The Boom-Boom Room

I bought my house almost four years ago. It was such an amazing event for me. If you would have told me ten years ago that I would be buying my own house, on my own, I would have thought you nuts. Buying a house was something you did when you were married and planned on having kids. I remember feeling compelled to buy my own home when I lived in an apartment, and police stormed the apartment directly upstairs from me. I had a good job, a great income. Why not buy a house instead of rent?

Today, as I sit in my living room and look up at the cathedral ceiling, I can almost taste the terror I felt the day I closed. The excitement I felt afterwards as I walked through the empty house alone. My house. Even after all this time, I still can't believe it's mine.

I've grown into my house quite nicely...save for one room. It's a finished room, in the basement, just off the garage. The previous owners had converted it to a child's playroom, complete with multi-colored foam blocks on the floor, the same you find in daycare centers and gyms (but those floors are usually solid black). What the hell did I need a playroom for?? I didn't have kids, and in light of recent medical developments, there is a strong possibility I may not ever have that opportunity. So, the room just sat vacant. My kid brother used it as a makeshift tattoo parlor when he lived with me. I put all my books on the built-in shelves. But other than that, it's housed my ironing board, and whatever odds and ends that didn't sell from last year's garage sale. I've contemplated many uses: another guest room, an art studio for the ex (when he wasn't my ex), a relaxation room where I could read or just listen to music. A room with infinite possibilities, reduced to storage.

It finally occurred to me that I could convert it to a home gym. The floor was already set up for it. There's room for a treadmill, a stationary bike, a bench (for weight-lifting), and still enough floor space for 1-2 people to work out to DVDs. The floor is squishy enough to be kind to joints, and being in the basement, the house won't shake when you jump around.

So today, I started getting the room ready. I boxed garage sale stuff (to be donated later), swept, put my old television in the corner and bought a new little DVD player (you can pick them up for practically a song now). Mom is even getting excited about this project and plans on coming over to utilize the home gym. Mr. Recommendation is even going to build a high shelf for the television so it frees up even more floor space. Maybe for a little fridge for cold bottles of water and protein shakes.

Heather's House of Sweat, coming to the quiet subdivision of Fairway Hills.