Cats and Our First Typhoon

No way has it already been a month since we left San Diego! At least it sure doesn't feel like it. It specifically feels more like a state of perpetual vacation--like we'll be returning to San Diego any day now. I know that's not true but sometimes I like to pretend it is. I think that the vacation feeling is mostly due to the fact that we're still using all of the military loaner furniture--that and the whole tropical weather and humidity piece, of course. Once our household goods get here I think we'll begin to feel a little more settled. Maybe. Either way I'm sure it will exponentially help to help feel more completely settled in.

Brian has been working away, seeing clinic and studying for his upcoming boards exam. I have been working away in a different manner: setting up our house, running errands, taking care of paperwork, and sending out job applications--I hope to start subbing at the Department of Defense schools here on base shortly to help keep me busy until a full-time teaching position or something similar opens up. There are moments when I'm knee-bouncingly antsy to get out of the house, see people, do something! (Which I go and do--but I mean more in terms of work). And then there are times when it's almost meditative to be able to read a little, to be able to study some Japanese, to be free to run out to the store to buy the lawn mower/mixing bowls/plunger/"fill in random item that we need but don't currently have because we either had to give it away or it hasn't arrived yet."

Luckily the cats made it here safe and sound to keep us/me company, which some of you are already well aware of if we're Snapchat friends (sorry not sorry for all the cat pics/videos guys. I love these furballs!) They arrived on the 21st and have been adjusting well to the new place. Their travel itinerary had them going from San Diego ➡️ Los Angeles ➡️ Tokyo/Haneda ➡️ Iwakuni ➡️ Okinawa so now they are quite the experienced jet setters! We shipped them through Sarah's Pet Paradise, which I would recommend to anyone needing to send pets overseas--they were great and there was a person flying along with the pets to get them from check point to check point, and even through customs, without much hassle. They even sent/posted pictures of the pets along the way so us concerned pet owners could see that they were still alive and well!

The kitties upon their arrival in Okinawa. They don't seem as happy to see me as I was to see them. 

Tigre looks super over it and has resigned to his fate of imminent death approaching; 

Patches is anxious to figure out what all the noises are 

and whether or not there are shadows that need to be attacked.

I seriously think that they thought they were going to die en route so by the time they got to us they were just happy to be alive. They got out and immediately started exploring. Their stay at Rachel's prepared them for a new home with stairs, so they were pretty willing to explore both upstairs and downstairs from the get go. They weren't big fans of the bare floors though so they were flopping on the bed and the chairs until we bought some area rugs to fill a couple of the voids.

Exploring their new digs. 

I can just hear Patches being all like, "Hey Tig! Come on, let's go explore!" and him being like, "Ugh, fine. I somehow made it through that plane ride without dying so this can't be much worse." 
That Tigre...he's such a butt sometimes.

There was also an initial fiasco with the new litter box that resulted in a pee-soaked Tigre butt racing around our bedroom, leaving wet booty marks all over our nice new floor, and culminating in our poor buddy receiving the further trauma of a never-before-received bath. But he survived that too, much to his surprise, and is now being the lovey-est cat he has ever been! Cuddling up with us, wanting to be petted and not running away, and following us from room to room. I think he's afraid that we'll abandon him or put him on a plane again. We won't, buddy. At least not for the next three years.

I mean, look at how cute he is! So happy to be back with his people! 

Patches looks pretty darn content, too.

In other non-cat related news, we "survived" our first typhoon here on island. And by survived I mean that Brian got to stay home from work, and we got to build a bunch of toys and drink all the chu-hais we had stocked up for the occasion. Typhoon Goni could have been much much worse had it come closer to the island, but as it was he ended up being mostly just a large, extra windy storm. A thankful outcome for all involved. No trampolines flew past our window, no one lost power, and our sandbags kept our trash cans in place. A big win overall. I wish there was more to say about it, but really that's about it. Typhoon season lasts into November though, so we'll keep you posted if anything big comes through our way.

Filling up sandbags to be typhoon ready!

Alright, that's it for now friends. We miss you and would love to hear from you/Facetime with you if you're ever free! Afternoons/evenings in your U.S. time zones are best for us as they are our morning time. Take care!  xoxo Maureen