Wave, Handshake, or Hug?

It is so odd to me to see people out of pocket, especially people I know from the gym. People I am used to seeing in sweats and wrinkled T-shirts are such a surprise when I see them at their offices or out to eat and they are all dressed up. I not only have a hard time placing how I know them, but I also can't instantly figure out how well I know them. I know, it's crazy, but sometime I just don't know if they are a wave, handshake or hug. The worst is when you go for the hug only to realize,"Wait this isn't a friend from the gym, this is the woman that groomed my dog and clipped his ear. I don't like her." Those are some awkward hugs.

Yesterday was a fast one. It was a pretty stressful day with waaaay too much to do that I had no intellectual ability to do. I was out on the town and I crossed paths with someone from the gym. It was fast and there was no prep time. It was the masseuse from the gym and I see her every day but had actually never given her more than a nod. It took a minute to recognize her as she was all fixed up in a suit and had her hair and makeup just perfect. I smiled and said "hello" as we neared and a handshake or hug didn't feel right so I just gave her a quick, "Whew, I may be hitting you up for a massage later." She didn't give me a "Hey sounds great!" or even an "Ok, but keep all your clothes on so that I don't hurl." No, she gave me one of those ,"Not in this lifetime" looks followed by a gassy smile. Gasp! Dissed by a masseuse! That's cold.

Now I may be slightly spongy, and the V-taper may have morphed into a square (making me of course, Sponge Bob Square Pants), but surely she has kneaded worse dough. I hid my horror and walked on passed her feeling very much like the "will you check me for ticks" guy.

I got to the gym later that afternoon and saw her standing in her usual spot at the masseuse counter. She was back in her normal casual clothes and I went up and said something about bumping into her...since we now had a "history". Well guess what, it wasn't her that I had run into…nope, not her...total stranger. That explains why she looked so different and possibly the reaction. Yes I passed a total stranger and told her that I would be "hitting her up for a massage later". Mmm, yeah...ah...yeah. How do I continue to do these things?