I can't wait

Too bad coding in G is really hard

Seriously, I had to run over 20 simulations before I trusted my first CNC program.

Dr. Browning?

So it turns out that if I applied to a PhD program, I would get infinitely more funding for graduate school. Now of course I'm a smart girl and I knew this fact as I applied, but my whole moral conscience got the best of me. I have a serious problem with people who apply to PhD programs with no intention whatsoever of following through with the whole thing. However, not only does applying as a PhD instead of a MS candidate drastically improve your chances of being admitted to top-tier universities and receiving substantial fellowships and funding, it also could secure a spot in the research lab of my dreams. And since I'm all about the research lab, that part is a little tempting. But it's wrong. Which is why I didn't do it. But then a certain graduate school just emailed me today telling me "did you know that if you switch to a PhD we'd give you a full ride?!" Honestly, it's like they're taunting me. I don't want to be like all the other dummies and just quit halfway through. The only reason I'd do a PhD is to become a professor and enrich and encourage the minds of tomorrow. But if my dream company gets back to me this week and tells me I got the job, then that changes everything. 

PS -- Dream company, please get back to me. Love, Ashley

Hello

I wonder if anyone besides Stephen reads this. Probably not.

I want a bunny really badly still, that feeling hasn't gone away yet. And my parents still won't let me get one. Here's me and a cute bunny that Anthony donated to my parents:

Except that I really don't like lops. I was even having lengthy discussions with local breeders. Oh well.

Cocktail Party

So I had a cocktail party in an attempt to get rid of my booze supply. It was lovely! People all dressed up and I made the most exquisite h'ordeurves.

No whining this time

I will only update on the positives:

• I got into Georgia Tech. Full ride. Plus funded GRA.

• I got into Texas. Still waiting to get the official acceptance letter to hear about funding.

• I got a call back interview from Apple product design. 
  
• I had an interview with UT Athletics Department for a tutoring and mentoring part-time position.
  
• I am staying involved with Tau Beta Pi after graduation and I'm on the K-12 Initiative committee. I'm going to be building a couple of robots from scratch to demo to the kids. I'll be playing with circuits and motors and soldering stuff. 
  
• Mike said I could borrow his puppy and take him for walks because he knows I need attention, even if it's from a dog.
  
• I am going to the gym almost every day (not today) and I'm at the thinnest I've been in 6 years!
  
• I submitted my fellowship application.
• I have two diplomas.

Nerdiest couple ever

Yesterday marked one year since our official first date. The official kind, where you go out to a movie and there's awkward silence and you can't stop grinning. The kind where you know you're past the point of being just friends. The kind where you know it's going to change everything.

For Christmas James got me a pair of digital calipers and for our anniversary I got him a heat gun. That's got to say something, something awesome. I'm so happy. 

And the sabbatical begins

So I graduated. Now what? I'm going to spend an extended period of time doing what normal people call "relaxing" and "having fun." Just adding those words to my vocabulary will be an accomplishment. I've started to come up with a set of goals and tasks to fill the void. My fear is that I'll have too much free time and will explode.

First and foremost are things like cleaning my room and applying for the TBP fellowship. I need to do these things as soon as possible. I also really need to finish one last lingering project from work, which I should be able to build and assemble early next week. This hinges on finding some decent scrap aluminum, which might be harder than I expected. 

The family and James and Jaclyn went to Vail. It was totally badass. As it turns out, it's really hard to build a snowman out of powder.