And on the eighth day God went to the gym...

When Ray told me that he was going to use the money that his mother gave him for Christmas to buy something "special" that "both of use could use," and that he was going to "put it in the living room," I figured it could only be one thing.  A set of new living room furniture!  I was both thrilled and excited when he announced that he had "found a brand new one on E-Bay" and that it was "way cheaper than the original price."  All I had to do was to clear out the living room to make room for it while he and a friend drove up to North Jersey to pick it up.  I was so happy that we would finaly have furniture beside the fireplace, even though I was a bit disappointed that he didn't ask me to help him pick it out.  I could just see myself curled up on the couch by a fire, watching the snow fall in the park across the street through our beautiful new window.  When Ray and his friend Tom returned from their trip and opened up the back of the van I realized that it was not a couch or coffee table they were about to unload.  It was a Bowflex Home Gym.  The Ultimate Model.  I was speechless.  Ray was beaming.  It looked so seriously professional that my muscles began to ache just looking at it.  In a word ... it's ... huge.  It takes up half the room.  I have no idea where normal people would put one.  Did I say that it was ... huge?  Ray showed me how it could "fold up for easy storage."  Looked a little like an elephant in a fetal position to me.  He says that he is going to get up early every morning to exercise.  I want to believe him.  But if Ray was any more laid back than he is right now, he'd be dead.  And me?  I think now that we have a Boxflex we can eat a lot more pizza and ice cream.