It's not a cry you can hear at night, it's not somebody who's seen the light...

It is 5:40 am and I am still awake (I do, in part, blame shatters for this, but only lovingly!!) and I feel the need to state again what beautiful women I live with. Inside and out. I am so lucky, my god.

It's a Lesbian Flat of Doooooom full of loooovveeee! So thank you to both of you. ♥ forever.

And there is cat hair all over my keyboard because Ariadne is shedding like the dickens, but she's adorable and on me and I love her too!

I love my friends. And risotto. And moscato, which has made me quite a little tipsy wheee sparkling wine. And now Ali and Alina are watching Coraline and the Neil Gaimaness is making me smile. And I am going to Leah come to Vienna with me some day despite what she says. Just as an aside.

Coraline's hair is blue and that's awesome.

My cat is silly.

Oh maaaaan my head is floaty :D Which clearly means I should write a bunch of scenes...

1. Last aftershock I felt was at about 8 this morning.

2. Big one (5.somethingorother) at 3 am had me jumping out of bed like I was rocket-powered.

3. The buses are running but it doesn't help that the real time map ISN'T. At least they're going though. And my favourite busdriver is not only okay, but cheerful as ever he was.

4. Shops are still out of some stuff, but managed to get everything I wanted, including half-price Pepsi WHEEEEEEEEOMG

5. What kind of cat doesn't like tuna? She doesn't like tuna or chicken or steak. She likes dry cat food and cheese (not...together...). What did she eat before the cat rescue people picked her up?! Wild dry cat food she caught with her mad hunting skillz?! I swear to sonny Jim my cat is munted. I love her the most anyway. She's adorable and when I poke her she scolds me <3

6. Tunnnaaaa mmmeellltttsssssss

7. Tonight I am making chili and relaxing and I like it that way.

8. This guy on the bus had the BEST accent and it made me smile.

9. Random people I don't even know at the bus stops are asking me how I fared. Dear Christchurch, I love you.

10. I <3 you all too :D

Every hour and a half to two hours (if we're lucky and even get that long of a reprieve) there's an aftershock. When I was sleeping, I kept waking up and then a few seconds later there would be one. And then, just a minute ago I was like "Oh, one is coming" and then one did. It's weird. Luckily they have been less intense than the one that woke me up from my nap and sent Ariadne under the sofa yesterday. That was was a 5.0 Still...stop pls. I may have missed the big one, but these are still disconcerting.

They feel weird in this house. Like someone is jumping around in the far end of the house and then travelling towards you, still jumping, until they jump under you and then pass you by. It's like it actually travels throughout. So strange.

And I was going to go on a walk, but it's windy! Maybe later. I want to check on the cemetery and Alison's library. I'd like to not get blown away though.

Safely back in Christchurch! The neighbourhood around here is pretty unscathed, minus a few chimneys and some brand spanking new pavement cracks. But they're incredibly minor. Compared to the damage down town (which I have not seen in person and am content to leave it that way) it's nothing. At least nothing really visible. Some of the sand from the water table has shaken up through the grass around the place which is just WEIRD to see. Tomorrow I might take a walk to the cemetery to see how it fared. Half of those older plots are crumbling into the ground anyway.

Alison's amazingly wonderful parents came to pick me up from the airport (complete with hugs! See, THAT is how to pick people up at the airport) and they brought me back here. They said our wine glasses miraculously stayed on our shelves! Apparently there was one of the tiny glasses on the floor and it was unbroken! In my room, one of my candles was knocked over and that was it. My closet doors had opened so I closed them, but otherwise, nothing. I cleaned up the DVDs, but only my Star Trek and Leah's Farscape ones fell and I checked them all and they are absolutely fine. None of them even came out of their boxes. I checked the knick-knacks on your bookshelf, Leah, to make sure they hadn't scattered. Rescued a few from behind the bookshelf! And I've rescued Alison's laptop from her room, just in cases. AND I went shopping with Peter and Alina (who are also amazing) so I don't have to eat the earthquake rations. Glad those are there though, because I meant I had something to eat before the shopping trip happened. Canned pumpkin soup, yo.

Now I am boiling water and letting it cool so I can refrigerate it. We have to use the boiled water for everything, including doing the dishes, so even though we had water rations, I'm doing more.

And since this is probably not interesting to anyone but me... I'll shut up. Ariadne is glad to see me, though. She hasn't left me alone since I got home. She was NOT glad about the aftershock this afternoon. It woke me up and then she let out an annoyed yowl and pouted under the sofa. She's my brave little trooper ;) Much more dramatic than Jane's, "Oh go away now!" reaction to the aftershock that happened while I was having lunch over there. I enjoyed that. That's enough now, plate tectonics. Calm down, we all know you're upset. Let's talk about this instead, hmm?

EDIT: Two aftershocks in the space of five minutes. Since returning at 8 this morning I have felt like five of the things. And slept through more, probably. Considering there have been about 50, this is minor but I'm still impressed.

Last night when I was downloading today's class notes I had a strange feeling the class would be cancelled. I checked my email to make sure there was no message there saying "no class, lol!" but there was only one saying what we would be going over. Still feeling weird about it, I downloaded the notes and went to bed. I woke up this morning and checked the email AGAIN just to be sure and then I printed the notes out. When I got to the Social Work building (well...when people started arriving at 8:45 since I am always the first one) I joked with my friend Diana that I had thought the class would be cancelled. We all piled into the classroom at nine and waited. And waited. Twenty minutes later the admin assistant checked her messages and found one from the lecturer that had been sent at 7 AM saying he wasn't coming in.

You should have seen the look Diana gave me. :O!!!!!!!! It was hilarious. So then she ran around telling EVERYONE I had known at 8:45 and I was like "don't overstate it or anything. If I had really known, I wouldn't BE HERE right now". It was still freaking amusing.

I could have slept in! Blarg. But this way I got to turn in my enrolment form for the medical centre so the trip wasn't wasted and at least it's over now, instead of me putting it off until 4 in the afternoon.

I am going to have My Girls withdrawal when I leave the country tomorrow. And now Leah can't even come to the airport with me! I will be strong and pretend I am not leaving until I am heading onto the plane...

Why can't I bring my girls and my kitty to the US?! Three weeks is like FOREVERS!

/over-dramatic ;)

Why do you make me question my sexuality, Aragorn. It's rude. Stop being so attractive when you're dirty. And penis-having. I do not appreciate this confusion.

So...obviously I am watching Return of the King (had to be one of the three) and the kitten was watching intently, but now she is asleep against my leg and twitching which is really weird.

Oh...oh god, Billy Boyd is about to sing. Oh this song. Leah and I had to stop and watch it. We've already spent the movie wailing and she watched it two weeks ago!

One week til I head to the US! I have to leave my Ali and my Leah behind. And my Ariadne. I am not pleased with this. And when I get back, the kitty will be here, but Ali and Leah will be at Leah's dad's house in Nimbin and so I won't see them for three weeks. *clings*

Separatiionnn iisssuueesss.

My cat's breath smells like cat food. True story. :(

It's 3:30 in the morning. I should be in bed. Clearly.

(If the movie doesn't make Leah cry, this icon will...)

My kitten is actually sirtting on my face. I'm in ebd. Why does she think I eant this?@?@?!

Oh she moved. A little. Now she's on my cheek. This is weird and new. But warm!

In my living room is a collection of some of my fav peeps. It's Alison's birthday too! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALISON! One half of the bestest housemates evar. I gave her presents and we watched some Lord of the Rings movies! And we played LOTR Trivial Pursuit and her brother Sam kicked bottom. ("I can see your bottom!") Tomorrow is a breakfast fry up and that will be lovely.

I ♥ New Zealand

Spent the last two weeks with Darclady and had a fantastic time. We went to the BEACH! In the RAIN! It was freaking awesome, yo.

Tonight included Woot, Chili and Rent. Three of my favourite things! Good times, good times.

Tomorrow I am hennaing my hair and watching the movie version of Rent again. For now, I am role-playing with my Leah, the kitten is curled up beside me, the house is warm, and I am full and happy. Content and peaceful is such a lovely thing to feel.

LMAO! Leah JUST walked into the room and we had this conversation...

Leah: I would so blow a bee.
Me: .... ..... ...what!?
Leah: I said I would so blow a bee!
Me: ..... *dies*

Yeah, she just had some of Darclady's honey.

My lovely Leah has successfully brought down the tone of my 'I LOVE EVERYTHING EVER IN THE WORLD' post, but that is how it works in the LFoD. Which is why I love it so damn much.

It's only July and already I'm all sad I'll be leaving my kitty for two weeks in August. My little Ariadne. I don't wanna :(

She's curled up on me right now, watching the mouse with intense fascination and it's adorable and darnit why can't I take her with me!!? Murgh. I lost a cat once and a piece of my heart went with her. I tend to get hyper about this now. Wah.

( Ariadne says o_0 )

She seems less concerned ;)