Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
We smiled at each other before going to the gym for our twice-weekly workout. As we arrived, there was a large mic van in front of the gym, and I immediately became very curious.
Upon close inspection, they were unloading the newest piece of equipment at Peak Performance, The Rack. Antony is probably proud of his latest equipment. I tried to turn 180 degrees and return to the car, but Mary insisted.
The rack was a torture device used at the Tower of London, a royal palace that also served as a prison. Starting in the 15th century, the yeoman warders who worked at the tower used the rack to pull on ropes tied to a victim’s wrists and ankles. This stretched the body and dislocated the victim’s joints while making them lose a lot of weight.
Yeoman warders used the rack on people suspected of treason and religious heresy to try to get them to confess and give up the names of other “conspirators.” One famous victim was the English writer and Protestant preacher Anne Askew. In 1546, yeoman warders tortured her on the rack and asked her to name Protestant sympathizers. After she refused, officials burned her at the stake. Because the torture made her unable to walk, they had to carry her to her execution.
OUCH!! Antony’s latest addition to the Peak Performance equipment inventory!
Fortunately, the movers did NOT get the new equipment installed before we departed.
We left the gym feeling strong, sweaty, and mildly heroic—then marched straight to The Nail Salon because Miss Mary’s toes had apparently filed a formal complaint and demanded professional attention.
Upon returning home, Mary fixed lunch, and we watched the last two episodes of “Yellowstone”. Seeing the end mean, we can not watch the new spinoff called “Duoon Ranch.”
