i almost forgot!

I can't go without a new Wyatt picture! :)

Until next time.

Sarah requested an update...so an update she gets! Just for you though, Sarah :)

School is....eh. I'm glad I have something to do...but it's a little more than I bargained for. The amount of homework I already have is insane. However, on the up side...I'm graduating really soon. I keep telling myself that. I'm also getting a ton of financial aid dinero...which makes me extremely happy. As soon as I get the money, I'm apartment-searching. Time to start a new chapter of my life...and I can't wait. I'm so excited.

Chris and I are still going strong. Still as happy as I was the day we started being a "thing." I have a good feeling about this one. I've had good feelings about the others as well, yes....but not one of them has lasted this long. He's the best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm glad I caught this opportunity when I did. Who would of EVER thought I would be happy in a relationship? NOT ME!!!

Work is good. I'm already back to my manager position. Pam is working around my schedule and giving me 23-30 hours a week, which is what I asked for. She's amazing. The people I work with are pretty cool, too...except for a few, but hey, that's anyplace you work. There's always a villiage idiot.

Alright, I must get back to my homework. I have a very fun night planned. :-)

Everyone take care! I'll try to update more often...

Apparently, I go to the crappiest school on the planet. Can't do whatever I want or someone gets mad. Hey, I'm 22, right? Oh, okay. Just making sure.
Band sucks. I miss everyone that didn't come back (more than I expected...). So glad this is my last year at this stupid school.
There are only like 15 instrumental music majors that came back. That's very sad to me. I don't know how many freshman there are, but still. I miss my old friends.
I hope I can tough this out one more year...
Oh, and since I had to delete a post that had some pictures on it that I'm apparently ALLOWED to put up, I'm putting them back up:

K, thanks. Oh, and my favorite picture of the week:

He makes me so happy. So yeah, those are the 2 most important men in my life. They make me happier than I ever thought I could be.

Band starts at 3:15...I guess I'm gonna go get some "crap" done....

update...

Howdy, faithful readers.

Not much to update on...Chris and I are still great, I finished my Teaching Students With Special Needs class with a fat A, and Quizno's is going great. It's so nice to get out of work before 11pm. Before 10pm, even.

Summer band starts in less than 2 weeks. Un-freakin-believable. I mean, summer is gone. Just like that. So here starts my last full year of college...that's great news. This is going to be a really freakin' hard year. Allow me to explain:

Mon/Wed/Fri

9:00am--Orchestration and Arranging with Dr. Reid (Monday and Wednesday only)
10:00am--Marching Band Techniques and Wind Literature with Ms. Steele (Monday and Wednesday only)
11:00am--Chap-hell (Chris is making me go with him...dammit)
11:55am--Marching Band
1:00pm--Music History I with Dr. Straughn (uh oh)
2:00pm--Concepts of Flute and Double Reeds with Mrs. Straughn and Dr. Ward (Monday and Wednesday only)
3:00pm--if I had to guess, this would be my lesson time. I'm not sure which day, though.
4:00pm--Recital Seminar

Tues/Thurs
9:30am--Beginning Conducting with Dr. Ward
11:00am--frikin' Chap-hell
11:55am--Marching Band
2:00pm--Concepts of Jazz and Improvisation with Mr. Bush
5:00pm--Jazz Band

That's why. Next semester is even worse, but we won't get into that.

Alright. I'm going to go find my boyfriend and watch Days of Our Lives...

Sorry it's been so long. I've been pretty busy. I have quite a bit to update on, however, so bear with me.

I'm no longer working at JCPenney's. Quizno's called me and wanted me to come back...and I was like HELL yes. I make the same pay, I get more hours, and Pam is going to work with my school/football season schedule. They already have me back at manager status. So screw you, JCPenney. I feel bad leaving them high and dry...but then again I don't. So I'm back home at Quizno's now...working with some of my old friends and my good ol' bro. Keep my brother in your thoughts; he's having some difficulties dealing with some really stupid fucking people. Fucking stupid bitches. Didn't I say in a previous entry that bitches need to quit talking shit? Okay, that's what I thought. I'm a very protective sister. Don't fuck with my brother. :-)

In other news....I have strep throat. Ohhh yeah. I mean, it's bad. Puss pockets in my throat (that's lovely, eh?), fever....I'm drinking Chloraseptic like water (cherry flavored...yum!) and I have a doctor's appointment at 3:40. The only plus from this is Chris is taking care of me. :) It's the sweetest thing ever when the woman gets taken care of, since it's usually the other way around. I love that guy.

Have I been sappier lately? I think so. Blame it on my sweet boyfriend.

I need to go make myself presentable. I think I've caught everyone up with my crazy life...oh yeah, class is over this week, but I have a project and a 10 page paper due the next week. At least I get to do it over Tourette's Syndrome...hehe.

Peace out, kids.

it's my birthday!

I'm actually 22 now. I'm old.

Off to celebrate with the family....got the celebrating done with my friends the past few nights....I'm a little exhausted.

Bye!

just one thing...

It's my birthday in one day. I already started celebrating.

And that one thing that I had to say...

BITCHES NEED TO QUIT TALKING SHIT!

Thank you. That is all.

i need to vent.

Okay, I've thought this for a while, but I'm going to publicly announce it now.

I absolutely HATE "Christians."

Yes, HATE.

I work at JCPenney; I've already established that. Working there, you deal with all KINDS of different people, from Mexican familes who don't know how to stop producing, to old ladies who move about as fast as a turtle, to bitchy older women who get mad when you don't have their size, etc. But today...I helped an older couple who had obviously just come from church. Not only did their attire give it away, but they were talking about the sermon that they had heard (I overheard them talking while I was helping other customers in the line). Whenever they got at the front of the line, the first thing they did was bitch about the wait. Okay, whatever, I'm used to that. I'm usually the only one back in Catalog and at times it gets backed up. Then they asked me if I could help them with something in the WOMEN'S department, which is on the other side of the store. When I politely told them that I can't leave the counter, the lady said, "So I waited in line for 15 minutes for you to tell me that you can't help me? I thought this was the customer service line BLAH BLAH BLAH..." I then politely explained to her that this was for credit card problems mostly, but then she told me how much of an idiot I was. She then complained to my manager, who pretty much laughed at her face. GRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So that's why you Christians have a bad name...because of people like that. Go to hell, you fake Christians.

Was that harsh? I don't care.

Chris is almost here. Bye.

so good not to be a typical girl...

Yesterday was a good day. I worked from 130-730, then hung out with my favorite boys in the entire world...Chris, Justin, and Kyle. We were watching a video of the London Symphony Orchestra playing Shostakovich's 5th Symphony. Holy crap, is it amazing. As I was sitting there, not only was I thinking about how dorky we were (I glanced at everyone at one point, and all three of them were engrossed with the TV...hilarious.), but about how a typical girl would sit there and bitch about how boring it is. I thought about a few girls in particular and how they would react to the situation...and it just made me laugh. I guess that's why they've kept me around for so long (I've known Kyle for almost 15 years, Justin 6, and I've known who Chris was since my junior year of high school, but we didn't start talking until he got to ACU). And in our little clique, there are no other girls. None. They probably know I'd beat them up or something...haha. But yeah, that was a good feeling to know they accept me as an equal instead of some annoying bitch that hangs out sometimes. Three cheers for not being an annoying bitch!

Why am I up so early on a Saturday? I don't have to be at work until 2!

Tonight will probably consist of the same thing that happened last night...except probably some new music. Doesn't that just sound dorky? I promise we know how to have fun, too. TRUST me. We do.

I think I'm going to go play with Wyatt. That sounds like fun.

the joys of playing the trombone...

Last night, I was highly encouraged by the person who is the most important to me (that's my amazing boyfriend). He's really freaking good at the saxophone, and while I'm okay at the trombone, he told me something I've never heard anyone say. He said that since I'm a girl, everyone automatically expects less of me (which is true, sadly), but I measure up to the guys in my section, soar past them even. I know I could be better, and he told me last night if I cared as much as Joe Alessi or Ron Barron (should you know who they are, kudos to you), I could be as good as them. That was a pretty big eye-opener to me. So today, I practiced. Yes, Rachel practiced during the summer. That's just weird. I played some Eric Ewazen pieces (again, kudos if you know who that is). He's absolutely amazing. Anyway, I have a new kind of encouragement, since it's been so long since I've had a boyfriend that believes in me. That's motivation enough for me. He got me to quit smoking, and he's going to keep me practicing to make me a better trombone player. It's amazing what you can do with the support of the ones you love. Gah, I'm crazy about him....and the bass trombone....
I got to feed and rock Wyatt to sleep last night. It was the most relaxing thing I've done in a long time. I just wish I could go back to those days...no responsibilities, and nothing but eating, sleeping, and looking cute.
Alright, Lingo is about to come on. If you haven't seen Lingo, check out the Game Show Network every weeknight at 6 and 6:30. I swear I'd kick some major ass if I ever went on that show.

just an introduction...

Welp, I got tired of Xanga and decided to give this one a go. Xanga is just...so...I don't know. Xanga-ish. Seems like it's for a younger generation. I'm all grown up now!

I guess we'll start with the basics. I'm Rachel, I'm about to be 22, I go to Abilene Christian University (but don't tell anyone that, please), I'm an instrumental music education major, and I love every minute of it. I'm probably one of the biggest nerds you'll ever meet. I get excited when I hear a cool chord progression in a trombone quartet I'm listening to. Yes, I listen to instrumental music. The "music" of today honestly makes me sick, and it makes me even more sick to know that these untalented people are getting more money than I'll ever have an opportunity to make, and I'm a hundred more times talented than they are. I know that probably sounds really cocky, but it's the honest-to-God truth. I play the bass trombone, recorder, and a little piano. (That's me and Goldilocks, my bass trombone, to the right.) :-) Music is my passion, if you haven't figured that out yet. There is nothing better than listening to the beautiful sound of a trombone. I'll be graduating in about a year and a half if all goes to plan, and then I'll be looking for a job in the area as an elementary school music teacher. I feel like it's my calling. I'm crazy about kids. My brother just had a baby boy, and he stole my heart from the minute I saw the first sonogram. Allow me to show him off; his name is Wyatt Alan Martin.
Oh man, I'm so crazy about this kid! He was at Cook's hospital for the first couple of months he was alive 'cause he was premature, but he was under the best care possible and is now home!! Aunt Rachel is probably the proudest aunt in the entire world, hands down.
I have the most amazing boyfriend/best friend/companion in the entire world. I don't have a picture of him, unfortunately. He hates pictures, and I'm not too fond of them either, so yeah. I'm sure he appreciates me not following him around with a camera all the time anyway! We have a pretty crazy story, but everything finally worked out for the better and I am so incredibly happy. It took a lot of patience, I'll tell ya that, but it was TOTALLY worth it. I'm crazy about him. I actually trust him, which is a weird thing. I'm not one to trust guys. I was a guy-hater there for a little while, but he showed me that not ALL guys suck. I can't thank him enough for that. He makes me happier than I have ever been, even after all this time. I usually dump guys after...oh...2 months, tops. I've kept this one around. My entire family likes him, which is also weird. I'm okay with this weird, though. :-) Maybe I can convince him to take a picture and I'll try to get one up here. He's oh-so-hot though, the dark and mysterious type. It drives me crazy, in a good way. We have a great relationship and I can't wait to see where we end up.
What else...I work at JCPenney's, and it sucks. I work in the Catalog and Credit department, which basically means I take of everyone's special needs. I place catalog orders, help people with their credit card bills, catalog returns, inventory, and do everything a normal associate does. I don't mind it too much, but the people I work with really really REALLY suck. I'm quitting soon, however, which makes me very happy. Summer band starts on the 20th of August and there is absolutely no way I'd be able to keep the hours I'm working now and keep my 3.7 (which I brought up from a 2.3, thank you very much). So yeah, that's me. I live with my grandmother for the time being, but I'm hoping to find my own place soon.
I'll write more when something interesting happens. My life is pretty repetitive, however. It's a good repetitive, though. Take care, everyone!