Cross Training at the gym

Ick is all I have to say. Ok, and boring too. Alright, I'll stop complaining after this: I don't like it.
Here's a description of the gym I e-mailed a friend earlier in the week:
I go to the icky gym filled with icky people that stare at themselves in the mirrors and stare at everyone else too. The gym where everyone's sweat intermingles on all the equipment that looks like it's never cleaned properly or disinfected. The place where people sit and stare at TV screens while they go through the motions of cycling and/or use the elliptical machines. The place where no one talks to each other and where no one looks friendly. The place where my husband and I go and sit next to each other while I stare at the digital time pass away one second at a time and where my husband ignores me and watches TV.

I'm more of group/class person. I want someone to talk to. If I'm going to workout out alone I rather workout at home, which is something I do. But I really need the stationary bike and the elliptical so I have to go the gym.
My husband will talk to me if I ask but he has his little routine of plugging in and going about his business. It works for him and I'll let him be. I just have to figure out my own routine. Perhaps it's time to dust off my iPod.
The gym and cross training isn't all that bad, I guess. Cycling uses my legs in a completely different manner and it was hard. My first non-running cardio workout was last Sunday and I grew tired and hot after 15 minutes. I mustered enough strength and managed to cycle for a total of 30 minutes. Today I cycled for 45 minutes and felt great. I jumped onto the elliptical machine right after for 30 minutes. The elliptical gave me a great workout. It was a great psuedo run. My heart rate was up and it didn't hurt my knee! It also made me sweat like I was really running while cycling made me warm and I barely broke a sweat. To quote my husband, "you look bored...you need to up your resistance." I'll wait to see what my physical therapist says later this week.