No, those other three words.

freebie, rainbow, scrape
******************

Dear Ms. Canton, Manager of the Lakeview Inn,

My husband and I recently stayed at your fine establishment to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Twenty years: time really flies! I just wanted to write and tell you how much we enjoyed your hotel. We picked it because of its location near the lake and its price. We actually honeymooned at a different hotel up the road, but after my husband was laid off in March, we were forced to look elsewhere for accommodations. Luckily, we were able to drive instead of fly (8 hours in the car—whew!), and we found your hotel in a budget travel guide.

Needless to say, things have been stressful since Dennis lost his job. He’s home a lot during the day and sure is getting on my nerves! :) I don’t work myself, so you can imagine how much “together” time we’ve been having. Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband, but boy oh boy, do I need a break from him and his sweatpants and his moping around! Get a job already! Ha ha.

I thought a vacation might be just what we needed, so we decided to “get away” for our anniversary. Dennis sure put up a fight over this, but I wouldn’t take NO for an answer. I said, “Put it on the credit card and we’ll worry about it later.” You only live one, after all. I’ll admit, though, that I wasn’t sure we could really afford this trip with no money coming in at the moment. But I thought a change of scenery would energize both of us and change Dennis’s outlook on the job situation. And as we drove to the lake, we even saw a rainbow that seemed to end right in the water. Was that a sign or what?? I sure hoped so.

You hotel was a lovely destination. The rooms were clean, the staff was friendly, and there were even freebies in the bathroom. I love that! (Whenever I use that shampoo—yes, I took it home!—I think of your wonderful hotel.)

I wish I could say this trip felt like a second honeymoon, but I’m afraid it didn’t. Dennis refused to have any fun—what a party-pooper! We got into a bit of a scrape (about money—what else?) on the first night and it was the couch for him after that! (There wasn’t technically a couch in the room, so it was actually the floor.) But by the end of our time at your hotel, he had come back around to my sweet old Dennis. Well, more like my “sad new Dennis.” He’s carrying so many burdens, and I’m sorry to say that even a long weekend at the Lakeview Inn couldn’t take them all away.

Thanks again for our lovely hospitality. Keep your fingers (and toes) crossed for an interview or job—something! anything!—for Dennis. Maybe we’ll come back to celebrate!

Sincerely,
Gina (& Dennis!) Waverly