The Ultimate Fighting Champion!!! (minus the fighting)

GASP! WAIT! WHAT!?!

I WON I WON I WON I WON!


What did you ask? A popularity contest! OK so not really... but Katherine has mentioned this site Hollywood Flakes a few times on her blog so I finally decided to check it out. Well, once I got there I read a few blogs and 5 or 6 entries down was a blog redirecting me to yet ANOTHER blog. So, I did what any good blogger would do and I went there.

This particular blogger is moving to JAPAN and was asking for advice on how to make new friends. Having moved just two years ago to a city/state where I had zero family and zero friends and now I have more friends than I know what to do with, I felt a little compelled to answer. She was having a contest and the winner would receive snicker doodles via US mail. Well, the contest was over but being the confident advice giver I am I decided to leave a comment anyway because like any narcissistic (it makes me happy I know how to spell that word) blogger I felt I had the best advice. I wasn't in it for the cookies, just the pure gratification of helping someone. I was even facetious about it and told her she could mail me a thank you card. I ALMOST left my address to be funny but decided against it.

WELL.... I know you can all see where this is going. She picked ME! (duh!! ;-) ) Granted her husband picked a winner and her mom picked a winner but that is irrelevant. SHE is the blogger, SHE posted looking for advice, and SHE picked ME. Therefore I am now the best! hahaha. OK so not really.

Can I please tell you how happy I was? I have never EVER ever won ANYTHING in my whole entire life! (I don't think I have anyway). At least not in the random contest category.

So, Acte Gratuit (aka "a site I lurk" on the right hand side- Using her terminology) THANK YOU! You have made my life.

(check out the above link to see how I was made famous on her blog and the words of advice I gave her. and by famous I mean she wrote about me by name. Mandi Baby. )

Now everyone else, the question is.... do I accept cookies from strangers? Dad... what do you think? It goes against everything I was taught!! Hey, at least if she poisons the cookies I will die a WINNER! Now THAT'S the way to go!

The Man of My Dreams... Literally

***SPOILER ALERT***
This is just a joke or a theory to my dreams. I am not serious.



OK so I think Ben cracked the code! The man I have been dreaming about is....HIM!!!

Let me tell you a little about Ben & then maybe you will understand my reasoning behind our conclusion.

The very first time I met Ben was when he had just moved into his new house. He was roommates with one of my friends and we were receiving a tour of the house. When we reached Ben's room there was nothing in it. He told us that he was awaiting his round bed. This immediately reminded me of Hugh Hefner's famous round bed so I told him I was going to call him Hef from then on. Though I think I called him that a total of three times or less the name is none the less associated with him.

Also, I recently mentioned my affinity for Ben's taste in music. He really does have the best taste! Well, who else is really into music, has a lighter skin complexion, dark hair and dark eyes? David Archuleta!

OK now that the code is cracked what does this all mean? I now know who these men represent but why am I dreaming about him? In both of these dreams he is more into me than I am to him.

So let's recap the dreams: Hugh Hefner dates three blondes who couldn't identify all fifty states if their lives depended on it. In the end everyone gets mad because he picks me, a brunette with an IQ, over them. The David dream doesn't really reveal much. I just remember that he was my boyfriend & I wasn't really digging him... nothing more.

Benjamin is the classic man the authors write about. He reminds me of my favorite antagonist Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice. He is the tall dark and handsome, debonair,classy, seemingly arrogant to those who don't know him and one of the best men we have ever met to those who do know him- type of guy.

Now that I have concluded these men represent Ben, I am excited to write my own story/theory involving him and why I seem to be dreaming about him. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. It will be a story of unrequited love and tragedy. None of it will be true but you won't know the difference.

I do believe he is single, not really looking, but always accepting applications for those young girls reading my blog who have an interest. It almost makes me sad that I don't actually like him. Even as I write this I wonder why I have never crushed on this kid. I guess it wasn't meant to be... but I don't want to give too much away. Stay tuned for my wonderful story/theory .... it's going to be amazing!

To hold you over here are a few pictures of the men/man of my dreams.







This picture is a mix of these two pictures below.

(above)Hugh Hefner in 1979.
(below) Benjamin pensively thinking

(above) Benjamin gives my blog a thumbs up
(below) David Enchilada is too busy singing & going through puberty to read my blog.

A mixture of the two above pictures.

And as if all this hasn't been proof enough here goes one more set.


(above) Ben drinks Mate
(below) Hef smokes his pipe

The Enchilada=No More Dignity

I can't believe I am posting this. I no longer have any respect for myself nor can I be friends with myself.






Last night...



I had a dream....



that.....


David Archuletta



WAS MY BOYFRIEND!!!


WHAT?!?!

Seriously, no joke. He was my boyfriend and he was in love with me. And, I didn't really like him all that much but we were dating none the less. Seriously? So here is the DL (scoop) for those older fans of my blog who may not know who he is. He is a SEVENTEEN year old kid from Murray (about five miles from my house), UT who tried out for American Idol and got to the top two. He did not end up winning but he is a major buzzed about talked about person on the radio, news, and media in Salt Lake City. My favorite radio station calls him David Enchilada. HaHa. Anyway. The kid is young, looks like he is 12 and sounds like he is 8. What is up with this? First I have reoccurring dreams that Hugh Hefner wants me and now David? What am I supposed to be learning from this dream? Do I need to look for a guy to date who is more like me or less like me? DREAM INTERPRETERS UNITE! Please tell me what is going on here!!! I feel like a freak.

All I know is that I have lost all dignity. Somehow my dreams about Hugh Hefner were not as bad to my self esteem as the fact I dreamed about David. I am going to go sit in a corner and sulk now.


Eat your heart out 16 year olds.

Just Call Me Lars

So I have had tons of thoughts run through my mind lately that I just cannot wait to blog about. Needless to say, I don't blog about them. Here are just a few. They aren't the best but that may be why I am blogging about them now.

• Just call me Lars. I watched Lars & The Real Girl last night. It was... interesting. Good, but interesting. The thing I thought about most during this movie was how so many of us can relate to him in one way or another. Maybe we aren't dilusional to the extent that he is, but dilusional none the less. I have these episodes in life where I really honestly believe things and then I will look back a few days, weeks, months ect. later and I realize how stupid I was. Prime example? My rant about being alone for the rest of my life just recently.


• I worship Ben's (Evan's?) taste in music.(First link-Ben. Second link-the music portion of another one of his blog's) Please tell me how many of you I am friend's with are obsessesed with music. Hmm... of the younger crowd probably about 85%. How many of you have I ever thought...hey... they listen to this music maybe I should too? A big fat 0. (sorry) For some reason if Ben says, "listen" I say, "how loud?" Granted he never tells me directly... I just blog stalk him and when he talks about a band or song it peaks my interest. I really have to give credit to Jade for getting me interested in music and artists but in her absence I have clung to Ben for musical inspiration. I'd like to think I have found some on my own but yes... I am a poser. :( It is a sad day.


• My favorite blog of all time right now is Christina's. I love her! She is so cute! Maybe it is just because I know and love her that I love her blog so much but I love hearing about small adventures such as going on a hunt for gummy bears. I love how frugal she is even though she doesn't need to be. She is a prime example of provident living. She is the type of person I aspire to be. Successful, beautiful, crafty, resourceful, intelligent, funny... the list goes on.


• I have a plan to become a millionaire. It requires living more frugaly than I do now and investing more than I do now but in twenty to thirty years I will be a millionarie. This is another goal of mine. It WILL happen. I just can't stand the thought of wasting money now and having to worry about how I am going to live in my later years.
• I have discovered* this site and if you live in the Salt Lake City/Utah area you should definitely check it out! I would check to see if there is a program like it in your state as well. In a nut shell it is a food co-op program. They buy only specific quantities of food from LOCAL farmer & producers and sell it to you at half cost. They are able to do so because they only buy in specific quantities and large quantities. They started doing this as a relief to emergency food pantries and to help out lower income people but it has grown. It is open to anyone that eats. You can participate regardless of income! Not only are you supporting local but you are reducing the cost of food and helping the environment because it doesn't cost as much to transport the fuel. The BEST part of it (in my opinion)? You have to do volunteer hours to quailfy! In order to pick up your food you have to sign a log showing two hours of volunteer work. It can be something formal or something like mowing the lawn for a neighbor (they can't be related to you.) I think it is great!

Welp... that's about it for now.

I am going to start doing a blog of the month because I feel you all should check these people out. So... I guess June's blog goes to Christina. Maybe... I am thinking...YES. Let's give her May's blog of the month... the winner of favorite blog overall (congrats Christina!!) and I will do a blog in a few weeks about my favorite June blog.

P.S. Thank goodness for this automatic save on blogger. These tricky mouse's almost caused me a heart attack. My thumb hit the button on the side which goes back a screen. I thought my whole blog was lost!

* I didn't discover it so much as read about it in the business section of the Salt Lake Trib.

3:24 am

I am still awake. I can't sleep.

I need help.

Ahem

Please listen up.

I would like to officially announce my candidacy!

For what you ask? EVERYTHING! I have decided that instead of just complaining about the way things are run around here I am going to do something about it. I am going to start with city council in a few years and see how it goes from there. Maybe down the road I will run for President! Highly unlikely but you know... there is no stopping me once I have my mind set on something.

Being on the city council is something I have wanted to do for the past few years but it wasn't until I was sitting in class today that I decided for sure that I am going to do it. Maybe I will fly to Kuala Lumpur as part of a way to keep peace in our city! hahaha.

I am actually really excited! Please support me and please vote for me in five - ten years when I run!

Half Birthday

Today (well now technically yesterday but I haven't been to bed yet) is my 23 1/2 birthday! Happy Half Birthday to ME! Now.... many of my friends like to post pictures of their children and say their milestones. I don't see why I can't do the same thing for myself. HaHa.

Things I currently Dig

• Cologne. Men who smell nice stay on my mind for days...even if I don't like them
• Guys who know how to dress. Shoes are important. A guy who wears nice shoes says a lot without really speaking to me.
  
• Charleston Chews. I love this candy & I wonder if I will ever get tired of it
• The Shout Out Louds. A current favorite band.
• Texas Country music. There is just something different about Texas Country.
• Writing and receiving letters to/from Jade.
• Pretty Aprons
• Bosch mixers
• Puppies
• Outdoor activities like hiking, campfires in canyons, wakeboarding......the list goes on
• Being great at budgeting and finding really great deals
• Temple Square
• Daily/Weekly e-mails from REI
• Getting onto Google Reader and seeing 7+ posts from a few hours before ( I am subscribed to about 40 or more blogs)
  

Things that Currently bother me

• People who make jokes at other's expense
• People who write their lower case A's the same as their 2's. Basically like a backwards s.
• People who break promises
• Bad drivers
• Construction on 33rd S.
• My shifting teeth
• My itchy throat

Well it looks like the good list way outnumbers the bad so that is a good thing. I am off to bed. 6 more months and I will be 24!!! CRAZY!!

Clarification.

I wish to reply to the comment left on my make love with words blog. Part of this is a reply the other part is a clarification. While it is a reply please let me preface to say this is directed at no INDIVIDUAL.

As a clarification, please forgive me for not stating more clearly that I do not believe there must be conflict to have a great conversation. Please notice that one of those in the short list was a conversation of self worth. What I meant about having a great conversation was a conversation of substance. A conversation where there was something deeper. A conversation where the parties involved dig down deep and offer what they feel. These are true and sincere feelings and something that matters eternally, nationally, or globally; not just for the moment. Conversations of deity, of morals, of why we do what we do. Conversations where neither party has the definite answer but they offer up their hopes and desires.

True, some of the best "conversations" are where nothing has been said at all. But a true CONVERSATION in the literal sense is where each party has formed an opinion irrelevant to anyone else based on feelings, research, and facts.

As a reply let me just say that I really believe it would be an absolute TRADGEDY if someone has gone 21 years of their life without speaking their own opinion for FEAR of being " shut down by others and, i fear,by even myself." If your ideas are indeed "too important" then why on earth would you leave them unsaid?!?! Even if they aren't applied with if they truly are that important they deserve to be heard!! All sides should be examined before reaching a conclusion. How would you know right if there was no wrong? How would we know Grey if we didn't have both black AND white?!? Compromises can be reached and often times the other party has never thought about your side.

If they are too important aren't they deserving of thorough research and knowledge? If you yourself might shut them down then maybe they aren't true or important to begin with. How silly would you be to go your life "believing" in something that you don't TRULY believe in? This could be applied to topics as far spanned as your stance on immigration or whether or not you believe in a God.

Let me tell you a secret. No one really honestly cares WHAT you believe in so long as you have a strong formed opinion on it. Do you think illegal immigration is bad? WHY?!?! Why do you think it is bad? Or do you just hear the word illegal and think it is bad? Have you been trained your whole life to believe it is bad? How silly. Do the homework, find out for yourself.

* I personally used to think it was bad because that is how I was raised. Living in Texas teaches you to hate illegal immigrants. Then I became friends with a few people who I found out later were illegal. (most of them aren't the cross the boarder type either. I guess there goes that whole building a wall argument. They are the come here with Visa's and stay once they are expired type FYI) After taking several economics courses I freely welcome immigrants. This could be a whole post in itself but the point is, most people wouldn't agree with me but I have the facts and numbers to back myself up. Who cares if people agree or disagree? I am out to educate those around me and as least I have a reason for believing what I believe. Hopefully they will be a little more informed after our conversation, even if they never fully agree.

If you think there is a God I would hope you have at least prayed once in your life. I hope you have tried to find out for yourself if there is a God. I hope you don't just do that because your parents said there was a God.

If everyone was like this individual who says they don't like to have conflict I would hate to see what type of world we would live in. The rich would overpower this world so much more than they already do. The top 20% of the wealthy people control 91% of our wealth as it is in the United States. Think about how our government would be run if no one was willing to say HEY! This is what I believe! You are doing things wrong!

Living in Salt Lake I would like to make one last point. Latter Day Saints are roughly half of the Utah population. Think about if Joseph Smith would have been afraid for his ideas to be shut down. I do believe it would affect many of my readers.

Well behaved women rarely make history.

Is it really because they are misbehaved? Or is it because they spoke up when maybe it wasn't the most socially acceptable thing to do?

I guess all I am trying to say is that I don't care who does what in life. I really don't. All I ask is that whatever you DO, do it with a PURPOSE. There are hardly more things in this world that frustrate me more than ignorant people.

Adventures

My best friend lived in Iceland for a while and is now in Taiwan for the next year.

When catching up with an old friend from high school he asked if I was still in Utah. I said Yes. I asked if he was still in Austin or if he moved back to Houston. His answer?

"oh I am on the boarder of Kuala Lumpur and (insert some other country here) about to catch a train to (insert another country here)

Freak! I am sooooo unadventurous! I can't do it! I am not spontaneous. Not in the least. I am soooooo safe and predictable. Why can't I be in Kuala Lumpur? Why can't I go to Taiwan?

Because I will never take the risk. That's why. I am going to Kuala Lumpur! I swear I am!

Mantra

I came across something the other day I have been thinking about ever since. It is simple but so strong at the same time.


Do It Once.
Do It Right.
NEVER
Do It Again!

This can be applied to so many aspects of our life. Instead of telling you what in particular I feel about this I will let you meditate on it. I hope you get as much out of it as I did and still am.

Make Love With Words

I remember getting a text message late one night/early one morning from one Ms. Jade Ozawa. She was excited because she had just had a long talk with a friend and as she described it she "made love with words." I saved that text message in my phone. I saved a few text messages from her in my phone. Ones I always wanted to remember. Ones that would be safe from accidental deletion. When she left on her religious mission and the only way I could contact her was through the centuries old tradition of mail I was devastated. Do you have any earthly idea just how long it takes a letter to go to Taiwan and for her to respond back and send it back to America? Neither do I but it seems like eternity! While that was beyond my control I always had a few of her words at my fingertips. Alas, my phone has decided to revolt against me and no longer wished to work. Not because I dropped it, not because it was old, not for any seemingly understandable reason other than that it was exhausted and wished no longer to do the work of this world it was designed to do. Hmph. I wish I had that luxury! I had to get a new phone and those messages saved from harm are gone. "Made love with words" will stay with me for a while though.

One of the things I love most about Ms. Ozawa is that we are so much alike. We seek useless knowledge and comfort in words. Words are our passion. Just as she got excited enough to text me about this event, I am excited enough to blog about it. I have had three great stimulating conversations this week! Ones about politics, religion, and self worth. Conversations that were thought about, carefully constructed, and backed with reason. I can't tell you how much I enjoy mental stimulation.

As much fun as
"Bobby is so cute!"
" Can you believe that Kyle told Stephanie about Tiffany's dog's mother's original owner's?"
and other useless conversations are.... I really enjoy being able to talk about things of more significance. What makes a conversation (notice...conversation NOT debate) even more enjoyable is when the person has an opposing view! It makes me smile! A CHALLENGE! I always love a good intrigue. I love listening to how people feel and why they feel that way. That doesn't mean I agree but it opens my eyes to a new perspective.

Anyhow... I enjoy useless conversation as well. It just makes life that much more worth living when you have a GREAT conversation. When you... "make love with words."

Solitude

I really like being by myself.

It is this attitude that brings me to the realization I will most likely be by myself for the rest of my life.

Forever. Always.

Most of my heart enjoys the thought of this.

Part of my heart is scared of the thought of this.

Most of the time I wonder what my purpose is.

Is my time up?

I feel done.

Sarcasm

I had a longer post on sarcasm but I think I will wait to post it. The problem is... people have not been understanding my sarcasm lately. I am always sarcastic. ALWAYS. If I am not being sarcastic I am dead serious or writing, but writing falls into the serious category. Sarcasm first started for me when I felt an answer didn't deserve a reply and then it developed into a sense of humor- mostly because I felt the majority of my peers were dimwits and it was funny to be the only one in an inside joke. Now it has evolved into a way of life. Sarcasm has backfired on me lately.

Should I ditch the people who don't get my sarcasm or should I ditch the sarcasm?

Nothing Really.

For those of you who read my most recent post I apologize. Really it was one specific person who pushed me over the edge. I have deleted it for the time being. I really should be more positive and upbeat.

I feel like I have a lot to say but I don't really feel like posting too much.

Boxing Praise

So... I took a 6 week hiatus from boxing due to graduation, vacations, and finals. I went back tonight and ummmm... I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE! If you go for a while it actually get "easy" and you don't almost faint every class and it is a hard work out but doable.

Tonight I Was ready to throw up ten minutes into the class. In fact, I had to step outside and I actually DID. After the conditioning was over and we got to the boxing I still felt kind of horrible. As I am sparring with the teacher and throwing out the punches she calls she just grunts out "THESE ARE SO F'ING GOOD I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE IT!" Despite the profanity (she said the real word) (OK I must admit, in retrospect it was probably BECAUSE of the profanity) I felt really hard core at that moment in time. Because I felt really hard core I had to keep my grin concealed but man was I grinning from ear to ear inside! Eliza is soooooo hard core so for her to give a compliment is something to brag about. She may give encouragement but she doesn't hand out compliments!! She kept commenting on how good I had gotten. I must admit I DID practice at home when I was actively going to class but I haven't practiced for a while. 6 weeks to be exact! She even gave me and my co worker an invitation to a sparring class. I felt really honored! I can't make it due to scheduling but sheesh!

Now... if only I can get the conditioning down!

9:45

I was almost in bed smiling with joy when I thought this should be documented. For years my bedtime was 9...9:30 max. Jan 1, 2007 led to a bed time of 3 or 4 am that has barely been broken. My goal for 2008? Go to bed by 9:30... I am not there yet...but I am pretty dang close! I am so excited for sleep! Good night! Sleep tight... don't let the bed bugs bite and sweet dreams!

Frustration

OK. I swear I need to start another blog. One that fits my rants and raves and one for the descriptions of my life. Today's blog is a rant.

I HATE WOMEN'S JEANS!

Seriously. I am sorry for wasting your time and please feel free to just ignore this blog altogether and not read it. I am having some serious issues right now. I mean do you ever hear a guy complaining that he can never find the right jeans? No! Well... I haven't. I am sure there are guys out there that do but comparatively they just don't complain about it as much as women. Women's jeans just don't ever fit. It is so hard to find the right pair and to top it off I HATE THE WAIST LINES!

Has anyone ever thought that I don't care to s my underwear every time I sit down? I don't feel like buying extra long shirts or pulling down my shirt every time I have to stand up or sit down? I also hate seeing other girls butt cracks all the time. Stop the madness! Create jeans that cover!I feel so old but the past few pairs of pants I have bought have the highest waist possible and they aren't even that high.

I am going to start designing my own line of jeans. Ones that fit women who are too old to be wearing jeans where the zipper is an eight of inch long because then you are at the waist.

hmph

LP 08

I spent the past five days of my life in Lake Powell for the first time in my life. There were many highlights. A few of those?

"My hair is the definition of sex",
getting up for the very first time on a wakeboard ( I have only ever gotten up for real on ski's) and biffing it several times trying to get out of the wake but doing it none the less,
campfires at night,
trips to Page, Arizona to watch the Jazz Game,
listening to a rendition of "shake it for Jesus"
car rides and ridiculously loud singing,
laying out in the sun for hours on end,
being on a boat.
making new friends



There are many more. I will post pictures later and maybe even tell some funny stories. Let's just say that if I didn't look Hispanic before I definitely look that, or black, now!

Whew

Wow... well the last relative is on the plane headed home and my whirlwind week is finally over. There are so many things that have happened this week I just don't think I could ever come close to writing about it all. When I look back to where I was seven days ago so much has happened and changed. Finals were over on Wednesday and my parents flew in that night. I got to see my brother and my mom and my dad and have lots of hugs and kisses and adoration!

I love my family so much. I don't think I could ever express that enough. Thursday was such a good day! My family and I got to spend some unique time together. I don't think I have ever seen my dad smile so much as he did Thursday.

Friday was graduation and it was pretty fun. It was kind of long and boring and pointless but even I have to admit that it was fun to get dressed up and take pictures and have my parents cheer for me as they called my name.

As much as I am going to miss their hugs I am so grateful they were able to be in for just two and a half short days and they got to focus on just me! I was grateful for their hugs and knowing how proud they were of me. I am a lucky duck to have them in my life!

SapioSexual

Definition of sapiosexuality :.
(sā-pē-ō-sĕk-shü-ăl'ĭ-tē)

1. 1. (n.) A behavior of becoming attracted to or aroused by intelligence and its use.
Origins: From the Latin root sapien, wise or intelligent, and Latin sexualis, relating to the sexes.
Example: Me? I don't care too much about the looks. I want an incisive, inquisitive, insightful, irreverent mind. I want someone for whom philosophical discussion is foreplay. I want someone who sometimes makes me go ouch due to their wit and evil sense of humor. I want someone that I can reach out and touch randomly. I want someone I can cuddle with. I decided this all means that I am sapiosexual.
Submitted by: Anonymous, Topics: Behavior & Lifestyle, Love & Romance



I want to make sure I post on this as well so I am writing a pre-post if you will. I might just expound on this as well later.

I was recently informed that the correct word to describe me is sapiosexual.

1) I am in love with the word (which in itself probably describes WHY I am sapiosexual
2) I am glad that someone finally found a word to describe me. (kudos goes to Huber)

In this young single world I live in girls often talk about the type of guys you like. Over and over again I reply that I don't really have a type. I quickly correct myself because 98% of the guys I have dated/are attracted to are tall and have dark brown hair. Eye color varies. In that past three years or so I have also added another quality.

I AM ATTRACTED TO SMART MEN!

I can't help it! Two very handsome men could be next to each other. No.... one mind blowingly hot guy could be next to his slightly less than average friend. The slightly average man opens his mouth and starts talking about something smart and the hot guy has no clue what he is saying.( I on the other hand usually do, but when I don't ALL THE BETTER) And I want to offer my body to the less than average guy. Slightly true story. I would never offer my body to anyone but I think you get the point.

I suppose it came from nearly marrying one of the most unmotivated unintelligent guys out there. That was a turning point for me. That is not how I want to live my life.I am smart. VERY smart. I am tired of being the hard working smart one in the relationship. I don't want to be the one in charge for the rest of my life merely because I am the only one that knows anything. I want someone who challenges my mind, my views, and someone I can have a great conversation with! I want someone to completely show me up in a conversation because...well that's just sexy. I am sorry, if you are cute but a complete retard, I just want no association with you. As it is I am trying to weed out my unintelligent friends, I don't need another person to add to the list.

So next time you see me walking down the street with a less than average guy... just know that he blows my mind. Literally.

The Second

Doing his famous Zoolander Face.
My little/younger/only brother was named after my dad. He does have a suffix on his name though. II. I love it.

I am off to take a final in just a few short minutes so this will be brief and most likely expounded upon in greater detail in the following days.

I love my brother with all of my heart! He gets on my EVER lovin last nerves sometimes but he is the only brother I have. He is one of my best friends. He treats me as if he looks up to me. I look up to him sometimes. I have only seen him cry once after the age of 10 and it was due to serious illness when he had to be taken to the hospital. He called me crying another time. He is one of the most amazing men I have ever met. He is dedicated, hardworking, and a true southern gentlemen.

I suppose one of the reasons I never date anyone for long is because no one ever treats me with half the respect or chivalry my brother treats me with. My phrase is, "if my brother does it for me I expect the guy I am dating to do it for me." If you can't open my car door or the door in general, get the heck out of here. That is just a basic. My brother makes sure that all four of his sisters and his dear mother are treated with the utmost respect.

He is our knight in shining armor.

P.S. He is flying in to Salt Lake today and I haven't seen him in a long time so that's the reason for the post.

Could It Be?

Could this really be lucky post 100?

Well now I feel obligated to post something deserving of post #100.

I can't think of anything.

Alas, I will just do what I came here to do.

I have decided I have many gifts & talents.

I think too often we try to demean ourselves or not give ourselves enough credit. Something I decided long ago was to actually ACCEPT a compliment. When a cute guy tells you that you look pretty don't go on to explain how wretchedly gross you look. NO. He obviously thought you were pretty and secondly he thought enough and had enough guts to say it out loud. Don't contradict his opinion... say THANK YOU. Do it with a smile even. I can often be found halfway doing this lately. Someone will tell me how gorgeous I look and I will be like "eww sick. I FEEL gross but THANK YOU so much! I really appreciate it!" I mean seriously... who doesn't like a compliment ESPECIALLY when you feel you look gross? I like to think of this as a talent I have developed recently.

I also think I am a great friend, a decent cook, a dependable person, a devoted and monogamous girlfriend (not currently but whenever I date), a lover of words, a great employee and co-worker, a great conversationalist over the phone, an intelligent human being, and lots lots more.

Do you want to know what my best talent is though? Procrastinating!

HaHa. Of all my talents I think procrastinating (mostly only when it comes to school- which is exactly what I am doing now) is my best! I don't normally procrastinate in day to day events; just studying. I have spent the past three hours on other people's blogs. It has made me think about why we love to read the intimate thoughts of others so much. I mean this is not a new concept. The Diary of Anne Frank, Zlata's Diary, & Go Ask Alice were three of my favorite "books" growing up. In my seventh grade reading class with Ms. VanHorn I remember my peers doing their book readings on some pointless fiction book. Leave it to me to read from the diary of a drug addict; I floored her and got an A. Well, both flooring Ms. VanHorn and receiving an A were two very easily attainable goals back in 7th grade. I don't know that I made a B on anything until High School and even then it was rare.

I suppose a blog is a more convenient way, a more twenty-first century way to read into the trials and turmoils of other people's lives. I feel it makes us (or at least me) feel validated and not alone in my quiet suffering. It can also make me keep hoping for the perfect ending to my own story. It can make me realize the blessings I have in my life. It can also be just an update on a friend's life, but for one blog, it is an encouragement to keep moving along. I mean don't get me wrong my life is AWESOME. I have some many great things in my life if I even tried to list them all I would die before I finished writing them all. Little things are great as well. In spite of the most awful day in MandiScandal history on Thursday, March 24, 2008 I am also now grateful for things such as money in my bank account for unexpected things such as a broken car and shopping sprees. I am grateful for a working phone (it temporarily broke Thursday night) and the Rockets winning a game against the Jazz Thursday night. I am grateful for an upcoming visit from my brother and my parents and one of my sisters for my graduation to name a few. However, even though there are great things in life it still leaves me with the inner debate about where I stand in my life.

I am constantly debating about my life. Should I pick up and move to Europe for a year? Should I join the military, take those pilot classes I have always wanted? Should I go against almost everything I stand for and become unpredictable and impulsive? Should I go against the known and release all of my fears that keep me back? Should I ask a cute boy out just because I can (also something that goes against every moral of my being!)? I mean this blog is about LIVING DELIBERATELY right? I fight myself about this issue almost everyday, and I think so do many other people. I mean, click one of the names to the right of my blog and you will see the blogs of many of my friends who have the perfect life. They are gorgeous, smart, educated, married to the perfect man. They will have 3.2 children and be in the most ideal marriage. They will have the huge house with the white picketed fence and will have the most adorable dog that sits in the window and their Christmas cards will be so cute it will make you want to puke. I know that exists in this world. People DO get their story tale.

But so many of us don't. So many of us are beaten and broken and we go through trials and we are holding on to the edge of the cliff by our fingertips hoping and praying everyday that we have enough courage & strength to keep holding on. I think the challenge is to keep smiling when you are hanging there looking at the scenery around you and you realize that unless you were barely holding on you would have never stopped to look at everything from that view. Even if we fall the joy would be to gather all the pieces we broke into and give someone those pieces and hope they can help make you whole again.

Lyrics can fit into this blog category as well. They are the inner feelings of people expressed with music. Blogs & lyrics, a saving grace for me to not feel alone in this world. It makes me feel OK to have a bad day or to have a smile on my face but to feel crappy inside. I am not alone and neither are you.

This is my talent. Procrastination.

Houston Rockets

Never in my life I have ever let the outcome of a sports game affect my day. Until Wednesday that is. Everyone keeps giving me crap about how much Houston sucks and only use the Rockets to prove their point since the Jazz beat them twice at home in the first two games.

Today was one of the worst days of my life.

Is it wrong of me to think that I know Heavenly Father loves me for letting the Rockets win tonight? I don't know what I would have done if to top off my horrible night the Jazz won (most of my co workers were at the game tonight) and then I had to hear all about it tomorrow. I would probably cry. I can't deal with this stress right now.

Thank you for the win Rockets. I knew you would pull through!

Sunshine & Snow

I am deleting my myspace account. There was one blog from there that I wanted to keep. so.. here it is. IT is from my birthday.
8:18 AM - SUNSHINE AND SNOW?!?!

Someone called me sunshine yesterday..... it made my day! It immediately put a smile on my face!! I LOVE being called sunshine!! Ironically enough, after they said it like two other people called me sunshine! Last night was our first big storm so there is snow everywhere! Love it!

Here is a list I am sure will be continued....so far....

THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR ON MY 23RD BIRTHDAY

1) Spending the night with and waking up with Ms. Jade Ozawa...one of my favorite friends

2) Having the majority of my friends and immediate family contact me before 5:00am this morning to tell me Happy Birthday (with the exception of Irene who called at 7 am)

3) Cannont be listed.

4) Waking up to a Winter Wonderland without having to scrape off the snow from my car or deal with messy streets....they had already been cleaned off and the snow has left the whole valley WHITE! LOVE IT!

5) Getting to wear jeans today to work

6) Getting Dr. Pepper, Rockstar energy drink (possibly my two favorite carbonated liquids EVER) and cute presents from co-workers

7) Being treated to lunch by my bosses who don't celebrate birthdays.

8) Having my car "kill" and running into a pole but not hitting anyone on the road & not getting a scratch on my car besides having to get a new wheel

9) Money in my bank account

10) Having a friend give me the BEST mani/pedi EVER recieved that lasted approximately two and half hours

11) Being sung Happy Birthday to two nights in a row in a resturant

12) Knowing my sister got custody of her children!

13) Recieving multiple calls & facebook messages

14) Watching Drop Dead Fred!

15) Not having to go to class tonight b/c it was my birthday

16) Having my dad send me an e-mail at work telling me he missed his princess

17) Recieving a call from my friend's little daughters singing me Happy Birthday

18) Getting a date to winter formal

19)This list could go on to 50!!

Thanks to all those that made my ordinary day a really special day! I guess it's true that things are always the best when you weren't expecting anything at all. I have never asked for anything for my birthday but this is more than I could ever ask for. I don't need anything big & extravegant.... it has always been the little things that have counted!!

A First

Something interesting happened to me today. I had my first real anxiety attack! Let me tell you, when people tell me they had an anxiety attack or a panic attack I took it very lightly. I took it with as much interest and concern as I would have if they told me they had a sandwich for lunch. I mean, we all stress out and suffer from anxiety every now and then right?

I had no clue how INTENSE they are! It said that most last about five minutes. Lucky me... mine lasted for an hour and a half.Now that it is over, I am very glad I had the experience. I mean...to think... I could have gone my whole life and never have known the joy of complete loss of control of your body (good thing I was driving and pulled over so I was sitting in my car),uncontrollable hyperventilating, feeling like I was going to pass out, and quite possibly die all at the same time!! When I got home I goggled to see what causes them and just to find out more about them. I felt better when I read that most people feel it is one of the most frightening things that happens to them in their lives. I CONCUR! I also felt better when it said that most first timers seek emergency attention.

So... lesson to all of you young children reading this at home... DON'T...I say... DON'T go without sleeping (especially more than 48 hours) and live off of energy drinks under severe pressure times in your life! hahaha. Well... maybe you should do it. How boring would life be unless you experience this at least once? But... if you do it, you have to beat my time of an hour and a half. Five minutes is nothing!! hahahaa.

It is FINALLY HERE!

It's here! It's here! It is finally HERE! (Well Sorta)

Today SUCKED! It snowed for most of the day. It wasn't even good snow. It was slushy, hail-esque, grotesque. The snowy crap overwhelmed you all day! It was enough for me to want to grab a dull spoon and stab myself in the leg repeatedly. Luckily, I refrained from that. Yesterday however. Oh beautiful YESTERDAY! Yesterday I walked around without a coat and instead of ubiquitous snow we had ubiquitous SUNSHINE! As I walked from my office down to the food court I looked over to temple square and there were beautiful flowers and tulips. To TOP it off... the Bee's baseball season started Friday the 11th!! I was sad I missed the home opener but seriously...Augustana!! I can go to a baseball game anytime...I couldn't go to that concert anytime. Saturday I had plans as well so I will be going to a game shortly. (pending non GAY weather)

I have big plans for spring/summer! A few friends of mine and I are headed to Lake Powell to go boating shortly after I graduate, there are a few trails that are calling me name, ready to be hiked. I also can't wait to go running outside in the beautiful sunshine. All of these are pending weather and also that my leg is better. I don't think I have explained what has been going on with my leg the past few months. That will be another blog. I hopefully have my last appointment with the dr on Thursday. Kind of pointless if you ask me. My leg was hurting no matter what. I have barely worked out in the past two weeks since our last appointment because I have been so busy with school and other things so I don't know what good Thursday will be since there isn't really anything to gauge it from. Hopefully my leg has healed though. It's been like two months now! Anyway... this is a long post. All in excitement that IT'S HERE! Not only was Spring officially here on our calendars but all the signs of Spring are finally here!

A Day At The Smith Household

Yesterday was really nice. I woke up in time for church and headed down there. There were some pretty funny stories told and great messages overall. Going to church on Sunday always makes me a little happier. The weather was absolutely amazing so Sarah and I decided to head over to McKensie's. We went home and got out of dresses and headed over to McKensie's house.
(L-R) Kens, Sarah aka Huber, Me

Once there we grabbed some blankets, laid them out on her patio, laid down and just talked. Sarah left about two hours later because her family was about to have dinner but I ended up hanging around for a few more minutes. Sarah was supposed to come back later that night because we were going to make waffles so it was decided I would just hang around until then. McKensie's family was supposed to come over for family dinner as well but I would just take a nap while that happened. I hadn't been upstairs more than 3 minutes before she came to get me telling me that I was told to come downstairs. I really did not want to go at first but knew it would be rude if I declined the invitation. I really did not feel like I belonged at their family dinner. As soon as I got down there one of her brothers almost literally PLOPS some noodles on my plate and tells me to dig in. HaHa. I really wasn't hungry but growing up in my dad's household you try EVERYTHING even if it is just a little. So... I literally put a tiny bit of everything on my plate. It was delicious. Even better than the food was the company.

This happened to be the second family birthday party dinner I have been at. They have this tradition of going around the table and saying one good thing about the person whose birthday it is. This so happened to be Kens' nephew Cooper's 3rd birthday. Everyone went around saying how happy he was, how caring he was... etc. I mean c'mon....what three year old is really going to remember that? I can't imagine the feeling of growing up and knowing that as far back as you can remember people have praised you for the good things. At Garrett's 23rd birthday (her older brother) a few months ago it was pretty much the same. As embarrassing as I can imagine it feels, I bet it feels really cool too. ( We even made joking plans for my own birthday dinner in November. I told her mom I wanted white cake and strawberry frosting. Something that repulsed her mom!!!!) I think I am going to make my family start that! haha. If not my immediate family definitely my own family if I ever have one one day! Another thing they did at dinner was to go around and do their high and low of the week. I thought it was really odd to publicly announce your low point of the week... but it was still interesting. As I asked her mom about it she said it was a great way to find out the things that had happened during the week and it is a great conversation starter for the rest of the week. While I have never participated in the birthday praises they did include me in the high and the low. I know this sounds dorky but I really appreciated it. I said my high was spending Sunday eating dinner with them. ( Totally sarcastic/joking...but it turned out to be true) After dinner we sang happy birthday to Cooper and then her mom banished Kens & I to the kitchen while the family sort of went about their own thing. That was another thing I loved. Her mom felt comfortable enough to send me off as well! Granted, Kens did the dishes while I watched and talked to her... it was still nice. McKensie had to leave for about two hours but I hung around and took her 6 yr old niece Allie on a walk. We went to a stream and took pictures. That took about 10 minutes. On the way home we wanted to play "mother may i" and that took about 45!! Once we got back her older brother Garrett took the kids to go "look at the birds." It really was an odd outing. I guess their neighbor breeds birds and there is this bird coop and I dunno... all these weird things. It was fun to go look at them though!! Once this was done I sat down with her mom, sister in law, and her other brothers and we talked for a few minutes. By the time this was done she was already back at her house and a few other girls from our sorority had arrived. While they talked I made whole wheat waffles from scratch (absolutely yummy!). It was about 10 pm by the time we ate. I left a little while later because I was absolutely exhausted.

I guess all in all the point of this long travel log is to describe how grateful I am for friends who include me in part of their families. I have never once invited a friend over for family dinner and I would find it odd if they were there. However, since moving to Utah where I had no friends or family to start with I have had three close friends invite me over. Jade, Sarah, and McKensie. I was more than welcome in each of these households. In two out of the three I have been treated not as a stranger but as family. While McKensie was gone no one thought it was weird I stayed, and if they did they kept it to themselves. They treated me as if not only was it normal that I Was there, but that they actually enjoyed having me there. I miss getting to be part of my own family functions so it was more than nice to be part of someone else's. For that, I am really grateful.

The Grand Kerfuffle

I have a saying that every night is the best night of my life. Last night was no exception. Augustana, HelloGoodbye, and Shiny Toy Guns. I took some footage... I will upload that later. It has been a while since I have been to a concert so it was nice. I did say some quite foul words to a guy who was throwing himself against everyone and elbowing them (of which I feel bad about) but other than that it was fun. I enjoy being in the middle of mosh pits. I was even at the very front for the majority of the time. It was so cool to have these bands mere feet away. Anyone who knows me knows I have sensitive ears though. Half way through Shiny Toy Guns (thankfully they were headlining so it was almost over anyway) I grabbed a security guard and told him I wanted out. The security guards stand between the space between the gate and the stage. I had been holding my ears in for a quite a while because it was so loud I thought my ears were either going to bust or bleed. I knew there was NO WAY I was going to be able to make my way BACK out of the crowd so I knew my only option was forward. The security guard leaned ALL the way over the gate and picked me up. I ended up standing straight up on the fence at one point and I felt like a total rock star. Don't ask me why. I have never crowd surfed. I imagine this would have been the same feeling. Gratefully I was pulled out of the crowd and I made my way to the VERY back of the lawn. It was actually a cool sight to be at the very back. I think my ears were more than grateful though I couldn't really hear for the rest of the night. They are back to normal today though. I am glad. I wonder how tonight's adventures will play out...

Gamma

Just a few pictures from tonight. These are a few of the girls I spend my time with.

Bleedin Love

Here is another favorite. Seriously... don't even watch the video, it is just a bunch of weird images. Just press play to listen to it.





Closed off from love
I didn’t need the pain
Once or twice was enough
And it was all in vain
Time starts to pass
Before you know it you’re frozen

But something happened
For the very first time with you
My heart melts into the ground
Found something true
And everyone’s looking round
Thinking I’m going crazy

But I don’t care what they say
I’m in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don’t know the truth
My heart’s crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open

Trying hard not to hear
But they talk so loud
Their piercing sounds fill my ears
Try to fill me with doubt
Yet I know that the goal
Is to keep me from falling

But nothing’s greater
Than the rush that comes with your embrace
And in this world of loneliness
I see your face
Yet everyone around me
Thinks that I’m going crazy, maybe, maybe

But I don’t care what they say

I’m in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don’t know the truth
My heart’s crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I....

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open

And it’s draining all of me
Oh they find it hard to believe
I’ll be wearing these scars
For everyone to see

I don’t care what they say
I’m in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don’t know the truth
My heart’s crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I....

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open and I....

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open and I
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love

I NEED SLEEP

Seriously now. I have been trying to do it all and I just can't lately. I am running out of energy. It is 1:30 and I am going on like 3 hours of sleep. I really want to sleep but I just finished one paper, need to read about 70 pages, and then write another page on THAT!( I think I am going to cheat and just read like ten pages and focus on that) I still have a test I haven't finished studying for that I have right after my first class of the day....the one I needed to write my two papers for... and my day starts again in about four hours. Nonstop until about 5pm. I even took the day off work today because I have a 5 hour lecture on the holocust today. FUN! :( Seriously.... I would appreciate a Rock Star or any drink of choice actually.... anything to keep me awake. I just can't do it anymore. When is this going to end? 23 days is too far away!

People laugh at me because I have lost so much sense of time. My weeks fly by but only because I am so busy. Something I did this morning already seems like two weeks ago because I have do so many different things in a few hours that I feel like it has been days when I reflect on it. I am so lost all the time that Friday comes and I have no clue where the week went. I can only hope for this to continue for the next four weeks.... I wouldn't mind not knowing how I got to graduation! hahaha. please... i just need to pass all of my classes because i don't ever want to do this again... at least not in the next few months!!

Have I Mentioned Lately...

how much I am in love with lyrics? I just don't think you people understand. If I like a song more than likely it is because of its lyrics. I guess its polarized though....that or I have no clue what the lyrics are and I just like the beat...but more often than not its because I like a single lyric...something that speaks to me. Well... the Grand Kerfuffle is coming up and HelloGoodbye, Shiny Toy Guns, and Augustana will all be playing.

For those of you who do not know, the Grand Kerfuffle is a huge outdoor concert held on campus at the end of the spring semester. It will be this Friday. I wasn't quite sure who Augustana was so I decided to look them up. Please enjoy. This next song makes me want to move to Boston. But...actually...it is almost exactly how I felt when I moved to Salt Lake. The lyrics... You don't know me... you don't even care. This reminds me of how I felt. I just wanted to get away to "where no one knows my name" I was "tired of this weather" & wanted a new town to leave it all behind. I wanted to see snow. I was tired. Could I ask for a better theme song? My suggestion is to press play and read the lyrics as you listen to it. Absolutely beautiful. If you don't fall in love with it... there must be something wrong with you!

Note... the origional video I posted diabled embedding...so here is one of them singing live on letterman... not as good as the music video but still awesome... check it out.

"Boston"

In the light of the sun, is there anyone? Oh it has begun...
Oh dear you look so lost, eyes are red and tears are shed,
This world you must've crossed... you said...

You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,
She said
You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah,

Essential yet appealed, carry all your thoughts across
An open field,
When flowers gaze at you... they're not the only ones who cry
When they see you
You said...

You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,
She said
You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah,

She said I think I'll go to Boston...
I think I'll start a new life,
I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name,
I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather,
I think I'll get a lover and fly em out to Spain...
I think I'll go to Boston,
I think that I'm just tired
I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind...
I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset,
I hear it's nice in the Summer, some snow would be nice... oh yeah,

Boston... where no one knows my name... yeah
Where no one knows my name...
Where no one knows my name...
Yeah Boston...
Where no one knows my name.

Dissapointment

The one thing I can always count on to disappoint me.

What are people?


There you have it. Double Jeopardy in the life of Mandi. Question & Answer.

& Another One Bites The Dust

and another one goes, and another ones goes.... another one bites the dust!

MY.FRIENDS.ARE.SLOWLY. DISAPPEARING!

If I were 75 or older I might be talking about death... but right now I am talking about social suicide. MARRIAGE! Ga.... I never realized just how many "friends" I had until they all started getting married and I get about three wedding announcements a month....give or take. December and March have been the busiest months but I have had at least one friend get married each month in between. I also found out that I have three weddings to attend already this summer and another one was just made official the other day. So the running total is now up to 4! Ga... it is a good thing I make friends quickly because I might be out of friends soon!

100=Disneyland

So... a few of my classes are somewhat hard. In one of my classes the class average is like a 50. That is doing well actually because there are like 16 kids in the class and two girls make 100 on all the tests and everyone else makes like a 40. I have made like 50's and 55's so I am actually doing pretty well in the class relatively speaking. Well... I am also really talkative in class. The teacher is a genius and will often say... "this is really

quite elementary" or "this should be so clear" to which I will sarcastically remark OH YEAH! DUDE! THIS IS SO EASY... why do we even have to TAKE this class? I feel like I learned this in second grade!!! This usually gets my point across that obviously he is there to TEACH and that we DON'T already know this...when really.... I sometimes feel like he is speaking spanish. You see... I can pick up key words in spanish and I can usually get the jist of the conversation but by no means do I understand every word and I definitely have a hard time SPEAKING it... so it is the same with this class. I get the majority of it but it is hard for me to reproduce what was taught. Well...one day in class the teacher said...Mandi...if you can get a 100 on my next test(out of 108- there is a bonus problem) I will take you to Disneyland! I think he half means this. I know he knows there is no way on earth I could get a 100...but if I do I think he knows I worked really hard and deserve it! Well...going to Disneyland with your teacher can be a little creepy so I told him I wanted an A in the class. He agreed. He says he will still hold his end of the bargain...I will graciously decline (don't get too creeped out the kid can't be much older than 26 ) but I am working my hardest to get a 100! Do you know how much I would LOVE to get an A in this class? Keep me in your prayers because I am going to be studying my behind off!

I don't ever want Spring Break to end!

So it is spring break! How am I spending this valuable time you ask? Well I will answer for you. On a vacation to Florida to bask in the warmth and the beautiful beaches? No. Home for a week of relaxation with my parents and family? No. Seeing cute boys that live in far off states? Nope... not that either. SO WHAT IS IT YOU ASK?!?! Well... I am spending my whole entire spring break sleeping and working!!!

Oh...so not exciting but nice. All of my friends are away and honestly? I AM LOVING IT! I love just me time. I enjoy being hidden from the world. I guess that is one reason why I liked moving to a city where I had no friends or no family at first. And... in just a week and a half I will be in SUNNY SAN DIEGO!! I will get to see one of my old best friends and be in warm weather and beautiful beaches! Granted.... it will only be for about 60 hours but i don't care! I am excited!

Winter Park Colorado

Sorry. Different day same excuse. ( I have been busy). I just wanted to update you guys with a few pictures. I have kinda been BLAH lately. With one best friend in Dallas, and another on a mission, my family in Texas (don't get me wrong I absolutely ADORE my gamma girls but.... yeah) I have been in a slump. Well...Saturday afternoon Candice sent me a text message to see when my spring break was. She was driving from Dallas to Winter Park Colorado where Tim's parent's have a condo and saw an exit sign for Salt Lake City. She thought I was about an hour away. (she sucks at geography) and invited me there for the week.Turns out it was about 6-7 hours difference but I decided I would go for a quick weekend trip anyway (even though I had a midterm Monday.) It took me about 20 minutes to decide I was going and about 15 minutes to pack up. I made a quick stop to the local sprint store to grab a car charger and I was on i-80 headed to Denver. I made it there in about 6 hours!! I got there about 7pm Saturday night and left about 4pm Sunday. It was a quick trip but it was amazing and much needed. We didn't do anything too special....we went to dinner, went shopping, (the cashier asked if we were sisters), she made blueberry pancakes for breakfast, we drank herbal tea and watched TV...we laughed...I am SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL for that girl. Anyone who knows me knows I LOATH driving as far as across the street but somehow the 13 hours in the car by myself seemed like nothing. ( I don't know that I would do it again anytime soon though) I am glad I did. I have been in a WONDERFUL mood since then. She really is one of the best people I have ever met.

Candice and I met our sophomore year in high school. We had PE and autocad together. I remember I couldn't stand her at first. She has a very polarizing effect on people. Either you love her or you hate her. I wouldn't say I hated her but she really got on my nerves. She was loud and obnoxious and that was about it. She was always in trouble in PE! I really wish I could remember those days better. I do remember however the first time she actually came and talked to me. It was our senior year of high school (we both skipped our Junior year and graduated a year early) and we had physics with Mrs. Bosworth together. I can't remember why but I was crying or I had been crying. I am pretty sure I WAS crying but it is very vauge. I just remember being sad. It was the last period of the day and I was in the back of the classroom. Candice kicked whoever it was out of their seat and came and sat next to me. She talked to me and made me feel soooo much better! From that day forward she sat next to me and we were best friends. She would invite me to eat lunch with her or go home for lunch ( my very first time I skipped school!! only lunch...but we weren't allowed to leave campus). She made me feel like I belonged. She even had a best friend at the time and Kate HATED me (she didn't even know me I think she was just jealous we spent so much time together) so Candice STOPPED being her friend to be MY friend. I never asked her to choose and I could have cared less if she was friends with Kate but Kate cared so Candice ditched her.


Just at a time when my church friends were being rude and making me feel left out because I wasn't a loser like they were... Candice came to my rescue. I really can't thank her enough for all she did. I didn't get along with my parents or my family very well back then. I guess they just weren't used to me yet and my sister and I got into a fight. I called candice sobbing and all i said was come pick me up. I didn't ask where she was or what she was doing and I didn't tell her what was going on. She knew very well I had a car. She NEVER asked questions...about ten minutes later -the time it took to commute between our houses- there she was. I hopped in her car. Right as we turned the corner my parents were turning the same corner in the opposite direction. Once they had seen me I knew that I would be in mega trouble if I didn't turn back around. I told her to turn back around and she did. She wished me luck as I got out of the car and that was that. I am sure I told her the next day everything that went down but she didn't care. She never cared. She was just there for me. I can't ask for a better friend. My parents hated her which I always thought was funny because I don't know that my parents have ever even talked to her. They just saw her. While her mom told me not to knock and to just walk right in, I don't think Candice ever came over to my house! I never invited her. I will always remember that day. We had lots of fun times too though! Our favorite thing to do was to run home after school and watch Jeopardy! We loved to try and get the answers right. We would coordinate outfits ( wear denim mini skirts on the same day or the day when she wore black leather pants with a red shirt and then I wore my red pants with a black shirt and then the next day we traded outfits)We also made a boat out of CARDBOARD and floated it across the pool in our high school for a physics project. We won and that boat would have lasted FOREVER but some boys got jealous and destroyed it. We also frequented the Galleria many times and I can't think of a better shopping experience than walking in the mall hand in hand into the many beautiful amazing stores they have there! We used to call each other girlfriend & lover all the time. One of the funniest moments in my life was when my mom sat me down and had a heart to heart asking me if I was a lesbian!!!! I was flabbergasted! Looking back I think I would have thought the same thing if I were my mom....but it was hilarious and offensive simultaneously at the time! I think we did it to prove something. Like we were going to do what we were going to do and you couldn't do anything about it. I think we WANTED someone to say something to us just so we could be mean to them! WE liked to be obnoxious and we both hated cops. ( i wonder if being pulled over a lot had anything to do with it) We were and ARE just so much alike. We definitely have our differences but we are a lot alike too. When I was just there she told me how weird it feels for me not to be going to medical school because we are always doing the same things at the same time. While she is not in medical yet she is preparing to take her MCATS . I wish I would have taken more pictures but I hope you enjoyed the ones I did take. The ones underneath are from past years.

Christmas 2005
Christmas 2006

"everyone loves you"

I am really blessed. Really Really REALLY blessed.

Just a random blog. My friend Lindsay had a bridal shower this weekend and I bought her some stuff but the bag I got from the local scandalous shop. Blue Boutique...it sells like lingerie and stuff like that. The bag said Caution... X rated gift. When I walked in I was greeted by the usual MANDO!!! with squeals of joy and excitement even though they were in the middle of a game and then there was more joy and excitement at the bag and everyone could not wait to see what I had gotten her. From that point until Linds actually opened her present everyone kept saying how excited they were to see what I got her and how I always got the best gifts, how they hoped I would come to their bridal showers, and how the Scandal (me) had once again been the life of the party.

Every time I walk into my sorority (always late because I have class that runs into our meeting time) I am greeted by exclamations of joy, shouts of excitement, and hugs that Mando has arrived. I can't think of anyone else they do that for.

Today while talking to one of my best guy friends online we were talking about one of my best girl friends. I was like yep... she loves me. To which he replied WHO DOESN'T?!?! When I tried to say that no one did he was like well maybe not those stupid people in Utah but everyone here in Texas does!! Right after that I got a random text message from a different friend merely stating they loved me.

I really have some of the best friends. Primo top notch friends. I feel very blessed that I am cared so much about by so many people. I think I find it easy to say that no one cares but when you take a step back you realize just how many people love you. I think I forget more times than I remember so I just wanted to write it down in case I have a bad day.... I can remember what great friends I have and how truly blessed I am to have real FRIENDS and not just acquaintances.

Thanks for being one of those people.

Buy Me Some Peanuts & Cracker Jacks

OK. The weather is warm. I am giddy! Millions of thoughts and anticipation for summer are making me very overwhelmed. I want to run, jump, and sing... It is amazing what warm weather can do to you. I am SO stoked for spring! I can't wait until temple square is full of tulips and everywhere you go and drive you see yards full of tulips and other beautiful flowers. Most of all...

I AM EXCITED FOR BASEBALL SEASON!

In August I bought a brand new baseball and I keep it in the cupholder of my car. I play with it in the car, yearning for a new season... anticipating the possibility the Astros will again grace the World Series sometime soon ( not likely but a girl can dream can't she?)..excited to watch the Bee's (SLC minor league) play, buying CHEAP season tickets, and sitting in the sun cheering for the home team.

MY LIFE IS GREAT right now!

P.S. I don't care WHAT they say about Roger (Clemens)... I still love you!!!!

Domestic

I love being domestic. I love being the ideal girl. I love cooking, cleaning, wearing heels ( and like the daring ones...not just plain jane heels), wearing my hair down, skirts, dresses, and anything girly, eating healthy, and working out. I love the feeling when everyone tells me how cute I look. (Vain- yes I know) It makes me happy. I will make one very lucky man very happy one day!

Utter Boredom

OK seriously. Someone needs to shoot me in the face. Four hours of boredom at school with nothing to pass the time. I should be studying but I accidentally left my book at home. I don't even want to go to class tonight. My teacher makes me want to shoot MYSELF in the face. UGH! Help! I need rescue from this horrible horrible spinning lameness. ARG! How many days until school is over?

Mando's Perfect Banana Bread

So... this one day I was CRAVING Banana Bread but my sister still had not sent me her recipe so I decided to look one up online. I modified it a tad and this is what I got. EVERY SINGLE TIME I make it people RAVE about it. I make it so often I even have it memorized! My first recipe from heart! I gave out the recipe to three people in one day after I made it again Monday night. My friend Isaac even sent me a message that said, "hey my mom wants your banana bread recipe , I told her that it was the most amazing thing that has been baked on this earth.... so ya..." Hahaha. I am kind of anal about giving out recipes... especially because I have become famous for this... but because I love you all... here it is.
I hope you enjoy it.

Preheat oven to 325.

(bowl one- large bowl)
8 tbsp unsalted butter ( that should be a whole stick) room temp
1 c sugar
2 eggs
mix the butter and sugar together until nice and creamy. then mix in each egg one at a time.

(bowl two- small bowl- cereal bowl usually works)
3 ripe bananas
1tsp cinnamon
1tbsp milk
mash the bananas together with a fork and then stir in the milk and cin. with it. i usually do this all with the fork too.

(medium bowl- bowl three)
2 c flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
1tsp salt


so... then pour in the banana mush into the sugary buttery creamy heaven ..hahaha that would be bowl one. mix it with the mixer until it is all mixed in. Then what you want to do is get a spoon, fork, spatula, or your favorite mixing utensil for mixing by hand and pour ALL of the flour into bowl one. You want to make sure to mix & fold the flour in there but only until the flour JUST starts to disappear. ( as opposed to using a mixer and really mixing in the flour) Then pour it into your bread pan.

*note... I usually use just a dab of butter to grease the pan, not the spray stuff.

Put the bread in for 60 minutes and it should be perfect. Serve warm with butter for ultimate satisfaction!

Mando

P.S. Yes I meant to write Mando. It's a name the girls in my sorority and most of the frat guys call me. And yes...there is a story to it. I usually make the bread for them or my roomates so it has become known as Mando's banana bread.