Okay. So, we are firmly ensconced in our incredible (Lovely word, incredible. Aptly describes our home here in North Dakota - beyond credibility) home away from home. I am still holding my breath that there has been some mistake and a knock on the door will take it all away...
But, John is already settled in at the hospital and full-time staff is so comfortable with his work - after just a few days! - that they're taking vacation days to get in some Christmas shopping. He was on call Tuesday night, too. That's so cool to me - that they trust him so completely. He's that kinda guy! I'm so proud of him!
We've done some verbal research with acquaintances about things to do here in the winter. We're on the North Dakota / Minnesota state line with a river as the dividing line. Apparently there is park land on either side of the river with 30 miles of maintained trails for folks to cross-country ski on, and I understand that there is at least one ski shop that will rent me snow skis. (I gotta be crazy!)
We've also discovered that the Dairy Queen on the corner sells Orange Julius'. I LOVE Orange Julius', and cattywompus from the Dairy Queen is Wal-Mart and Sam's. Directly across the street from us is a Dollar Tree and across the street from THAT is the mall with Macy's, Sears, J.C. Penney and all the usual mall stores.
We brought the little Christmas tree we bought in Virginia, but we will need to buy ornaments. We're getting quite a little collection because of Christmas' in Hawaii and Virginia - and now North Dakota.
We went across the river into Minnesota last weekend and saw the movie, "Lincoln." This weekend we think we'll go see the new James Bond film, "Skyfall." The theater is pretty neat because the seats are like padded rocking chairs with reclining backs.
The River Theater is also directly across the street from Cabela's. We dropped in there for a quick look-see and found hi-tech snowshoes for $110, sleeping bags that keep you warm down to -40 degrees for $349 (on sale for $190), and a tent with a wood-burning stove in the center for only about $2,000. (Guess if that knock on the door ever comes we could stay in a tent... Please God, no-o-o-o-o!)
North Dakota weather?
Nov 22nd - Thanksgiving Day - 26 degrees with a windchill of 12. Blizzard conditions with ice pellets. By 5 o'clock the wind chill was 1 degree.
Nov 23rd - Snowing
Nov 24th - Snowing hard :)
Nov 25th - Snowing. By 8 p.m. it was 6 degrees with a windchill of -7
One of the locals asked what I would do when winter gets here. Winter? THIS isn't winter? Ah, no. Winter is when the high is -20 for two straight weeks with a 40 mph wind which make the windchill - ah, I don't even want to know what that factor comes to!!
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