Name Change. Game Change.

As I logged in to write an update, I realized that I need to change the name of my blog due to not being in grad school anymore. Thus, I am taking suggestions from any of you people who read this. You are the only ones who really care about my life anyway :)

I did graduate and now have my Masters. It was a pleasant feeling but because I did not walk across that stage, it almost doesn't feel real. I am, however, in day 2 of the Becker review course and it is as expected, awful. I went to class for 4 hours yesterday (as I will everyday) and did about 5 hours of homework (which hopefully won't be quite as long everyday). The amount of information that I am attempting to stuff inside my head is incredible. Only to have to recall random bits of information from each section for one exam question. These next two months truly will stretch my mental capability, that much is true.

While I was home in Kansas, I did get to see many of you. Before I continue with that thought process however, I must insert here that I had to backspace on that earlier sentence and insert "in Kansas" in it due to many people thinking that Florida is now "home" for me. Be rest assured, Kansas is and will always be home to me. Anyway, I did get to make the rounds with my brother and saw tons of family members and friends. I also got to go to WSU's graduation and watch Brittany walk the stage which was very exciting! Congrats Brit!

I would type more but the next four hours of homework are calling my name. I can't wait to get them done though because we do not have class on Wednesdays. Therefore, tonight will be a celebration!!

Once again, life changes constantly. It is up to us to adjust and have faith that things will work out in the long run.

The End is Near

And so begins the countdown of being in school for the last time. I have taken two finals and have my hardest one on Monday. With that being said...YIPPPPPPEEEEE! To think that I am putting an end to this chapter of my life makes me incredibly happy. And to introduce myself as a recent graduate student is slightly alarming. I'm not smart or know enough to have the Masters title!?

I am going to Washington DC tomorrow to sign on an apartment as well putting an end to my searches! I have found a roommate on craigslist from Iowa and am looking forward to having a new friend in DC with me. We have decided to live at The Park at Arlington Ridge. Their website doesn't give the greatest description but at least its not the bottom of the totem pole. And their rating on apartmentratings.com is 73% which is unheard of in DC!

My student loans are overwhelming me currently as I am going to default and have to declare bankruptcy. There is something wrong with the fact that I went to college, got my Masters, two Bachelor degrees, have a high paying job right out of school and I still cannot afford to live in the United States. Maybe I'll move to some island off of Spain so the US Government cannot find me. You think I joke....that's the funny part.

It stormed here two nights ago and I almost died. For those of you who think I'm being melodramatic, over 300 people did die, I'm not being dramatic. There was two inch hail as well as tornados touching down all over the Shenandoah County. It was a different type of storm than the one that Kansas usually gets but still had the same result, destruction.

I begin the journey to Kansas Monday after my last final. I'm driving the Alero back to it's homestead which should be interesting as I'll be in a car by myself for 20 hours. I might go stir crazy. Then its a whirlwind of graduations, seeing family, and surviving tornado season in May for two weeks until I fly back to VA. When I arrive in VA, I start the Becker boot camp for CPAs on Monday for the following six weeks. Its an intense six weeks filled with 4 hours of class followed by around 4 hours of homework. For over $3,000, one can only hope I'll learn something positive in this class.

I wish I could write something witty and sound like my usually optimistic self but I don't have the effort. The fact that I am supposed to find $950 a month to pay for my school loans weighs heavily on me. The days of being able to eat food, smile, or have a social life are behind me. Hello 70 hour work weeks with no social life due to not being able to afford to pay $1.50 for a Metro ride. I know that many of you are saying, just move somewhere cheaper. Ha, I spit in your face and laugh. If you can find somewhere cheap for me to live in DC...more power to you. I will be impressed even more if it is within 10 miles of my work. And those 10 miles translate to 1 1/2 hours in traffic one way, so I can't afford to go any further out. And for those of you who are saying, this is why you move home or somewhere cheaper to live in the country: then I wouldn't be making the high salary I am and I would be in even worse condition. In the current town I live in, the starting salary for one of my coworkers was $15,000 less than mine...not going to work for those student loans.

Thus, this is slightly depressed Ashley signing off you to all. I have to go stare at my budget once again and attempt to figure out where I can trim off extra fat that I haven't already trimmed off.

Apple of my eye

I received my Ipad 2 in the mail two days ago and since then, nothing has been getting accomplished. It's like a piece of myself was missing before it came in the mail. I've been using it as an ebook reader as well and its like a tiny object of magic! I do love it though and would suggest it to anyone who is considering one. I now have my own Apple family: Roxy (my Imac), the Iphone that is not named, and now the Ipad whom I am considering naming Velma. Many of you are now wondering if it is really worth it naming your electronics. Well, my answer to that is yes, if you use these things as much as I do in my daily life, you would rather call it by a name too. I am going to a picnic at an undergrad professor's house tonight with the rest of accounting students at EMU. It should be fun catching up with everyone and convincing them that I just LOVE my life. With that being said in a sarcastic voice, I do love my life, I'm just extremely glad that grad school is only one year. I found a couple more places that could be potential options as future living spaces. Now to decide whether or not a studio apartment is a good idea. Considering how much time I won't be spending in my apartment, it sounds like a good idea. But just when I think I have found the perfect place for myself, I go to the website apartmentratings.com and read what has been said about the place. Without fail, no one has anything good to say, its depressing. Thus, the search begins all over again. Until later, Ash

Spring Break Favorites!

March Madness

Its incredible to think that March is almost over! I have had such a busy month that I don't know where to even begin. First of all, let's start with the 2nd...my birthday! I had a great time with my friends here who took me out for a night on the town. It hit around midnight though and we crawled our way into our beds are we were physically exhausted. It makes me feel quite old actually! The big present of the year you might ask? The newest addition into my Apple family, an Ipad 2. :) Thank you parents and government for all my tax money!

Moving on to a slightly more depressing event, a celebrated death in my family in Kansas. My last grandparent died, Henry Nisly. I would like to say that it was sad for me to see him go and it was, don't get me wrong, but after years of suffering without his mental capacity, I was happy to finally have him greet my grandma again! I caught a quick flight out of DC and flew home for a week to recooperate with my family. It was a great time and all of my profs were so understanding!

After arriving back on Monday in time to take midterms, I flew right back out on Saturday with Keron for a week in Sarasota, FL for spring break! The last spring break ever...for those of you who have seen Ice Age, I said that outloud like Sid talks about the last melon, just for your information. We proceeded to enjoy the beach, new house, and lots of good seafood. Coming home tan, I had to buckle down and get involved in my school work for about 4 days before I drove back up to DC to pick up Ms. Brittany Welch who flew out to VA to spend her spring break with me! We had such a great time and I love her dearly for spending the time and money to come keep me company for a short time every year!

Other little events that have happened include finishing the extremely long process of registering for the CPA exam! Yes, you read that right, I have now registered for all four parts of the exam, starting taking one part every Thursday on July 15th until August 4th. Then, I start work August 8th! So with that being done and registering for my review course this summer for 6 weeks, its all becoming real. I know that being in grad school should technically make me realize that everything is coming true and happening but it doesn't work that way!

As for upcoming items in my crazy life, I am driving home for two weeks starting May 2nd for the last time in a long time potentially. There will be no more 4 week vacations in December or every other month holiday vacations. That's just depressing, I want to curl up in a ball under my covers and pretend the world is moving on!

As for March Madness basketball, I give up. Not one of my teams in my bracket for the final four are even still in the tournament. There have been so many great games played this year and while I love to win at the bracket challenge, I enjoy seeing an upset much more.

This marks about day 7 that I have been fighting allergies/head cold/sore throat/sinuses. It all started last weekend when my throat started hurting really badly. I woke up Monday and couldn't swallow. Tuesday brought on the sinuses. Wednesday up until currently brought the sneezles, coughing, crying, stuffy voice. I sound just amazinggggg right now. I know this is gross but I told my friends last night that I have been checking the color of my snot and it remains clear. Thus, its all allergies as far as I know, oh goody. To think I went through the first 23 years of my life to only have them all hit me up at once. I have been looking for allergists in this area as this is just rediculous. I have it worst than I've ever see even my mom have it. My professors all look at me with pity and say, oh Ashley, go home, you look miserable. I'm pretty sure its just because I finished a whole box of kleenex in one of my classes. So between my nose looking red and irritated, and my eye watering boughts, I'm living the life, let me tell you! haha. not.

Anyway, I need to blow my nose now, and that leads to my eyes watering, and sniffling...to say the least, I need both hands! :) I love you all who read this and will see all of you soon I imagine!

Ash

2nd Semester Craziness

This marks almost a month to the date from when I last wrote a blog post. I have to be the worst blogger in history. To everyone who might actually read this, I'm truely sorry. Things have been full speed ahead for the last couple of days. Last night, I finally reached the end of my absolute crazy days and realized that it was only Tuesday. I'm done with my homework for the rest of the week and had an hour long presentation this morning. One might think, wow, that girl is really doing well keeping ahead of her work load. WRONG. I can't get ahead. As I was telling Joel last night, I'm not behind, I just can't get ahead no matter how much I attempt to.

It wasn't until I got the email this morning from Sondra stating that her and Chad had their new baby (Hello Adam!) that I realized I have been an awful person staying up on my family's lives and keeping you all updated on mine! So here's a few facts:

1. Mom and Dad are loving the new Florida house. Chloe gets sick. Nothing changes there.
2. Josh is too busy with his "cool new school friends" and stuck in freshman year dreamland of college to keep in contact with any of us to let us know that he is alive.
3. Britney is coming to visit me in March, I cannot wait until her visit as I miss my friends from Kansas dearly. Don't worry, that doesn't mean I miss them enough to move home :) Sorry!
4. I'm almost 3/4 done with grad school. How this year has flown. I've made wonderful friends that will stay with me for years and a lot of them are moving to DC with me!
5. I have decided that I'm going to live alone in DC. After careful and thoughtful consideration, I've come to the realization that this is for the best. I love people but after a day of hard work, its nice to have peace and quiet as well.
6. Keron and I bought our plane tickets to go to Florida for spring break! We are so excited to see the new house and have a great time!
7. I filed my taxes as my own dependent for the first time this year as well as doing them myself. Just call me Ms. Accountant :)
8. The Hevener's are all getting ready to depart on their cruise that I'm not going on.

As you can see, things are flying through my head a million miles per minute and I am going a little crazy!!!

Gotta go, have to do more homework and grade these exams!

Love,
Ash