Home for Snoopy

Well I am pleased to announce (and my cousin Jen would be happy to know) that Snoopy the Siamese cat found a home! I guess there were a lot of people raising awareness about his coming euthanasia and someone finally came forward saying they wanted to adopt him. How great is that?

But on the more "Jacquie's in New Zealand" side of things - I am starting to wind down and get busy on packing. I've sent home a box of my books already (very expensive) and today was my first official goodbye to a few girls that I probably won't see before I leave. My friends Madeleine and Abby, who I met shortly before coming home for the wedding, were in town to visit Madeleine's parents and so I went to have lunch at their place.

They said I'm welcome to come visit them before I leave, if I get the time (which I'm sure I want to, but am not so sure about whether or not I can), and they also promised me to send me care packages with Tim Tams. How fun is that?

I told the kids at youth group the other night that these are my last 4 weeks. Most of them were comfortable with the news at first because they immediately assumed I was coming back. They all sort of piped up and said "Aww for how long? You're coming back right?". It was a difficult thing to choke out "Well, no. Not in the too-near future. I still have school to finish." They were really quiet after that (a first-time occurance in a LONG time! hehe), but weren't too gutted about it, it seems. So that's good - I don't want it to be difficult for them (yet I don't really want it to be too easy for them either...that would be sad).

So it's official - most people are aware of my coming departure date. They are asking what I plan to do and what I'm doing before I leave. I have a feeling I'll be getting a lot of lunch and/or tea invites. Then again maybe I shouldn't say that because I'll be expecting something that might not happen...

I also have a feeling that with the year-end sleepover coming up, I will end up working more hours than I have left to work - which would be good cause I could use a little overtime to help with the financial situation.

It'll be weird to go home and work and live with my brother and be able to see my friends. I'm sure that it'll take me a little time to get out of Kiwi mode. I'll have to remember what things I used to cook myself for meals when I was living on my own - as I'm so used to the food Rae cooks that I forget what else is out there that I used to eat when I was cooknig for myself! I'll of course have a bit of an adjustment period with driving on the proper side of the road and car - especially when coming in and out of driveways. That tends to be my weakness; not knowing what side of the drive way to be on or which way to look first to turn out (ask my cousin Libby about that - she'll tell you a fun story about me almost getting us sideswiped when I was home for the wedding). And of course, it'll take me some time to finally adjust to not getting to watch McLeod's Daughters every Thursday night. I know that sounds lame coz it's a stupid TV show but now it holds sentimental value to me. *sniff sniff*

Well those are my mushy thoughts for the day. I have plenty of packing and cleaning to do so I might as well get started on it. For, as they say, three and a half weeks will be up before I know it. Crazy.

I'm coming home. :) (!!!!!!!)