BINGO!

The latest and greatest? Playing Bingo in Mesquite with friends.

I know what your thinking...and I didn't just turn 60 or something. Trust me, you don't have to a senior citizen to get addicted to this game...

I love going with Carie, Kyle and Trent! We drank Scooby Snacks (my fav drink ever...I even tweeted about it and then Scooby Doo wrote me back on Twitter hahahaha.) It gets really intense when you are playing. You have be extra quiet and concentrate really hard: I felt like I was taking the ACT all over again at first. But after you play a round or two its not hard to get hooked. And while we were playing, Trent even won a good neighbor award. To be honest, I was pretty mad when he won. I mean, I was very quiet and well behaved during the game...why couldn't it have been me that won that $5 bonus?

After Kyle laughing at me for about 10 minutes after I mentioned this, I learned that you win the good neighbor award for sitting next to someone who gets Bingo..hahhaha.

I actually love hanging out with Kyle, Carie and Trent in general. I know everytime they are throwing a get together that I am going to have a blast :) All the pics from this post are from the one they had this week. Me, Chris, Jake and Nick had fun taking pics with them and all of this pictures make me laugh everytime I see them (especially Carie krumping hahaha)

Love Always,
Manda

The Final Semester...

 This month marks the beginning of my final semester at Dixie State College. I have mixed feelings because I really do love school, the whole learning process and getting an education. It's an exciting but weird feeling knowing that this will be the last time I'll have classes at DSC.

My class schedule isn't particulary hard this semester--I have my journalism class for writing for "The Dixie Sun," and also a class for editing a local publication called "The Southern Quill." I'm also taking "World Literature" which I am actually looking forward to because I love learning about other cultures...what better way to do it then to read from actual authors from the places? The class i'm nervous for is the final one I need for my degree...probably the most dreaded on campus. "Senior Capstone" entails a 20 page research paper and a half-hour presentation.

I am excited about my topic though--since I write "Ask Amanda" for the Dixie Sun, my friend Elaine had a brilliant idea to write about the history of advice columns. I'm going to write about "Ask Ann Landers," "Dear Abby," and authors like Candace Bushnell and Dan Savage. I'm very interested in Dan Savage because he is also the creator of the "It Gets Better" foundation, in order to help prevent LGBT youth suicides. He is a great example of an advocate and a role model through his work. And plus...Candace Bushnell is the entire reason for "Sex and The City" hahaha what could be better?!Love Always,
Manda

Harajuku Hotel

Some people might think that I go to Vegas a lot, but I'll give you a reason why. There isn't very much entertainment in Utah, especially in a smaller town like St. George. Anyone who lives here is also aware of this. So one short week after we went LV for New Years, we had to take a make up trip for Chris who wasn't able to make it on NYE.

While I was booking the hotels, I found a great deal on a place called The Imperial Palace. It said it was across the street from Caesar's Palace, so I thought: There isn't any shitty places in that area of the strip! I'm so excited to finally stay somewhere nice, all for the mere price of $30. I would promise to you i'm not gullible, but obviously you figured out the opposite is true, unless you are suffer from a current affliction like I do.

I told Chris these pictures captured it all...these should be advertisements for the hotel hahaha. I knew right when I saw the front of the place it wasn't going to be any type of palace as the name described, but I was dead set on having fun, despite the terrifyingly realistic (looking) Debbie Deb impersanator screeching in the lobby.

Since the Imperial Palace has the charm of an Asian theme, we decided that the Harajuku Hotel seemed to suit us better, hence the title of this post. The view was actually beautiful, and for $30, who can complain? It was clean, comfy and we ended up having a grand old time shopping and hitting up the strip.

 

*2012*

I can't believe 2012 is already here!! I'm was so happy to be ringing in the new year LAS VEGAS style. I am always thankful that one of my favorite cities is a mere hour and half drive from us...perfect party location :)

Tyson is a pretty good travel companion because we always just laugh during the entire trip and blast our favorite songs. We never get tired of Nicki Minaj :) RIP to those gorgeous glasses he is wearing...they were mine and in a drunken moment Tyson smashed them. RIP Gaga glasses :( lol.

 I also got to meet a lot of Tyson's friends from Salt Lake, who were really fun to hang around with. Obviously my favorite part of the night was shakin my thang at the club...since it was New Year's Eve, they had a special concert performance of one of favorite up-and-coming artists, Nadia Ali. She is amazing...her songs are so fun and dancable. I'll never forget that night! The drag show was pretty fun too. They always have the most beautiful ahem, ladies lipsynching the best songs.

Another fun surprise was being able to have Scott there! Scott Stubbs was a very dear college friend who I hung out with all the time during my junior year until he abandoned me to move up near Park City. hahahaha just kidding about abandoning me...but I do always miss him! Having him there was such a treat. Poor Scott even went to the gay club with us even though he is straight...now he knows how I feel! hahaha he was such a trooper.

Watching the water show at the Bellagio was another thing I got to do that I had never got the chance to before. It really is pretty amazing--I caught this really cool pic by chance that captures it perfectly.

Me and Tyson stayed out all night...about 6 AM to be exact. I started to get tired on the drive home so I made Tyson stop in Mesquite with me to play the slots and get some food to wake up. I'm so glad I did because I ended up winning $350!! The Wizard of Oz machines aka Glinda the Good Witch was good to me again. I  was so tired and excited that I promptly bawled like a little 5 year old, and old people with their oxygen tanks gathered round to partake in the whooping, hollering and dancing that occurred over $350 dollars hahaha.

Here's to 2012 everyone: may this year be the best one yet!

Love Always,

Manda