Get to know me quiz!

(Senior portrait, taken 4 1/2 years ago!)

1. What is your occupation right now? Student/Substitute Teacher's Aide
2. What color are your socks right now? white.
3. What are you listening to right now? Sara Evans on my itunes library
4. What is the last thing you ate? Alphabet soup and cheezits.
5. Can you drive a stick shift? I tried, but no.
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Telemarketer who kept asking for someone over 18.
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I found it on an accquaintence's blog. She's nice.
8. How old are you today? 22
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Football. Or Gymnastics.
10. What is your favorite drink? Cold Water. Champagne for alcoholic.
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Blue-black underneath in High school, red-brown a year ago.

12. Favorite food? Dark chocolate. Pasta.
13. What is the last movie you watched? Um, we watched 28 Days w/ Sandra Bullock.
14. Favorite day of the year? Christmas.
15. How do you vent anger? I go online and type it out. Quiet time with music. Yelling.
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? My Barbies and the Barbie house my dad made.
17. What is your favorite season? Late Spring.
18. Cherries or Blueberries? cherries.
(19-20 had no relevance)

22. Living arrangements? 2 bed, 2 bath mobile home on in-laws property for free.
23. When was the last time you cried? Hmm, last Friday from a movie.
24. What is on the floor of your closet? Tim's clothes, and my shoes.

25. Have you ever tried singing Karaoke? At my family reunions!
26. What did you do last night? Watched Bones, Monk, Psych, Numbers, and Battlestar.
27. What are you most afraid of? Dying.
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? Cheese, please.
29. Favorite dog breed? Dachshunds.
30. Favorite day of the week? Sunday, no traffic.
31. How many states have you lived in? Two.
32. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds are sparkly! Pearls go with everything.
33. What is your favorite flower? Cala Lillies
34. Favorite Hobby? Reading.

Miniature Animals

So today I couldn't get on my favorite websites (ITNO or Photobucket), and Tim was in town. So I went outside and experimented as a nature photographer, with my camera phone, lol.

Some mini horses:

Here's Opie the mini donkey:

The baby goat that followed me around and sucked on my fingers:

And the view out my front door:

Emotional

(Quote from Dark Blue - Jack's Mannequinn)

Last night and today I have been very emotional. Not like touchy, just quick to cry. I cried during Private Practice when a dad chooses to die with his daughter instead of staying to care for his two year old boy. I cried while Kerri Russel tries to find her son in August Rush, during a non-sad scene. Then I cried again when I got an e-mail from my mom that her best friend's mom died, though it was very expected. I almost cried again at a happy song. I'm sure it's just hormones from PMS, but I don't like it very much, lol.

So as soon as Tim got off the computer (he was on from 9 am-1 pm) and headed to town, I got on the phone. I had recieved a letter from the DMV (department of Motor Vehicles), saying that since all insurance companies are required to turn in proof of insurance, and they hadn't recieved mine, that must mean I had none, and my registration was therefore revoked! I was pissed, since we put insurance on it before we even fully bought it. Also, we have to same insurance for the Trailblazer, and that went through. So it was a big production to get the info to the insurance offace, to get it to Progressive, so they can take care of it. Whatever, I just think it's a screwed up system that revokes my vehical registration, effectively banning me from diving, because they processed my insurance wrong. I paid it, and they are trying to charge me for not paying it! WTF right? Anyways. . .

My goal was to make myself happier. First I listened to the Rent Soundtrack, then A Walk to Remember soundtrack, and now the Moulin Rouge soundtrack. I forgot how much I loved soundtracks! Such a great mix of music and original songs. Then I thought I would knock out a goal of mine, and try to get money for school. My school kept telling me being married doesn't count for being an independent :x StupidLiars.

I feel like I accomplished something today, having filed my federal aide aplication for this school year ('08-'09) and for next school year. I also put three more CD's on my iPod library. Tomorrow I get to go home and visit with my family for a couple days. Maybe I'll visit with a couple friends too, that would be awesome.

Moving on. . .

I have moved approximately 22 times in my life now. So, when we decided to move I understood the upsides and the downsides. The upsides were, the shorter commute, more jobs available, and cheaper living expenses. The downsides, moving away from my family and friends, again.

Tim being my best friend, and me being his only friend, I didn't foresee too many problems with being lonely. It is also nice to be only one hour from my father. But besides my family, I feel like none of my friends care that I moved away. That, or they decided that since they can't call me up to go out, there is no reason to talk to me anymore.

I know this feeling is being magnified with my cell phone having no reception here, and a home phone that only works half of the time. But I have called some of my friends, and they don't call back : ( I know I will feel less lonely when I am back in school or back in a job. I feel even worse knowing that this is how Tim has felt for nine months. I guess we just need to absorb ourselves in our lives and find new ways to keep our minds occupied.

18 days . . .

. . . until my last semester as an undergrad! So, I have 18 days of nothing to do until I go back for the Spring semester at CSU Chico. This will be my most jam-packed semester ever, as far as my classes go. I just got my grades back for last Semester, and I'm happy to report I passed them all, though the C was disappointing. I got a 3.207 for the semester, bringing me to a 3.48 overall. Not as good as last springs 3.6, but still good for not trying hard at senior level classes. So, now all I have to do is pass all of this semesters courses, and I get my degree!

This Semester I am taking 6 three unit classes:

Education 302 - Access & Equity in Education

Geography 303 - Geography and World Affairs

Political Science 451B - Civil Rights/Civil Liberties

Plant and Soil Science 392 - World Food and Fiber Systems

Religious Studies 332 - World Religions & Global Issues

Social Science 495 - Capstone Semester for Social Science

Unfortunately, with classes not starting until January 26th, I got increasingly bored after I had finished with the craziness of moving and the Holidays. So, having all this time off, I had to find something to do. Being me, my first thought was to re-read my favorite books. I wanted ones I haven't read in a while. So, I started on the Harry Potter series. I read The Sorcerer's Stone in one day, then picked up The Chamber of Secrets. The second book is still good, but I find it very hard to get through. But this morning I read all but the last 35 pages. Next I will read The Prizoner of Azkaban which is a lot of fun with Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.

I'm hoping to get through the whole series before I go back. If all I did was read, I would be done in a week, but I'm trying to pace myself this time, lol. Oh, and I love this avatar I found on a friend's Myspace. Since I plan on teaching history, I find it ironic that my knowledge of Harry Potter far surpasses my knowledge of History. And that is kind of sad.

After I finish all seven Harry Potter books, and read through my new Tales of Beedle the Bard, I plan on moving on to the Twilight series. I haven't read all four in a row without time in between. And I haven't read any of them in over two months, so I think I could get all wrapped up in them again.

Tomorrow I go to Yuba City to have lunch with Tim's aunt, and she is always interesting, in a fun way. Hopefully I will start getting called in for teacher's aide jobs. I'm on-call, but I hope they call often.

Job Hunting

I get why they call it hunting now. I never had much of a problem finding a job before, and it has never taken me more than two weeks to find one. I have even had two-three jobs at a time on multiple occasions. But I guess that's a recession for you.

The sad part is that I have a degree now. An AA degree in general transfer units, but a degree none-the-less. Which means I am more able to get a job in my desired field, working with children. Since they passed the No Child Left Behind Act, you have to have an AA degree or equivalent to work as an aid or para-professional at schools. I have the qualifications and the experience, but I have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which eliminates all five day a week jobs.

I think another thing that is complicating this job search and making it worse, can be lumped into two categories. 1) My last job was awesome; and 2) Tim has been unemployed for over 8 months now.

This is me at my last job. I could watch TV, read books, study, and go on the Internet all day. And I was told to do these things so I wouldn't be bored. I got my home-work done, I had leisure time, and I got paid for it. I ran a mini-storage that required about 25 minutes of work in the morning, 5-30 minutes of work during the day, and 10 minutes to close.

When I told them I would be moving, they made sure to find a replacement for me, so they wouldn't have to go without. I was the only employee besides the managers, so they had to have someone, or they'd have no time off.

I was there for 14 months, and loved all of it. I've thought of looking for a similar job here, but I know I won't have such great bosses again.

Tim was laid off at the very end of May last year. All of the people he sold to were laid-off (the engineers), so he and his coworker Deb were laid-off too. He had been looking for a new job, since that one didn't pay well enough, and he was very bored. He was depressed at first, but the unemployment was such that we didn't have to worry about income until it ran out. He started looking into Highway Patrol careers, but they didn't pan out. Then his mom told him about a job at Butte County Superior Court, where she works, that he would love: Court Attendant. He applied for this job, and got it. But, that didn't pan out either, since the person he was set to replace, came back. Since then he has been working for family, and he got an extension on unemployment.

I guess the reason his unemployment is holding me back, is that we need to find him a job first. He can work 40+ hours a week, and he can get more jobs, because of his many fields of I can only work Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and weekends, but I need time to study and do three online courses. So I search for, and apply for, jobs for him before me. Also, he's never had a job he enjoys so he doesn't know what he wants. Nothing gets him excited. So I'm not motivated.

We fixed up the mobile on his mom's property and moved down here to look for jobs, but so far it has just been frustrating and unfruitful. There are no jobs. It makes me worry about job prospects when I have my BA degree and then my credential. I just wish it work out for us for once.

2008 and 2009

So I thought I would make one more post today. This one will be about how 2009 has started for me and the ending of 2008. This is really just for me, so no one has to read it all. . .

Last year was one of the longest years of my life. With my first full year at a university, our first anniversary, the addition of a third dog, Lily, to our family in May, Tim lost his job in April, he lost his Grandpa Little to a fire in July, Tim's brother Kyle was married in September, and we moved in December. It was a very full year with many good things and bad.

There were times when I wondered how I would pass six classes three semesters in a row to graduate next May. And throwing up after eating the wedding-cake-top on your first anniversary seems like a bad omen, lol. Holiday lost two litters of puppies this year, and that was very hard for me to go through.

I got to see a lot more of Christina with her coming up here to visit her boyfriend's hometown; and none of Noletta, it is sad to lose a life-long friend. I made a new friend in Debbie, who has been a very positive influence in my life these past few months, especially to have a friend in Chico, and someone to spend my spare time with.

I became obsessed over the book series, Twilight, last July, and then was swept up in the movie and it's soundtrack in November. Those books re-awakened my love of reading, that I had put on hold for schoolwork.

I lost my job over a mis-understanding of when I would be moving. I moved! We finally got out of a house that was a godsend for our bank account in the beginning, but became the main cause of marital and familial stress very quickly. We are now on my Mother-in-law's property south of Oroville, California. We don't pay rent now, besides Tim acting as the farm hand, lol. This will be a great help while Tim and I search for new jobs. Also, I will love being closer to Chico for my classes.

When I look ahead to 2009, I hope to acheive my goal of earning my BA by May, and not flunking any of my classes, which would postpone that goal. It will also be a milestone that I have worked for five years towards. I hope to find a job quickly, and that Tim finds a job he can finally enjoy. I hope that Tim and I are calmer outside of the stress that was caused by our living situation in Redding. I hope to spend more time with my dad, since he is only one hour away now!

I will miss my family and friends in Redding though, and my friends in the Bay Area even more. I am looking forward to my Family Reunion in July, I love the Wishon side of my family so much. I am looking forward to starting my classes in Education this semester and in the Fall. I am also looking forward to Tim's cousin Jessica's wedding to Matt, and Tim's step-brother Zach's wedding to Lindsey. They are all great people, and it will be nice to see them enjoy the happiness that Tim and I have.

Wedding Pictures

*Note: Edited to add more. . .

I know people love wedding pictures, and I love my wedding pictures, so I thought I would share some of the pictures from our wedding. There is also a link to my myspace wedding album in the title of this blog post.

Our first Dance:

Me with my parents:

My bridesmaid, hair-stylist, make-up artist, and best friend,
Christina and I, enjoying a drink after the long day.

Our favorite picture together:

Wedding cake I designed:

Me with my Bridesmaids:

Christina, me, Noletta, and Natalie.

My First Blog

I've never had a real blog before. What does Blog even mean? I used to post on Live Journal, way back in 2004, but that was more messaging my friends. And I do an occasional blog on Myspace, but that is only once every six months or so. Inspired by my friends at ITNO, I thought I would start a real blog.

So, me. . . I am Rachel Anne Little, and I am married to Timothy Patrick Little. While I like to go by my full first and middle name, he goes by Tim. I go to California State University at Chico, California. I get my Bachelor's degree in May for Social Science. Then I will get my credential to be a teacher. Right now, Tim and I are both looking for a job.

We have three Miniature Daschunds, hence the "little critters" in the blog title. They are Lily, age 7 (on the bottom), Holiday, age 4 (red, long-haired), and Jasper, age 18 months. Here are my babies, and yes, they layed in this position all on thier own:

I hope you enjoy my blog!