...I do. And there's only one reason I hate the new year: the gym.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love going to the gym, but it's a conditional love. I love it when I can get in there, get going and come out sweaty and happy that I have worked stress out and done something for the betterment of my health.

I don't usually renew that pledge about the gym at the new year because I've been going pretty faithfully throughout the year. Except this month. This month has been a total pain in the backside.

It's not work that's keeping me from going to the gym though - it's other people. The first day that I tried to go to the gym after the new year I couldn't find a parking space and there were 10 other cars circling for one too. So I went into the next lot where the shopping center and grocery store are. Now, before you get a picture into your head, it's not a big center and not a huge parking lot either. But I found one - on the other side of the grocery store.

So I walked. And I walked. It's about a half mile from where I parked to the gym. And I walked some more and either dodged cars when I had to cross the parking lots or dodged people with shopping carts or strollers. And I made it into the gym only to find that there was a waiting line for cardio machines. A 20 minute wait. *THAT* was how packed the gym was.

So I turned around and went home and played DDR for awhile and hoped that the sheen of the new year would wear off of these people who always resolve to go to the gym at New Year's and stop within a couple of weeks.

I've been making it to the gym maybe once a week if I either luck out with a parking space or go on a weekend. Usually I would have been to the gym about 8 or 9 times this month by this point. I've been 4 times and two of those is because I forced myself to go on the weekend (when a lot of people ignore the gym, but it's still pretty crowded).

So last night I drove in, happily thinking that I would find a space, jump on a bike and sweat out the frustration of dealing with customers. 15 minutes later, after having three spaces that I waited for, with my blinker on, stolen from me by people coming from the opposite direction I started crying in my car.

I begged the parking lot gods to smile on me and let me have a space as I sneered at two minivans who had decided to take up two spots each by parking crooked. I cried that all I wanted was a parking space so that I could go to the gym and be relaxed and happy when I got home. I finally gave up when I realized that I could, once again, walk a half mile to get to the gym if I parked on the other side of the grocery store.

I drove home. I drove home angry and upset. I slammed the door to the house so hard it shook. I screamed and I ranted and growled at B. I threw things. I had a right royal tantrum. And then I went upstairs and changed into my gym clothes so that I could go play DDR - and someone had hit something on the receiver so that no sound was coming out of it. And a raging scream came out again. Finally I figured out the button to make it work and started up DDR.

Within 10 minutes I was feeling normal again. Between hormones and stress and frustration I had regained some sanity. I think back on it now and worry a bit - I was out of control and I have not reached that point in a very long time. DH chided me when I admitted I was in a kissable state (an hour after coming home) that that was not allowed.

I know. And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have rage tantrums like that and I've not had one in a long long time. All I wanted was a parking spot. At the gym. Where I get to take everything out on the machines and my body and go home in a much cleaner state of mind. And I'll be able to do that if the people with the stupid New Year's resolutions finally give up.

Don't get me wrong - I want people to be healthier and go to the gym, if they're going to stick with it for more than a simple New Year's resolution that they know they're going to give up within a month. I would be happy circling the lot if it had always been like this for the last few months. Or years. But it hasn't - it's only like this at this time of year. For those people I say this: just give it up now. You're not going to stick with it, and you know it, so just give up. Leave the gym for those of us who are going all the time and just make the same resolution to go to the gym next New Year's....

...and then do us all a favor by staying home and leaving us the parking spots we need.