Getting to Idaho

This year I had bought tickets to Idaho for the holidays with my family. We go on even years now. Every year was too much for Beth's family and, after the last trip and the sudden and unexpected fireball from our other sister, it didn't feel like all the work was worth it. I had agreed. Last year we stayed at home; it was tough for me. We entertained Kyle's recently widowed grandfather and autistic uncle. It was an okay time but it didn't satisfy me. There's nothing like being with my siblings and their families for Christmas and New Year's. For me the trips to Idaho have been the best ways to celebrate the holidays since I was a kid. Our trip was slightly complicated because Kyle had promised Sue's family he could get them a large four-wheel drive SUV from his friend who is a manager at a local car rental agency. 'So I made airline reservations to fly out of the airport nearest Sue's. When we went to get the car, the fellow had forgotten and we got a two-wheel drive. Sue didn't need that. We knew this would be a possibility. There are very few four-wheel drive vehicles in our area, and they were all gone. On our drive up we got a text from Sue saying she was ill. We decided it wouldn't be wise to stay with her family. Laura, Kyle and the baby had all been sick with colds thaat week and, with supressed immune systems, no one needed exposure to fresh viruses. We stayed at Beth's. Kyle said he had a funny feeling, like maybe Sue's family would cancel out of the trip altogether. We drove the rental we had and left it at the car rental return at the airport. This was Day 2 and we were flying to Idaho. We got to our destination at almost 11:00 p.m. We picked up a car for the drive to Beth's. It wouls take us almost three hours and there would be snow. It was snowing heavily as our plane had touched down and we wanted the safest car available for traveling in snowstorms with a baby. I ended up getting a four-wheel drive Explorer. It's a beautiful, red one with all the bells and whistles. I had made reservations at a local motel for the night. The place I had liked so much the last time I had stayed overnight was nowhere to be found on the internet. I have since discovered that motels in that area change hands frequently. As we sped by the one I had liked, I saw that it was now a Comfort Inn. Wish I had known.