Crazy Spinners

It's just before 5:00 a.m., pitch black, and the only other cars on the road are mostly folks who haven't been to bed yet. The rest don't know how to drive anyway. FYI stop signs and lights are optional.

I usually drive way too fast. I only slow down if the guy behind me is tailgating. I did that a few weeks ago, kept my speed at 45 m.p.h. and wondered why this jerk wouldn't back off. Good thing I didn't speed up or slam on my brakes. It was a cop.

I set my little car on Autopilot. It has three settings: Gym, Work, Home. Very helpful when you're half asleep - you can just turn the dial, hit the "Go" button and before you know it you're in the parking lot at the Y.

Late last fall I'm zipping down the last 1000 feet of my commute with my high beams on and spotted a raccoon on the side of the road, probably wanting to cross. I sloooooowed down, opened my passenger window and said to the little fella "Be careful, sweetie, and watch out for those crazy spinners - they'll run you down!"

The gym opens at 5:00 and the Crazy Spinners are there waiting (lined up like they all want a pound of baloney)to be sure they are signed up for NEXT week's class. Then they race down to the spinning room to claim their bike. Yes, THEIR bike. And don't be late for class or you will lose your bike to the Waiting List, which sucks unless the person that gets bumped is someone you don't like anyway. And call if you can't come or you are erased for an entire week of classes. Tough stuff. But the Crazy Spinners are a tough breed, a breed apart from most of the older exercisers that come at that hour.

No, I'm not a crazy spinner yet. I have MY parking spot and MY locker but I don't yet have claim to a bike. But you'll know when the change happens: I will conspire with others, like The Cheater, to be sure I am signed up even when I'm not there to sign up. I will pedal faster than any lowly mortal. And I'll be up to date on all the latest gossip, one of the best parts of taking classes.