The Trip to Alaska!

Internet access has been limited, but I'm on the lobby PC at a hotel in Moosejaw, Saskatchawan. It has been an interesting couple of days to say the least...so here goes...

Day 1 (Tuesday) Detroit to Eau Claire
Dick and Diane!
My day 1 drive to Eau Claire was uneventful...clear skies and open roads. As I absolutely knew, I had a great time with my good friends, Dick and Diane Zahorik. They are two of the nicest people I know, and I wish that everyone that I know could meet them. Back in 1980, a severe wind storm hit Eau Claire and knocked out the power in Dick and Diane's neighborhood for days. In response, all of the neighbors on Dick and Diane's block banded together to make sure that coffee was available, have open cookouts and, most importantly, provide an uninterrupted supply of beer. Each year since, the block hosts a party to commemorate the big storm and the spirit of neighborliness. This year, I was fortunate enough to be at Dick and Diane's as they hosted this year's party. This gave me an opportunity to see some old friends (Bernie and Karla) again and make some new ones as well.
All in all, a great start to my trip.

Day 2 (Wednesday) Eau Claire to Jamestown, North Dakota
First Camp
Heavy clouds and rain heading out of Eau Claire through Minneapolis. I stopped on the western edge of Minneapolis and bought a tarp to "bungee-down" over the containers in the rear cargo carrier...smart move!
I reached the campground in Jamestown around 5:00PM and had my camp set up in about 45 minutes. After a few Margaritas, I had a great dinner of grilled hangar steak and roasted potatoes...along with a few glasses of a nice little 2005 Bordeaux.

Day 3 (Thursday) Jamestown to Regina, Saskatchewan (not!)
Dude, Where's my Appendix?!
On Wednesday afternoon/evening, I experienced a little abdominal "cramping" which I thought might be indigestion. As I broke camp Thursday morning, they returned (only worse). Four pepto bismols and two advils helped a little but, as I neared the town of Carrington, North Dakota, they got much worse. So...I used my "Garmin" to find a local medical facility. The people there were great...much as I found most of the North Dakotans that I met (I especially liked the Doctor's Assistant, Jacqui). They took an x-ray of the abdomen and a blood sample for tests. I hit the road again, and they promised to phone in the results. Forty-five minutes or so later, as I approached the town of Minot, North Dakota, the results came in...highly elevated "white count" which, coupled with the location of the pain, was indicative of possible appendicitis.
So...I checked in at Trinity Memorial Hospital and, several blood tests and a CT scan later...thanks to the nice Doctors at Trinity, I was able to realize my lifelong dream of an emergency appendectomy in Minot, North Dakota. I went under at 9:30PM with a "United Nations" of physicians...attending physician from Puerto Rico, anesthegiologist from Burma, and surgeon from Nigeria. The laproscopic procedure went perfect and, with the help of a little (well...maybe a little more than a "little") morphine, I had a comfortable evening.

Day 4 (Friday) Minot to Moosejaw, Saskatchawan
The Trip Continues
I was up and about at 7:00AM and, at noon, I was discharged. I had planned to spend a day/night in Minot to recuperate but, unfortunately, today is the first day of the North Dakota State Fair (held in Minot) and there was not a single room to be had. So...I decided to drive on to Canada. And now, I am in Moosejaw, Saskatchewan. After a quick dinner and a beer or two, I'm hitting the sack early. I'm feeling pretty good...amazingly enough, there's no pain at the incision, no fever or other bad surgical after-effects. We'll see tomorrow, as I head off to Medicine Hat, Alberta. Crossed another time zone today.
More later...sorry for the typos.