Following advice from Susan Nowak, Physical Therapist at the Carolinas Rehabilitation in Monroe, NC., I went by the Buff Monkey Fitness Company in Wadesboro, NC on September 26, 2012 and met with the proprietor Brook Crider who gave me a tour of the facility.  I was impressed with what the gym has to offer and immediately signed my bride aka Joyce Porter and I up!

We currently are on our second week going four (4) times each week to work the upper body one day and the lower body the next.  Each Monday at the present time is reserved for Physical Therapy at Carolinas Rehabilitation in Monroe, NC for my bride and we have a few more sessions to attend and will probably increase our visit to Buff Monkey one more day at the expiration of her PT. 

Decades of not doing any real physical exercise other than the day to day job related work and daily routine called life has really taken a toll on our physical health and strength.  Staying active outside of the above activities with a busy schedule of raising a family doesn't leave much room left for other things which I know is an excuse and a poor one at that. 

The older one gets, it is much harder to acquire the right mental attitude to begin a daily exercise program whether at home, spa, gym, YMCA or at your job site where many now have a training room or gym available for usage in ones off hours or during a lunch break.  A special Thank You to Susan Nowak,  Physical Therapist at the Carolinas Rehabilitation in Monroe, NC  for igniting a fire under myself and my bride to engage in a structured physical exercise program.  My bride and I can feel a physical and mental difference already!  As with most things in Life, "You Get Out What You Put In" and with retirement, we are currently able to dedicate the time necessary to make it happen.  Below a few pixs with narrative comments:

The logo will certainly make you grin.....now grin if you must!  Brook said she had a selection of names to choose from and liked the Buff Monkey which is a very unique and novel name for a fitness center.

Pix of the dumbbell rack and to the rear is Brook's work station.

My State eye plan glasses might not be able to bring the rate chart in focus.

Brook Crider, proprietor was one of the few Ladies in the gym that would allow a photographic image to be taken other than my bride.  A beautiful Lady with a smile to match!   Click on the thumbnail pixs below for a larger view: 

Below pix of Wilma Drake getting a good workout and able to smile too!

The above pictures gives a good representation of some of the excellent heavy duty machines available and in use by my bride and others.  We start with a 20 minute workout on either of the riding, treadmill and elliptical machines to get the ole cardiovascular system out of it's coasting mode ready for a serious workout which does bring about perspiration quickly and after about three sets of 12 repetitions on most of the machines, the muscles start to cry for some relief....it is all good though!   The barbells and dumbbells might get some usage by us way down the pike since neither my bride nor myself can handle any of that type of strenuous physical activity at this time.  However, there are many that come in and have several hundreds of pounds on the barbells and machines for their normal workout, especially squats and bench presses!

To validate that time waits on no one, I am posting a few pixs of my bride and I from the middle to late 1960s until the mid 1970s:

Man, I got a few extra heart beats just from just posting the pix above....brings back some wonderful memories!  This pix was taken in the mid 1970s when our son William McKnight Porter, Jr. was in the Cub Scouts and she was their Den Mother.

This pix taken around February 1968 right after we were married.  She is still the Love of my Life!

The above picture certainly has a story behind it.  The original background pix taken in Aug. 1967 or at least when I had the film developed shows yours truly when I use to pump a little iron, had a very high testosterone level and that was before the widely usage of steroids and other muscle growth enhancement drugs.  The picture was mounted under an acetate cover which just about destroyed the image.  The other pixs were "edited" by my bride with a pair of scissors after our marriage and she removed females from the pixs and made this collage and don't blame her at all.  I believe all the pixs were taken while I was I Morocco, Africa between 1965 to August 1967.

My bride and I are enjoying (that is putting it mildly) each workout at the Buff Monkey Fitness Company here in Wadesboro, NC and hope our health will allow us to continue and get into a much better condition and shape.  There is no Fountain of Youth as Ponce de Leon was looking for in Florida, however it is proven that proper diet, daily physical exercise, mental attitude, daily meditation, reducing stress, spiritual devotion, avoiding risks and timely health screenings go a long way to the fulfillment and enrichment of one's own personal Life while increasing longevity at the same time.

I challenge other local Senior Citizens and individuals that have become complacent like my bride and myself to get motivated and get into some type of exercise program and the Buff Monkey Fitness Company is an excellent first class establishment to fulfill your requirements and needs. 

Give Brook Crider a call at 704-694-0199 or go by for a visit. 

The Buff Monkey Fitness Co. hours are:

   6:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M. Monday through Friday
11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. Monday through Friday
   3:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Monday through Thursday
   3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Friday
   8:00 A.M. until 12:00 Noon Saturday.

Web posted by Bill aka Mickey Porter 10-04-12. 

My bride and I have a great time at Buff Monkey Fitness and the fellowship and comradery are wonderful.  Several of the regulars during the mid-day workout kid ourselves about having some mental defect with all "torture" we put ourselves through trying to get our physical body into better shape.  To further press the issue, there is a Psychological Services Office adjacent the gym in the hallway, first door on the left as we exit the Buff Monkey..............is that trying to tell us something?  Another grin is in order.

Ok, I will admit, I am one of the main boosters for seeking mental help but it certainly is all in fun.  I was talking with Brook Crider after our workout and asked her to visualize this scenario:  My bride and I years down the road finally arrive in Heaven where we are greeted by St. Peter standing in front of one of the entry Gates of Pearl and allows us to enter and my bride and myself comment on how beautiful the City of Heaven is; The Throne of God with majestic angels continually proclaiming, Holy, Holy, Holy over the Throne of God, streets and city of pure gold as clear as glass, walls of Jasper and other precious stones, with awesome beauty of which mortal minds cannot begin to comprehend.  After a few moments of taking in all the beauty at a first glance, I look over at my bride and said, "You know, we could have been here 7 to 10 years earlier if it had not been for Brook Crider and that dang Buff Monkey Fitness!"  Brook looked over at me and said real sheepishly, "I'm sorry".........We all broke out into a loud laughter aka grin.    

Pix of Brook Crider taken on 08-16-13 and web published by Bill aka Mickey Porter

Check out the Uptown Wadesboro, Inc. Fall Festival 2013 that Brook Crider was the chairperson.  It was a great event!

LEAVING ON A SPIRITUAL NOTE