I can SEE! And other stuff...

I can see! WHA-HOO! Other than a residual fog that will fade in the days to come, I can see all the way across the street! I opted for the clearest distance vision I could get rather than the mono-vision option, (one eye for distance, one eye for close), so reading glasses are going to be the norm for me. I had to use them all the time with my contacts anyway, so no big deal. I've been wearing glasses/contacts for 30 years - and today feels like freedom! I'm so excited! My vision was bad enough that I could not see Eric's face across the dinner table without correction, but now! And I can read clocks in the middle of the night!


Eric and I at the trail head.


Me, Heather and Riley on top of the library.

In other news, Riley is 20 today. We spent the weekend visiting him at WSU, and we had a wonderful time. We met up with fellow blogger and runner Scott on Saturday morning for a nice run along the Chipman trail. Okay, I ran with the guys for about a mile, then they took off . I logged eight miles, they got in 11. It was cold but beautiful in a Palouse kind of way - rolling hills, farms, dry fields and snow along the sides.


Along the trail.

After our run we met Riley and Heather for breakfast, then spent the day walking all over the WSU campus. Seriously, we probably walked four miles as we toured. WSU is a pretty cool place - I could live there easily! Eric and I went for a run together the next morning in a frigid wind. We ran to the trail head, then along the trail for a mile, then veered off to see the grizzlies at the university research center. After that, we found a road that we guessed would take us to the heart of campus (it did) and eventually back to the hotel. Another breakfast with Riley, then it was time to say good-bye. Why doesn't that get any easier? I know he's doing well and having fun, but, it's hard to leave each time.


Scott and Sadie


Grizzly research center

We left Pullman and headed for Couer D'Alene Idaho. Eric had business the next day in Sandpoint, and Monday was a holiday for me, so we rolled it into one trip. We spent the afternoon kicking back, then drove to the Spokane Valley to meet my brother and sister-in-law for dinner. We had a great and relaxing evening with them, then back to CD'A for the night. We drove to Sandpoint the next morning, where I wandered around the shops while Eric worked. We headed out of town around noon, and started for home, where we arrived seven and a half hours later. Total mileage for the weekend: 906. We certainly did our part for the economic stimulus this weekend! Hotels, gas, restaurants, one new pair of running shoes and a new pair of tights. (Oh, and let's not forget to add the cost of eye surgery in.) Hope it helps! After three weekends away, it's going to be nice to stay home for a few.

Next up is the Yours Truly 50K this weekend. This is a world-wide 50K that can be done anywhere you want, any time on the 22nd. We have set up a course on our beloved Orting Trail (okay, real name is Foothills Trail, but for the longest time only the Orting section was done, and that name stuck). We'll have about 10 runners out there, with Eric and a couple of other runner friends (Rick, Monica, Mike) offering support. Should be fun!