Happy New Year

We "weathered" the Christmas holiday and are now waiting on the weather to head south!!

There was a window of opportunity on 12/24 to allow us to get to Colleen's for Christmas Eve and Christmas day, and to get home again on the 26th. Curt, Cinda and Linea canceled their plans to go to Spokane because of weather, so they joined us on Christmas Eve for our traditional fondue, pickled herring and Aquavit. Holidays are meant to be spent with friends and family.

Joel and Shawna were married in spite of the weather. Instead of 90 guests, there were about 45. I hurried and mailed the candy wedding favors, but alas, they were one day late, so the family has been munching on them.

Here is my favorite story about the wedding we couldn't attend:

Early in December, I booked a hotel room for two nights thinking we would be in Spokane for the wedding. It was just a Super 8 on Argonne Road, but it took pets and they were offering a two-night special. However, the setup for their website tends to pull you along, and when all is said and done, the reservation cannot be changed, canceled or refunded. Arrrgggh!!

In a moment of blinding intelligence, I called Mike and Joel and told them the room was there and paid for if someone attended the wedding and then wanted to stay over, or couldn't get back home because of the weather. So, the bride and groom stayed there the night of their wedding. Sheesh, had I known that, I would have opted for a bit higher-end place. I think Shawna's family was staying at their house, and Joel and Shawna left on 12/25 for a honeymoon cruise to Mexico, so Super 8 it was for their wedding night. I love it.

BTW, I am asking everyone to boycott Super 8 motels and all Wyndham properties due to their deceitful marketing practices. In fact, when I called the motel about it, the receptionist said they had had others complaint about the same thing.

Jeff and Bev were here for their annual post-Christmas visit, and we did the usual: sleep in, play Boggle, and eat and drink at our leisure. Bev and I also did a bit of quilting.

Our goal had been to leave here yesterday for warmer climes, but the flooding has delayed our departure. I-5 has a 20-mile stretch around Centralia/Chehalis that has been closed since Wednesday afternoon because it is flooded, and now it is due to be open to trucks later today. We couldn't go west toward Aberdeen and pick up 101 because of road closures between here and there.

But we now have no excuse for forgetting anything since we have had two extra days to take care of last minute details.

Craig and Cassie narrowly escaped a repeat of last year's flooding. The water came to within inches of the floor of the house but didn't come inside. They had some lead time so were able to move furniture up off the floor in the event of flooding. The outside yard is littered with anthing and everything that can float, but that is better than mud and water inside.

I saw the surgeon on Tuesday and got a thumbs up. In fact the fusion site shows healing that would be at the four-month time frame rather than two, so I am pleased. I have been armed with all sorts of exercises by the physical therapist to keep me on track this winter, and I am looking forward to pleasant walking weather.

The next blog should be from some other state than Washington!! Ciao