Bob Cromer update

I had a great 40-minute visit last night with Bob, Renee and their dog, who were all in Bob's hospital room. Bob had just come back from enjoying the great weather outside. The progress he is making is obvioius compared to the last time I saw him. He is vocalizing and forming a few simple words, and he has gone from walking with a brace to climbing stairs. The bad news is that he has lost the vision in his left eye, but Bob indicated he hadn't given up hope at getting some vision back. It's clear that Bob understands most of what you say, and he still has that great smile. Bob's "beerque" is still sitting on his windowsill, and it cheers him up to look at it. Renee said some people have expressed concern about the beer getting light-struck. I guess that's what you get when your friends are beer judges. Bob will be taking a trip home this weekend and doing an overnight next weekend. He'll be seeing his grandchild for the first time, who was born shortly after Bob had the stoke. The best time to visit him might be weekday evenings. I've found a 6:30-7 arrival seems to work fine. Bethesda Rehab Hospital is just one block straight north from the state capitol. Bob is in room 440. The big news is that Bob may be heading home around August 1, and perhaps even a bit sooner. Renee said they're thankful for little things. Bob had recently returned from a flight to India (not a good place to be sick) and he had the stroke at the house, a half hour before they were due to head off for a highway trip with Bob driving. Paul