Kyle recently came back from a work trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“How did it go?” I asked.
“Great!” He said – and then, forlornly, “But I couldn’t find any postcards.”
Every single time Kyle travels, he sends a postcard. By “a postcard,” I mean upwards of a dozen of them. And by “travels,” I mean if his head hits a pillow that is not his own, it counts as a trip – including once in Grand Forks when we booked a hotel room because we were having some work done at the house.
We just passed the one-month mark of living in our new house. At least, I *think* it’s our new house. Considering there are stacks of stuff everywhere, we may be living in a box fort.
This is the exact text conversation I had with a friend right after we moved in:
Friend: How’s the unpacking going?
Me: Slow. But my parents are taking the boys this week so we’ll have it all done by Saturday.
Friend: Ha ha!
Me: Ha ha!
A huge part of my job is understanding social behaviors; and if I had to use one word to describe all grownups right now, that word would be TIRED. It’s like being at a party where you were ready to leave 45 minutes ago but your ride is debating whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich with a large group of people, and so you sit there with your empty wine glass, avoiding a refill or a trip to the bathroom or anything, really, that would delay your exit, responding to all attempted conversations with, “Oh, yeah? Oh, okay.”
I recently came back from a work trip, my first since February 2020. The actual travel portions of my work trips are typically completely unremarkable – transport to destination, check into hotel, complain to coworker about the air conditioning/pillows/ice machine/Wi-Fi, sleep, eat breakfast, leave – but the universe wanted me to remember this particular trip (as well as remind me that I apparently do not belong in normal human society) because this is what happened in the span of about ten minutes:
When we were first married, Kyle and I went to the movie theater so often that we took it upon ourselves to create a movie review website, called We Are Here To Tell You Your Opinion. This website was not borne out of altruism or a desire for fame; rather, we are both oldest children, and it is our God-given right to tell people what to do. It’s important to understand that absolutely no one in the history of cinema had or has ever asked, “Hey, I wonder what Amanda and Kyle thought of The Grey?”
My ideal vacation consists of strategic lounging. I lounge on beaches; by pools; in restaurants; on patios. In the early morning I lounge with books; midday I lounge with pina coladas; and in the late afternoon I lounge with my eyes closed.
On the other hand, the only time anyone lounges on a Kyle-planned trip is when…[Read on]
This week’s story is about lunchtime bingo, and this week’s news is about a video, an app, and a lot of cell phones. Read on.
Did you know there are three astronomy clubs in North Dakota (Grand Forks, Fargo, and Bismarck) that offer viewing nights, star parties, and stargazing programs – and welcome visitors?
And did you know this week’s news is all about beautiful manicures, beautiful rocks, beautiful chalk art, and beautiful neighbors? Read on.
Did you know the Fargo Moorhead Area Youth Symphonies are performing live every Friday on Facebook?
And did you know this week’s news features an Employee of the Month, a poetry contest for high schoolers, and free ice cream? Read on.
Did you know Ellen DeGeneres has named Inkster’s Katie Ralston one of the country’s top 100 educators?
You can learn all about this awesome Midway Public Schools’ pre-K teacher in this week’s news – which also features a cemetery rebirth, a backyard concert, and more. Read on.
Did you know Josh Duhamel, Amy Olson, Matt Cullen, and Tom Hoge spent a (relatively secret) day on the Fargo Country Club course on Tuesday in the name of charity? You can watch a 3-hour special on the game on May 31; a link to the details is in this week’s news.
And speaking of this week’s news, it also has vegetable seeds, Prairie Musicians, wet-collodion photographers, and more. Read on.
All of our North Dakota food banks are being stretched thin as more and more people need their services. If you can, deliver up some North Dakota Nice by donating non-perishables and hygiene products!
And speaking of North Dakota Nice, this week’s news is about a family that cleans together, a gaggle of lawyers, and beans beans the musical fruit. Read on.
Isolation aside – did you know Bismarck is one of the top five cities in the U.S. with the cleanest air, when measuring ozone (smog) and particle pollution, and all of North Dakota holds an A-grade for lack of ozone pollutants?
And did you know this week’s news has a new take on prom night, on marathons, and on love letters? Read on.
If you are able, take a few minutes today to hang some hearts in your front window for #aworldofhearts – a now-global effort, started by Bismarck’s Mandy Gill.
You can find more details on #aworldofhearts in this week’s news – which also has dinosaurs, snowmen, music, and the Story of the Week (which is about teachers). Read on.
Congratulations to Valley City’s Nicholas Lee, who was presented with a Diamond Coach Award by the National Speech & Debate Association for his work with the students at Valley City High School!
Check out this week’s news, which has all sorts of great stories about law students, time capsules, tractor pulls, and more. Read on.
Congratulations to Mrs. North Dakota International Melanie Iverson and Miss North Dakota International LeAnne Brydl! Did you know this week’s news is about an enthusiastic reader, a field full of helpers, the Story of the Week – and much more? Read on.
Did you know the Leach Public Library had a record number of socks – 877 pairs, up from 556 last year – donated for their annual Sock Tree to help men, women, and kids with the Three Rivers Crisis Center stay warm?
And did you know today’s news is about boxing, books, and beautiful voices (aka, the Story of the Week)? Read on.
Did you know Jocelyn Burdick was North Dakota’s first female U.S. Senator? She held her seat in 1992, and just passed away at the enviable age of 97. (Heidi Heitkamp is the second woman to serve.)
And did you know today’s news is a post-Christmas roundup of nice holiday news – including international gifts, free hotel rooms, a pile of cookies, and the Best Christmas Ever? Read on.
Good luck to Miss North Dakota Haley Wolfe as she prepares to compete for Miss America in December!
And check out today’s news – about a handmade wheelchair, a pile of mittens, and a storeful of stickers. Read on.
Congratulations to the Bismarck Larks and Cash Wise of Minot for being recognized by the state for hiring people with disabilities!
And check out today’s news – about duct tape, christening gowns, and deer. Read on.
