I need to be nicer to our house guests. I like to organize activities for them to make sure they have a good time when they visit. I get them up at 4:30am for fishing trips (See Fishin’). I take them on 60-mile bike rides. Or three hour kayak trips. Or I make them run wind sprints. Or lift weights. Or run pass routes. Or soccer dribbling and passing drills. Unfortunately, they have started to retaliate.

Our most recent guests forced me to go with them to Soul Cycle, an uber-trendy spinning  (indoor cycling) class from NYC that opens up for the summer in Bridgehampton. Picture seventy people crammed into a old barn on indoor bikes at the peak of midday heat. Now add blaring energetic music and a screaming cycling fanatic yelling “encouraging” instructions for an hour while you are pedaling furiously, jumping up and down out of your seat and rocking back and forth and from side to side while doing bicep curls and shoulder presses with dumb bells. All while staring straight into someone’s sweaty butt jiggling one foot in front of your face (it is VERY important to choose the right butt at the beginning of the class–you would not, for example, want to be staring at mine).  Apparently this is all intended to be a great cardio-fitness workout that burns lots of calories. As far as I could determine, it must have gotten it’s name, spinning, from the effect it has on one’s appetite and willpower–e.g., spinning-out-of-control. I ate half a cherry pie with ice cream as a “reward” immediately after  returning home from the class.

Next weekend, I am planning to take my house guests to the movies and make them breakfast in bed.