Lost In Space

ponyTail is convinced she's hopping between alternate universes. She's identified four so far, The Universe of No Recollection, The Universe of the Endless Meeting, The Universe of the Whiny Kids, and her favorite I suspect, The Universe of Beer or Tequila with the Girls.

I watch her closely from the upright bike trying to decide if I should tell her or not...

I'm pretty sure I caused it, this overlap of alternate universes with various intersections into heaven or hell, and it's growing increasingly unstable. This morning I come into the gym around 5:30am (the gym appears to be one of the focal points) and IronMan and awesomeGirl are already there! Since I know what's going on, I know enough to act perfectly casual and ask no questions. The last time I asked questions I was shoved into a psych ward, pumped full of Thorazine and 'observed' for twenty four hours.

I feel bad having caused this, that Karma thing again I guess. Well maybe not. You see I was in a meeting room recently and there's this handwritten sign on the wall, in red sharpie that reads, "Do NOT push this button!" Oh COME ON! You would have pushed it too!

awesomeGirl strolls over like it's utterly normal for her to be here at this hour and asks, "Is that allyMcBeal on the StairClimber?"

I glance over, gasp and stage whisper, "You see her?!"

She looks at me suspiciously, "Of course I see her! Who is she?"

"ghostGirl!!!"

"Well who the heck is ghostGirl?!"

"I don't know!!!"

And suddenly I'm back on the bike, uh oh, it's getting worse! I'm rasping for breath and AT Everest is on a recombinant next to me... WHY ISN'T SHE ON HER BELOVED ELLIPTICAL??!! While ponyTail hums along on a treadmill and ghostGirl is still on the StairClimber looking rather bored with all universe shifting going on. Sweat is pouring into my eyes and I'm wondering how long I've been doing this work interval when suddenly ponyTail is on my left working with the dumbbells...

Weird.

I'm about to enter another work interval when badMood enters the gym looking incredibly surly. I pretend to adjust the iPhone and snap this picture before entering the next work interval.

badMood

badMood is on the StairClimber laughing while evilIronMan whips me with an exercise strap giggling, "Faster, harder!" and I'm feeling the moorings coming undone and I still have some fight left but I'm simply...

Lost in space above all drifting
To a place where planets shifting
The moon erased, it's features lifting
The glare

But I am the stuff of happy endings
Though mostly bluff, belief suspending
But close enough for just pretending
To care

And I'm pretending to care
When I'm not even there
Gone but I don't know where
-Aimee Mann