Hey You!

I'm stoked. My first two schools tomorrow got cancelled so that means....SLEEP IN TOMORROW!! YAY!
It has been a crazy week. I took the weekend to lay around and be sick, drowning my exhaustion in cough syrup and sleeping till the wee hours of the afternoon. I was feeling much better Monday morning and I'm feeling 100% today. WRAC opened the new play area/pool and its really AWESOME! A few of the other teachers and I went in there after our shift yesterday to play with all the kids and they just attacked us. The area has water guns and cannons, waterfalls, shower heads, water from the ceiling, even a HUGE fish tank. It is pretty amazing for a pool.
Because WRAC opened the new pool they also increased the depth in our teaching pool (from 2 feet to about 4 feet). I have to admit, even though I learned how to originally teach in deeper water, I was really nervous. However, my kids did great!! They swam better then they had in weeks and I was really impressed.
I'm really thrown off with my seasons. It's still really warm here but on my walk home today and took a big breath of fresh air and got excited for Spring! OPPS! I then remembered that autumn is just around the corner. 2008 is going to be a really screwy year for me. Summer in January, Autumn in April, Spring in May, and then Summer again in June!!! AAAHHH!!!
At the moment I'm just antsy to get home and move on with my life. I realized I've been doing the swim teaching thing for almost 10 years and I can't wait for the day where I don't need to say "Blow Bubbles", "Straight legs, point toe kickers", "Nice, big arms" 692 times a day and to actually have a job where I talk to adults, my skin doesn't smell like pool chemicals, and my hair isn't fried! I have 7 weeks till my Dad arrives and 11 weeks till I'm home. YAY!

It's only Wednesday?!?!

Basically I've been going non-stop for the last three days. Just today I taught for 6 hours in the water. This on top of a cough that I'm still fighting is EXHAUSTING. I'm seeing about 500+ kids a week and next week the water level rises from 2 feet 7 inches to almost 4 feet. It's going to be real interesting to teach in deep water. (Especially for with our Schools program, which is about 9 kids per class)
It's also been pretty nuts at home, with Cathy's daughter and grand-daughter now living here (I actually share my room with Tia, the daughter, now). It's going to take some getting use to considering I really like a quiet home life and its pretty crazy when I get home at 6pm. However, we all take turns cooking one night a week and there's also a really cute kitten involved. That's right! I'm having my first experience living with a cat. His name is Jack and he's actually really cute. Total trouble....but adorable. Currently he's chasing a fly around the livingroom.

But I'm off to bed. I really need it!

Happy V-day!

Just wanted to send out a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to all my loved ones out in the world. I'm really NOT into this holiday and I was more excited that it was $PAY DAY$ when I woke up this morning, but I realized...it's a holiday for anyone you love. Cathy and I are vegging out in front of the TV, drinking tea. Great Valentine's day!
The pool has been nuts this past week. We've had about 28 schools come in this week and just getting all those kids swim tested and in classes has been mind draining. This is on top of my teaching in the afternoon. I have been going NON-stopped every day from 9am-6pm. I even forgot to eat lunch today (I know what you are thinking "Casey?!?! Miss a MEAL?!?!"). It also doesn't help that I'm feeling like crude (sore throat/headache). Don't worry, Mum...I've upped my vitamins, pumping in the liquids, and trying to get as much sleep as I can. At least it's almost the weekend.
The weather is also cooling down. It's been cloudy and windy the last week (which make it so bad to be stuck indoors all day) and I'm really hoping that an Indian Summer is on the verge of emerging!

*HUGS*

We're jammin'! And I hope you like jammin' too!

Happy Whatangi Day!! (aka New Zealand Independence Day)
I just got back from the "One Love" reggae festival and it was really cool. We had about 8 people in our group and we all brought snacks and just jammed all day. The music was really good, really mellow. The weather was amazing. Sunny, slight breeze...especially compaired to yesterday of cold, windy, rainy.
It was held at a stadium right across the street from my house so it was an easy walk when it started this morning at 11am. They had clothing, food, and Jamanican vendors and had a new band play every hour. I splurged on a ivory knit, rasta-looking beanie. (It's not like I need a new t-shirt!)
I start work on Monday at 9am. I work every day now, M-F from about 9-6pm. (reminder: no more Raumati. I'm strictly a WRAC employee now) I'm teaching preschool, school age, flippaball, water polo, refereeing polo games, swim squad, and training about 3 new instructors...so I will be one busy girl for 10 weeks straight.

Better then Buffett?!?

Even the fact that I utter those words, you know it was a good time!

I went out last night to celebrate New Zealands win of the Sevens tournament and a costume was a must! Being that I wasn't thinking "which costume should I take with me?" when I was packing, I threw on my famous sock monkey pajamas with matching slippers, drawn on freckles, and hair in pigtails....instant sleepy, little girl! (Which was a smart idea because I had people telling me all night I looked really comfortable...Go me.)
The officals closed down our main street, Courtney Place, and set up a stage at one end that had a cover band playing all night. The street was packed with costumed kiwi's!!! It was INSANE! I've never seen anything like this my life.
In October I stated that New Zealand doesnt really celebrate Halloween....well, this is as close as they get and it blows it out of the water!!! It isn't just one day of dress-up. It's 48 hours!

"Seven? Seven of what???"

There is a HUGE international tournament this weekend going on at the stadium. It's called "Sevens" and the games consist of two 7 minute halves and its just continuous rugby. But that is not the strange part. The city has gone CRAZY!! People dress up for the games in weird costumes (Spartans, cat woman, angels, Speedos, farmers and animals, etc) and they just dance and party for the whole weekend. I am avoiding town tonight because it's suppose to be NUTS!! It sounds like something I would have totally been into if I only had known what SEVENS was 3 weeks ago! I would have gone in a parrot costume. At least it would have been my dedication to Jimmy Buffett. (It's also really weird having Rugby teams come in. I met the Hong Kong team today....and they were all Caucasian. Go figure!)

The Elvis Impersonation concert last night was a total blast and not as cheesy as one might seem. There were 3 backup singers and 11 piece band to back up the kiwi-pelvis shaker! The weather has been in the high 70s/low 80's during the day and really clear and warm at night so it was nice to lay on a blanket, laughing with my friends, and listen to all the hits of "Elvis". The humorous part of the whole evening was "Elvis" pawning off his tribute album to the audience. I couldn’t help but giggle as I stated "....or you could just go to the Borders bookstore up the street and get the real one!" It was truly a great evening!

Cathy and I are also trying to walk at night and she has taken me to some amazing views over looking the city. It's a really good work out and at least there is a reward at the end!

Last, I am officially done with the Holiday Program. I am no longer a babysitter!!! WEEEE!! I start my last term here in NZ on February 11th and will end on April 17th (I'm taking the 18th off to pick my dad up from the airport and celebrate his BIRTHDAY!!! Cool!)

Now I must depart and go explain baseball to my roomies so they can understand the movie "Fever Pitch" and why this movie was so awesome and the whole curse of the Red Soxs. BYE!