gym woes

You would think that in this tough economic crisis that we are under going right now that people might be a little more understanding of the delicate nature of people's finance.  Well not Brenda Athletic Clubs and more specifically Turlock Racquet Club.  You see a little over a year ago April of 2008 to be exact I was in the market for a new athletic club.  I was a member of the In-Shape brand and I didn't like the fact that it was always super crowded and that the staff wasn't too friendly, so I shopped around.  I had always admired the look of the Turlock Racquet Club and I thought it would be cool to belong to a gym that had a racquet ball court and tennis courts.  They also had a juice bar and heavy bag and hey I like to hit a heavy bag it was the one thing that really won me over; well that and the fact that each treadmill had its own cable TV hooked up to it as opposed to the 5 big screens at ISC.  The guy told me it would be 54 dollars a month for me and my dad which was about 16 dollars cheaper than I was paying so I was pretty much sold.  However when I went to fill out the paperwork the next day at the recruitment day at Stan State the guy told me it was only 54 dollars if I signed a 3 year contract.  I was very apprehensive of a 3 year commitment to a gym; I didn't know in 3 years whether or not I'd be in California, or if I would be disgruntled with the racquet club the way I had with In Shape.  So the first words out of my mouth before I signed the contract were "what if I want to leave the gym before my 3 years is up?"  The guy replied that all I would have to do to leave is tell them that I wanted to quit, and if they asked for a reason just tell them I was moving out of state that they didn't require any proof and that it would be a done deal"

 

Today I decided that I would leave the gym.  Honestly I might move away, it is hard to find and maintain a decent paying job as a 20 something college graduate here in California.  It is also a waste of money since I started the University of North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team medicine ball 400 workout plan.  I could use that money to take out my beautiful girlfriend a couple more times a month.  Plus with my busy schedule I do not have that much time to go to the gym.  So I called the gym to find out exactly what I would need to do to cancel my membership and I was quite shocked at what I was told.  There is only 3 ways to terminate my contract:

 

1) Provide a written note from my doctor saying that I am physically unable to use the equipment at the gym

 

2) Provide a completed change of address form that puts me outside a reasonable driving distance to any of their clubs

 

3) Pay 600 dollars.

 

Granted I am sure that if I read the fine print of the contract that was in there somewhere but I also trusted the guy and girl that signed me up to be honest with me when I asked what would happen if I wanted to cancel my contract before 3 years was up.  Had I been properly informed I would not have signed.  I crunched the numbers in the mean time.  To cancel my contract as stated before would require a 600 dollar termination fee plus paying another month of the gym because they require a 30 day notice and my 30 days would be up the day after they draw out July's payment from my bank.  Since I split the cost of the gym at 34 dollars a month for my share the total difference between leaving the gym and staying a member is less than a hundred dollars.  Plus the fact that I wouldn’t be paying 600 dollars up front means that it is way more feasible and economically sound to keep the membership even if I don't use it.  I suppose that is what they count on when they sign you up in the first place.  However I have always been a model gym member.  I don't use any of the extra stuff like free towels or the sauna or the pool or take any of the free classes.  You can guarantee that is going to change give me a towel give me a free juice, I will definitely be splashing around the pool and taking full advantage to point of almost obnoxiousness from here on.  So thanks Brenda Athletic Clubs for lying to me I appreciate the fact that I have spent over 700 dollars the last 14 months barely using your gym to be told that if I want to leave I will basically have to pay my membership fees for the remainder of my contract whether I go or not.  I could see a fee of 100-200 dollars being acceptable like a cell phone bill, but to basically charge me for 18 months of membership fees when I have 20 months left on the contract is ridiculous.  Even more ridiculous is the fact that the fee would be 600 dollars if I only had a year left.  It is bad business and as soon as my contract is up in 2011 pending I haven't gotten injured to the point of not being able to work out, or I haven’t moved away I anxiously look forward to quitting Brenda for good.

 

Until then look for me taking up equipment almost every day not really working out with my free towel drinking juice

 

Take care of each other

XM

Dating

I am writing this for your benefit.  I know you are going to read this. = D

I just want to let you know that you are awesome.

Even when we have stupid fights you are awesome.

Kissing you is amazing.

Missing you sucks.

I am missing you now this is why I am writing this.

Well maybe you are right I must be getting really attached

I really hope that the good stuff we talk about does come through

That the bad stuff we think about and sometimes say doesnt come through.

More kisses less insecurities.

I'll be your chocolate on a bad day.

You be my solar eclipse = D

Hope this makes your day brighter

Quicksand

Do you ever feel like your life is a big revolving door that you are stuck in?  Or like you are trapped on a treadmill or quicksand?

No matter what you do you don't move forward and you find yourself living the same routine day in and day out with nothing to really show for it.

Today I pull myself out of the bog.  Today is the day I stop swallowing sadness and start fighting for what I want. 

Today I start a diet/gym plan and I lose 12lbs by the first of June.

Here is the day that I take what is mine.  

Wow I complain too much

I just wrote that venomous blog about a girl and I realized I really am negative lately.  I guess everything just packs up on you, from "Brutus and Kay" to the "catch"  I just bottle most of it up and put my smile on for customer service or a dj show.  After awhile I just feel my soul being full of bile and it sets me on this angry path.  Well I think I got it all out.  

I guess I should apologize to my ex Sara.  We fight a lot.  We say the most hurtful things to each other sometimes, but in the end I realize she probably cares more about my well being than anyone else including myself (outside of family).  She has good intentions, and it is my fault that I push her away.  I guess I just dont want to hurt her more down the road, so I hurt her a little now like a flu shot.  I do care for her, and when she calls me crying I usually drop everything to try and make it stop.

Life has me mixed up.  I don't know what path to take.  I feel like every day is a new crossroad with some decision I have to make.  I have to cut people out of my life, or suffer the same back stabbings over.   I have to hurt someone I care about a little bit in order to preserve their heart.

April has been a hard month but I see the light at the end of the tunnel, while there will be a hard day for me in May, there is a lot of good things to look forward to:

My most trusted friend Todd returns home for at least a year.  It will be good to just have a guy friend that has my back.

-Wolverine comes out.  Hey I'm a nerd looking foward to seeing it

UFC 2009 Unleashed-Going to pwn this game.

?Resident Evil 5? - Maybe this will show up in the mail apparently it had some issues in customs and is supposed to be coming my way again soon.

When its cold in my heart I got the month of may oh wait I think thats when its cold outside, oh well I fixed it for my situation.

If you want to be one of things that make me happy in May 2009 well send me an @reply, follow, Direct message, or email me at Morbiusxmk@gmail.com.  Then we can chat and be all friend like and such.  I like new friends.

Also follow me on twitter

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Take care of eachother

Never ceased to be amazed by people

Most of you that read this follow me on twitter and or myspace.

Some of you often want to inquire on who I am as a person.  Well if you really want to know here it goes.

Quite frankly I am a jerk; Self-absorbed, self-centered, self-loving, egotistic, narcissistic, sadistic, don't forget arrogant.

Honestly a lot of times I get involved in situations because I feel sorry for people and want to help.  I know it is sort of counter productive to what I claimed I am.  However it seems like in these times when I try to have altruistic motives I am the one that constantly gets stung.  Karma for the rest of my life's work?  Maybe.  I more see it as if you considered my personality as a reaction these stings are the causation.

Take for example the "catch"  I just met recently.  At first you think wow she seems pretty cool why would a guy ever fight with her, leave her, or just use her and not care about her?  Why would she say things like every guy I have been involved with hates me?  Well those questions all get answered real quick.  Every guy who was involved with her probably hates her because once you get past the initial meet and greet on her nicest days you get a mild winter day compared to the artic tundra that is her soul.

She tells you "I intrigue her"  "I want to know what you would do next...." (after I mentioned cuddling" "You really are amazing you know that"  "The way you know me and know what to say its like you have ESP" "I just want someone to care about me"

Don't buy that bs because a week or so later you see the real her the vengeful I just got a text from my ex boyfriend so now you get punished her.  The lash at you because you just look at your phone and text back I don't even know what to say to you.

Then she hits you with the "I never really liked you" text, followed by the "I just liked the fact that you liked me"  and of course if you are like me you might respond "well I guess both of us were just feeding your starved ego.  I just liked making you feel better."  

I hate to say it but its true, read my twitter feed I flirt a lot.  I tell people a lot of things solely for the purpose of brightening their day making them feel good.  Now I never lie, if I call someone gorgeous or gorfeous I mean it.  If I tell you I really like your new hair style or your new pic or I admire the way you write I am genuine.  I don't pay people false compliments.

Outside of twitter I often dive into whole pseudo relationships based solely on trying to make someone feel better.  Perhaps it is the way I try to balance yin and yang in my life.  Do some bad do some good.

So yea I told the catch she was pretty, she is.  I told her she was smart, (well at the time at least I thought so),  I only complemented her on certain music (most of it sucked), I never talked politics (we are polar opposites, and she is not educated in what she supports at all).

Yet some how when all the chips are laid on the table and she chews me out for 5 min and I tell her my version of things I become the hated one.  She tells me to leave her alone I comply, I continue to get text messaged.  I respond actually politely,  I get more anger and a leave me alone.  I comply again.  I get another text.  I respond and say take care.  I get more anger.  I respond say goodbye (again).  More anger and a "go away you are pathetic by texting me still"  I just close the phone and decide to ignore the rest of the text. luckily only one more comes through I ignore that completely I learned my lesson on responding.  I come online reading her blog bashing me and two other guys.  Reading these I see the similarities in situations despite our drastically different personality styles.

The common factor is her bipolar reactions to the same statement.  Tell her you thinks she cute on Monday you get a you make my day.  Friday you get Jason with a machete.

So I read your blog, I know you will read mine.  I am glad you tried to make me look bad it made my day sweetie.  Hey at least when I read mine it is factually based.  Loved how you left that part out where you called me a racist because you asked me a weird question about your mix of white herritage with other light skinned Eastern block herritage and I said "I don't know what to say to that"  I don't know how a white guy could be racist against a white girl, but who I am to decide these things. 

King of the Blues

The way I have been crying about things on here lately.  Whether it is betrayals or petty squabbles or even the economy you might think I am the kin of the blues, or the king of being blue or the king of crybabies.  I know less QQ more pew pew, only my WoW peeps will get that.  Well last Friday I saw the real king of the blues BB King.  It was a cool show the tickets were a little pricey and by a little I mean a lot.  He didn't sing much or ply guitar a lot nor did he sing my favorite songs, but overall it was entertaining.  BB King comes off as a sweet humble person and his eye movement and facial expressions were so animated it is easy to see why he still packs shows at 83 years of age.

 

You see the concert felt like BB was your grandfather and you came over to spend the night with him.  Each song had a story and he loved to tell them.  At one point he was explaining how he got blues started.  I will paraphrase of course the legend himself

           

            BB drove a tractor in the World War II era and that was the position that everyone wanted, because if you weren’t on the tractor you were hoeing the fields by hand.  If you ever got off the tractor you would quickly see someone else take your place and you would find yourself working the fields by hand.  One day while he was driving the tractor he saw someone enter his two room shack where he and his wife lived.  Someone that looked like a man, Furious he drove up the row and stormed into his house to ask what man was there.  His wife told him it was your dad he came to get some snuff.  If you saw him come in you should’ve seen him come out.  BB then started to sing "I don’t want nobody in my house when I'm not around” He breaks back into the story for a bit and sings about how he thinks she is cheating on him.  The wife storms into the bedroom and starts packing furious.  BB wrapped his arms around her legs and could only get one eye to cry.  He sang some more songs about being in love and sorry.  He said that he worked at it and finally got both eyes to cry and he finished the story with another love song and said that is how he started in blues.

 

BB went on to tell more stories of growing up.  Even gave a play by play of a classy way to win a woman's heart on the first date.  He said all women are beautiful and that they could out think and out drink us men. 

 

Even when the theatres sound crew kept messing up hi microphones he would just laugh and say something like well I guess they want me to do less talking.  He played a great deal of extra time and treated his audience with the upmost respect.  I felt that in two hours I got to know the man behind the legend and he is someone that would be great day to spend the day with drinking some iced tea and strumming some guitars and shooting stories with.  The world could learn a lot from him.  Be kind, respectful, he is still working hard touring 250 dates a year at age 83.  If you ever have the opportunity do to see him and you aren’t a blues fan go see him, it is well worth the time and cultural lesson

 

God Bless you BB King

 

Take care of each other

 

As always who knows when the next post is, I just randomly feel inspired to write them.  Often at work.

 

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With so many knives in a back you are bound to hit a nerve

Women

 

It is amazing the depths another man will sink in pursuit of the love of a woman.  Well maybe not even love.  Helen of Troy had the beauty that launched a thousand Greek ships against Troy.  Marc Anthony left his best friend Julius for Cleopatra, Arthur, Lancelot and Gwenievere ring bells to anyone?

 

Sure you read that and say Xavier those are all folk lore or sensationalized stories from history, that’s true but have you ever been betrayed by a friend in pursuit of someone you were attached to?  I have

 

The person I am talking about shall remain nameless because frankly I don’t do lip service for shady folks. So my friend (I clearly use that term loosely and in blatant sarcasm) has always had a history of going after girls that were associated with me.  Whether they were high school crushes, ex girlfriends, friends, or whatever else you could think of if they had some history with me he was going to try and make himself their future.  Heck we even met this way.  He was in pursuit of a girl I had been interested in for a long time who was a huge flirt.  It is what she did, she loved the attention.  In hindsight I see why she and I never made it but nonetheless his first interaction with me was shortly after he moved here.  He told me that he wanted her and if I ever touched her he would make me regret it.  I found his idle threats funny especially since immediately after she came and sat with me to eat lunch.  We ended up getting to know one another since he lived close to one of my good friends in the same apartment complex.  We put aside our squabbles over that girl and forged a friendship.  He then spent the next few years trying to hook up with girls that I still was friends with but no longer dated, which honestly I was fine with.  I wanted to see my friend find a girl that made him happy and if he made a female friend of mine happy then so be it.  I always believe that things happen for a reason and maybe the reason they both met me was to meet each other.

 

Then came C.  C and I dated casually for a couple of months.  Dinners, movies, that sort of thing I was a young lad pure of heart in those days and still getting over being the kid that got picked last in kickball.  I was painfully shy at times and incredibly afraid of rejection.  I don't think I will ever get over the latter.  After a couple months of seeing each other I found that C had a boyfriend back at her old college, that she had dumped maybe the day before she told me.  After that things just slid downhill a couple of weeks and we went our separate ways but still stayed friends.  Through hanging out with me she met my own personal Brutus as well.  After her and I split he went on the prowl, completely ignoring his semi relationship with Kay. Kay I think mostly in retaliation made a few passes at me but I never acted on them because honestly I don’t ever really want to be with someone who has had feelings for a friend. Kay then fades out of the story and goes on to get married and have a kid. So C and Brutus end up dating and moving in with one another.  C got mad at me because I told her not to ever break my friend’s heart so Brutus and I didn’t talk for about a year.  Well 5 years later C decides she doesn’t want to be with Brutus anymore and kicks him out of her parent’s house.  So Brutus with all his free time and lack of friends (due to the fact that he only hung out with C and her friends and family) decides to hang out with me a lot more which was fine I figured we are both in our mid twenties and adults it might be fun to have more guy friends around.

 

Ironically Kay gets a divorce and wants to find me and attempt to pursue me once again.  She contacts Brutus and rekindles a friendship with him.  When Kay asks him how I am doing he launches a full verbal assault on my character (strike 1).  He tells her that I don’t bring girls around him because any girl would leave me for him.  That I dump girls for no reason (not true).  I may be brash, evil and self absorbed sometimes but I never have set out with malicious intents against anyone.  Kay then emails me and fills me in on all of this and at first I take it with a grain of salt.  Kay has always been dramatic after all.  Brutus then came clean himself and attempts to pin the blame on her after she told him she wanted to find and date me.  Kay and I begin talking and develop feelings.  However in my gut I know it wouldn’t work for whatever reason and I leave it at that.  Brutus keeps contacting Kay despite her wishes to the contrary and my asking him to leave her alone.  Brutus even asked her to hang out with him the other day which made her call me for aid.  I have another discussion with him about it and he says he will stop.  Well that night Brutus sends her an email saying "Xavier can't control who you hang out with, just like he can't control who I talk to either."  He further goes on to say that if he and her were friends or if anything else transpired between them he would keep his mouth shut and not tell me.  Who knew that while I was defending him against some girl on twitter that he would use my open back to store his daggers.

 

The worst part is when he was asked about why he did these things his answers were a string of clichés "I don't know why I did it"  "Who cares I’m done talking to her” (After the 85th time she told you know and forwarded me the emails?) "Sometimes you hurt the ones you care about the most” He tried to pull the pity card and even the threaten suicide card on me, just like he did to C when she left him.  Then I see on twitter where he is saying that losing friends is all about growing in life.  Explain to me how hurting your friend is all a part of the growing process in life?  He even had the nerve to call and ask if I was done taking my misplaced anger out on him. I almost lost it.  How is my anger misplaced if I am angry at hurtful words from a friend?  I wasn’t even angry just hurt.  Now I am furious. A back can only hold so many knives before you hit a never and congrats buddy you hit mine.

 

So I am sorry for a verbose summary of my petty betrayals in life.  I am hurting needed to get it off my chest and out of my mind. Mostly I wrote it for the people that I know that keep asking me what’s wrong. .So instead of rehashing it 100 times the next couple days they can read this.   If you don't like what I said I am sorry.  Maybe you will like something else I write.  Dang even as I write this it is so hard to just realize that someone I grew up with as a teen is out of my life for good.  I mean there is other times I didn’t write about such as when he hit on my girlfriend and I had to come between them so she wouldn’t maul him in a parking lot.  When he told a girl I was cheating on her and I wasn’t. It is a long list of transgressions they are just getting more real and vicious, and more importantly all to frequent these days.  It is a cancer a painful cancer on my heart and I had to remove it.

 

I will try to post some good stuff in the next 24 hours.

 

Take care of each other.  Love your true friends.  Don't let a possible romance tarnish something that has been a part of your life for years. Watch UFC.  Play Xbox.  Don't spoil wolverine origins for me I promised a friend I would wait to see it with them when they move back on the 10th.  BBQ, eat your veggies.   Take your vitamins.  Ok I clearly lost my mind with worldly advice again I apologize.  Hope your day is grand

 

XM

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