Last weekend, the weather was actually really nice after quite a drizzly week so Josh and I figured we may as well venture out and check out the surrounding area while we had a nice day on a weekend. Who knows when it was ever going to happen again anytime soon, right? We figured after all of the crappy weather that maybe all of these people really did have a point about buying some gumboots.

We headed to a place not too far out of town – it’s only about a 10 minute drive. It was beautiful by the water although Josh reckons it’s not as beautiful as where we were living before we moved and that the visibility isn’t as good as it should be. He really did love that place and I don’t blame him. I loved it too.

I told him that we have become a bit spoiled lately with all of this beautiful New Zealand scenery. I bet most people would give quite a lot to see all the things we see on a regular basis and even though he liked where we moved from a tad bit better, this place isn’t too shabby either.

Josh agrees, of course.

Plus, we’ve got our whole lives ahead of us. Who knows what will happen?

When we were back at the parking lot, there was this little weka (a flightless bird) who started following us. They are usually quite wary of humans but this one came right up to us and it was the cutest thing ever. I started to worry that he was hurt or something but I think perhaps he was just hungry. We had nothing to feed it, though.

Wekas are my favourite bird. I get so excited whenever I see them!

I wish I wasn’t so excited because then maybe I would have gotten a better photograph! He was just sitting there posing for me and I was just freaking out instead of taking a really good picture. Oh well. There’s always next time.

I got here a day before Josh. I brought as much as I could carry in my car and then he and his dad brought the trailer and the rest of our things.

They were running late that day, but everything had seemed to be going well by the texts that I had been getting from Josh. I was still at work, though, so I couldn’t keep in full contact. Plus, they were driving in and out of cell phone reception on their way here.

Finally, they got here. I was so excited to see them. Josh stepped out of the truck and I gave him a big hug.

“I have some bad news,” he said.

I backed away from him. I probably shouldn’t have but I guess it’s just instinct to go in the opposite direction of bad news. Also, I suppose it didn’t feel right to be hugging the bearer of bad news even if it wasn’t his fault.

That’s when I started looking for Reirei.

“Reirei ran away when we were packing up. It was in the last five minutes. She ran out the door. There was nothing we could do. We looked for her for a half hour and we just had to leave.”

He looked really upset and I knew he was probably just as upset as I was but I didn’t care. I ran away and hid behind the curtains in my house since that’s all there existed so far to hide behind – there was no furniture in the house yet – and I cried.

I cried all night.

Josh told me that he had all of our old neighbors looking for Reirei and that they would send him a text if they found her and he’d drive right back to get her.

We didn’t get a text that night. I was really upset because I knew that her chances of surviving would get lower and lower as time went on since she was so small. I was hoping that one of the neighbors who didn’t know us had found her and taken her in not knowing and that when Josh’s dad went back the next day he could somehow sort everything out and find her. Our chances seemed slimmer and slimmer, though.

The next day I went back to my second day at work, downtrodden and heartbroken. All my new coworkers were so nice and supportive about it and hoped that she would turn up. Some offered me cat carriers for when Josh would go back to get Reirei because they were confident he would have to because she’d be found.

Later that day, Josh texted me to let me know that Reirei was indeed safe and sound. I couldn’t believe it! Apparently she had NEVER left our little cottage. She was hidden behind the stove – the only thing left there. Josh didn’t think she was small enough to hide behind it but apparently she had wedged herself behind it and our other neighbor found her in there when he looked for her. Josh was true to his word and drove right back and got her. Over three hours each way. He opened up the cottage door and Reirei was sitting there on some blankets that our next door neighbor had brought over from their cat. She looked at him calmly as if nothing had happened and came up to him and started purring.

There’s never a dull moment. I’m glad she’s safe now. Well, she was actually always safe but I’m glad that we have her here with us now where she belongs. I don’t think my heart could have handled losing Reirei after moving and starting a new job this week as well as having to leave Moko in New York too. Maybe one day I’ll finally be able to get Moko over here too and the four of us can be one happy family!

1) What is one of your favorite ways to spend a Saturday?
riding bicycles (once I get a bicycle again)
playing video games
catching up on internet fun

2) List your top three favorite TV shows.
Arrested Development
Stargate SG-1
Doctor Who

3) Would you rather be in pictures or take them?
Take them! I really enjoy taking photos as is probably evident by my many photos in every blog post.

4) Why do you blog?
I enjoy life and I enjoy writing about life! It is a way for me to document certain things, as well as share them with others. Also, since I moved overseas, it is a way for me to still share with my family and friends about what is going on in my life while I am so far away.

5) Share five websites that you visit regularly.
Facebook
GoogleReader
Reddit
MyFitnessPal
Pinterest

6) If you could have lunch with one person from your Twitter list who would it be?
My best friend Kierstin who is back in New York. I miss her like crazy. @ifearthemoon

7) List a few of your favorite snacks.
greek yogurt and granola
carrots and hummus
cheese doodles
peanut butter and banana

8 ) Do you have a pet? If so, what kind?
Yes, two cats.

Moko, who is still in NY for the time being until we can get her to NZ.

Reirei, our new kitten.

9) Which three material possessions would you struggle to live without?
my glasses
my camera
my computer

10) What’s your favorite drink?
water

11) Do you enjoy cooking?
Yes but I am not as good as I want to be or think I am.

12) Do you have children?
Nope.

13) What are your favorite hobbies?
blogging
working out
singing
photography
playing video games

14) Would you consider yourself to be shy or outgoing?
I think I’m a pretty outgoing person, in general. There are certain situations where I can be a bit timid or quiet but I’m always still social and approachable.

15) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change?
Besides the obvious “oh my gosh, I want to lose more weight,” I would like to try to not make unrealistic or too many goals for myself. That could be an entire blog entry in itself.

16) Who is your favorite actor/actress?
I don’t really have one.

17) What’s the coolest thing you’ve done this week?
Move to a new town and start my new teaching job!

18) Do you live near your family or far from them?
FAR! I think I live about as far away from my family as someone can, unfortunately.

19) List three of your talents.
Singing.
Teaching.
Giving advice.

20) What is your greatest attribute?
My inherent belief in myself that does not come off as overconfidence but instead as optimism and a love of life that make other people happy when they are around me.

Look, I was doing horrible Facebook poses before Facebook even existed! Okay, you caught me… it was horrible MySpace pose. I’m so ashamed.

I was the same cheeky little bugger then, too. I haven’t changed too much except I had highlights in my hair and sometimes I wore a *little* makeup. By that, I mean a bit of lipgloss and some sparkly eyeliner. I still only own those two makeup products although I don’t really wear makeup much at all anymore. Oh, and I don’t have highlights anymore. My parents still beg me to get them back but I never really liked them anyway. The real reason? They’re too much work and I’m too lazy.

While I’m being all melancholy, here is a blog I wrote ten years ago. (Yes, I was blogging back then too. I’ve saved all the posts but I don’t have them here at caity.nu and you’ll see clearly why in a few short moments…)

midterms, anyone? [January 2002]

First of all, let me state that I’m going to kill my sister if she doesn’t turn off the crap SHE is playing on her radio… yep… my own sister is a bubble-gum-pop-freak.

UGH… it will probably change in 5 minutes anyway, why am I so excited?

How embarrassing. But probably hilarious.
How have you changed in the last 10 years?

We are almost all packed. At least we don’t have as many things as we did when we lived over in America in our apartment. We didn’t bring much with us when we moved over here to New Zealand so we only have what we have accumulated since living over here.

Packing made me think a lot about how, when we were packing last time, Moko was freaking out and climbing all over everything because she could really sense what was going on. It made me feel really bad again about leaving her back in New York especially now that we have Reirei. I don’t want to feel like we’re just replacing Moko because that’s not what we’re doing. I still can’t wait to have Moko back again so we can be one big happy family.

As much as I can’t wait for this whole move to be over with since I’m super stressed out and anxious about this entire week, another part of me wants to slow down and enjoy my time left here because I’ll really miss this place. It’s beautiful and I have really enjoyed it here more than anyplace I’ve ever lived since I’ve been out on my own in my short adult life so far. I know this time I’m not moving too far away – only 4 hours instead of across the world like last time – but I am pretty melancholy about leaving.

I’ll miss you, little cottage. You were good to us.

The view wasn’t bad either.

I can’t wait to see what else lies ahead, though. I bet it has the potential to be even better and that makes me so excited.

Long story short, at the end of last week, we decided that we had to have one of those kittens.

We just couldn’t help ourselves. Plus, when we are able to get Moko over to New Zealand (which we hope to do as soon as we can, still – this hasn’t changed anything in that respect) then she’ll have a new playmate!

So, we’d like you to meet Reirei. Rhymes with “Whee! Whee!” Which is probably appropriate because of how much energy this little kitten has.

Seriously. She’s CRAZY!
Ahem. Anyway.

We just love her to bits and we are so happy that we chose to get little Reirei.

Josh and I have a big week ahead of us. We are moving this week and I start my brand new teaching job. I’m all kinds of excited, anxious, and stressed. Not all stress is bad, though. Basically, it’s another big adventure and I just can’t wait for it to start! Now little Reirei can come, too! What a big adventure for a tiny little kitty!

My Facebook is going to explode this week:
GOT A NEW CAT NAMED REIREI
MOVED TO A NEW TOWN
MOVED INTO A NEW HOUSE
ENDED JOB AT SUPERMARKET DAIRY
STARTED A NEW JOB AS HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHER
CAITY IS FRIENDS WITH ALL HER NEW COWORKERS AND PEOPLE SHE JUST MET AHHHHHHH

Well, this time I was already off to a better start. I now had my own blood donor card which skips half the paperwork and the fuss and I also decided that I was going to drink loads of water before I went. I drank 2 and a half liters of water (that’s about 10 8oz glasses of water). Unfortunately, I didn’t think through the fact that I’d probably have to use the toilet quite frequently which I did. I’d rather have to run to the toilet a bunch of times instead of have someone play with the needle in my arm, though. Just because I’m giving blood doesn’t mean I enjoy having needles in my arm.

Being that it was my second donation, I earned a keychain that says my blood type on it and that I was a donor. Josh earned a t-shirt since he has donated over 10 times. Josh was upset because he is sure that he has donated way more times than 10 – he thinks he’s up to nearly 20 times. The lady said that this was quite possible since they had a problem with their databases a couple years ago and a bunch of people lost all their donation counts. I still think it’s nice that he donated 10 times and got a t-shirt, though!

When I finally got stuck with the needle, my blood actually squirted all over my arm and even onto my clothes. The nurse apologized but I was almost happy because I told her how much water I drank since I had so many problems last time so I was excited that my blood pressure was so high even if I did get a drop or two of blood on my clothes.

My excitement was short lived, though. The machine started beeping a couple minutes in to say that the pressure wasn’t good enough. Every couple minutes the lady was coming over trying to adjust the needle in my arm (which started to HURT – just leave the needle alone please, lady). In the end I was almost done so she just let the machine beep all the way until the end which meant my blood was draining slowly and the whole process was taking WAY longer than it should. It was very frustrating. Josh was done way before me and we started at the same time! He just got to eat more mints and cookies than me!

I guess it’s a small price to pay to be able to give some blood and help someone. They told me that this blood is going to be headed to Christchurch and will be there by tomorrow.

Josh and I went to get meat pies afterward (when there’s an excuse for meat pies, Josh always finds it) and we “argued” with each other about whose blood was better. Josh was joking that his blood is better since it’s more rare and only 2% of the population have B- blood. Mine is A+ which is the second most common blood type after O+. My little retort was that since more people have my blood type, it is more in need and more people need it so mine is the better blood! In the end we know that it it all important because even though 2% of the population may need his type of blood, only 2% of the donations will probably be that type and the same thing with mine so that it all evens out and works so long as a good portion of the population donates. So as long as we all always donate blood, we’re good. We have the weirdest conversations, don’t we?

When was the last time you donated blood? I’m going to try and do it more frequently now that I am able to do so here! I need to get up to 10 donations to get my t-shirt too!

Behind me, I heard a small child exclaim loudly yet politely, “Excuse me! Excuse me!”

As I usually do upon when hearing these words being that I work in a customer service environment, I turn around. Who knows, maybe the kid needed help finding a yogurt and her mother sent her over to ask me.

“Yes?”

The most adorable little girl in a frilly little sundress beamed back up at me. It looked like she dressed herself and did her own hair and she had sparkly stickers on her face.

She looked me straight in the eyes and said, “I love your headband!”

I didn’t know what to say. This little girl who couldn’t have been more than 3 or 4 years old had decided to compliment me all on her own. It was one of the nicest, sweetest things I had seen or heard in the longest time.

“Thank you SO much for telling me that. That was so nice of you!” I said kindly back to her.

She smiled at me again and skipped back to her mother who was halfway down the aisle.

What this little girl did made me realize how the small things that we do for people or say to people that only take mere seconds out of our day can mean so much. The next time I like someone’s headband, or hairstyle, or shoes, or skirt, or smile, I’m definitely going to tell them. I hope it brightens their day as much as this random little stranger brightened mine.

Just kidding. I still eat apples. I love apples. But then I went to take a cute picture of this little baby apple that Josh brought home for me from the orchard. I figured I’d put it in my hands so you could see the comparison of how small it really was. Then I realized what I was doing and I was disgusted with myself. So here’s my question: do you think “aww, what a cute little apple” or do you think “OMG TWILIGHT!” Be honest.