“Walking out of this hospital is not a realistic goal, but walking may be.”

– Orthopedic surgeon Andrew Cappuccino, head of the medical team treating Buffalo Bills football player Kevin Everett, who suffered a severe spinal cord injury during a game on Sept. 9.

“Unfortunately, it hurts this particular individual. I regret that, but the law is the law.”

– Spokane County Assessor Ralph Baker, whose office removed a timberland owner’s property from a tax-saving current-use program, in which it had participated for more than 25 years, because it turned out to be less than half an acre under the 20-acre minimum.

“This still needs to be the last resort. This needs to be the thing tried after lifestyle maximizations have been tried and failed.”

– Bariatric surgeon Matthew Rawlins, about weight-loss surgery which is now eligible for Medicaid funding for morbidly obese Washingtonians as young as 18.

“Every friend that I’ve had, practically, has wanted to borrow money or something, and, of course, once they borrow money from you, you can’t be friends anymore.”

– West Virginia millionaire Jack Whittaker, who augmented his personal fortune by pocketing $93 million in Powerball lottery winnings.

“If you wear provocative clothing, tattoos, or you smell of alcohol or cigarettes, who’s going to believe you?”

– Etiquette trainer Lynda White, saying travelers who are indiscreet about their appearance may face consequences if they find themselves seated next to a prospective employer or business contact on an airliner.

“In our view, the lands are still ours, we have never sold them, we never signed any treaty, and we did not give them away. We want them back.”

– Colville Tribal Business Council Chairman Michael Marchand, saying the Colvilles believe they still rightfully own the portion of their traditional lands that lies in Canada.

“We don’t use the word ‘apology.’ We’ve used ‘profound regret.’ “

– Church spokesman Mark Tuttle, after a ranking elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement of regret over the 150-year-old massacre by Mormons of 120 pioneers trying to cross Utah on their way to California.

“The work of a teacher is never finished and the legacy of a teacher is never finished.”

– Astronaut Barbara Morgan, an Idaho teacher recently returned from space, which she finally reached after training as a backup to Christa McAuliffe, the first designated teacher in space who was killed in the Challenger explosion in 1986.

“So far, all my weather vanes are pointing positively, but I need my report card from the public. If a majority of this public believes in me and supports what I’m doing, then I’ll stay.”

– Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick after a year on the job.

“All this business about them being isolated or cut off is whistling past the graveyard.”

– Former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer, saying the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan after 9-11 didn’t deplete Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida forces as much as once believed.