I've been going around making comments for the last few weeks about how I didn't want to be home on Valentine's Day so I didn't have to be around Heather and Chris having a schmoopy time, and I had to find somewhere to hang out all night that wasn't a "date-y"-type location. I mostly made jokes that I was going to spend all night long at the gym, since I spend half the nights there anyway.
Well, I actually did spend the night there, and it worked really well. The gym is definitely a singles' haven on the night o' hell. For once, nobody's there working out with their boyfriends. For another thing, everyone's busy working out. And there's no shame in that. I was surprised at how many people were there. And not just the ones working out, either. There's a big ol' lounge in the front area that some of the machines overlook, and people were having meetings, having their friends over, studying, or just hanging out down there. Ditto the study lounges (hey, it is on a college).

I went to abs class, and the teacher was all, "How are your Valentine's Days going? Yeah, I think it's overrated." When she dismissed the class, she said something about hoping ours didn't suck too much. I like her.
Marian from the CC was also taking the class, and she asked me afterwards if I was doing anything for Valentine's Day. I was all, "Are you kidding? I never get to do anything for Valentine's Day even if I'm with somebody." She was all, "I'm going out with friends for dinner. Didn't really want to." I was all, "At least you've got people to do stuff with." She told me about the dude she's been seeing off and on (of late, he hasn't actually asked her out, but does text message her at 4 a.m. from time to time)- namely, that he wished her a happy V-day via text message at the crack of dawn again. I was all, "That's IT?!" Guys. I will never fucking understand how the hell they think. This led to a conversation on how this was Singles Awareness Day. Heh.

But mostly, I worked out in the less crowded areas of the gym for three hours. I normally go for two, but I figured eh, if I'm here all night, I might as well, and I still had plenty of energy left. Then again, I went into the locker room at one point to fetch my book and stepped on the scale while I was in there and got really pissed off that I'd gained three pounds back, so I went a little manic there at the end. Not to mention fuming, "I WORK OUT TWO HOURS A DAY! I WENT OUT DANCING TWICE LAST WEEK! WHAT THE FUCK?!"
(To give you the ending of the story a bit early, after I finally went home I checked my measurements. They were the same as they were last time when I didn't have the extra three pounds. I suppose I can only conclude that the extra three are now leg muscles or something. But still, annoying. Being a weakling girl, it's not like I need to get really buff and built so I can take up weightlifting competitions or anything. I just want to knock some weight off the torso, is that so wrong?)

I did have a few odd moments. There's one workout area next to the aerobics classroom where (a) there's a big window that looks out onto the front of the gym, and (b) at night, you can see anybody walking around behind you. At one point I was looking out the window and saw a guy on the street below that reminded me of Dave. Considering that I was reading Hating Valentine's Day, which is like "A Christmas Carol" but for a different day, I thought I'd suddenly spotted the Ghost of Valentine's Day Dumpings Past and freaked out a little. Then there was one point around 8ish when it was just me and some random jock dude (no, not cute, don't get your hopes up) working out in the same area. I was on the elliptical machine (which, um, well, is a butt-twitcher), and through the window reflection I could see the dude staring at my ass as he left. I wanted to yell at him that the jocks do not consort with the nerds, even if it's Valentine's Day and you're alone and desperate. Geez.
But for the most part, I forgot what day it was, and I enjoyed that muchly. The only major reminder around the place of that was when I finally gave up the ghost and parked myself in the hallway by the lounge to do some knitting, some random group of like 12 people started congregating there and singing a cappella. Happily, I cranked up my iPod.
I got home promptly at eleven, and nobody was home! Yay, I thought, I can avoid the romantic people, I can go take a shower, I can check e-mail, stuff like that...
And at 11:02, they came home.
Grr!

Oh well, another Valentine's Day gone and done with, yay. Now we can all celebrate St. Skeletor's Day! Skulls for everyone!

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