Why not Minot?

Back when I was in 1st grade we lived in Minot, ND. "Where?" you say. Go ahead, go Google it. I'll wait.

Right, a dreadful place to be sure. My memories of Minot are simple, it was cold there. Very cold. I hardly remember the spring and summer months at all in Minot. I do remember that the state bird of Minot was the mosquito. Those things were enormous. During the summer months, they’d “spray” for mosquitoes on base (which is military brat term for base housing). I remember, vividly, me and my friends (none of who’s names I remember) running behind the trucks that were spraying pretending it was a "smoke screen" or something. And back then, in the 70’s, you can bet your bottom dollar that the stuff they were spraying wasn’t healthy for kids to be ingesting.

The winter months in Minot are the most vivid. Mostly because it was so freaking cold there. I remember every car having an electrical cord sticking out from the grill and people plugging their cars in at night. Not because they were being green and recharging their battery. No because it was so cold that it was the only way the blasted car would start in the morning.

We used to have snow drifts too. We’d frequently open the front door to leave for school and be greeted by a snow drift higher than the eves of the house. Good times. My sister and I took full advantage of snow drifts and tunneled through them and had snow forts. I can remember one collapsing one time and MJ and I laughing at it – not realizing that we very well could have died.

I lost my first tooth in Minot too. A bowl of Fruit Loops was the thief.

Our neighbors had beagles. Can't remember their names though - the beagles that is. Well and the neighbors now that I think about it.

Oh the memories.

I learned some new things in Minot too. I learned about "snirt". Snow and dirt mixed = Snirt. It was everywhere after a good snow and the plows would clear the roads.

I went - very momentarily - to a private Catholic school. Goofy and ugly uniforms. Ick. Nuns are scary people. I suspect we got kicked out because of my sister - but that's just me.

The MomUnit was hired into the Boeing Company. Her boss came to dinner one night. Little did any of us know that her "boss" (or maybe the guy who hired her) would later turn out to be my stepdad.

But probably the most appropriate, most relative memory of Minot that I hold dear.

I learned what the word bored meant. I can remember it like it was yesterday. MJ had friends over and they weren't letting me play. I had nothing to do. I whined complained to mom who then bestowed the knowledge of a new word on me.

I never imagined when I learned that word that I would experience the amount of boredom I’m experiencing today! I mean, I’m writing about Minot – that should say everything.