10/19/2015-
I had run hard to get us to Coeur d’Alene Idaho to celebrate Crystal’s birthday. We had two days without the worries of running, securing lodging, or putting on an event. The locals all mentioned that we were fortunate to have warm weather. After sleeping in at the Tamarack RV Resort, we had a couple hours before check in time at the Days Inn Hotel. We decided to walk around the downtown area next to the lake.
The first order of business was to put some food into our system. We discovered a cute little sushi place in the heart of downtown. It was named Kaiju (Strange Monster). All their specialty rolls were named after the villains from the Godzilla movies. Their manager Fawn was kind enough to donate lunch. The wasabi was strong and I put a generous amount of it into my soy sauce. I dipped my veggie tempura rolls into my mixture and sharp sensation shot through my nose. I ate bites of ginger in between rolls to keep the nose calm. Crystal went with a rainbow roll. Her hand was much lighter with the wasabi.
Even though it was Crystal’s birthday weekend, I was allowed to stop in to Fleet Feet Sports, across the street from the restaurant. I wanted to take a look at some new running shoes. Mine were rapidly disintegrating. It felt like just yesterday I had received three new pairs. The terrain tore through my shoes in a big way. I did my best to go on my footwear as long as possible and I was ready to try and power through to Seattle. But, we were blessed to have gone into the shop at the same time the owner was there. Garth Merrill had the body and disposition of a runner. He looked to me a little bit like Steve Kerr the coach of the Golden State Warriors. I told him about our foundation and everything we were doing on the Great Reading Run. His son Beau happened to be in the shop at that moment. The cute little youngster was fascinated by all the Halloween decorations. Crystal gave Beau a set of stickers to match the holiday and Garth donated several sets of running shoes to help us along. It couldn’t have happened at a better time. I had quietly prayed for a little push to keep us moving forward and it finally came.
My time ended and Crystal’s time began the moment we stepped out of the store. Random conversations filled the air. Families played in the park and couples walked on the streets. Despite the dwindling funds in my bank account, I wanted to make sure Crystal had a great birthday. We strolled through various shops to find something she might like. I had already purchased a couple small gifts but I figured it would be nice for her to choose something as well. I saw her gravitate towards a few tiny trinkets but we didn’t purchase anything at that moment. The idea that we had time for ourselves set in and we remembered that we could use the time to do absolutely nothing if we wanted.
We decided to check into our room and rest a little before the evening festivities began. We walked into a room with tons of pillows and a huge king bed. The silence of the room was perfect. We laid our heads down and fell right to sleep.
The rumbling sounds of running feet woke us from slumber. The sounds of youngsters laughing and playing penetrated the wall. Had it not been for the commotion next door, we might not have gotten out of bed. When the moon replaced the sun, it was our turn to laugh and play. The downtown area buzzed with activity. Live music from the establishments drifted out to the street. With a cornucopia of options in front of our feet, we decided to have a tiny taste of each. We danced and laughed at each place until the lights came on. The excitement wore us out. We hadn’t been out like that in a very long time.
The next day was more casual. We sat on the floating dock in the early part of the day and had some wonderful Greek food for lunch. The place was especially tasty because of our love of garlic seasoning. Eva the owner took us through several courses of food which calmed my growling stomach. She even brought out a light and flaky Baklava for desert. After that we decided we needed to take advantage of the extra day of rest and check in at the Quality Inn. We were fortunate to have such a large and comfortable suite for our last evening is Coeur d’Alene.
Crawling out of bed the next morning was a task. The gloomy skies were a departure from the warm clear weekend but I had to keep moving. I had an event in Spokane, Washington on the itinerary that I didn’t want to miss. I slipped on some fresh clean running clothes and a new pair of shoes. I took a wet trail on that damp day and I ran like the wind. The scenery was actually very pleasant and the cool air kept me feeling fresh.
The trail took me to the town of Post Falls. I met Crystal at Rancho Viejo. The aroma of beans, rice, and steak filled the air. The staff went out of their way to cook us veggie fajitas. They might have been the best veggie fajitas I had ever tasted. They were generous with the spices just like I liked and their tortillas came out soft and fresh. I even met a few customers that were runners. They mentioned they had seen me on the street.
Eventually I had to return to the overcast day. The low floating clouds were a light transparent mist that wrapped around the mountains. My landscape was like an Asian scroll painting from high in the mountains. The crossing of the state line meant that we were steps away from wrapping the northern border. It brought a joker like grin to my face. I couldn’t help but giggle as we took pictures of our 32nd state sign. I needed to take a moment to breathe deeply.
Towns lined the way to Spokane. Upon entering the state, I immediately noticed many shops peddling a plant for recreational use. Everywhere I ran I caught wiffs of the scent. The darkness seemed to hit a little earlier than usual. Since I had already reached my destination city, I figured it was safe to call it the day. It was time for us to ascend a hill next to Gonzaga University and check into a Holiday Inn that was built like a castle. My mouth dropped when I exited the elevator and entered our luxury suite. Marble countertops, little snacks, a wonderful view, and a giant bed greeted us. Every step we had taken towards our goal had been a gift. I counted my blessings, took a hot bath, and enjoyed my surroundings. 
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