Give & Take

Write the 3-letter word that correctly completes its sentence on the first set of blanks: To determine the 4-letter word to write on the next sentence of blanks, GIVE a letter to the 3-letter word and anagram the four letters. Find the succeeding 5-6-7 and 8-letter words in a similar manner. Remember, he who giveth must taketh away. Therefore, to figure out each of the next 7-, 6-, 5-, 4-, and 3-letter words, you must TAKE a letter from the previous word and anagram the remaining letters.

That was a ton of typing, this better work out. Anyway, here we go:

When his good _ _ _ Brad first proposed a bike trip across the Swiss _ _ _ _, Mike was thrilled. "The beauty of America's mountains _ _ _ _ _ in comparison!" he said before falling _ _ _ _ _ _ that night with an atlas on his lap. The only bar to his travel plans was his inability to obtain a passport due to a complicated legal situation. "If only the gov't _ _ _ _ _ _ _ that regulation, I'm golden!" Mike told Brad. However, with all the stress and worry, his cold had _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. "How _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I'll be to make that trip," he'd sighed through his sniffles. "And boy, am I ready! My bike has new wheels and _ _ _ _ _ _, and I've been exercising and training doing _ _ _ _ _ and stretches at the gym. I've even been eating _ _ _ _, green beans, and other vegetables." Brad cautioned him, "Better not worry any more, Mike It will only _ _ _ your strength.

God-speed, Mike and Brad, may be the wind be at your back.