I know I haven't posted in a long time.

Things are... different now. I've been in a bit of a slump for the better part of 3 weeks, and I can't seem to shake it. Part of it is a new obsession with worrying about bed bugs. I spent a night in a Bristol hostel and worried constantly about bringing one of those stupid critters home with me. Now, I haven't any real proof that I did bring anything, nor did I find any evidence of bugs at the hostel, but I've managed to work myself into such a state anytime I need to go to bed - I feel things crawl on me, and I'm sure they are imagined... but last week it was so bad I feel as though I'm grinding my teeth at night... which I think I am. Now, keep in mind that I'm super clean. I cleaned and vacuumed the matress and all the sheets and duvet and pillows and cleaned and vaccumed and bleached the inside of the box spring. I checked every inch of the matress and box spring and found no evidence... but still, I worry. It's gotten to the point where I feel anxious about going to bed... which isn't a good feeling. I need to relax, but I just don't know how... Hopefully within a week I'll have rid myself of this feeling... but I don't know how. I feel as though I should bring in a huge box of spiders and let them loose in my room to catch the little buggers.... but I don't like spiders! Yeeesh.

The second thing that is stressing me out is another relentless search for a new flatmate. We've been advertising the room for 6 weeks now, and it seems as though all the people show up within 3 days and want viewings. Very stressful. We've tentatively found a couple who are super nice, and I am hoping and wishing and praying that they want to take it. But the waiting is killing me. Bah.

In the meantime my flatmates mother visited last week, and it was so nice to have a mother figure around. I miss my family a lot sometimes, and I feel as though I haven't made a lot of friends while I've been here. Not like back home. I don't find that I make friends easily, except when I work, and of course, not working right now puts a damper on my social skills. Hopefully I'll be back at work within a month... and my sister is visiting on the 20th, which will be very exciting.

Everything money-wise is going fine. I'm living within my budget and should be able to stretch the cash until the end of September, before I go back to work. If I stay through until next March or April, I should still be able to head home with about $1,500 Canadian, which is very relieving.

As a side, to cheer me and my flatmate whose mother just went home the other day up, we went to see The Ugly Truth at the local theatre. It was a lot of fun and well worth it. Lots of laughs. And Gerald Butler is pretty. In a manly way, of course.

Hopefully over the weekend things will start to put themselves together. I hope.