How To Break Up With Your Carpool

Okay, it's been awhile. What can I say . . . I've been busy. Yet, while I can still have 40 in the title (alright, I'm a little north of Mid 40-somethings), I'm determined to get in one more post. We've all been there - a victim of carpool abuse. (You know who you are, if you're not a victim, you're part of the problem, but that will be addressed at a later time). You are aggressively dragged into a carpool that you neither need nor desire by someone who fits into both of those categories. Once in, the little niceties, the "gentlemen's agreement" of carpooling are not obeyed . . . you are expected to drive when your child is sick but you get a call from them begging off when their child won't be going. You have to see them at religious school, your kids are friends, how do you disengage?

How to Break Up With Your Trainer

Being a mid 40-something, I gave in to a slowing metabolism and the effects of gravity and succumbed to the lore of "the Personal Trainer." I am important now; more importantly, I need not exercise alone or even think about what to do at the gym. For about a year, things went well. I grew stronger; I had my consistent twice a week appointments and I even started to have defined biceps; we exchanged conversations and birthday presents. Then, I found out the tragic truth about personal trainers; they are a nomadic group who switch gyms and sometimes leave for a more grown-up profession; e.g., can't go to work wearing gym clothes all day. Sadly, that's what happened to me. As my gym seemed to be leaking personal trainers due to the opening of a hot new gym in the next town, I was left with 5 pre-paid sessions and only 2 trainers to choose from. So, that's how I ended up with L. Things were a little uneasy from the start. First of all, she seemed more interested in talking about herself than about me - a violation of Personal Trainers, 101. Then, my regularly-scheduled weekly dates (I did take this opportunity to change from 2x week to 1x week - we are in a recession after all) became erratic and were designed to fit into her schedule - another violation of Personal Trainer 101. So, it's time to end our relationship. Where to start? We "work" at the same place. Can I go there and work out, averting the hurt glances? Need I change gyms? And, once again, I am left with pre-paid sessions. Any ideas?