Towels . . . Who needs 'em?

Technically since this occured at the Y it should probably go in my workout blog, but I know some of my loyal followers are just dying to hear this story, so whatever.  I had about 5 minutes left to go in a workout today when I realized I'd left my towel at home.  Not my workout towel, but a big towel - to take a shower with.

Ordinarily I'd just go home to take a shower, but today I was planning to meet some of our playgroup friends at the park afterwards.  And I didn't want to show up being the sweaty workout girl.  Who looks like she doesn't work out.  If I looked like my friend Phyllis, it'd be ok to be the sweaty workout girl.  No one would think I was faking it.  Right now they would think I just didn't feel like taking a shower for the past few days.  Maybe in a few more months . . .

Anyway, suffice it to say, no way I wasn't taking a shower.  I started to wonder if maybe there was a towel service I wasn't aware of.  So I popped my head into the Wellness Center director's office.  She felt bad for me, said they didn't have a towel service, and shared with me that she had used paper towels in the past when she left her towel at home.  I asked if I could buy a towel, but the only thing they had was a tiny workout towel for sale.  Plus, I'd left my wallet in the car.  No way I was going back for it.  Needing a shower or not.

I was pretty much out of options.  And if paper towels are good enough for the Wellness Center director, then by God they are good enough for me.  I waltzed into the locker room, whistling and praying no one was around.  Unfortunately, a swim class had just gotten out, and the locker room was teaming.  All the showers were full, and there was no way I was going to start pulling paper towels out of the dispenser.  Despite the fact that I was going to actually use paper towels, I didn't want anyone to know that I was going to use them.  Luckily, on the top of the paper towel dispenser was a fresh pack of paper towels.  You know what they look like - all stacked nice and neat and wrapped in brown kraft paper. 

I grabbed them and stuffed the whole package in my bag.  Then I zipped up the bag.  Again, I didn't want anyone to know!  My last problem was waiting for a shower.  There are two kinds of showers at the Y.  One has a single curtain - you go right into the shower.  Several of those were free.  The other has two curtains.  The first one takes you to a dressing area, and the second goes into the shower.  I had to wait for a two curtain shower.

Luckily the two curtain shower next to the wall came available.  After I had waited for five minutes by the shower area looking like a stalker weirdo.  I grabbed a chair and dragged it into there, and jumped into the shower.  I love the showers at the Y.  No one is dragging their dinosaurs into the bathroom and talking to me through the glass door.  No one is pulling up on the shower door and screaming at me.  Yes, I could get a foot fungus from the floor in there, but it's still peaceful.  Plus I really like the rose smelling foam soap in there.  I bring my own shampoo, but I like the soap at the Y.

So after the shower, it was time to put my towel paper towels to work.  I squeezed as much water as possible out of my hair, and then went to work with the paper towels.  I started with the shoulders, and worked my way down.  Gravity, right?  After it was over, I had a huge wad of wet paper towels in my hands.  And I was pretty dry.  But I have to say, paper towels just don't enhance the shower experience, you know what I mean?

I quickly dressed and then shoved all the wet towels into the trash can.  The cleaning lady looked at me a little strange when I was walking out of the shower area with all of them, but who knows, I could have been drying the floor, right? 

I considered keeping the rest of the paper towels, just in case I forgot my own towel again, but in the end I decided it was shameful enough that I had to dry off with paper towels - I wasn't going to get caught stealing from the Y on the same day.  Instead, I have put a towel into my truck, so it's always there when I need it.  Now let's hope I can remember to bring it inside the building.

My friend Phyllis says next time I can just shower at her house, since it's so close.  But you know what?  Those paper towels really helped exfoliate my skin.  Maybe all the hot salons in town will start offering it as the next great service . . .