From Ray1936

**Patrick** · September-24-11, 08:16 PM

Get well Ray!

**Ray1936** · September-24-11, 08:48 PM

Home at last!

Left Gallup, NM, at 4 am, pulled in to home at 11 am. For all the concerns I had when we left Michigan, nothing of importance came up. I hereby pledge, however, that after at least 40 cross country trips by auto, this one was my last. Hey, I'm 75 next month and about time I realized I'm no kid. Well, I was for 74 years, anyway.

I feel well, thank you all.

I'm surprised that no one commented on the Muskrat recipe' "tastes like chicken".

JIminnm, that Weatherford motel was jammed when we left. But we had stopped for the day around 3:30 p.m. so were among the first check-ins. Not a problem. We left early all trip and stopped early for the day on all three days.

Marge is tired but well. The pampering has begun.

On nice thing about the catheter on the road trip was I didn't have any worries at all about having to make a stop for a pp break. LOL

**Bobl** · September-25-11, 10:36 AM

Get some rest. Tell each other a joke or two. Then, get healthy. Glad you made it home OK,,,

We'll be in Henderson, briefly, in November, to see the sons and grandson, en route to a wedding in Newport Beach, CA.

**Bigb23** · September-25-11, 06:27 PM

I could remember a neighbor,trying to take out the neighborhood muskrat, with a 12 ga. every morning 6 am from his back window. Oh happy times. The muskrat won. Tommy Lake 1966.

**Ray1936** · September-28-11, 11:06 AM

One last note. My urologist removed the catheter yesterday, and the plumbing seems to be working just fine. I'm feeling well, if a little weak yet, but looks like things will soon be back to normal.

I've always heard that the only thing worse than illness is illness when you're miles from home. So true.

**gazhekwe** · September-28-11, 12:17 PM

How wonderful to hear you are on the mend and will soon be back to normal. It will be a shame if the health glitch really put an end to your cross country rambles, since you seemed to love them so much.

**Ray1936** · September-28-11, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

How wonderful to hear you are on the mend and will soon be back to normal. It will be a shame if the health glitch really put an end to your cross country rambles, since you seemed to love them so much.

Yeah, I loved each and every trip I took, Gaz. But it's time to look at the calendar and subtract 1936 from 2011. The result clearly says, "Delta is ready when you are!".

**thnk2mch** · September-29-11, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

But it's time to look at the calendar and subtract 1936 from 2011. The result clearly says, "Delta is ready when you are!".

Seventy five! What do I win?

Oh wait.....nevermind, that was Jjaba.

**Ray1936** · September-29-11, 08:43 PM

Incidentally, when driving on I-40 across New Mexico, you'll notice there are no mile markers. Instead, there are 372 of these, one a mile, to tell you where you are. Well, at least it SEEMS that way. Isn't that right, Jiminnm????

**tponetom** · September-29-11, 09:30 PM

Marge and Ray,

I was holding back on any kind of comment until you made it home.

We, of the “mature” class, [[I don’t like “old“, or “seniors“) have had many similar experiences. Things like enemas, Prostate probes, colonoscopies, catheters of course and other exciting medical adventures, and we honed our abilities on how to handle them with a flourish and aplomb.

When confronted with those invasions of my body, my battle cry in the early days, was that tired old adage? bromide? motto?.

“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”

It did not take long for me to paraphrase that slogan with a more practical and efficacious one. To Wit:

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, DEAR GOD,
GET MY WIFE IN HERE. I NEED HELP!!!!

**Ray1936** · September-30-11, 11:32 AM

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, DEAR GOD,
GET MY WIFE IN HERE. I NEED HELP!!!!

TP, old buddy, I couldn't have said it better. The comfort and help give by my soulmate went way beyond the call of duty. She insisted on doing the driving all the way, including hitting St. Louis during the morning rush hour [[a nightmare in itself!). We of the long-married are indeed blessed.

**Bigb23** · September-30-11, 11:41 AM

Tpone and Ray -

You guys help me get old. Thanks for the commentary on life. Keep on Keepin on.

**jiminnm** · September-30-11, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Incidentally, when driving on I-40 across New Mexico, you'll notice there are no mile markers. Instead, there are 372 of these, one a mile, to tell you where you are. Well, at least it SEEMS that way. Isn't that right, Jiminnm????

Ray, there are mile markers. But, they're outnumbered by a series of signs over some stretches [[same is true going into Tucumcari). Clines Corners has out done themselves after their recent remodeling tough. Clines Corners is, however, very conveniently located for the first restroom break after several cups of morning coffee about 80 miles into a trip east.

I am truly sorry you think that might be your last drive east. That gives me 11 more years of raod trips. A friend is here from K'zoo this week and we're planning our drive back to the mitten next summer. There will be some family doings, so we'll venture back into Detroit for the first time what will be 13 years. We're making a list of what we want to visit when there.

**stromberg2** · September-30-11, 02:59 PM

^^^
Get together with the Detroit Yes crew!!

Stromberg2

**cman710** · October-04-11, 05:27 PM

Glad to hear you are feeling better, Ray!

**Philbo** · October-04-11, 08:56 PM

Hang in there big guy, better days are ahead.

**Ray1936** · October-05-11, 11:08 AM

Getting an appointment with an urologist is harder than getting an audience with the Pope. And I'm not catholic.

Sometimes, the medical profession sucks.

**Jingles in Boofland** · October-05-11, 01:41 PM

I wonder if The Big Texan restaurant is still there on I-40 in Amarillo? I stopped there several times to have a steak dinner on cross-country trips in the past - I never ordered the 72[[?) oz. steak dinner, in which if you ate the whole thing [[about 4 lbs.!) in an hour, you'd get the dinner for free, and your name inscribed on a list of gluttons who succeeded in the challenge [[otherwise, if you failed, I think it cost $50) - I know I could've done it, I have a prodigious appetite for steak, but my wife wasn't so sure, and prevailed upon me not to order it, her being the practical one with visions of a $50 bill flying out of our wallets and into the hands of the restaurant [[she was probably right) - I ordered fried rattlesnake as an appetizer, it was awful; too many bones [[duh!) and a very weird taste.

**gazhekwe** · October-05-11, 01:58 PM

I actually know someone who did eat the whole steak and everything. You have to eat everything that comes with it too. He called to say he had done it and was having a little ice cream to settle his stomach afterward. This was about four years ago, but I am pretty sure they are still open.

PS, Ray? Good luck with that doctor appointment. I just waited three months for my orthopedic surgeon to look at something I thought I injured in a fall in July. Good news, if I did injure it, it is all healed up nicely now. Doctors, grrrr.

**stromberg2** · October-05-11, 02:27 PM

Yep, the Big Texan is still there. Adam Richman from Man vs. Food attempted the challenge. Not sure if he beat it.

Stromberg2

**jiminnm** · October-05-11, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by stromberg2

Yep, the Big Texan is still there. Adam Richman from Man vs. Food attempted the challenge. Not sure if he beat it.

Stromberg2

He beat it easily. They keep a list by the door of those who completed the challenge, with times and sizes of the folks. Like many of the eating contests, most of the winners are small and slim. One of those guys did it in less than 30 minutes.

We've stopped a couple of times, but neither of us care for the food there. If you want good BBQ or other meat, there are so many better places in Amarillo. It is a handy post though, as it's exactly 300 miles from our house.

The only other attractions to break up the monotonous drive across the Texas panhandle is the Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo and the giant cross in Groom [[unless you're interested in hundreds of wind turbines).