Today I Joined the Polar Bear Club.

I have been thinking about changing my schedule a bit, somewhat part of a new year's resolution. I have been in quite the habit of working out after work. At the time it was better after work because I had more time. After a while that wasn't really the case. Things kept creeping into my schedule at night, and it was such a pain because I had to "get ready" twice a day. To reduce the vain repetition I typically just didn't get ready for work. I didn't do my make-up or my hair. After all, who do I have to impress there? But then, by the end of the day, I didn't feel like "getting ready" either because I knew I would be going to bed in just a few hours. It made sense to me to just work out in the morning and be ready for the whole day; the results of my "getting ready" would be optimized. So, starting this week I have been working out in the mornings. And I've loved it. The days seem so much longer; I feel like I have more time; and I don't feel so slovenly.

Being the efficient person that I am, I shower at the gym instead of going all the way home to shower. It is a little inconvenient because I have to be very careful to bring absolutely everything that I need. If I forget underwear, I'm in trouble. Well, today, as I walked into the bathroom to put my belongings in the locker, I was greeted with a sign that read, "No hot water in the showers. Sorry for the inconvenience." So for the next two hours as I was working out, I debated whether I should take the extra time, gas, and mileage to go home to have a warm shower. I decided that I could do it. And do it I did! I remembered one morning on my mission when the mamita was mad at us and turned off the calefactor. It wasn't pleasant, but it was manageable.

This was my trick. I faced the shower head to the wall and leaned over to wash my hair, trying to keep my body out of the water. That way I could stay dry as long as possible. And dry meant not as cold. By the time I was done with that, the temperature wasn't such a shock, and I could finish up. While it wasn't completely unbearable, I would still rather choose a warm shower. There are so many little things that I take for granted and don't recognize their worth until the convenience it taken away.