After work today, Mr. A met me at home and we took off to the gym. This is a rare occurrence, since I'm not one to work out in general (make that one heck of a pricey gym membership come to think of it) and he prefers to play tennis or do athletic things for fun.
"So you're asking daily again," he murmured on the drive down.
"Yes!"
"Why... daily?"
"It's time to get back to the basics. I just feel this is the right time, for some reason. For fun! For adventure!"
He laughed nervously.
And I understand why. For anyone who came to this blog after July 1 2009, if you haven't dug around much you should at least know now that Mr. A was an all star trooper. Whenever I confessed at 11:30 (p.m., that is) that I still had to ask, he jumped into the car with me and we headed somewhere, anywhere, askable. He's come along on detours and suggested asking techniques, he's been a sounding board and a partner in crime. And proofreader -- can't forget that. His friends used to keep up with the daily blog so they'd know what he was up to. Plus, on those desperate days when I really didn't know what to ask for, somehow Mr. A was always a prime target for some odd or spontaneous request. I'd get that glint in my eye and he knew to duck for cover.
In other words, when La Roxy announces that she's asking daily again, it kind of means that Mr. A is along for the ride... for better or worse ;)
Case in point:
We got to the gym, and I realized I left my access card on a different keychain. Also, Mr. A isn't a member, and we were prepared to pay the entrance fee when out of the blue I tried a different approach.
"Hi! I forgot my key thingie, so can I give you my name or ID?"
"You for got your key thingie!!" the guy behind the counter gasped.
"Yes! Sorry!"
"I don't think you can set foot in here without that. Kidding. What's your address?"
After he cleared me, I asked for one more little favor...
"Can I bring in a guest? He's not a member and we're not going to work out for long..."
"Normally it would be $15, but, since I'm at the end of my shift," he lowered his voice here, "go for it."
We waved goodbye and I had a good session on the elliptical, watching the situation unravel in Egypt on CNN.
Saved: $15.
Lost: 1 minute.
Afterthought:
So far, Days 1 and 2 aren't reaches. Nothing I wouldn't have asked for before. Nothing bold or inspiring. This last one wasn't even an explicit request: "Let him in for free?" But it was a suggestion, a hint, and it got the result I wanted. In any case, it's feeling great to stretch these muscles and remember what it's like to do it daily. I haven't hit my stride yet, but once I'm back in that mode, I'm so curious what each new day will bring...
image source: panik-design.com
