My Inner Child Update!

My 5 mile run this morning really improved my outlook on things.  I ran a slightly different route to start working on hills.  I haven't done a lot of hills and it was a little rough.  But I started.  It was a good run, I was a little worried about time because I got up a few minutes late and then got out the door later than I had wanted.  But I got in 5.02 miles in 60 minutes.  I was pleased with my progress.  I'm scheduled for a 6 mile run on Saturday.  I'm hoping to run around Centennial Lake with my friend Joni.  I will need to run around the lake twice and there are a bunch of hills.  So we shall see. 

First let me say how much I LOVE living in Columbia, it's a wonderful town, with many little villages in it, each village has a little shopping center.  It has several lakes, many playgrounds and these wonderful paved paths all over that are all connected.  We have a path right behind our house that leads to a pond and playground.  That is where I do my running.  I keep meaning to bring my camera so I can take a picture of where I run, but that's for another day.  Anyway, Columbia is a great place with great schools, it's a wonderful place to raise my girls.  I wouldn't want to live any where else. 

All that being said, Columbia was the first planned community in the US.  We pay dues to the Columbia Association to maintain the paths and common areas.  We have rules about making changes to our house and our yard.  When lightning hit one of our trees, we would have had to send in a application to cut down the whole tree, with a site plan and pictures.  It just seemed like to much work so we just had the damaged limb cut down.  I want to replace the shutters on our house this summer, so I will have to take pictures, submit a plan and see if they approve my color choice.  It's kind of a drag. 

There are more than 20 pools in Columbia and if you buy a pool membership, you can go to any of them, which is completely fantastic.  The girls and I love hanging out at the pool and we do go to different ones all the time  You can also buy a membership go to any of the the several gyms in the area.  So you have lots of opportunities in Columbia, but it can be slightly expensive to take advantage of all of that they have to offer. 

Sorry to ramble on about all that, but you needed the background info to understand my latest dealing with them.  I had gotten a flyer in the mail that they were having a special deal, $36 a month to join, you had to sign up for 2 years, and you could only work out at one gym, Supreme Sports Club.  That is my favorite gym and the one I used most of all anyway when we had belonged to it before.  They have an indoor pool and tons of classes.  I called the Columbia Association to confirm the deal and they went over all the prices of the different levels that you could buy.  I just wanted the basic one and it was going to be just for me, not the whole family.  I called Seth at work and asked if we could all go last night to sign up!  So when he got home  we headed over to the CA.  When we got there we waited in line for 15-20 minutes before getting up to the counter.  When it was my turn, I told her I wanted to sign up for the deal, she was very nice but asked if I had brought the flyer.  I said I didn't have it and no where on the flyer did it say that I needed to bring it, she agreed and said that she had talked to marketing about it, that it needed to say that.  She asked if Seth could go get, I said no, the girls hadn't eaten dinner yet.  She said she could sign me up at the regular price and then switch me, but she could not honor the $36 price without this flyer.  I told her that I had talked to someone for a long time on the phone going over anything and she never told me that I needed to bring it in either.  I was so livid.  We have had issues with member services before, we are told one thing on the phone and another when we get to the office.  Seth was livid too, he is much more vocal than I am.  She said that she couldn't help me, I asked to speak to the manager, she was the manager.  I'm not good with conflict, the angrier Seth got, the more I just wanted to leave.  She wouldn't budge about this GD flyer, I was so pissed and disappointed.  The main reason I wanted to join was to do some weight training and some classes to get ready for the 1/2 marathon.  But I will certainly use it after the 1/2 is over!  My inner child was throwing a huge temper tantrum inside, I had let a few tears flow, but I didn't want my girls to see me so upset, so I was trying to keep it together.  They knew that I was upset and I think showing them all the emotions is good, but I was SO angry, they didn't need to see that.  The biggest bummer about this whole stupid issue is that because the flyer didn't say it was a coupon or that I needed to bring it with me to get the deal, I recycled it the other day when I was cleaning up and so it's gone.  So I don't even have this GD flyer.  The whole thing is just ridiculous and I'm going to call the gym today instead of member services to see if they will help me. 

Looking at it today, I'm not as angry, but I'm still disappointed.  I really want/need to join a gym and I had wanted to do it for the lowest cost so it doesn't upset our family budget.  This seemed like such a great deal.  My anger may flare again if they can't help me today.  I know that it's just a bump on my journey, something we will hopefully laugh about soon.  I do think that the Columbia Association is not a well run organization, we've had problems and I've heard others who have had them as well. 

But my inner child is still pouting and pissed and has had a rough week.  Starting with Coach outlet being closed 5 minutes before I got there on my birthday and then this.  I'm also having issues with the girls listening.  And they both seem to want Seth and not me.  Emma cried because I was going to get her out of the car instead of Seth. Just a rough week for my inner child and my pride. 

But like I said at the start, my 39 year old self had a fantastic run this morning.  It really helped put things in perspective.  I'll join a gym, hopefully this one, but regardless, we'll figure it all out.  I'll work on my hills and my speed.  My inner child just needs a little more love so she can stop pouting.  It will all work out somehow.  I'm confident of that. 

Thanks for reading all of my ramblings, it means a lot!

Update:

Not sure where to write my update, but I just called the gym and the manager was so nice! He said I didn't need the flyer at all, he didn't understand why they said that. He said he wanted me as a member and he said that he wanted to help me prepare for the 1/2! He said just come on in and someone would get me signed up!  So we are going to go tonight when Seth gets home from work. But again, it's just a ridiculous way to run an organization. One place saying one thing and another place saying another! Anyway, it's all good and I'll join the gym tonight!!! YEAH!!!