I go to this gym right off of Foster in SE Portland. It’s part of a tiny local chain that the original gym that I signed up with on Belmont belonged to. Since the one on Belmont closed a few months ago, I’ve been obliged to go to the location off of Foster. It’s not a perfect fit—I now have to drive instead of being able to walk to the gym, and they don’t have some of the equipment I need to effectively do my weight training. Bottom line, I’ve been planning to quit when my obligation is done with.

But I would miss all that inadvertent political commentary.

Today, on the elliptical trainer again. This time the TV is showing Bush’s
surprise speech about his commitment to the peace efforts in the Middle
East. Now, at the same time, Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck
in The Middle With You” was blaring on the radio. And since the mind
is a multi-layered thing, I instantly thought of the
infamous scene in Reservoir Dogs, of Mr. Blonde and that can of gasoline,
and had that playing in my mind’s eye as I watched and listened.