I don’t know if you noticed, but my holidays (and most of my meals) were pretty glutinous.

Between Mixology Mondays, amazing feasts prepared by my chef-husband, drinking magnums of wine, and exploring all of the fantastic places to eat around Los Angeles, my body is calling for a bit of a break.

So I’ve decided to make 2012 a year where I not only eat fantastic, but I also take fantastic care of myself.  Enter great health insurance, great running shoes, and great mental attitude.

Yes!

So yesterday I took Gibson out on our first of many runs together of 2012.  We walked a little bit to get her jitters out and then we took off in a steady jog, with Gibson stopping every now and then to smell some random patch of grass.  We got back refreshed, but both needing water and both happy to have that over with, when I walked by the spot where we always lock up our bikes.

Brad’s bike was gone.

Huh, funny.  Thought he was still in bed.  Where would he take off biking too so soon after waking up?  (Seriosuly, our walk/jog/run was only about 30 minutes long.  I am pretty out of shape.)

Oh wait, BOTH of Brad’s bikes were gone.

Then I saw this…

Cut, nice and clean, hanging from my bike which was still right where we left it – locked up with the GOOD bike lock.

I have heard this same story from so many of my friends since moving here to Santa Monica, but I just never thought it would happen to us.  Especially since we moved from the slummy side of Santa Monica to a MUCH nicer neighborhood.  There are 15 other bikes locked up behind our apartments.  I never thought twice about them getting stolen from HERE.

So Brad and I were seriously bumming yesterday.  It wasn’t just the bikes, which were pretty awesome, it was sentimental value.His fixed gear was a wedding gift from my parents just 9 months ago and I had bought him the beach cruiser as his first West Coast bike.

As he started his first day back at Bar Pintxo today, I had to give him a ride because he couldn’t ride his bike in like he’d planned.  And although I had always hated having Brad’s expensive fixed gear bike hanging out in our living room, I wish we had kept it there this weekend rather than having “lost it to the universe”, as my friend Suzi called it.

Sigh.

I have been reminding myself of all the good I have found in people when things like this happen.  Brad and I and so many other people I know work hard to make our dreams reality and to live this amazing life we have built, block by block, for ourselves.  We have met so many incredible and talented people in this town that may struggle from time to time, but are hardworking and focused and who live life in such amazing ways despite their lack of wealth.  Here in L.A. I have met people who have sacrificed so much for their families, their careers, their talents, but I can see so much light and hope in those people.  It’s inspiring to be surrounded by that determination and drive, and it pushes me forward every day to not just survive, but to thrive in the path towards my dreams.

So although sometimes people disappoint you and remind you that you aren’t as safe as you thought you were, I’m still going to try to keep up my positive outlook on humankind.  Overall, people are pretty amazing.  Especially the ones I know.  And although yesterday was a sad day for biking, it was a great kick start to my healthy year.  Brad and I are going shopping tomorrow for a new, maybe not as fancy, bike.  And for a really, REALLY good lock for it.

Oh, and Gibson is super tired, which means she’s been barking at the mail man just a little less.  Huge bonus of running.