Autumn Leaves? I Hadn't Known It Arrived.

18856 Steps

210.2 lbs.

(Okay, let's get this out of the way first. I lost 6.8 pounds this week! Woo Hoooo. Went to the WW meeting this morning and was pleasantly surprised. Of course Thanksgiving is looming and me and all the tracksuit ladies got to gaggle on about the points cost of pecan pie. Pumpkin pie is 9 points sans whipped cream. We made our plans and we'll see next week. So that was a great start to the day. )

When I got to New York at the end of September it was still summer. I even got a taste of the humidity that is going to be my undoing this coming summer. In October Central Park was a beach and I saw people in tank tops at 11 at night. Then it got cold. I was waiting for that incredible in-between moment we call Autumn. Little did I know it was just down at the end of my street in the park.

I went there today to play pipes. The trees that shielded me previously from the crowds and open air tour buses on Central Park West weren't there. I mean they were there, but their leaves had changed color and were falling. It was kinda fun today because cars honked and the folk on the top deck of the buses clapped. I was part of peoples' experience. I don't always like that, but today it was good.

Later I went back to Central Park later dressed all "Fally" with my coat, i-pod, and this amazing hand-knitted scarf that Marjorie sent to me from San Francisco. I got it via mail on Friday. She made a hat as well , but I deemed it was not cold enough to wear yet, but I am going to get use out of them both. They are amazing in the perfect colors and she made it herself. For me. I am thrilled. Armed with my plumage, I walked into an Autumn WONDERLAND of YELLOW and RED and BROWN and GREEN leaves everywhere. I couldn't believe this was all here, like I was living in Anaheim all these years with my back to the Matterhorn. (huh?). Here I was walking through Central Park wrapped in wool and listening to great music and loving every second. I had such a grin of JOY. ( grin of joy?) that a woman smiled back at me in knowing solidarity. It was amazing to shuffle through the leaves in this fantastic park. There is no city like this. I cannot stand how great it keeps being.

I walked all the way to Central Park South and down 5th Avenue into the loving throngs of European Christmas shoppers who come here to spend the American Peso as they call it. We have provided them with such riches thanks to our war torn dollar. English is not the first language you hear on 5th Avenure right now. A coffee for us is $10, 000 dollars in Paris and they are here flossing their teeth with our sweaters. But we are defending the world's right to live as we please.

It was a beautiful stroll down the Avenue having a look at all the Christmas windows. I went all the way down to 45th and then went to a new friends house for ANOTHER dinner party! I swear I don't deserve it, but I am having the time of my flippin' life. There were about 15 people there and we had the best home cooked food and a great time. One of the guys likes this Irish group that I love called Black 47 and I know they always play at Connolly's (!!!) in Times Square so we are going to go. How great is that? I dig the music.

I begged off and walked 35 blocks home and here we are. And though I ate potatoes au gratin, ham, chicken, baked beans and a biscuit. Oh and a cupcake. I politely turned down the care package as they taught me to do this morning. But I didn't use the line I heard this morning: "No thank you, it won't fit in my bikini this summer."