OMG how embarassing.

Sometimes I think really Erin how do you let these things happen to you all the time?

I went to my Y last night for my evening workout routine and had worked up quite a sweat doing my circuit training. I was rocking out to my banging Britney Spears playlist and was aware that I was getting more odd looks from other gym goers than usual.

Sometimes I get a little too into my Britney mix and the world i.e. the weight machines become my stage. I have to remind myself that the reason earphones were invented was just in case those around you did not want to listen to a popular pop song, performed very off key.

My bad.

So I toned down the singing (and choreography) but the looks kept coming which I then attributed to the fact that I had been working out a lot and lost a little weight and that these people must be admiring how smoking I looked. Which consequently brought the Britney dance moves back out. Hey if you got it flaunt it right?

Upon further examination though I realized the looks were not ones of jealousy at my not-so toned upper arms but were actually more like ill-concealed smirks of mockery and derision.

I was red and sweaty but not super gross and its not like I was falling off the machines or anything. I could not figure out for the life of me why on this night everyone was acting like I was some fancy pants oddity.

Then I figured it out.

As I was leaving the gym still dancing and humming quietly ( alright singing Toxic out loud at a pretty high volume) I happened to catch a glimpse of myself in the door window. There I was in my sweaty tank, hair frizzed and curled in ways that only someone who drove a magic school bus could embrace, awkwardly dancing and wearing... pearls.

Yes friends, apparently in my transformation from catering wench by day to weight lifter by night I had forgotten to remove one little accessory that had completely blown my street cred with my fellow gym rats.

I am now the girl who wears pearls while doing lateral curls. Great.

I would have totally embraced it had it been a conscious choice I had made. Lord knows I have been known to wear pearls while doing far more scandalous things but there was always tequila involved and those around me did not smirk and judge so much as they fell down and yelled obscenities.

I have Zumba tonight so I won't have to face the 'lifters' but come tomorrow I will have to make a decision, rock the pearls as if nothing was awry OR somehow become incredibly buff overnight so that no one will mess with me for fear of bodily harm.

I think my choice is pretty obvious :)