leaky roof at gym

The time had come to get serious again about food and activities that raise the blood pressure, do a number on the cholesterol levels and leave me courting my family history of diabetes.
I cleaned out all the holiday foods. Either someone in our house ate them or I took them to share with co-workers – the point is the tasty stuff is gone. I filled up a grocery cart with lots of fresh and frozen vegetables, pineapples, apples, oranges and pears.
All I needed now was some exercise. I dusted off my home equipment intending to use it. I found a lot of reasons to do something else in the house.
The time had come to renew my acquaintance with the excellent facilities at Champagnolle Landing.
Having officially passed my 60th birthday, the cost fit my budget. If I left right after work the exercise time fit my schedule and I did not have to worry about competing with cute young things in snug fitting gym clothes working feverishly to shed that horrible last couple pounds.
No, I would just be hanging out with other folks who have heard once too often, “And when do you plan to retire?” or “And how long have you been retired?”
Long past the age or height for being a cute young thing, I need to shed more than a couple pounds. I resolved to wear myself on the elliptical exercisers, the treadmills, cycling machines or collection of contraptions for weight lifting to improve one or another parts of the body. Sometimes I opted to walk the path that winds around the exercise machines, the sittercise arena and the tables of jigsaw puzzles.
I felt pretty good about it until the winter rains descended. I understand rain on the trees surrounding Champagnolle Landing. I do not understand rain anywhere near the artificial trees inside Champagnolle Landing.
But something mighty wet had invaded Champagnolle Landing.
Enough moisture that a couple signs announce, “If you exercise early in the mornings, please be conscious of water that maybe on the floor. The janitorial staff does not arrive until 9 a.m.”
Being in my dotage and a bit unsteady on my feet in the best of circumstances, I took a look around. No water on the floor that late in the day, but there sure were a lot of buckets, pans and other plastic containers. I counted more than a couple dozen containers arranged in an obstacle course through the exercise arena.
For sure more buckets than the three or four than I encountered the last time I exercised regularly at Champagnolle. At that time the leaking roof had stained a few ceiling tiles. Other ceiling tiles were simply removed to let the water fall into a bucket.
While I was away getting lazy and stocking my fridge with all the wrong foods, the collection of “rain catchers” multiplied.
Back then, I heard some discussion about the cost for repairing the roof to stop the leaks. Evidently it was pretty high and nothing was done. If it was, it was not effective because the buckets have multiplied.
I don’t mind a shower now and then, but I want to choose when and where I get one. I don’t mind sitting down in some water now and then, but I don’t like the possibility of a surprising descent into water as a variation in my exercise routine.
I go to Champagnolle Landing because I can afford it and I like the folks I meet there. I like to see careful use of my funds – and of public funds. Resolving a leaky roof with a collection of buckets seems about a logical as resolving to get healthy while maintaining a secret stash of snacks.
Sometimes painful, expensive choices must be made.
With the overflowing parking lot at Champagnolle Landing attesting to its popularity, it looks like it is time to find some deep pockets, clear away the buckets, take a few sunny days and re-roof the facility.
(Joan Hershberger is a reporter at the News-Times. She can be reached by e-mail at jhershberger@eldoradonews.com.)