Wednesday, September 08, 2010

24/7




It has been, for the last month or so, nothing but exchange students all day long. And not the fun stuff either. It has been calling for host families and getting no's; talking to families that you think will host and then two weeks later (time I DO NOT have) they decide not to; in one case signing up a family and then getting a call saying that one of their references had talked them out of hosting 3 days before the student's arrival. And paperwork, lots of paperwork. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel seems to be very long. And I have signed several up for classes and filled out lots of school forms and get bus passes and move students around and...and....and. There wasn't even any time to take them to the Toppenish Indian Museum and Miner's. So it was great to get out of town and not do anything. To just watch the waves come in on the Oregon Coast. To sit in the mountains while everyone else rides the ski lift up and slides down the mountain.

Came home from that, unpacked, paid attention to the dog, then it was off to the airport for the last time to pick up the Dutch kid. He arrived at 10:00 pm. He had been able to sleep a little on the airplane, but basically went right to sleep when he got to our house. Woke up at 5:45 because the school wants him there at 7:00 and we have to pick up another student. Picked him up from school (where he did not fall asleep in class) at 2:40, drove around for a couple hours scoping out bus stops for three students and buying bus passes. Bought a backpack, tried to change money. Picked up our other student, came home, made dinner, ate, did homework and then he started to read. This picture was taken approximately 24 hours after he arrived. That is how he woke up at 6:30 the next morning.