50 Mint and Fry the Meat

When you've been working out together as long as my group has, you get to know each other pretty well and develop all kinds of  inside jokes that no one else would get, but that crack you up every time. It's these relationships that keep you engaged and keep you going to the gym when in other times you would have given up by now.   I can't begin to tell you about the numerous times that these people have lifted me up when I needed it and I like to think I've done the same for them.   I've blogged about the tough times, so here are some of the other things:

• Millie is the Goldilocks of the gym because she can't ever find an exercise ball that is just right.  One is too small, one is too big, one is too flat, and her quest continues.   This week she's having the same problems with gym bags: this one is too squeaky, this one is too big, etc.   It cracks me up.
• Sylvia is very reserved in nature, but if you watch her closely, she'll break out into a cute little shuffle or one of her high school step routines from time to time.
• When Jeff was explaining the slow carb diet and the fact that you could eat your fill of meat, Roy asked if you could fry the meat.  That became our new term for a workout, because believe me, the meat (aka any muscle group) gets fried. 
• The last name Minter has lent itself to my many nicknames: Mint, Minty Fresh, Mint Condition, 50 Mint (after I lost the first 50 pounds)...hopefully one day they can call me Thin Mint. 
• Frank also has a nickname: Frank the Tank Soon To Be Frank the Mini Coupe.
• At any given time one of us owes the other one a pair of socks from a previous borrowing. 
• Millie and I call each other Marisa's dobermans because we're "on point."

• It takes nothing to crack Lakshmi up and I love her beautiful smile.

There are many other things that make up our collective relationships, but what it amounts to is a one of the coolest experiences of my life.