adventures in salsa dancing

Last night (or should I say REALLY early this morning, I went salsa dancing with Ana et al in.. Havana. It was fun but it was way TOO hot to enjoy, um, dancing. My best dance partner of the night was a whole bunch of tissues. I think I'll wait till after the summer to try and do that again.

The lack of decent salsa joints doesn't really baffle me all that much. The place would've been quite lovely, had it not been marred by the presence of TOO MANY dirty old men and HOUNDS AND HOUNDS of young women waiting to be picked up by the said dirty old men. I was appalled by their lack of self-worth. But, hey, I'm not going to be preachy. Let's just say that I wanted to shower off the sleaze the minute I got home.

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In OTHER news... Remember when I mentioned having been such a cry-baby during a recent blood test? Yeah, well it looks like I'm going to have to whimper and whine all over again. Alone. Waaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh. I hate I hate I hate needles on me. Sure, they're fine on other people but on me?!?

Relax. Breathe. It's going to be okay. And quite worth it.

On Tuesday, I'm going in for a life-changing procedure. Hahaha. I think I'll wait until then to reveal as to what that procedure is. And, no, I'm not about to transform myself into a man. ;) I'm a little scared but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I really feel like it's my year of "starting on a clean slate." Scary and exciting... Makes me think of a Stephen Sondheim song.

I KNOW THINGS NOW (from Into the Woods)

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]

Mother daid,"Straight ahead,"

Not to delayor be misled.

I should have heededHer advice...

But he seemed so nice.

And he showed me things

Many beautiful things,

That I hadn't thought to explore.

They were off my path,

So I never had dared.

I had been so careful,

I never had cared.

And he made me feel excited-

Well, excited and scared.

When he said, "Come in!"

With that sickening grin,

How could I know what was in store?

Once his teeth were bared,

Though, I really got scared-

Well, excited and scared-

But he drew me close

And he swallowed me down,

Down a dark slimy path

Where lie secrets that

I never want to know,

And when everything familiar

Seemed to disappear forever,

At the end of the path

Was Granny once again.

So we wait in the dark

Until someone sets us free,

And we're brought into the light,

And we're back at the start.

And I know things now,

Many valuable things,

That I hadn't known before:

Do not put your faith

In a cape and a hood,

They will not protect you

The way that they should.

And take extra care with strangers,

Even flowers have their dangers.

And though scary is exciting,

Nice is different than good.

Now I know:

Don't be scared.

Granny is right,

Just be prepared.

Isn't it nice to know a lot!

And a little bit not...

Hahaha. So my upcoming procedure isn't exactly as profound as someone's coming-of-age tale, but I think something should be said about going through something as life-altering as I am about to. It's a little scary in a way because I'm sort of leaving a comfort zone (yeah, if being slobby and fat can be considered a comfort zone...) but exciting because I get to start anew. Scary because I have to kick back on the bad habits and push myself to maintain new ones. Excited as anything because the world gets to see a new me, scared because it brings about a myriad of new possibilities. Like clothing! I'M KIDDING.

Well, I suppose I'll have to wait till Tuesday to find out. Till then... Ciao.

back from the hiatus

I know, I know...

What makes someone abandon her blog in a snap only to return to it many months later with yet another inane topic to rant about?

Well, that's what makes me... well, me. Besides, there aren't exactly any rules that blogs MUST be kept up to date on a daily basis. Blogs are outlets for expression, for things that are best kept but can hardly be contained. At least, that's how I see MY blog. So there. :P

Anyhoo... I was reading CNN again this afternoon when I came across an article called "Lost Love Can Really Cause A Broken Heart." Well I happen to have a soft spot for all things sentimental so I just HAD to read it. Here's an excerpt:

TRENTON, New Jersey (AP) -- Confirming the wisdom of the poets and
philosophers, doctors say the sudden death of a loved one really can cause a
broken heart.
In fact, they have dubbed the condition "broken heart
syndrome."
In a study published just in time for Valentine's Day -- February
14 -- doctors reported how a tragic or shocking event can stun the heart and
produce classic heart attack-like symptoms, including chest pain, shortness of
breath and fluid in the lungs.

For centuries, doctors have known that emotional shocks can trigger heart
attacks and sudden deaths. Broken heart syndrome, technically known as stress
cardiomyopathy, is a different phenomenon.

Shindler said the researchers' conclusions make sense, given the well-known
link between the brain and heart, and offer the first explanation he has heard
for the phenomenon.

Apparently, such things do happen. So things like your heart "growing cold"... are possible. Flashback: breakup with boyfriend (and I refuse to name which one!). Gosh.

So here's to all my friends who have been through, gone through, are going through and will be going through breakups. Here's to the month of love, and to all commercial gimmicks this Valentine season. But most of all, here's to REAL love, and real opportunities to love and share love. I mean, if you had the opportunity to love even just ONE person all your life... Consider yourself already pretty darn lucky. :)