Yeah. I'm alive. Thank you, onedeath, for caring ... or, at least, sounding like you do. Holidays went okay. Gave my brother the one ring - he immediately opened it and put it around his neck. The holidays this year have been rather uneventful, but it is nice being home and all. I did miss my cats. I've noticed that I have bad luck when it comes to tea light oil burners ... I just keep breaking the fucking things. I feel bad. At least I still have the one I got from MyAnza over the summer. Had another dream with Nathan Carter last night - don't remember it, however. I'm not to broken up about it. I'm still trying the Buddhist thing. And, actually, I find it very ... comforting. I honestly do. I don't know if I'll stick with it, but right now, it's very comforting. A local Catholic church gave me a rosary for the holidays ... and a little booklet with instructions on how to use it. No, I haven't tried it yet. I will, though ... who knows, it might work. Maybe I might actually go Catholic afterall. I can't believe it! I actually got a Christmas card from Malinda! I'm psyched - and now I get to write to her, seeing as how I have her mailing address now - AND I can send her back her cow bear beanie baby thing that I told her I'd hold on to until she got settled in. I really, seriously do miss Mal. Things just don't feel the same without her. Her card said she has an internship at a radio station over there. I say that's totally fucking kick ass. I seriously hope it works out for her. She really does seem to be enjoying herself over there. I must say that she is by far the best roommate I've ever had. Speaking of roommates ... Kelley ... really fucking SUCKS as a roomie. I'm so fucking serious. Her family lives in Nashville, which is over 2 hours away, yes, I admit. She went home Wednesday night and wouldn't be back until Sunday night. She knows I have to work 3rd shifts and knows that I probably wouldn't be at the apartment to do much of anything except sleep ... What did she do? What did she DO, you ask, to make her suck as a roommate? Okay, I haven't really been staying at the aparment much since break started - but that's because I like being home. But this week I'm going to be there more often. Break started ... oh ... two weeks ago. I did the dishes, straightened up the bathroom - because it was REALLY starting to smell ... bad. It was her turn to clean, I'd thought, especially since she spent so much time at the apartment and I'm usually off working. She works, now, full-time, 8-5 ... her day ends at five, and she gets weekends off. She has no excuses now that she's graduated ... she can do some fucking chores. I get in Tuesday afternoon after putting in applications AFTER pulling a 3rd shift at the station. The trash is piling up, the bathroom is a mess, and the sink is still full of dishes after I'd done them almost a week and a half prior. I just sigh and go to bed. She and Brad leave while I am out Wednesday afternoon. I get back in that night to get my stuff before going home for Christmas ... and the place was just like it was the afternoon before. It's seriously starting to smell. I pulled another 3rd shift last night. Got into the apartment around 7-ish in the morning. I did the fucking dishes. It smelled so very, very bad - milk had gone sour and mold was growing in mugs as well as on the dishes where they'd had Tuna Magic. I took out the fucking trash. I cleaned the fucking toilet and shower. I was very, very fucking tired. I've now officially given up on turns. I don't care whose turn it is. If it gets that bad, I'm cleaning it. I don't want to live in a pig sty. And if worse comes to worse, I'll steal her fucking key and lock her out. Tomorrow, when I get in from my shift, I'll be cleaning the living room. After I do this ... they better be REALLY fucking grateful. And pulling their fucking weight. I know, I said I was going to try the Buddhist then ... be all generous and selfless and all ... ... but ... it's not really worth it when you live with two slobs ... one of which doesn't pay rent - or really do much of anything except play video games. Oh, and that's another thing ... it's my fucking TV. I should get to watch whatever I want to when I want to - I have yet to do that. They're always fucking using it - AND my DVD player. I shouldn't have to come in during the afternoon when no one's there just to watch the things that I want to watch. *takes a deep breath and sighs* I just thought that they might have been courteous enough to, you know, do the dishes and take out the trash before leaving for five days. Guess not. Know what else she did? Turned off the fucking heat. Like I don't fucking LIVE there or something. I almost froze this morning until I got up to turn up the heat ... and realized that it wasn't even on. You know, they don't have to fucking turn it off, all they have to do is just turn it down to 65. I hate this. I seriously hate this. Yes, I vented a lot. But I'm angry. This may not seem like much, but it's really wearing on you when you're looking for a new job, pulling 3rd shifts, and your roommate doesn't do jack shit - nor her freeloading, live-in boyfriend. Maybe the next entry will be a bit more happy. But not this one. I'm too pissed off.