Glenholme School during last year's Fill the Bus - there has been lots of hard work aiming to make the 'Fill The Bus' campaign possible and safe this year. Photo / NZME
OPINION
In life there are a number of milestone moments from first day at school, to birthdays, marriage and kids.
Last weekend my wife Katie and I ticked off another milestone in our lives as we have now officially reached the 'empty nest' stage.
Our daughter Destiny has been living in Wellington for the past two years, and now our son Joel has left home and moved away with his partner to Palmerston North.
It is one of those really weird human moments isn't it; should you be sad or happy?
Mixed emotions for sure, but we're excited about the next stage of life, as well as the cheaper food and power bills!
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With that recent change to our personal situation, we have had a few people ask us if we are going to look at moving house anytime soon.
Honestly I could think of nothing further from my mind right now.
In fact it is the complete opposite with the chance now to do some improvements and updates around the house, and to enjoy the house we built and the home we turned it into, with all the stuff we need.
We certainly count ourselves very lucky to be where we are, and with friends only just starting or not even close to buying their own home, we can see the harsh reality of getting on the home ownership ladder.
Some people never will, and it is those who need some help too.
They will rely on investors to provide rental properties, and these people are being driven away from the market by rules and regs.
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While the children have now gone, we still have our furry kids!
We have four cats, and like most pet owners, we're not adverse to pulling out the phone (or camera) and taking a picture of one of them doing something cute and adorable, or maybe just a little stupid.
If you're like us, there is now a new excuse to pull out your smartphone and snap a photo: it could actually help your cat.
Calgary, Alberta animal health technology company, Sylvester.ai, has developed an app called "Tably" that uses the phone's camera to tell whether Fluffy is feeling pain.
After the owner takes a picture, the app looks at ear and head position, eye-narrowing, muzzle tension, and how whiskers change to detect distress.
A 2019 study found that the so-called 'feline grimace scale' is a reliable tool for acute pain assessment in cats.
It is hoped that the app could also one day be used to train young veterinarians.
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In this crazy world of 2021, we're seeing events cancelled left, right and centre, and sadly this has included many Christmas parades across Aotearoa.
This is because under current alert levels gatherings of more than 100 people can't occur in public spaces.
However, here in Rotorua our local organisers deserve some real kudos for thinking outside the box as they have moved our parade to the International Stadium, which as an events venue can have unlimited numbers as long as scanning in and social distancing happens.
What great thinking!
So it is still on the same date (Saturday, December 4) but will now be an evening event with gates open from 7pm and parade at 8pm. All the details are on our website: thehits.co.nz
On a similar note, we've been working hard to make our annual 'Fill The Bus' campaign happen safely.
It was close to being called off, but knowing how important this is for the needs of our community and the Salvation Army Foodbank, we have pulled out all the stops to make it happen.
We will be announcing all the details next week.
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Paul Hickey is the host of the local Rotorua show on The Hits Rotorua weekdays between 9am and 3pm. Listen on 97.5FM or download the iHeartRadio app. Follow The Hits Rotorua and Paul on Facebook and Instagram.
The wishing tree appeal is in its 31st year and the need for it 'has never been greater'.