Reverend Ref +

TODAY IS THE BIG DAY

No, I'm not talking about the Conference Championships, which happen tomorrow btw, but today is the day we pick up the foreign exchange student. Everything here is all set. We've got The Kid's room cleaned out and reorganized. Closet space and dresser space has been made. A bed has been borrowed and set up. Mrs. Ref felt sorry for the girl, so she bought an electric blanket. She also framed some pictures of the girl's family that were sent to us to give her side of the room a "homey" feel. And The Kid placed some mints on her pillow.

Today, though, I feel sorry for this girl. Her first flight from Small Brazilian Airport to Big Brazilian Airport was at 2 p.m. local time yesterday. Then she flew from Big Brazilian Airport to Big U.S. Airport from 11 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. As I write this, she is in the air, flying from Big U.S. Airport to Small U.S. Airport, having left at 8 a.m. local time and arriving at 10 a.m. She will then leave Small U.S. Airport to Butte at 11:30 and arrive around 12:30.

All of her flights have been on time so far, nobody has e-mailed or called to say that she missed a flight, and there haven't been any reports of plane crashes, so this is all good.

The plan is that we'll pick her up at 12:30, grab some lunch, make the hour trek back home, and then put her to bed. I'm thinking I'll let her sleep through church tomorrow. She's going to need it . . . school starts bright and early Monday morning.