Six months ago today I moved to LA

Despite what I wrote two weeks ago about the warm California weather, the air has since produced a certain evidence that Fall is here. Mornings are cooler, and I've started to wear a jacket or sweater to work again. My weekend wardrobe of shorts and skirts have been replaced with sweatpants and hoodies. And my summer shoe staple - flip flops - have slowly made their way to the back of my closet in favor of closed toed shoes and sneakers (that, quite frankly, I forgot I even owned. Welcome to California, Puma's! I forgot how well we got along!). My hands have been unusually dry for the past week, and I started sleeping under a comforter again.

Perhaps the biggest (and certainly most unwelcome) change, is the resurgence of traffic. Ever since the Tuesday after Labor Day, when kids went back to school and adults went back to work, the freeways have been packed, and even the regular streets have been busier and slower than normal. My morning commute still doesn't bother me too much - I enjoy the morning radio shows and my coffee as I navigate the 10. And as long as I go to the gym after work, the commute home isn't too bad by 7:30 or so. But twice this week when I skipped the gym and got on the freeway at 6, it took me nearly an hour to get home. That's great motivation for going to the gym, but it won't help me when I have to start going to the Westwood Equinox in November or so.

Of course, my other option is to look for another job - one NOT based in Pasadena - but that's not realistic at this point. Aside from saving myself time on the road (and possibly my sanity), I'd be saving money on gas, as well. The good news is that gas has started to go down again - I only paid $2.93 yesterday!