The Ides of February
Yes, *technically* the ides of February was yesterday, but since I didn't get home from work until after 9 due to a staff meeting, I didn't have the time to update like I thought I would.
The biggest story from Grand Forks is that after the unseasonably warm December and January, winter is back with a vengeance. When I woke up this morning the air temperature was -21, with a wind chill of -33. Tomorrow the high is forecast to be -10, a type of weather that the national weather service categorizes as "bitterly cold". The only category colder than that is "dangerously cold". And of course, since I work every day, I'm sure to be running around out in the bitter cold.
I, however, am not that bitter about it - and Matt is tickled that I'm finally seeing what winter in North Dakota is actually like. I've slowly come to realize that after this "real" winter in North Dakota, I could pretty much live anywhere. I've also realized how geocentric I was after coming from California - I really didn't understand how people could live in the snow, but most of the country's population does. It's been an eye-opening winter. And, now that I've learned this life lesson, can we make it warmer again?!? Please?!?
But life in the bitter cold goes on. I'm working more than ever, as more and more high school age students have come into Sylvan looking for math help. And next week starts a six-week ACT prep course that I'll be teaching the math section of every Monday, so that I'm now spending every Monday through Thursday 1:30 until 7:30 at Sylvan. I continue to work at Michaels to make up the difference between that and an actual full time job, and it seems to be working out well.
My biggest accomplishment this winter was taking the Praxis II, a standardized test for potential teachers, and actually scoring better than I thought I would - apparently I'm really hard on myself right after taking the test. But the good score has boosted my confidence and I'm planning on taking the GRE sometime in March.
Matt has been applying to regional airlines left and right, and recently heard back from Pinnacle airlines, based in Memphis, Detroit, and Minneapolis. He'll interview with them at the end of this month, and is really motivated to move on from flight instruction and move OUT of North Dakota.
That's about all the news from me! Hope everyone is enjoying February - I know those of you in Southern CA certainly are, but save a warm thought for those of us enduring what the weather channel is calling the "Arctic Invasion". :)
The biggest story from Grand Forks is that after the unseasonably warm December and January, winter is back with a vengeance. When I woke up this morning the air temperature was -21, with a wind chill of -33. Tomorrow the high is forecast to be -10, a type of weather that the national weather service categorizes as "bitterly cold". The only category colder than that is "dangerously cold". And of course, since I work every day, I'm sure to be running around out in the bitter cold.
I, however, am not that bitter about it - and Matt is tickled that I'm finally seeing what winter in North Dakota is actually like. I've slowly come to realize that after this "real" winter in North Dakota, I could pretty much live anywhere. I've also realized how geocentric I was after coming from California - I really didn't understand how people could live in the snow, but most of the country's population does. It's been an eye-opening winter. And, now that I've learned this life lesson, can we make it warmer again?!? Please?!?
But life in the bitter cold goes on. I'm working more than ever, as more and more high school age students have come into Sylvan looking for math help. And next week starts a six-week ACT prep course that I'll be teaching the math section of every Monday, so that I'm now spending every Monday through Thursday 1:30 until 7:30 at Sylvan. I continue to work at Michaels to make up the difference between that and an actual full time job, and it seems to be working out well.
My biggest accomplishment this winter was taking the Praxis II, a standardized test for potential teachers, and actually scoring better than I thought I would - apparently I'm really hard on myself right after taking the test. But the good score has boosted my confidence and I'm planning on taking the GRE sometime in March.
Matt has been applying to regional airlines left and right, and recently heard back from Pinnacle airlines, based in Memphis, Detroit, and Minneapolis. He'll interview with them at the end of this month, and is really motivated to move on from flight instruction and move OUT of North Dakota.
That's about all the news from me! Hope everyone is enjoying February - I know those of you in Southern CA certainly are, but save a warm thought for those of us enduring what the weather channel is calling the "Arctic Invasion". :)
posted by Sara | 6:06 AM
2 Comments:
Brrrrr.....I looked at our outside thermometer and see that we're only a few degrees ahead of you...it's 30 here! Guess we'll get another round of weather before Spring arrives---just hope there's a good dumping of snow IN THE MOUNTAINS.
I had my Family Tree Maker open and was adding info to it when your e-mail came in, so here's a bit of "trivia" -- probably the CLOSEST I'll ever get to the Dakota's! A distant relative, (would be my first cousin 4 times removed by genealogy lingo), Albert F. Price was Dakota’s first U.S. Marshall
"Albert F. Price was born May 17, 1842 at Ravenna, Ohio. He served in the 42nd Ohio Infantry Co. “F” during the Civil War. (I have a letter he wrote to my 3rd great-grandfather from Vicksburg, just a few days after the great battle at Gettysbury and during the turning point of the Civil War.)
After the War, he became a dentist and owner of a Lumber yard in Fremont Ohio. He was a close friend of President Rutherford B. Hayes.
In the early 1880’s, Albert Price and several other residents of Freemont Ohio joined the west ward migration to Dakota Territory. Price arrived at Lisbon, then settled in Milnor. When their residence was built in 1883, Price’s wife and daughters, Laura and Elizabeth, joined coming from St. Paul.
During his fifteen years in the Dakotas, Price served as Register of Deeds and again entered the lumber business at Milnor, in partnership with John Shuman. Albert Price was commander of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). He is also credited with being a founding member of Anchor Masonic Lodge No. 25 at Milnor (1886) and of Golden Fleece Lodge No. 31 at Forman ND (1889).
There are a dozen or more letters of recommendation in existence for Prices appointment as the United States Marshall, a post he held from 1890 to 1894. The 1891 Fargo City Directory listed A.F. Price, living in a boarding house. Upon completion of his term as U.S. Marshall, Price resided for a time at the Headdquarters Hotel in Fargo. Later he moved back to St. Paul and finally returned to Freemont, Ohio, where he was a general representative of the Christy Knife Company.
While on the way to attend the North Dakota State Fair, he was stricken by a massive heart attack and died September 1, 1905 at St. Paul, Mn. He is buried at Freemont, Ohio."
Aside from you, THAT is the only known "tie" I have to N. Dakota, and, from the sound of your update, that may not last much longer -- sounds like Matt is ready for greener pastures. :-) Hope all goes well with his applications.
Congrats on your successes with tests. Sounds like teaching will definitely be in your future!
Hugs to you from sunny but cold N. Calif.
Sherry
Today is Sunday, 2/26, about 2:15pm and it just started raining in Folsom. I see that it is currently cloudy with snow flurries in Grand Forks, a high near 11, and snow likely tonight.
I worked in the yard yesterday morning -- the trees and bulbs have once again been fooled into thinking it's spring. There are daffodils and freesia flowers everywhere. The back lot is green and growing ever higher. Even your jade plant is flowering.
Stay warm!
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