I have yet another steam room story. It seems like this is where I hear some interesting stuff. The fitness facility that I frequent has separate steam rooms for men and women. When men are shooting the bull, they tend to open up a bit about what is going on in their lives.

On this particular day, I was the only person in the steam room. It was nice and quiet … but this tranquility did not last. Within a few minutes, a couple men arrived and settled in for a relaxing time.

Here comes the talker! Jack, a 60-something guy loves to talk loud, and laugh even louder. He is the Ed McMahon in the room. You can expect him to laugh even when you’re stuff is not funny.

The issue here is that the steam and sauna rooms are meant for relaxation. When Jack arrives, it is far too noisy for anyone to be tranquil. He carries a conversation with anyone who is willing to share a thought.

Here’s the latest story I heard between Jack and another gym-goer who he recently befriended:

Jack: Hello, Don!

Don: Hi, Jack! Good to see you.

Jack: How many more houses have you bought recently?

Don: Well, I haven’t bought any in the last few weeks. I’m actually trying to unload one of them.

Jack: Do you mean the one on the north side of town?

Don: Nope! It’s the one near downtown. I spent so much time renovating it, and now it’s so customized. I will need a very specific buyer for it.

Jack: I’m sure that you will find one soon.

Don: I did sell my house in Venice, though.

Jack: I didn’t know you had a house in Italy.

Don: Not Venice, Italy. I mean Venice, California. I inherited the house from my grandma, who recently passed away. I put it on the market for $899,000. The bidding was intense, and it finally sold for $1.2M. I guess being right near the beach made a difference. The buyers don’t really want the old house. They are more interested in the land.

Jack: Good for you!

Don: Thanks, Jack!

I wonder if this is the right discussion for two people to have in a steam room where we are all basically strangers. I suppose Don was happy about the sale, and he wanted to share the story with people he doesn’t know. I wonder if the story is even true. Would Don still share this story if he has lost money on the sale? I’m not sure, and I don’t think it even matters.

I usually go to the fitness club in the mid-afternoon. This is a time when retirees like Jack frequent the gym. While Don is not retired, he usually comes during this time as well. Therefore, I can deduce from this small sample size that both retirees and people who sell million dollar homes use the steam room between 1 and 4 p.m.

This begs the question: What am I doing at the gym during this time when I am neither a retiree nor a person who sold an inherited home for $1.2M?

Perhaps I need to change my workout schedule. The problem is me! Yikes!