I never liked the YMCA, but it's the closest gym to my house and it's by far the cheapest. I've been going to the Y since before kindergarten, first for the most futile of futile swimming lessons, time-wasting "tumble-tots" gymnastics class in kindergarten, then for befofe-and-after-school day-care, and finally more more more styrofoam heavy swimming lessons. But what I remember most about the Y, aside from that irritating Village People song, was the smell — this sanitized, saccharine, sticky smell reeking of angel shit and chlorine but that I could never really put my finger on. Until today....

It's the odor of children. 8-(