Well, I got out this morning for a good 2-mile jog. It's still totally dark here until 7:00 AM and I have to start my workouts by 6:00 AM or I don't make it to work on time. That means I work out in total darkness. This morning I drove to the track at UCLA at 6:00 but it was locked and pitch black there. On my way back home, driving through Westwood Village, I realized I was in the middle of a well-lit neighborhood (businesses and highrises are mostly still closed, but the street lights are blazing). I thought to myself, why not just jog all around these streets for a couple of miles or so, and that's what I did. As I said, most businesses were closed and as always there were a few homeless folks sleeping in doorways, but I think I've found my solution to the problem of winter darkness. If the city wants to light up that area like a football stadium all night long I might as well put that electricity to good use!

I've also been well into yoga in the past couple of weeks, doing 60-minute sessions. I'm working harder at it now and getting more benefit. Some of those poses really challenge my muscles (lower body, mostly) so that yesterday I had a bit of a hard time even walking for a while afterward. But I love it, and I'm looking forward to a transformation, as one of my yoga teachers calls it.