09 December 2010

December

The month of December has come upon us which leads into several scary but exciting things. The most important thing is that finals have arrived and I am almost to the end of my first semester as a graduate student...now to only pass those exams. I took my first one yesterday and while I'm pretty sure I failed it, I think I will still be okay on my final grade in the class. After all, all I'm shooting for is "B"s, just can't get any of those pesky little minuses next to that B or I lose my graduate assistantship.

I have my HUGE tax final tomorrow night, therefore I've been studying that stuff as fast as I can consume the information into my head. I haven't cooked, slept, or had social time in over a week. All I do is go to school, learn more in my classes, go to work and enter all the professors grades into Blackboard as they have procrastinated giving my this work until the last week of class, I don't cook because it takes way too much of my time so I usually end up at a restaurant with some friends with our textbooks spread out all around us. Last night that place happened to be IHOP, on Wednesday night, the local IHOP gives all college students 50% off of their meal, thus we went and took up a couple of tables. After listening to ourselves talk for a couple of hours though, we started making fun of us and how rediculously smart we have to sound for anyone overhearing our conversations. We call it our nerd talk. My friend Keron was the first one of all of us to break down which happened last night. Devon's pretty sure its going to happen the minute she walks out of that exam Friday night. I can't afford to break down and lose those precious 20 minutes of studying therefore I keep plugging along.

I'm also old enough that the concept of pulling allnighters to study for these finals or even finish all of these huge projects due for each of my classes is a foreign thing. To those people such as my brother that will pull the classic allnighter as a college student, good luck.

On an upside, its Christmas season! Music is playing all around me and I love it. I have presents under my 9' Christmas tree. My parents thought they would be funny and sent a present home with me from Thanksgiving. You don't know the temptation it has been sitting upstairs. The positive thing is that I'll get to open it next week as I am leaving until January to come home. Kansas home that is. To those of you who are reading this from Kansas, I miss you all and am very excited to come and eat at the Kitchen every Friday morning. I will warn my cousins that I sent some of your children Christmas cards and I might have mentioned Santa. Therefore if we don't believe in Santa or you simply have children that are too smart and know that Santa is really mom and dad, well, sorry to make you have that conversation with your child!

I know you already all know this but my parents did bring me the Toyota Matrix which has replaced the Alero. I shall do a memory post for the Alero at some point for those of my friends reading this who have their own memories! I decided on Trixie as the new name of the car :)

As a side line, back to that Christmas music thing that I was talking about, if you are looking for an amazing Christmas music CD to get you and your family through this holiday season, get the Glee: Christmas CD. I have had it on repeat and I love it. Even if you don't watch the show, their voices are amazing and blend perfectly together.

Well I am going to go as I keep shooting side glances towards my closed tax book sitting next to me and keep feeling guilty.

I miss you all and wish you all happy holiday shopping!!

Ashley

16 November 2010

A Time of Thanks

Its official...I'm the worst blogger ever. I can't ever seem to find time even though the people reading my blog are probably the most important people to me. Well, except my friends here, and my professors who give me my grades, and my boss at work. Okay okay, just kidding...you all are very special to me. Which is why, I dedicate this specific post to a list of thanks I have as I seem to have plenty to be thankful for in this time of the year! So if you were in my position, what would you be most thankful for....

I'm going to have to go with no more deaths in the family to begin with. This year I lost my second grandmother which was a very difficult time to go through as the only left grandparent I have doesn't even know his left hand from his right hand half the time. Lord only knows how he'll react if you try to get "the box" out of the closet in his room...that's only for Paul and don't you forget it. Thus, leading back to my original thought, thank you God for keeping my family safe.

This summer I lost a very good friend due to a motorcycle accident. It was a hard time but you always discover the most important things about your personality during difficult times such as those. I will always remember Jason and all the great laughs about the midwest he gave all of us but recognize that people learned how to grow up due to that experience. To which leads into why I am thankful. God turned his death into a learning experience and his death is a connection that links all of my close friends from college from drifting too far away.

At this point next year, I will be living in Alexandria, DC, as an employee of Kearney & Company. Yes, you heard me right, I ACCEPTED MY POSITION AT KEARNEY!!! Just in case you didn't get it the first time, I'm finally employed after 5 years of school!! Okay, technically its 17 years of school...geez, one would think I would have learned tons more then I really haven't. For those of you reading this (you know who you are) who I've asked to move to DC with me...I still think you should. PRAISE JESUS I HAVE A JOB. And now to start paying all those school loans.

I've met some great people during my times at JMU thus this far into my semester, therefore I am sooo thankful for all these people who have helped me during the midnight study sessions and the one weekend we spend 50 hours studying for our tax midterm...yes, that happened. Anyway, without them, my world would not be complete. Joel, if you're reading this, you have made my life soooo great this year by being such a great friend. You have my entire thanks.

As my car hasn't broken down on my completely yet after being faithful to me for 8 years...I must send my thanks out to it :) Don't get me wrong dad, I'm still looking for a new car as its only a matter of time. My blinker has stopped working most of the time. Sigh.

My health. Ironically enough, I'm writing this after having tonsilitis...still can't hit high notes when I sing. But even with that being said, I feel so much better now and am praying that flu/cold/bronchitis/pneumonia season decides to forgo me as I seem to pick those up like mosquito bites. Also, my ears for the most part have not ruptured, lost hearing, or discovered another weak area where a hole would like to pop up in my eardrum...thus, I'm so thankful for that!!

To my family, thank you for all the support you have shown me this semester. Even when you thought I was crazy for continuing on in school and building up more debt, you still stuck behind me. As it turns out, might not have been such a bad investment!

Anywho, its now 1:00AM here and I'm looking at a solid 7 hours of sleeeeeeeep. I'm so excited after getting 6 hours every night for the last couple of weeks. If you expect me to do anything but sleep over Thanksgiving break...give it up...not gonna happen. This girl will be in sleeping position, whereever that may occur. Or stuck somewhere with textbooks lying all around her.

05 November 2010

Leaves are Falling


Just thought I would post this to show everyone that Fall is finally upon us and Kat and I are VERY excited. Meant to add it to the last post and forgot to! Whoops

Cough Cough Cough

As the title states...that seems to be all I'm doing lately. Well, that and waiting for a call from any of the 4 companies I had second visits to. Its just turning into a waiting game and hoping and praying.

And its Friday which means I have this whole weekend to lay in my bed and forget that I have a tax retake exam on Monday. Yesterday I arrived home to a package from Amazon that I had ordered in June. There were 3 books inside and one of them got released on Monday, therefore they waiting to ship all of them until this week. It was super exciting!! Now the decision to read or study plagues me. My choices could be a lot worse I suppose.

It has decided to turn cold here this week. I saw jackets of all sorts coming outs and boots. Its interesting being on a large school campus as there is name branding happening everywhere. I can look at almost any girl and pick out the brands that she is wearing. Whether it might be UGG boots or North Face jackets...I'll be able to tell what every one is asking for Christmas.

I started looking at apartments in DC and there are so many options to chose from! I'm currently accepting applications from anyone who is interested in moving there with me as rent is so much cheaper with more than one person.

I'm also thinking about investing in a new car. Heard a speaker yesterday who really put things into perspective about finances and school loans. I'm afraid of not getting a good interest rate once my credit score is hit by all the aspects of moving to the city. My poor car has been through a lot with me but when I start is and the anti-lock button pops up about 4 minutes after being started and sometimes it shudders instead of braking...ya, not feeling too safe. Might I also add that it has left me stranded in the middle of a busy road already once? Anyway, any ideas what kind of car should belong to me? I'm really loving the Honda Civic hybrids. I want a four door, good gas mileage, preferably not white. Not so hard? Right?

31 October 2010

Fall Time = sickness

And with all the wonderful leaves changing colors around here, comes sickness floating down amongst us. I have caught it early in the season and am exhausted. My voice is gone/hoarse (which I'm sure some of my friends are liking...), my whole body aches with chills, and I am having issues swallowing. To say the least, yummy. I've been sucking down Thermaflu like its nobody's business...one bottle later...I'm not any better. I do however, think a visit to the doctor's is in order tomorrow. I took nighttime Thermaflu about 1 1/2 hours ago and am not tired at all. Its 2:00 AM and I have to drive to DC tomorrow. Ugh...not happy with my body currently.

As far as school goes, I'm just floating along. Midterms have come and gone and I only have to retake one test, thank goodness. I'm working all the time whether its through homework, tutoring younger students, or through my grad assistant job.

As I said earlier, I'm going to DC tomorrow for my final two 2nd round interviews. In about a week I should be hearing back from everyone so I can only hope for good news!! I hope to come home at Christmas time with an announcement on where I'll be moving to come May!

I'm extremely excited that Halloween is done too...hate that holiday. Now I can look forward to Christmas as it proceeds Thanksgiving in importance. :) Good music, goodies to cook, and vacation time are such a short time away, I can't even wait!

A giant shout out to the Ayotte Family as they welcomed Hannah Elizabeth Julia into the world. I already told Tanya that she was cool as we share the same middle name...but not to forget who had it first.

Well, I was hoping that typing this would make me tired but it didn't help unfortunately :(
I'm going to attempt sleep again anyway.

Night World

19 October 2010

Yay for 2nd rounds

I'm a horrible blogger.
If I get behind in my life, this is the first thing that I don't do.
and then I go ahead and do it at work. Crap. Oh well.
I'm a high risk candidate for fraud...decided that after looking at the other people's characteristics.
I just heard back and now have three 2nd round interviews. So pumped for all of that. My first choice just asked me today to come back in which is very exciting!
Therefore, for the next couple of weeks, I am driving back and forth between Washington D.C. around six times. The poor car just might not make it. And as for that GPS that I keep telling myself I can't buy until Black Friday/Thanksgiving? Well, probably going to have to suck it up and invest early so I don't get lost all over the place.
I have a midterm tonight that I studied last night for and one tomorrow that will be the biggest one I've had yet. I'm so excited for Wednesday night at 11:00 PM. (Yes, my final ends at 11:00 at night. They're trying to kill us.)
Anyway,
Must go back to work now :)

Loves,
Ash

12 October 2010

Midterm Week has Arrived

You know that feeling that you get in your stomach as soon as you get to the top of a rollar coaster ride? Trying feeling that several different times every week. It can happen when you walk out of a big interview, when you get that letter/email from a firm saying whether or not you made the second cut, and just yesterday it occurred when I hit the submit button on my midterm exam. I am now left with one more exam this week and two next week. Although that doesn't sound bad to many of you, try adding in three more interviews this week and one next week. Also, add to the end of next week a visit to DC for...wait for it...my first 2nd interview!!!!

After receiving no's from two firms the last two days, last night I received an email from a company asking me to come for a second interview! I actually really enjoyed this firm and they're located in a pretty part of DC so we'll see how it goes.

For those of you located in the Pennsylvania family, this throws a kink into my plans on coming to girls weekend at Julie's! I'm thinking about leaving straight from DC and headed down just so I can still make it. We'll just have to see if I hear back from any other firms. :) Just know that I really really really do want to make it.

My number 1 company interview is this week and its frightening to know that I have to literally nail this interview. But its on Thursday at 1:45 so send some prayers up fam!

I now have 10 interviews scheduled altogether and along with balancing everything else...am more then a little busy. I never stop between classes, tutoring, working at my GA job, interviews, meet and greets the night before interviews, and homework. To say the least, Sunday nights when the weekend comes to an end, I just want to cry.

Beyond that, I have made several good friends here in the program and now have people to hang out with. Three girls that I enjoy are Natalie, Devon, and Keron. I also might mention Madison and Matt who are other GAs that work with me. And Russell is in all my classes with me as well as another transfer who I've gotten to know. Its taken a lot of complaining, blogging, and whining but I now feel somewhat settled in at JMU. SUCCESS!

10 October 2010

screw e&y

So remember how I said I had found my new favorite employer possibility?
Well I got a denial letter from them last night, thus, no more E&Y. While they were "impressed with my qualifications, they don't have a position for me" at this current time.
Insert unhappy thoughts/wording.

On the other news, my midterm weeks are approaching and as I sit here in a friend's apartment not studying but writing for my blog...I have no ambition. All four of us are on our laptops, cell phones, and playing with the dog. SO much for studying together.

Just thought I would let you all know that while life is going on...its not pretty news around here.

06 October 2010

New Fave

I've done it.
I've found my new favorite employer.
After interviewing with Ernest & Young today, I am ready to sign on the line. I actually interviewed for their Business Advisory Program (BAP). Thus, I would not be working on the auditing or taxation side of accounting which would be a welcome break. Getting your CPA is also not a make or break kind of deal for the position. Now its just a waiting game and seeing how I line up against all the other finance major applicants. I'm the only Masters student and only accounting student from JMU that applied for that specific spot so we'll see how it goes.

On the other news in my life, I have a meet and greet session with Reznick Group tomorrow evening and then I interview with them on Friday. It will be curious to see how things go after I enjoyed E&Y so much.

I mean, come on, they give you three weeks of vacation time to begin with, what else is better than that?

I've been exhausted due to interviewing three times a week and studying for a tax quiz on Friday. Midterms are still creeping closer and closer. I have my first on Monday and another one next Friday. Its a scary thought considering that B- and C's are failing the program. You can't get two Cs or they kick you out!

I made party mix from scratch the other day, well as from scratch as you can with party mix and finally got the seasoning right also. I'm teaching new friends from JMU that people actually do cook from scratch and baking cookies doesn't necessarily mean open a tube from the freezer of frozen dough. :)

Anyway, I stayed up until 1:00 AM last night grading tests for a professor and have to be back at school by 7:30 AM tomorrow morning. *Sigh* Have I mentioned how I could use a good shopping trip or long break right about now to destress?

Love,
Ash

03 October 2010

weekend time

Hello everyone.

Well, its been a long week, definitely my hardest yet so far. I had three interviews, a test on Friday, and a group presentation on Wednesday. It wasn't fun. Next week is looking up as I have a week break of just doing regular homework and no tests. As for the weeks following though, midterms start...not fun. I do have three more interviews this upcoming week though and I'll start to hear back from my previous interviewers, thus, hopefully I'll score a couple of second round interviews.

So between working at grad school, and taking classes, I needed a weekend off. Enter this weekend, I have eaten good, read a novel for the first time since school started and got my hair done. Its sad and pathetic to think how happy these little things make me.

Next weekend if Homecoming at EMU and a bunch of old friends are coming into town which I'm pretty excited about! Several of them are staying with me here so my apartment will be a full house.

Its safe to say that I'm so excited for Christmas break and having the ability to be a lazy bum. There's only so much information I can cram into my head at once. And, when I see you all, I should be able to tell you where I'll be moving to!

Anyway, I bought stuff to make party mix and pretend that I'm in Kansas so I'm going to go upstairs and watch an old classic movie at the same time. Audrey Hepburn is calling my name. Plus, its so cold here now. One day it was shorts and tank top weather and now its coats, boots, and jeans. I would say the average temperature for the past four days here has been anywhere from 50-60. I was able to wear my moccasins for the first time on Friday night!!

One more thing, if you all are looking for a great movie to see, go watch The Social Network. The story line is so compelling and unbelievable. Made for an amazing movie that I would gladly spend the money to see in a theater! Just a suggestion...

Love,
Ash

23 September 2010

Busy Season

They say that tax season is the busiest season for accountants. Well, I am here to disagree. I have now applied to 16 different firms for a job and just scheduled my first interview on Tuesday. While its all so intimidating, I am learning so much about the real world. EMU offered me great benefits with friendships and quality teacher-student relationships. JMU offers the slogan "Work Hard, Play Harder". I haven't really seen the "play hard" part of that slogan yet but I keep watching for it out of the corner of my eye. I am also about to enter the month of October which means midterms, midterms, and more midterms. And these are no ordinary midterms, they are the devil disguished as a piece of paper. I had my fraud teacher tell our class yesterday that his tests are almost impossible to pass, the average is usually a low B and only about 3 people get A's on his test. He used to write questions for the CPA exam though so he prepares his tests in the same fashion...oh goody. If that isn't enough to stress me out, I have a group presentation for that same class next Wednesday, 20 minutes of explaining how the Baptist Foundation of Arizona posed as a ponzi scheme and resides as the largest religious fraudalent scheme to occur in history. This class has made me look at everything around me with criminal eyes which is sorta annoying due to the lack of trust in my body now. Following Wednesday, I shall go into a Governmental Accounting and Reporting exam on Friday. This one shouldn't be too bad except accounting for governments and non-for-profit companies is unlike anything I learned for the last 4 years. So its like being a freshmen all over again. Speaking of which, I got a call yesterday to tutor a sophomore in their beginning accounting class. I can only hope that explaining debits and credits to her isn't as hard as I think its going to be but 20 bucks an hour is too good to resist. After those tests, I have my Advanced Taxation test to look forward and rounding out exam month is Financial Management which at this point is the least of my worries due to me having taken multiple other finance courses. Tax will be a killer but I know that I can retake that exam at least 3 times...well you have to take it until you get an 80%! I am at work this morning as I have been for the past 45 minutes. I was just telling my mother how being here in grad school has to be harder than the real world actually. Watching my friends who graduated complain about their life, I just want to punch them in the face. I have a full schedule, work over 20 hours each week in the office as a graduate assistant, take 4 grad classes, pick up shifts at Chili's, and now I'm tutoring. All of my classes require many hours of studying/meeting with groups after class too so when 11:00 rolls around, I fall into my bed exhausted. But with that being said, I'm LOVING it here! I have made several friends who I enjoy very much. It always throws me when I make a joke and these people understand it. Sitting in a class with 70 other people who are just as smart as you and half of them much smarter, its a very different mind set. I am still adjusting to the fact that I'm no longer one of the smartest ones in my classes...I now sit on the lower of the todem pole! :) Anyway, I would tell you stories about my social life except I don't have one. Its slightly depressing to type that but its the truth. Even if a boy wanted to date me, I honestly don't know when I would have time to schedule them in. I penciled several EMU friends in my planner for social time last Friday night and they were appalled that I actually put them in my planner. How to explain to them that's reality for me...well I just gave up. I need to be studying right now rather than typing more since class is coming up quickly but I thought I would end with this list. Who is on the list you may ask...well just take a guess:

Veris Consulting - Denied
Clifton Gunderson LLC
Chess Consulting - Job I REALLY want
Keiter, Stephens, Hurst, Gary, & Shreaves P.C.
Deloitte
LarsonAllen LLP
Baker Tilly
Ernst & Young
Deloitte Consulting
Reznick Group
Grant Thorton LLP
BDO USA LLP
Hantzmon Wiebel LLP
Matthews, Carter, and Boyce
Mitchell, Wiggins, and Co
Yount, Hyde, Barbour CPA
Aronson & Co
Calibre CPA Group
Kearney & Co - Got an Interview on Tuesday!!

Loves,
Ash

14 September 2010

Job Hunting

After a stressful weekend at working at Chili's...I'm now debating whether I can handle the second job on to of a full school load as well as 20 hours working here at JMU. I once thought I was wonder woman, that dream has died. I did just get told by my boss here how much she has enjoyed my effort and that it is a show of my ability. That made me smile at least! :)

I have my first large size quiz in Advanced Tax this Friday and boy, am I stressing about it!!! I have been studying and making my tiny notes on a piece of paper so I can fit everything on one piece of paper. I baked chocolate chip cookies last night for Joel and Natalie as we watched Gossip Girl. Natalie was in awe of the fact that I actually baked something from scratch. It's such a different world that I come from at some times.

Tomorrow is Meet the Firms night. There will be around 45 firms here in a ballroom so I'm donning my suit and giving it my best! Hopefully I'll at least have some interviews scheduled. I applied to Ernest and Young yesterday which was intimidating as its one of the big four accounting firms. Sometimes I pinch myself just to make sure that its really me going to school here!! These opportunities would never come my way otherwise.

Anyway, I was just bored at work so thought I would write a little note to you all to pray for me and that I find a job!!! I have to go to Governmental Accounting and Reporting now. I know I know, it sounds like so much fun that you're incredibly jealous of me ;)

Loves,
Ash

10 September 2010

Pop Culture Week

This week persisted of pop cultures coming out from all around me. Tuesday I was at the Lady Gaga concert which was amazing and another subject just on its own. Last night, The Vampire Diaries season 2 premiered to which Natalie came over and we watched it together. I feel a lot more confident that I may be making a few friends. Definitely didn't make my 5 for the week but if I strengthened the friendships that I'm making...eh, who needs the others? I'm actually writing this as fast as I can due to the fact that I'm going with one of my professors (Dr. Copely) to EMU this afternoon to recruit their students. I haven't been back since graduation and feel so different from that time in my life that I don't even know what to do with myself. Joel's also going, he convinced Dr. Copely that two students was fine and not too many. *insert roll of the eyes* As I sat down in my financial management class last night, Matt (one of my co-GAs) turned to me and began to talk. I know, not a significant event but considering that two weeks ago we didn't even know each other, it made me feel good. I was telling him how I just lay in my bed at night with lists of things to do running through my head. He started laughing and said "yes, but I can't ever finish one of my lists". It was just creepy to have a conversation with someone who makes lists as much as me. Its like that in all of my classes though! All of these students have the same personality traits/characteristics as me! It makes group projects ten times easier, I will tell you that.

I work tomorrow and Sunday for lunch at Chili's. Between that job, and fitting in hours for tax studying...my weekend is once again spoken for. A couple friends called me to go out with them tonight for a birthday but I had to reply and say no. Do you know how depressing that is? This is when my parents can be relieved that I'm actually studying and not wasting my time. Social calendar = 0, Grad school =1.

Anyway, I need to hop in the shower as I slept in today considering I never can and while it felt amazing, I already feel like I'm hours behind in my day and there's no catching up. You just can't let yourself get sunk into the black hole they call overwhelmness otherwise I wouldn't even be able to see straight. I must throw this in (especially for you Cassi, you're reading this), I could go for a black and white pizza from Coco Bollo's hardcore right now. So make Dave take you there!

Love you all!
Ash

06 September 2010

Week One Down

Well...I MADE IT. I accomplished my first week at grad school. I'm not going to lie to you all and say it was easy or horrible or boring. It was a mixture of all three of those. For this blog...I'm thinking a list will do:

1. Talked to my advisor and realized that a Masters course I had taken at EMU is transferring over to JMU leaving me with only needing to take 9 credits next semester which will all be paid for by my graduate assistantship. Yay!!!

2. Speaking of graduate assistants (GA), I am now friends with my co-workers, all three of them. So out of the program which exists of about 70 students, I have 5 friends. I guess 5 friends per week isn't too bad. At this rate, it will only take me around 14 weeks to make friends with everyone...so the whole first semester I'm going to be a loser with no friends. Great. Just great.

3. Two of my classes are relatively easy which leaves me time for my third class, Tax...which I hate and don't understand. The advisor has a different method of teaching though so I think I'll make it threw somehow.

4. Today I registered on the recruitment site for JMU and started applying for jobs. I forgot how long and difficult applications can be :( I'm still attempting to decide on what area/region will be the best fit for me...a fight to the finish for sure.

Still love my apartment...and still miss home on occasions. Besides that, not much is new here. I do need to end this though as I have to do double homework tonight as Kat (my roommate) and I are attending a Lady Gaga concert tomorrow evening in Washington DC. Its still weird to write that after living here for 4 1/2 years...I'm super excited for the concert though and while I'm sure none of you are jealous...you most definitely should be!!!

Love,
Ash

02 September 2010

No Long an AIS...

Well folks, its official: I am now a General MSA student rather then one with a concentration. I have picked up a Tax II class which sucks and I now have to be at work by 8 three mornings a week. So besides all of that unpleasant news that came my way today, there were positives also. I discovered that a graduate class I had taken at EMU will count for 3 credits at JMU allowing me to save a LOT of MONEY. Yay!!!! This weekend I go back to work at Chili's and deal with the annoying people of America who come in and complain...can't say I'm looking forward to that one at all. Besides that, just thought I would update you all!

Love,
Ash

Grad School

Due to recent happening at grad school, I realized that I have stopped writing emails to everyone to update them on my life. Thus, I am going to give this blogging thing a chance. I shall start by telling everyone that I started school on Monday (hopefully for the last time) and am having an interesting time to say the least. I went from being an Accounting Information Systems (AIS) concentration to general in the first week as well as having met several new people there. More information shall come later on those people as I am still getting to know them and wondering if we'll ever become actual friends. I also discovered today that my advisor had missed something in my transcript so I had to pick up a Tax II class which while that doesn't sound that bad...believe me when I say its going to be just awful. I get asked all the time where I'm from since people who are in the Masters program at JMU but didn't do their undergraduate studies there are rare. When they find out that I'm from Kansas, then I get a whole separate set of looks. Its like they don't even believe that the midwest has been discovered yet. I am starting to interview with several companies these next few coming months so pray for me that I'll finally decide where to accept a position. And that's assuming that I'll hopefully get a position offered to me! Well, as this post is probably going to state, its 6:00 AM here. So while many of you are already up and going or if you share my Nisly blood, still safely sound asleep in your bed, I have been up for an hour already revising several documents due to my ability to not sleep tonight. I foresee myself hitting up the Starbucks coffee machine on 2nd floor in my building quite a few times today. I mean, a fresh brewed cup of coffee for only $1.65? BARGIN. I do love you all and will try to keep writing to keep you informed!

Love,
Ash