Total ICE-solation

Today marks the second year of our arrival to Grand Forks. That memory is burned into my memory for life. We left Albany that morning to temps in the mid 30s, as we drove the 3.5 hours to Grand Forks we watched as the temp gauge on the SUV progressively dropped into the sub zero range. The kids and I had never experienced sub zero before so when we arrived in Grand Forks, opened the car door and received our first icy blast of north wind it literally took our breath away. It felt like a knife stabbing into our lungs.

Today as I reflect back over the past two years I still have that same feeling of total isolation that we felt when we arrived. Who in their right minds would live here on this tundra of frigid northern valley? What were we thinking to come here?

I have never felt so alone in my life as I do here. My family is far far away and we only see Scott's family when we go visit them or their very rare visits here. Last time they came here was October. No one wants to come here in winter. No one wants to be here in winter. But those that can't get away are stuck here until spring thaw...whenever that may be. As I sit here looking out my window at the 5 ft snow drift outside the window I wonder just what spring is going to be like. They are predicting floods similar to that of the big one in 97' We still have months of snowfall ahead of us before spring comes. The snow so far has come from the west; it is dry and fluffy. The heavy snow comes when there is a storm from the south. So the guys that I work with are saying we haven't seen anything yet. The icy blast coming down next week is something the guys I work with have never seen here before. I think they always overdramatize things a bit but the last few storms they have actually been pretty accurate on so I don't plan on any outside activities in the upcoming week. With that said, Scott is helping his brother Joel this weekend to put siding on the outside of his sunporch. He needs it completed before he can refinance his house. Its a great time to refinance but I don't see paying a $4000 closing cost just to lower my interest rate a percent or two a huge savings. I cannot see why it costs so much to change paperwork. I deal with finacial paperwork all day every day and I know it can be done. Between you and me I think America is getting scammed. The American dream is dead and our futures are an uncertain abyss. I am just full of optimism and cheer today aren't I? Just rambling my thoughts and putting them on record. Thats the way it rolls. Peace out!