BREAKING NEWS!!!

No, it's not about Anna Nicole Smith or Britney Spears.

I just thought y'all would want to know that Christmas is officially over at the "Casa de Hilda and David". Anything remotely merry or jingly is down and in boxes.

We now return you to your regular blogging.

Inaugural Edition of the Lola Shuffle

"Come on shake your body do the Lola Shuffle" (with props to Gloria - that's Gloria Estefan to you - here in Miami, she's just "Gloria", or "Glorita" if you're of a certain age.)

Yes, I am shamelessly stealing the idea from Sari and Dixie (my blog mentor) by doing an iPod shuffle and listing the top 10 songs. Keep in mind, Lola is bilingual, so there may be songs in Spanish. Here we go:

1) "Abracadabra" - by Sugar Ray
2) "Ay Mama Ines" - Bola de Nieve
3) "The End of the World" - Vonda Shepard (remember the singer from "Ally McBeal"?)
4) "Hips Don't Lie" - Shakira and Wyclef Jean
5) "I'm Like a Bird" - Nelly Furtado (before she became slutty)
6) "Spanish Eyes" - Ricky Martin (stop laughing at me!)
7) "The River" - Garth Brooks
8) "Como Fue" - Beny More
9) "Check on It" - Beyonce and Slim Thug
10) "Run Around" - Blues Traveler

TTFN...:)

I Don't Wanna Go To Work

I'm finishing up a 4 day weekend, and I don't want to go back to work. It's not that I don't like my job or the people I work with or the company I work for - I'm just tired of working and want to rest for a while.

The weekend was great...

Saturday was really cold (well, for Miami) so we slept in late and went to our favorite Cuban restaurant for hot chocolate and churros - YUMMY. Afterwards we stopped by to see my mom then came back home, hung out for a while and went for our Valenetine's Day/Hubby's Birthday (which is actually today - Happy Birthday honey!) dinner at "Emeril's" - excellent as usual!

Sunday we slept in. In the afternoon I went to the opera with my friend, we saw "La Sonambula", it was really, really good. I came home and watched an obscure Tom Hank's movie I had been wanting to see for years and finally found on Netflix, called "Everytime We Say Goodbye"...it was OK.

Monday my husband was off for President's Day, so we slept in (are you seeing a trend here?), I went to my primary care doctor for a check up *and* I went for my mammogram (wheeee...what fun!). After that we had lunch and came back home, took a nap, and I watched a bunch of stuff I had taped on the TiVo-like substance as well as my regular Monday night must-see TV.

Today (Tuesday), hubby took his birthday off so we slept in, went out to Homestead (the farming area in South Florida) to a great restaurant to which we had never been but had been recommended to us and it was fabulous! We had planned to stay in Homestead for a while but I was feeling *coldy* so we came home. I took a nap and then watched my other Netflix movie "Transamerica" - I thought it was really good. I read a little, actually sat through "American Idol" - I am thus far not impressed with any of the boys - and I plan to go to bed relatively early.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, my Christmas decorations are *still* up - every single one of them! I don't know what the hell is wrong with us!

(sigh) I really don't want to go to work tomorrow...

The Dixie Chicks

The Dixie Chicks sang "Not Ready to Make Nice," but the Grammy Awards were certainly ready to make them winners, honoring the trio with five awards Sunday night.

The Chicks, who ignited controversy four years ago when lead singer Natalie Maines criticized President Bush on the eve of the Iraq war, won all five of the awards for which they were nominated, including the big three: album of the year (for "Taking the Long Way"), song of the year and record of the year (both for "Not Ready to Make Nice")...

...The Chicks had a difficult time in the years before recording "Taking
the Long Way." Once the biggest-selling group in country music -- the Chicks' first two albums, "Wide Open Spaces" and "Fly" -- were two of the most popular country albums ever -- they found themselves abandoned by country radio stations and pilloried by many fans for their political stand. Indeed, with "Taking the Long Way" the group members have said they don't consider themselves country artists anymore...

...Ironically, the Chicks' other awards included best country
performance by a duo or group with vocal and best country album for "Taking the Long Way."

From "Not Ready to Make Nice"

I made by bed, and I sleep like a baby,
With no regrets and I don't mind saying,
It's a sad sad story
That a mother will teach her daughter
that she ought to hate a perfect stranger.
And how in the world
Can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter
Saying that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

I was thrilled that the Dixie Chicks received all the awards for which they were nominated. It really is a great song and a great album.

Good for them!

My Cousin has Breast Cancer

"My cousin has breast cancer"...just writing those words is surreal, it's like I'm in a different dimension. Until now no one in my family has been stricken with any form of cancer. I know that's very unusual, but it's true. And now my beautiful, vibrant, uber-health conscious, 41 year-old cousin has been diagnosed with breast cancer! How is that even possible?

It's the usual story - she went in for her regular mammogram and they found 2 small "cysts". Now when she went last year they found one, it turned out to be benign, just fluid and they drained it right in the doctor's office. This time they assumed it was the same thing and they were so small they told her to come back in six months and they'd do the same thing. In her self-examination she noticed that one was growing faster than it should so she went back in last Friday. When they tried to drain it they found it was solid. They instantly ran tests and on Saturday they called her and told her it was cancerous.

She's going in today for an MRI and a sonogram and to talk to the oncologist about how to proceed. As of now, they're saying it looks like it'll be a lumpectomy. They already told her she will need some radiation, how much and whether chemo will be necessary is yet to be determined.

I'm sad and scared and angry.

RIP Molly Ivens

Author and syndicated journalist Molly Ivins died of breast cancer yesterday. With her goes one of the best - IMO - voices that was critical of Dubyuh and conservative politics in general. I read Shrub – The Short But Happy Political Life of George W. Bush and not only enjoyed her writing and humor - but I actually learned stuff.

Although her humor was skewering, I didn't find it to be mean-spirited. She didn't just repeat anti-Dubyuh rhetoric, her assertions were fully sourced and reliable.

In her last column, dated 1/11/2007 Stand Up Against the Surge she tells us:

We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. Raise hell. Think of something to make the ridiculous look ridiculous.

Make our troops know we're for them and trying to get them out of there. Hit the streets to protest Bush's proposed surge. If you can, go to the peace march in Washington on January 27. We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, "Stop it, now!"

Sadly, Molly has done all she can. It is up to us to heed her rallying cry - in any way we can.

Thanks Molly, your voice will definitely be missed. 2008 is almost here, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I'm sorry you won't be around for the celebration.