plays pool), and general things. He finished his workout, and I continued running. I ended up running for over 20 minutes! So my gym cheese person helped. Sometimes Cheese People are helpful - and it's kind of nice to have a conversation with someone new. I'm glad I can attract Cheese People - remind me that I said that, next time the situation presents itself.

Then the treadmill started making really loud clanking noises. It was broken. Read more...