Wonderland

I watched The Biggest Loser the other night for the first time in months. One of the contestants used the phrase that she is now in "One"-derland, going below 200 pounds and being in the 100s. I suppose I too am in "one"derland with 192 days to go. I am cautiously optimistic that this is indeed accurate. Fingers crossed, everyone.

I've spent the last week in Los Angeles, mostly for work, but got stranded there for the last day and a half due to weather. Most who attended my conference didn't get out when they were supposed to, and images of snow ravaged Oklahoma and ice covered New York kept me glued to the Weather Channel.

It was cold for SoCal--50s and 60s. I had been expecting much warmer temps and was not properly attired, so I made good use of the hotel gym to warm my internal temperature, waking up each morning at 4:15 am and running for a half an hour. I was usually the only woman in a room full of men at that time (There was a fitness conference going on at the same time as mine.) I doubled my running time within 4 days, and I was averaging a 13 minute mile. (J-Bird! How do you like them apples?) I still ache, but it's such a good ache, and I can't wait to join the Y located up the street with it's gorgeous, freshly built track!

My dedication to running surprised me, as did the fact that no one, no one, no one batted an eyelash at my braces the way they do here. In fact, I was hit on, rather persistently, by a cynical Chicagoan, and was pimped out by a woman at the conference from Utah who immediately deemed me "a catch" and was determined to set me up with a pal of hers in Atlanta. My friend Linda says that everyone in LA wears braces and that evening alone she counted 5 people who had them. I started my own experiment of counting dental offices and there they were, literally on every block, just like Starbuck's franchises are here in NYC. For the first time in 17 months, I truly felt like I belonged.

Talk about Wonderland. Curiouser and curiouser!