Let me first say that our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Texas and along the Gulf Coast. Alex and I have family in Houston and have been following the news very closely. Cameron, Matt, and Sydney--if you read this, just know that we love you and we're thinking about you guys!!!!
Not nearly as important at a time like this: I have committed to The Peak Agency for Iowa representation. I'll be meeting with my new agency in Des Moines on Tuesday and am thrilled! It seems so silly to even think about such frivolous things right now, though, with such a horrible, scary situation in the Gulf--I almost feel guilty for being happy about it...
In really, REALLY unimportant news: Ugh, I am SO annoyed! I've been trying to reach Yahoo! customer service for DAYS now because I haven't been able to upload photos to my blog for a few weeks now, and no matter how I try I can't get any help. I've sent emails and called several times--this morning I even called and sat on hold for an hour and a half waiting to speak with someone and finally hung up because I couldn't waste any more of my time with it. Plus, their "help" section on their website has a glitch where it just keeps clearing the form over and over again when you try to submit a question to the "contact us" link. SO FRUSTRATING!!!! I'm totally going to write them a letter of complaint.
...but just so you know, I have lots of great photos to upload as soon as this issue is resolved!
Another organization that's gonna get a letter from me is the University of Iowa's Department of Recreation. I wanted to get a fitness pass to be able to stay healthy and active over the winter, but we straight up can't afford it.
With such an epidemic of obesity in this country and with our nation's dire economic situation at present, I find it completely inappropriate for the University to charge such exorbitant rates for using its workout facilities! It is more expensive to get a fitness pass to use the University's facilities than it is to join a real health club like Bally's, if you can believe it--and I thought the Bally's folks were crooks! ...And the University charge additional fees for everything--for playing racquetball, using the swimming pool, locker rentals, yoga classes, aerobics and spinning classes, using the climbing wall, playing tennis--the list goes on. They are nickel and diming the students and faculty members and it's got to stop. There are too many overweight, unhealthy people in this country (and specifically the Midwest) for the University to make it so inaccessibly expensive for students to work out.
When I was a student at Southern Illinois University, we never had to pay extra to use the fitness center or take fitness or wellness classes--it was included in our tuition. In short, I feel the University of Iowa is acting inappropriately and unethically, and it's not good for our students, our teachers, or community, OR our country.
(...Okay, okay, I'll be quiet now.)
