acambras

...on your local YMCA chapter. The one where I used to live was terrific. But the one where I live now is lousy. They kept raising their rates and cutting services (or focusing all the dollars on children’s programs). Don’t get me wrong—I don’t hate kids, But it has gotten to the point where our local YMCA is not a good value unless you have kids. The last straw was when they cut out adult lap swimming from 5-7pm (when a lot of people are getting off work) so that kids’ swim lessons and swim team practice could monopolize the pool.

All I’m saying is check out your local chapter before you join and make sure it’s right for you and in line with your priorities. I was looking for a low-cost, convenient fitness center with good hours, so I ended up joining Planet Fitness ($10/month and no contract). They don’t have a pool, but neither did the Y, when I was interested in swimming.

I hope my rant wasn’t too negative—I do hope you find what you’re looking for.

CNET.COM has a good buying guide to help you find the MP3 player that’s best for you, depending on what type of user you are (exerciser, music hoarder, traveler, etc.)

Find a knitting group. Stitch & Bitch has lots of groups all over the place, with more popping up every day. There are countless others, too. I found my local S&B group on craigslist.com. On Thursday nights I drop by (no RSVP required) and unwind, knit, and chat. I can get help from more experienced knitters if I’m stuck, and I can also offer help to new knitters. Most of all, it’s fun.

Also, if you’re having trouble figuring out a particular technique, try knittinghelp.com. They have online closeup videos – it’s just like having someone sitting next to you showing you.