Hell Week

• Sat.- Mom abandons me to go to Illinois for 2 weeks.
• Sun.- blah day. gave up hope of going to see Family Force 5 [i won free tix, but no one could/would go w/ me]
• Mon.- concert day turned depression day. complete w/ cookie dough ice cream, pudding made by my amazing sister, hair dye, & the ever so wonderful Edward Scissorhands. oh! & this is the night my puppy [Ian] got hurt. he had me up till 2.

• Tues.- cleaning day. Ian seemed to be a little better so we didn't take him to the vet.
• Wed.- Ian gets worse. more cleaning. he had me up till 2 again.
• Thurs.- Take Ian to the vet. Vet poked him, & gave him pain meds... then went to Knott's Scary Farm. got home @ 2, Ian got even worse, had me up till 4am.

• Fri.- wake up @ 8am & Ian lost movement in his back legs. he pooed in my room. have to carry him to the vet. Then we have to take him to the better vet... out in Tustin! he needs an MRI so we leave him there. find out that he has a ruptured disk in his lower back & a compressed disk in his mid back. He has surgery. Come home & nap then go to football game.
• Sat.- I did absolutely nothing. just sleep.

my baby is still at the docs office & they're telling us he's doing as well as is to be expected.

Mom comes home thursday.

Friday I leave for San Diego w/ friends for a concert & i'll be back Saturday. then Sunday I think my sister [Becca] is coming to town! :D

So things should be looking up soon.

corn FLAKES

I wish people would just be honest instead of making lame excuses & lying. Honestly, I'd rather be disappointed w/ the truth than be crushed that you lied.

"The worst thing about being lied to is knowing you weren't worth the truth."

Alot of people tell me I go to too many concerts.

But really, what qualifies as "too many"? How many is too many?

& who are they to judge? hahaha

(photo cred: Jessicaaaa)

I'd just like to say, My friends are the greatest. I know i say that alot [if i don't, then i should!] but it's true. They make me feel better about some of the crappier stuff in my life & I couldn't love them more for it. I really am spoiled to have such amazing people in my life. Now, I'm not gunna lie, we do have our ugly moments where we don't really see eye to eye, but who doesn't? We get through them & grow from them. <3

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

I think I have it.

Symptoms vary widely based on which type of EDS the patient has. In each case, however, the symptoms are ultimately due to faulty or reduced amounts of Type III collagen. EDS most typically affects the joints, skin, and blood vessels, the major signs and symptoms include:

• Highly flexible fingers and toes
• Loose, unstable joints that are prone to: sprains, dislocations, subluxations (partial dislocations), hyperextension(double jointedness) ^[3]
• Flat feet
• High and narrow palate, resulting in dental crowding
• Easy bruising
• Fragile blood vessels resulting from cystic medial necrosis with tendency towards aneurysm (even abdominal aortic aneurysm)
• Velvety-smooth skin which may be stretchy
• Abnormal wound healing and scar formation
• Low muscle tone and Muscle weakness
• Early onset of osteoarthritis
• Cardiac effects: Dysautonomia usually accompanied by Valvular heart disease (such as mitral valve prolapse, which creates an increased risk for infective endocarditis during surgery, as well as possibly progressing to a life-threatening degree of severity of the prognosis of mitral valve prolapse) ^[4]

There are other symptoms, but these are the main ones & i have like 6 of them.... lol

You're beautiful, it's true.

Sometimes girls just need to hear that they're pretty. Not hot. Not sexy. Pretty.(or beautiful) & it needs to be genuine. Not just some jerk trying to hit on her. Or a girl who says "you're pretty" but the look in her eye says "i hate your face!". lol no.
I don't exactly know where I was going with this, but i felt like it needed to be said.
So I said it :]
I know i have alot of issues with my own self esteem & self confidence & all that jazz. Whether it be my acne, my height, my weight, or my hair length (yeah i'm still sad about that...lol). After 19 years though, I'm beginning to cope w/ my height. & as much as I hate to admit it, alot of it has to do w/ two guys, from bands I like, complementing me on being tall in a totally non-creepy way. [guess boys can be good for something...] I know it sounds retarded & I shouldn't care what these strangers think, but if it was for the better, why not? & I think the thing that i liked most was it wasn't coming from a shorty loving my height because they wished they were tall, it was coming from people who are taller than me. [yes! they do exist! haha]
again, I don't know where I was going w/ this. just thought I'd share, i guess. It's been on my mind lately & i haven't posted a blog in a while so this is what i give you :]

This one's for the girls-

"Go where you're celebrated, not tolerated."

"Expectation without communication equals frustration"

"That's why they call them crushes. If they were easy, they'd call them something else"- 16Candles

2 most horrible things parents say.

The 2 worst things parents say:

1."Because I said so"

2."I don't need to explain myself"

Those are the two phrases that bug me to bits! "Because I said so" I understand can be a last resort when a child isn't listening, but all we want to know is WHY you're saying so. What is your reasoning behind it?
"I don't need to explain myself" but sometimes it helps. Especially when we don't understand. Instead that just cuts off the conversation & leaves us frustrated. We just want to understand where you're coming from so maybe we could see your side of it. Lord knows we're stubborn, but maybe if we had some logical answers as to why we're being told what we're being told we might understand and maybe even agree in the end.
Communication is waaay important!
Be open =]

Who put the "glad" in "gladiator"?

Negativity & I, we don't get along very well. I don't like being mad at people. I don't like fighting with people. I don't like people being mad at me, it makes me sad. I especially don't like when my parents are upset w/ me.
It seems like there has been a lot of negativity in my life lately. I could blame it on current events. I could blame it on what's going on in the world. Heck! I could even blame it on the cosmos [if i believed in all that jazz]. But I'm pretty sure that would get me nowhere. Bottom line is, I let it get to me.
But hopefully all that nonsense is dead & gone, and it's back to seeing a bright side in everything! Well... almost everything. =]

On another note:
4th of July was super!! My most favoritest holiday EVER was spent with the fam bam & Allegra & Deanna. Lots of food, yummy cobbler, delicious guacamole, pretty [&dangerous] fireworks, Edward Scissorhands & Beetlejuice, & sitting on the roof.
I also went fishing the other day! yay me! haha It was definitely an experience. I got seasick & slept most of the time. But the time when I was conscious was pretty fun. I caught a couple fish... with some help =]. lol I didn't get sunburned even though i slept in the sun! and I didn't fall overboard! :D That in itself is a success in my book.

Need a blue sky holiday

I've been having a really crappy day!

Woke up at noon [horrible]. We ran out of cereal, so I settled for applesauce and a frozen burrito since it was basically lunch anyway. Went to go buy a gift for Ashley, who's wedding is tomorow, & forgot a card...and something to wrap it in. Went to go look at shoes for the wedding but the mother was being ridiculous and forcing me to rush through the store because we didn't have time because I had to get my hair did later. I said let's just come back after, but she insisted we just hurry. Didn't find anything...didn't look real well...we were both annoyed at eachother. Got the hairs did. It's gone. My hair is now up to my shoulders. It hasn't been this short since 7th grade. It's cute, but I cried. I'm still crying. I can't get over it. Now the hair style I was planning on doing for the wedding is out the window. Came home and was supposed to go back out to eat; DIDN'T. Ended up having chips & guacamole, a slice of cheese, and a piece of beef jerky for dinner. I thought we were gunna go get a card; DIDN'T. Was supposed to do laundry; DIDN'T.

So now, I have to wake up extra early to see if my dad would be kind enough to take me to find a card and get back in enough time to get ready and figure out what to do with the hair.

And all this gloomy weather isn't helping!

*deep breath*

feeling a bit better now.

maybe a hot relaxing shower and some tea will help.

sleep isn't sounding too bad either.

My Prayer <3

(DISCLAIMER: I do not own these kids or know who they are. They were cute so I used them)

I don't know if you're near or far away

But I know that I'm thinking of you today

I don't know if I even know your name

But I know that I'm praying for you just the same

Someday we'll fall in love

You'll be mine and I will be yours

Our hearts will be one

And our love will ever endure

Then I'll need you, and I'll want you

And I'll find you someday

Then I'll love you, then I'll hold you

And I'll be with you always

Our love will be so strong and pure

You will make me feel like I have never felt before

You will be perfect only for me 

You will make these eyes begin to see

Someday we'll fall in love

You'll be mine and I will be yours

Our hearts will be one

And our love will ever endure

Then I'll need you, and I'll want you

And I'll find you someday

Then I'll love you, then I'll hold you

And I'll be with you always

Your faith for the Lord will be strong

Even though I know the wait is long

And though I'm young I still belive

That you're out there praying for me

Then I'll need you, and I'll want you

And I'll find you someday

Then I'll love you, then I'll hold you

And I'll be with you always

busy busy busy

Tomorrow: going to see Terminator with a few people... hopefully.

Friday: Beach day! 

May 25-27: Palm Springs!

June 1: Disneyland!

June 3: Disneyland again! (cuz i have a pass and I CAN! haha)

June 13: Wedding...which i need to shop for a dress still

I'd also like to squeeze Knott's in sometime soon! that'd be great. :D

<3

and a couple of these over the summer:

Prophetic dreams?

Ever had one of those?

I have!! It's an incredible experience when you realize what's going on! haha  Well, one weirded me out, but we won't speak of that :D Recently I've been having a ton of dreams and I love it! I love dreaming! It's so much fun! Unless in that dream you are a Bella Swann type character from Twilight and are with Edward Cullen (of course) [the one from the movie. not the Edward in my head] and stuck in the mountains while it's snowing and freezing and he's all pale and gross with rosie cheeks!  yes.... That was the dream I had a few nights ago. Except in my dream we like, fell down the mountain and I'm pretty sure I was trying to get away from the Edward and he was coming after me.  [story of my life- thanks alot Lisa for pointing that out to me!] LOL

Recently I also had a dream that consisted of me liking a dark haired boy, who liked me back, and we were in a hotel [with my mom and a whole bunch of friends], and i tripped over something.  Sounds semi normal right? Well! My mom had a dream that same night that I liked a dark haired boy, who liked me back, and we were in a hotel room and I tripped over something!    Bizarre right?!  I'm still spazzing over it...

Free concert this weekend! Big Beach to-do next weekend! and then Palm Springs for Bachelorette Getaway!!

sooooo excied!

Mind Vomit

Have you ever had one of those days/nights where the next morning you wake up and ask yourself "what happened??" but you're not a drugs or alchohol person? haha. I blame these random people I call friends. They're the greatest.

I've realized that no matter how old guys are, they will still act like boys and get excited over superhero movies and pretend to be said superheroes in a semi-empty parking lot at 4in the morning. It's quite entertaining :] and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

Speaking of which, I highly recommend seeing X-Men Origins:Wolverine. It's pretty fabulous. Gambit is pretty spankin' himself...AND HE MAKES THINGS SPARKLE SOMETIMES!

Do you have a movie that you can watch whenever you're feeling upset/frustrated/or just need something calming? I've realized that I have one, it changes from time to time, but right now it's Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. I don't know why, but I find it oddly calming. The Lord of the Rings is another one, but only if I have the time. haha

Let's talk about today's weather a tad okay?

This morning it was overcast and a bit humid but still really warm. The clouds burned off and the sun came out and it was still really hot. It started cooling down, we had an earthquake [that i'm still bitter about because it woke me up from my nap and i couldn't fall asleep again], got even cooler and it rained! Stopped raining and now i'm hot again. Oh, you are a funny one, Lord. lol

Ha, so this blog is just a bunch of mind vomit <--- grossest term ever but it seemed to fit.

5 Things to Have when Zombies attack!

Me- Zombie Repellent, a Chankla, A Friend to Trip, a Getaway Camel, & Girl Scout Cookies or another Friend to Trip


Jessica- Shotgun w/ Unlimited amounts of ammo, Unlimited supply of Anecdote, Tranquilizer Darts, Chains, & Friends


Lisa- Grease/Oil [whichever is slipperiest], a Big area of Clear Ground like an empty Wal-Mart, a Camera, Popcorn, & a Key to lock up the place when I'm finished.


Deanna- iPod, a Computer, a Bible & 2 Friends that aren't Zombies to talk to


Mom- 5 friends to put between me and the Zombie

Oh, how my friends are creative.

judging books

As kids we're taught not to judge a book by it's cover. But when we're older we're told not to bring that "unique" looking book home to meet the family on Thanksgiving.

haha

how weird is that? I just have one word of advice to my family - Don't be surprised ;D

I, I will survive!!

We made it!

We survived the roadtrip!
We're still alive! [though we came across some scary situations that lead us to believe we wouldn't be for long]
We're still friends!
We didn't bite eachothers heads off!
We still love eachother!
We had fun!



Such a fantastic experience. Drunk guy tried breaking into our room. I crowd surfed. Talked to strangers [actually kinda fun :D]. Got lost a couple times. Got sea sick [wasn't even on a boat]. Saw elephant seals! Visited cousing I haven't seen in 9 years. Took 600+ pics!



and now i'm sick with some God forsaken illness. I probably have walking pneumonia or bronchitis or something ridiculous like that.

Curve Balls

Cue curve ball #1
Issues finding a car to take on our road trip. Every option so far has broken down, been too small, too expensive, or something else.
But I'm thinking we have a solution... Lord willing and the creak don't rise.

Cue curve ball #2
money craziness
Which WILL be solved. It has to. If it doesn't everything falls apart.
Thank the Lord i'm a good saver. Yeah...that's right... this trip is coming out of my pocket...my own little lint filled pocket.

Cue curve ball #3
....actually I can't think of a #3. yay! =D haha
That's pretty amazing.

I gave in...

I got a Twitter. hahaha
twitter.com/ohhmanders

OhMyGoodness I leave in exactly one week for our roadtrip. I'm so excited. Off to San Jose for Fall Out Boy, Cobra Starship, All Time Low, Metro Station and Hey Monday!! Then to San Fran for major sight seeing, shopping, possible aquarium, and cousins I haven't seen in for-e-verr!!

Twitter?

What the nasty is a twitter and what is it's purpose?

Googlism

Go to Googlism.com, type in your name and see what comes up!

mandy is here
mandy is cute
mandy is such a special girl
mandy is toting candy canes in her backpack
mandy is giving you her butt (actually,no, i've become very fond of it.)
mandy is not anti
mandy is a dandy (if mandy is a dandy is liquor still quicker??)
mandy is a smoke colored domestic skunk and is the best pet i have ever owned (I resent that)
mandy is the bomb
mandy is a national spokeswoman for neutrogena products

mandy is a 9 (why thank you dear =])
mandy is a charming 30" artist porcelain doll (great...the creepiest kind out there)
mandy is also an evangelist and has an important ministry too (well you got one right)
mandy is the dumdass down the road (now that's not very nice)
mandy is an enthusiastic ball of energy
mandy is scared of butterflies (WTN?)
mandy is joined by big puppy bear
mandy is a virgin (correctomundo!) :D
mandy is a real dream (but of course ;) haha)
mandy is an adventurer (I try!)

mandy is not what the doctor ordered (correct on 3 levels. 1.mom wasn't supposed to have anymore kids. 2.thought i was twins. 3.thought i was a boy)
mandy is a domestic
mandy is being picked on by a bunch of girls at school and can't find out ways to deal with it until she meets tanya a new girl who moves in down the road (so SHE's the one who thinks I'm a dumbass!!!)
mandy is the first deaf student in her school
mandy is asked to look at the dry cleaning mark on a shirt worn by an unidentified man who was shot to death in an alley in downtown denver
mandy is tall (no kidding Sherlock)
mandy is beset by a trio of bad girls who conspire to make her life a complete misery
mandy is adopting a family in sanford for christmas
mandy is extremely knowledgeable about things
mandy is only interested in one thing (apparently not butterflies)

mandy is not quite ready
mandy is still available (why yes, yes she is)
mandy is ashamed yet shame cannot forgive the boys don't seem to notice the mind of who they're with
mandy is an orphan (I've always sworn I was adopted)
mandy is an idiot
mandy is much more intelligent than she lets on (Yet I'm an idiot....?)
mandy is a 5 year old spayed female (WRONG! I'm not 5.... lol)
mandy is a cow of outstanding pedigree (COW?!)
mandy is short for amanda and means 'beloved'
mandy is jumpy with nervous suspicion (i didn't used to be....)
mandy is truly becoming a golden girl (move over Sophia!!)