Spokane

We arrived in Spokane a little after 9 p.m. It was complicated getting our rental car. You hadn't read the fine print that said we would get an Impala----or comparable model. When the agent sent us out to the lot to find space M-35, we had quite a hike. M-35 was hard to find, and when we got there, it was a Kia Rondo. A what? Was it a full-size, an SUV, or what? We went back inside. She didn't have an Impala; I had already figured that out. But we weren't comfortable with the Rondo. So she offered us a Prius (or a Ford F-150 pickup). We went with the Prius. I had forgotten about frozen windshields. You were waiting for me up by the terminal, and I was scraping, scraping, and making no progress. I had managed to get the car started------as if that was going to be the biggest problem. The agent came out in her fluffy coat and offered to help. She taught me how to use a scraper and got me a better one from another car. I had the heater blowing full-blast, the ice was melting very, very slowly. You were calling on your cell. "Where are you?"

The hotel, for $70 a night, was fifteen minutes away. I wondered what it was we were going to get for that price. It was really nice! Our room had internet, TV, a refrigerator, a microwave, and the biggest king-size bed ever, There was a pool, a jacuzzi, a gym and a beautiful complimentary breakfast in the morning. I would like to stay there again, and remember to bring my bathing suit.

The next morning you were tired. After breakfast you went to sleep for two hours. I did the usual: called the front desk and asked to check out later. After a good workout on the elliptical trainer and recumbent bike, I woke you up right before noon so we could get to Beth and Mark's before dark. I knew we'd want to make a couple of stops on the way and we had to be prepared for anything that might happen on the road.

We got 47 miles per gallon in the Prius, stopped at Walmart, a liquor store, and Safeway, and make it to Porthill with twenty minutes of sunlight left.

You stayed up from noon until 9:30. Everyone remarked at how good you look. You are comfortable, you can eat whatever you want, your rash is starting to diminish, and you are getting plenty of rest. You are getting better and better. I continue to feel you will have more than a year left now.