Home

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Family fluttered around us like bugs to a lightbulb once we walked out of immigration and into the arrivals hall. Ok that was just my mother who was very excited. My grandmother mentioned something about cake and lemon meringue pie. Corb was calculating how long it would take him to get to GP Store to collect his Nintendo and whether he would make it before closing time. All sorts of other things were going on but I barely noticed.

Home looked just the same. Dad fixed the tap in the kitchen, but put it on backwards. I tried to turn it off and got covered in water.

Zoe (the dog) seems a lot older than when I left her; her face is mainly grey and she sounded one of those men in a World War One movie who has been shot in the lung and is uttering his last breaths. She wheezes a lot and I'm scared she maybe may not last much longer. But she still smiles like she used you, and nothing will stop her sitting beside me at mealtimes, hoping for a taste of whatever I'm eating.

The first shower I had was fantastic. I went out and bought things like face wash, shampoo and conditioner. I smelled clean again, I had clean clothes to put on afterwards.

Waking up has been a bit confusing this week - I dream I'm in other places that we've been in this past year, doing normal everyday things that aren't normal or everyday things anymore. It's odd.

Catching up with family and friends has been great though, and we've still got loads of people to catch up with which I'm really looking forward to. All Corb's family are back in Auckland for Christmas so it should be huge and lots of fun. Alastair has organised for a bunch of us to go away for New Years - and we get to go this time cos for once we're not working or saving like mad.

It's gonna be a great summer and I can't wait.

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