My last weekend in Bismarck I headed out along the Missouri river for a bike ride on Saturday and on Sunday I thought I would try out a trail I'd heard about. However this was not to be. After I took my bike out of my car I realized my back tire was leaking. So I grabbed my spare tubes and then realized they had the wrong nozzely thing and neither of my pumps could take care of it. So I loaded my bike back in my car and stopped at Target to get another set (thinking that they would not have fancy nozzely things). However they did their sizes in inches not the 700x35 sort of way so I grabbed the wrong size. Of course I didn't discover this until I was back at the trailhead. Luckily I had also grabbed a patch kit and so I patched up my old tire. You would think that now I could be on my merry way. This was not to be. Perhaps I was a little zealous in my tire pumping- I do not know- but I was shocked when I heard the loud pop and realized I had put a substantially larger (and certainly not fixable with a patch) hole. I loaded my bike back up and gave up.
Fear not though, I did buy new tubes and on Wednesday I took the trail. I ended up in Fort Lincoln state park (which was one of the first places I visited in North Dakota). Technically I was supposed to pay a fee, but I never passed the station (and I didn't have any money on me either). It was pretty and I stopped to climb up a hill and look at the rolling tree-less hills off in the distance. If I haven't already dispelled the myth that North Dakota is treeless and hill-less let me do so know. Bismarck is surrounded by buttes and small, but steep beautiful hills. Along the river are trees. But in any case, there is something very beautfiul about the rolling tree-less hills- the sky seems so huge and I love it. So that was exciting.
And another exciting thing- the governor came to the museum for press conference. Whatever for you ask? Well the State Historical Society of North Dakota is planning an expansion. In order to do this though the state wanted the society to raise half the money- then they'd match it. So on Wednesday (I think) one big oil company donated the last 2 million dollars to put us over the mark so that they can start breaking ground (there is more money to be raised yet, so if you have a few million laying about...) The western part of the state produces lots of oil and the demand for jobs is high and places for people to live are low and meanwhile oil companies make lots of money. So it was part of political and corporate game, but it was exciting to see all the suits walking around and to see the governor speak. When he asked who drilled the first successful oil well another girl who works in archives with me shouted out the answer- she'd been working with collections of photos- some of oil rigs! And that was the hubub.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
The Pow Wow, the Phone Call and other Reading Room Stories
So before I catch up to the present I must start with the weekend of September of 11th which was weekend I went to the Pow Wow in Bismarck. It is one of the larger ones in the US I am told. I didn't want to go alone and since Greta (a friend from college who is now living in Fargo) was willing to go with me, she came out to see me. She took me out to lunch at Fiesta Villa too! Then I drove us out to the pow wow and we watched the dancing, walked around the stands and walked around the buildings. The pow wow is held at the United Tribes College which used to be Fort Lincoln and which also served as an Internment camp during WWII. I did two stories awhile back about the Internment so it was neat to be on the location. We sat in the grass and reminisced about our college days (which now seem so far away).
As it started heading into evening, I got an Indian taco for dinner and we found a spot in the stands. The regalia was amazing and it was fun to watch people dance and listen to the drums and singing. There was one group from the East Coast that came (I believe Mohawk and Seneca and some other groups) and they wanted to share their dances with everyone there- they invited everyone to come out. And they told some of the stories behind the dances too- apparently the Charleston originated out of one of their dances!
The next morning we headed to the Heritage center and I toured the museum (for the first time) as a visitor. Then I made Greta take some touristy photos with me near the buffalo statue outside. There always seem to be people on the capital grounds taking pictures next to the statues and the State Library (which has a Lincoln Memorial feeling to it), so I wanted to take part.
Then she headed home and the next day I headed back to work. The exciting thing that week was that when I answered the phone (for the first time too- I am the last line of defense when it comes to phone answering) the woman who answered was the daughter of one of the men I wrote a story about. When she said her name - I said oh the Pohlig collection. She was surprised that I knew and I told her about my story. She called back later to say that she enjoyed it and was sending it onto her family. (I frantically looked back at my story- overall I liked it, but maybe it was a tad too patriotic for me), but I was very happy to know that someone from the public appreciated it!
In the meanwhile there have been some other interesting happenings in the Reading Room. We had one man who was a relative of Andrew Ireland and he was looking up photos. He found several and one of them was of three lynched men hanging limply and another photo showed Andrew Ireland's burial- his mother standing off in the background. Apparently there was a murder of a white family and Andrew Ireland found a ring and brought it in- they blamed him (along with 4 other people). There were court cases, but a mob did the dirty work. Maybe there's more to the story, but it was very interesting to hear a relative talk about it. And he told me some other stories of grandmother and mother- his grandmother I believe survived the battle (or massacre) or white stone hill and of a time when he was in Germany and some blond haired blue eyed men greeted him and spoke with him in Dakota.
So those were two interesting people who came to the Reading Room. For the most part we get people doing family research, people who want to donate things, government people looking up minutes, researchers for universities and occasionally some foreigners (we had a guy in from Germany to look up Sitting Bull stuff and some people in from Norway doing family history). They are generally affable, sometimes excited to find things, sometimes disappointed we don't have more, but one woman was just complaining about everything and she couldn't understand why we didn't have marriage records before 1925. There weren't that many people in the state before 1870 and even then it wasn't necessarily required by the government- it was more of a church thing (if I remember correctly), but she just couldn't get over it. It was very frustrating.
And on a more pleasant note I should also say that my Liberal Arts education was worth it. Today or a few days ago my boss talked about how they chose the interns and one of the nice things about my application was that I had a variety of coursework. Also I actually used the Russian I took in college! A woman came in with a military document and didn't know what it was. It was from the early 1900s so there were some strange letters and I couldn't translate all that much, but I could tell her what the names and dates were on the document and that it was a military record. Very nifty.
As it started heading into evening, I got an Indian taco for dinner and we found a spot in the stands. The regalia was amazing and it was fun to watch people dance and listen to the drums and singing. There was one group from the East Coast that came (I believe Mohawk and Seneca and some other groups) and they wanted to share their dances with everyone there- they invited everyone to come out. And they told some of the stories behind the dances too- apparently the Charleston originated out of one of their dances!
The next morning we headed to the Heritage center and I toured the museum (for the first time) as a visitor. Then I made Greta take some touristy photos with me near the buffalo statue outside. There always seem to be people on the capital grounds taking pictures next to the statues and the State Library (which has a Lincoln Memorial feeling to it), so I wanted to take part.
Then she headed home and the next day I headed back to work. The exciting thing that week was that when I answered the phone (for the first time too- I am the last line of defense when it comes to phone answering) the woman who answered was the daughter of one of the men I wrote a story about. When she said her name - I said oh the Pohlig collection. She was surprised that I knew and I told her about my story. She called back later to say that she enjoyed it and was sending it onto her family. (I frantically looked back at my story- overall I liked it, but maybe it was a tad too patriotic for me), but I was very happy to know that someone from the public appreciated it!
In the meanwhile there have been some other interesting happenings in the Reading Room. We had one man who was a relative of Andrew Ireland and he was looking up photos. He found several and one of them was of three lynched men hanging limply and another photo showed Andrew Ireland's burial- his mother standing off in the background. Apparently there was a murder of a white family and Andrew Ireland found a ring and brought it in- they blamed him (along with 4 other people). There were court cases, but a mob did the dirty work. Maybe there's more to the story, but it was very interesting to hear a relative talk about it. And he told me some other stories of grandmother and mother- his grandmother I believe survived the battle (or massacre) or white stone hill and of a time when he was in Germany and some blond haired blue eyed men greeted him and spoke with him in Dakota.
So those were two interesting people who came to the Reading Room. For the most part we get people doing family research, people who want to donate things, government people looking up minutes, researchers for universities and occasionally some foreigners (we had a guy in from Germany to look up Sitting Bull stuff and some people in from Norway doing family history). They are generally affable, sometimes excited to find things, sometimes disappointed we don't have more, but one woman was just complaining about everything and she couldn't understand why we didn't have marriage records before 1925. There weren't that many people in the state before 1870 and even then it wasn't necessarily required by the government- it was more of a church thing (if I remember correctly), but she just couldn't get over it. It was very frustrating.
And on a more pleasant note I should also say that my Liberal Arts education was worth it. Today or a few days ago my boss talked about how they chose the interns and one of the nice things about my application was that I had a variety of coursework. Also I actually used the Russian I took in college! A woman came in with a military document and didn't know what it was. It was from the early 1900s so there were some strange letters and I couldn't translate all that much, but I could tell her what the names and dates were on the document and that it was a military record. Very nifty.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Moving Out and Moving In and Labor Day Weekend
So after I got back from MA I finished packing up my stuff and on Wednesday afterwork I took my first carload of stuff over to the new loft before heading back to the house grabbing the last things, cleaning up and heading out. And that was that. Except I forgot to give back the key, so I had to go back the next day and drop it off.
I unpacked a bit throughout the week, but I also promptly made borsch and cabbage salad with supplies I gathered from a farmer's market on the capitol grounds. So right now, I live in a loft with two other people who work at the Heritage center and a friendly white kitty named Spunky who has convinced me that I should get my own cat when I move out on my own again.
That Friday Mom and Grandma came out and visited me at work- I took them upstairs to the shelves of books and periodicals and we went out to lunch at a place called the Woodhouse. Afterwork we went out to Kroll's which is a local diner that serves some classic North Dakotan fare. I finally tried Knoefla soup (nef-la) which is a creamy soup with dumplings that is from an ethnic group that settled in ND called the Germans from Russia. I can't say I'll get it again, but I was happy to finally try it. Afterwards I drove them along the river and we ended up at Double Ditch archeological site which has earthlodge impressions from what used to be a thriving city before disease (I believe) hit. Right on the Missouri river, it also offers good views of the buttes (small mesas) off in the distance with their treeless, big sky beauty.
On Saturday we went around Kirkwood mall and saw the Governor's Mansion. They had peeled away the strips of wallpaper to reveal the past layers which was neat. It apparently used to get pretty cold in there. In the 60's it also became one of the first mental outpatient clinics back when mental health was starting to get a bit more attention. For dinner, I brought them home and made alfredo and watched a movie on the large tv at my new place.
Sunday we decided to drive south along the river since I had never been. We stopped at historic Fort Rice which had depressions and stone corners where buildings used to be and all of it was riddled with prairie dog holes. We stopped at a few other historic sites including Sitting Bull's gravesite. At the instance of Mom and Grandma we also stopped at a casino. It was my first time and I think I was the youngest one there, along with little old ladies and their walkers. I played slots which I was kinda excited about because I wrote an article about a slot machine for datebook. Did you know that slot machines were created in 1895 and originally used card symbols instead of the fruit we know and love today? Those came about largely because slot machines gave out payouts in gum (and cigars- hence, close but no cigar) so that they could be classified as vending machines which were legal. At one point I won 5 dollars and then I subsequently spent it trying to win more and understood how people get addicted to gambling.
On Monday we just hung out and Mom helped me get the loft in order. Now I have some things on the walls and my orange camping chair for a reading area. We also stopped by to see Joni's family for a chat (Joni is mom's friend) and then they left and it was sad and it was back to work.
Work's been going fine in the reading room. But I have discovered that not everyone has an obituary which is a bit frightening since obits are one of the best sources of info about a person's life. So I have decided that when it gets to be about that time I will start carrying around an obit with money for the paper- so maybe not. But I did meet a guy who was dedicated to putting dates on his tombstone and already had his obit ready to go.
By now I am one of two interns left. Surprisingly though I am more social at work seeing as I work in the reading room and I have fun joking around with some of the older people- humor must be an ingredient for longevity.
I unpacked a bit throughout the week, but I also promptly made borsch and cabbage salad with supplies I gathered from a farmer's market on the capitol grounds. So right now, I live in a loft with two other people who work at the Heritage center and a friendly white kitty named Spunky who has convinced me that I should get my own cat when I move out on my own again.
That Friday Mom and Grandma came out and visited me at work- I took them upstairs to the shelves of books and periodicals and we went out to lunch at a place called the Woodhouse. Afterwork we went out to Kroll's which is a local diner that serves some classic North Dakotan fare. I finally tried Knoefla soup (nef-la) which is a creamy soup with dumplings that is from an ethnic group that settled in ND called the Germans from Russia. I can't say I'll get it again, but I was happy to finally try it. Afterwards I drove them along the river and we ended up at Double Ditch archeological site which has earthlodge impressions from what used to be a thriving city before disease (I believe) hit. Right on the Missouri river, it also offers good views of the buttes (small mesas) off in the distance with their treeless, big sky beauty.
On Saturday we went around Kirkwood mall and saw the Governor's Mansion. They had peeled away the strips of wallpaper to reveal the past layers which was neat. It apparently used to get pretty cold in there. In the 60's it also became one of the first mental outpatient clinics back when mental health was starting to get a bit more attention. For dinner, I brought them home and made alfredo and watched a movie on the large tv at my new place.
Sunday we decided to drive south along the river since I had never been. We stopped at historic Fort Rice which had depressions and stone corners where buildings used to be and all of it was riddled with prairie dog holes. We stopped at a few other historic sites including Sitting Bull's gravesite. At the instance of Mom and Grandma we also stopped at a casino. It was my first time and I think I was the youngest one there, along with little old ladies and their walkers. I played slots which I was kinda excited about because I wrote an article about a slot machine for datebook. Did you know that slot machines were created in 1895 and originally used card symbols instead of the fruit we know and love today? Those came about largely because slot machines gave out payouts in gum (and cigars- hence, close but no cigar) so that they could be classified as vending machines which were legal. At one point I won 5 dollars and then I subsequently spent it trying to win more and understood how people get addicted to gambling.
On Monday we just hung out and Mom helped me get the loft in order. Now I have some things on the walls and my orange camping chair for a reading area. We also stopped by to see Joni's family for a chat (Joni is mom's friend) and then they left and it was sad and it was back to work.
Work's been going fine in the reading room. But I have discovered that not everyone has an obituary which is a bit frightening since obits are one of the best sources of info about a person's life. So I have decided that when it gets to be about that time I will start carrying around an obit with money for the paper- so maybe not. But I did meet a guy who was dedicated to putting dates on his tombstone and already had his obit ready to go.
By now I am one of two interns left. Surprisingly though I am more social at work seeing as I work in the reading room and I have fun joking around with some of the older people- humor must be an ingredient for longevity.
Friday, September 3, 2010
FAMILY HISTORY IN MA
It has surely been a while since my last blog and there is much to tell of!
I suppose I should back track and relate the tales of my trip to Massachusettes which began two Wednesdays ago now. I got out of work early and went back to get something to eat. Someone from the historical society picked me up and dropped me at the airport where I realized that I needn't have worried about the 2 hour rule. Four gates and I was pretty much the only waiting for awhile. But I got to O'Hare allright and then I was delayed. So I took a walk, got a shake and looked through magazines on the stands. When I got in, it was late and so I took a taxi (all by myself, for the first time) to Aunt Sue's. After a little talk, it was straight to bed. In the morning we headed off to Lowell where Grandpa grew up- stopping at the cemetary to find those who had passed and finding the old family houses and standing creepily outside them taking pictures. When one woman came to ask what we were doing there, she and Grandpa shared stories of the house.
Then we headed out to lunch where we encountered New England accents which I was very excited for. I didn't really remember hearing them before, but perhaps I just wasn't paying attention. Apparently though when I was little, Grandma told the story of how I asked Great Aunt Anna what country she was from because of her Boston accent! Then we headed off to the old schools and stopped by Lowell Tech (it was a bit weird to be back in a university) and to the historic site of the mills where Grandpa used to work during the summers. I did not know that before and it was very interesting to think he had worked in similar buildings with the loud clanking of the looms that shook the ground.
The next day we headed out to Deerfield, settled into our historic hotel and headed out for historic house tours. Why Deerfield you ask? Well, (although there are a few generation gaps) Deerfield is the home of some of our ancestors. The story goes that the French fur trader Jaques de Noyon was ready to become english because of the better fur prices. He was courting Abigail Stebbins, a Deerfield native, and then the town was attacked by the French and Indian groups and they were taken back north to Canada. So we toured the historic town, which has actually been a tourist town for quite awhile. During the early 1900's, unable to compete with the industrial towns, Deerfield started celebrating its colonial history and taking part in the arts and crafts movement. We also visited a cemetary and tried some grave rubbings which we later read in the brochure that we were not supposed to do. Oh well. Without clear signage I cannot feel bad.
And just as quickly as it started, it was over and I was back on a plane and heading back home with a layover through Denver where I had a glimpse of mountains.
I suppose I should back track and relate the tales of my trip to Massachusettes which began two Wednesdays ago now. I got out of work early and went back to get something to eat. Someone from the historical society picked me up and dropped me at the airport where I realized that I needn't have worried about the 2 hour rule. Four gates and I was pretty much the only waiting for awhile. But I got to O'Hare allright and then I was delayed. So I took a walk, got a shake and looked through magazines on the stands. When I got in, it was late and so I took a taxi (all by myself, for the first time) to Aunt Sue's. After a little talk, it was straight to bed. In the morning we headed off to Lowell where Grandpa grew up- stopping at the cemetary to find those who had passed and finding the old family houses and standing creepily outside them taking pictures. When one woman came to ask what we were doing there, she and Grandpa shared stories of the house.
Then we headed out to lunch where we encountered New England accents which I was very excited for. I didn't really remember hearing them before, but perhaps I just wasn't paying attention. Apparently though when I was little, Grandma told the story of how I asked Great Aunt Anna what country she was from because of her Boston accent! Then we headed off to the old schools and stopped by Lowell Tech (it was a bit weird to be back in a university) and to the historic site of the mills where Grandpa used to work during the summers. I did not know that before and it was very interesting to think he had worked in similar buildings with the loud clanking of the looms that shook the ground.
The next day we headed out to Deerfield, settled into our historic hotel and headed out for historic house tours. Why Deerfield you ask? Well, (although there are a few generation gaps) Deerfield is the home of some of our ancestors. The story goes that the French fur trader Jaques de Noyon was ready to become english because of the better fur prices. He was courting Abigail Stebbins, a Deerfield native, and then the town was attacked by the French and Indian groups and they were taken back north to Canada. So we toured the historic town, which has actually been a tourist town for quite awhile. During the early 1900's, unable to compete with the industrial towns, Deerfield started celebrating its colonial history and taking part in the arts and crafts movement. We also visited a cemetary and tried some grave rubbings which we later read in the brochure that we were not supposed to do. Oh well. Without clear signage I cannot feel bad.
And just as quickly as it started, it was over and I was back on a plane and heading back home with a layover through Denver where I had a glimpse of mountains.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Medora, Montana and the Reading Room
MEDORA
So this weekend, I finally got out to Medora. On Saturday morning, the other intern and I left- heading west. When we got there we drove into Teddy Roosevelt National Park and we didn't have to pay- it was a free weekend! We got our campsite, set up the tent and had lunch with the badlands in the background. I don't really know how to describe the badlands- but it's canyon like and you can see the multi-colored layers of sediment from thousands of years ago. The rock there is really brittle too- you can break it in your hand and when it gets wet, it is slippery. I think a lot of it's called bentonite, which is just really fine stuff and that's why it's so slippery.
Before heading out to Medora we stopped at the visitor center and went on a short tour of Teddy Roosevelts cabing- the Maltese Falcon. The guide told the story of the rich young man coming out to the country side in fancy get-up- a newly made fringe coat and pearl studded pistol (or something similar). He wanted to shoot buffalo, but everyone was afraid of taking him out on a hunt for fear he would die and they would get blamed. He eventually found a guide and hunted a buffalo and had his own hunting cabin made (the Maltese Falcon). After he became president, he helped start up the efforts for more conservation which is why the park is named after him.
Then we drove out to see the town of Medora, there was a buffalo by the side of the road. We walked around the tourist town- I tried on a cowboy hat and bought postcards. We thought about kayaking, but it was overpriced and the water was really low in the Little Missouri River. Afterwards we headed over to the Chateau de Mores (we got in for free there- the benefits of interning). The Chateau is a glorified hunting lodge for the Marquis de Mores and his wife Medora (hence the name of the town). They lived there during the summer as the marquis tried his hand at a ranching business enterprise and she went on buffalo and bear hunts. When we got there, there was a live action show and this guy came on to tell stories of his historical character. He told stories of hunts and it transported you back to the old west- but he also talked about the sad decline of the buffalo- at one point there were only 600 left. We toured the house and walked around the grounds- among the tree-lined river bottom which almost felt a little like home.
When we got back to our campsite, we started the coals and took a little path down to the Little Missouri River- it was pretty low, but I decided to take a dunk. And with the other intern's new camera which can go in water, I tried taking some pictures. I couldn't swim or anything, but I could float for a little bit before ending up on a sandbar.
When we got back, the coals were ready and we grilled out. A park ranger came around and told us about an evening campfire thing. He asked us if we were newlyweds and seemed surprised that we weren't even married. I tried not to laugh too hard, but it was hilarious. We went and listened to more about Teddy Roosevelt.
Since we knew the Perseid meteor shower was going on, we hoped we could get a look. We had an idea of where to look (courtesy of a book at the visitor center) and the sky cleared in time (it had showered off and on earlier). We took our chairs and a blanket and headed back out to the Little Missouri and walked down aways. When it got really dark, the stars were amazing. I saw the milky way and we spotted a few comets. The grass rustled and I was afraid that we were going to encounter a buffalo which is not uncommon. Then the sky started clouding over, so we headed back which was harder in the dark- we almost missed the little trailhead and our feet started sinking in the muck, but right then we found it and made it successfully back to camp and bed.
In the morning I woke up first and headed out to the river again. I crossed it and decided to climb around- mind I was just in my pjs and I'd brought only my sandals 'cause I thought I would just take a dip. So I hiked around barefoot and in my pjs with a sweatshirt which I think is hilarious. I got further than I'd planned on going, but since I had no idea what time it was or when my camping buddy got up, I headed back, stopping to float in the freezing cold water of the river. I felt very adventuresome.
MONTANA
We drove off to Montana after loading up the tent and supplies (which had gotten a bit wet during the night). We stopped in a little town called Wibaux- walking up and down the main street. There were many bars and all the little shops were closed- it being a Sunday. We took pictures of Montana Centennial Train and then went to a park. We played on a tire swing. He pushed me and when I was done, I pushed him- but only once! Tire swings make him very dizzy apparently- it was funny.
Then we drove north through the state- it was very pretty- lots of grass- lots of hills- and even a mountain! At one point the road turned to gravel and my map had said it was all paved! Well, it didn't last too long and we stopped in a town called Sidney for lunch before heading onto the North Rim of Teddy Roosevelt National park back in ND.
I tried stayed awake, but having just eaten lunch and the sun so warm, I couldn't help it! Finally, I had him stop, so I could get some caffeine. I didn't really have any cash by that point and I didn't want to charge anything, so I brought in a handful of change, picked out some tea and asked how much it was. The cash guy told me and I said "let me see if I have enough" and was pulling out my wallet to go through the change purse and he said not to worry about. And because it was a two-for deal, he told me to get another one because it was a Sunday. I felt a little bad, but it made me very happy. It was good sweet tea too.
We got to the park and headed in. We stopped at some of the scenic overlooks and got out to walk along one trail. Since it was fine to walk off trail we picked a peak that looked climb-able and went for it. When we started getting a bit further up, I started worrying about heights and so instead of going along a narrow ridge, I suggested that we backtrack and go up the more tree-lined route, because I reasoned that way I couldn't fall far- sure I'd get banged up- but I wouldn't die! I did get banged up though- the trees were thick and I scraped my leg, but oh well. I also put my hand on a prickly pear cactus twice too and got stuck with well over 10 spikes each time. It's really not that bad, but pulling out some of the longer ones hurts. I was glad the other intern had a pair of tweezers with him. Eventually we reached the top though and the view was amazing. Amazing. Badlands everywhere. And then it was time to start heading down. For some of the steeper areas I took the butt-sliding approach which is exactly what it sounds like and very effective too. We went down a different way which was pretty nice.
Before we left, we took the scenic drive around the rest of the park. For awhile you could see where the grasslands started- there was grass on one side and badlands on the other. I still want to know how exactly the badlands were formed! There was a herd of buffalo and as we drove back we came not more than 30 feet from two buffalo who were hanging out near the visitor center. It was pretty nifty. Just to mention it- most buffalo weigh 2000 pounds and they can run 30 mph, so you don't want to ever come too close to a buffalo.
READING ROOM
We got back a little late, but it was fine and today was my first day in the reading room. My datebook internship is up (although I'll probably still write stories) and so I've been looking up obituaries and helping people find their family histories. It can be pretty exciting when you finally find a date for a person or the article you were looking for. But copyright laws seem like they could be a pain. We shall see how it goes. I do miss having my own computer (I still have it, but I need to stay out in the other area so I can see people when they need help), but it should be a good new experience.
Okay, I should head out now (buy some more antiobiotic stuff for my scrapes) and make dinner. Night!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Surprise Party, Apples to Apples, Art Fair, Canada, the Volunteer Banquet and Remastered movies
So last Friday there was a surprise brunch for one of the people here. Everyone snuck their goodies to the room- one person put all the plates in cups in one of the boxes and wheeled it around like it was full of archives and I avoided a run-in with my bowl of potato salad coming up the stairs. She was surprised which was exciting. And that evening, some us interns and other people from work were invited over to the birthday girl's house. We had a tour (which made me really want my own home to decorate and all that) and played apples to apples- very nice.
Saturday I spent running errands- looking at tires and the like. Can't say I found anything cheaper for the miles. And I stopped off at the capital grounds. Art booths were set up all around the mall with photography and all sorts of crafts. I stopped for some mini doughnuts (I am so sad that I will miss the Middleton Goodneighbor Fest- everyone back home will have to ride the Monkeys and the Eggroll for me and eat lots of mini doughnuts and cheese curds) and watched some kids do traditional polish dances all dressed up in their costumes. Heading back to my car, I found a cute little place that used all sorts of antique magazines and things so I bought a necklace- now of course though I will feel the need to start visiting antique stores on my own so I can make my own!
But Sunday was much more adventuresome. We drove up to the International Peace Garden, stopping in Rugby to take a picture at the moment proclaiming the spot the Geographic Center of America and in Dunseith to take a picture next to a giant turtle made out of wheels. We were heading up on the Turtle Mountains- which aren't really mountains, but the largest thing around. Some pioneers were getting a bit too hopeful when they saw them. When we entered the International Peace Garden we ate lunch next to a pond surrounded by birches before heading onto the formal gardens. Starting with the concrete peace towers, we headed down past floral displays of American and Canadian flags, a monument to 9/11, America's gift store which was in a pretty building, but really didn't have that much inside that pertained to peace- they even had the wooden pistol things! But it is in the process of being completed. We saw the floral clock and and the fountain and headed back along the Canadian side. The international border runs right through the grounds!
Afterwards we drove to Canada. The Canadian border guard was nice and in retrospect I should have asked him to stamp my passport! We stopped in a city called Boussevain to marvel at another giant turtle and browse a gift shop complete with a gate made out of deer antlers. I refilled my water bottle so I could drink Canadian water, which was very similar to American water and we drove parallel to the border, driving through some small towns and seeing many oil wells. When we hit the border, the American guards asked us a lot of questions and looked through the trunk. He asked about my internship and was like "What the heck do you do that for- fun?" Really now!
For dinner we stopped in Minot. We walked around the historic downtown hoping to find a local place, but everything was empty. Music still played though. We found a place, but still there are too many chains in ND! Minot was nice though- nestled in a river valley and with more taller buildings than Bismarck (although I do believe the capitol building is the tallest building in the state). We didn't get back too late and then it was back to work.
This week I've been finishing up my stories for my theme week. And I've been encountering some inconsistencies- you can't trust anyone! People forget, mis-record, make honest mistakes and all that, but I would much prefer it if they didn't. Oh well. Next week I start working in the reading room- I'll still write stories in any down time, but I have been training in for the job. As I was looking up gambling history for one of my stories there was a great line from the governor about allowing bingo so as to keep the grandma's off the street which I thought was funny.
And on Tuesday I went to the volunteer banquet (because interns ate free and other interns were going!). There was borsch and cheese buttons and kuchen and some other German from Russian food (there were lots of immigrants from Germany who went to Russia and then to ND) and raffle prizes. I got a mug with volunteer written in gold plating. So that was fun.
But yesterday wasn't so fun- I had to turn my computer in- I will be without it for 2-3 weeks. The problem seems to be with the motherboard which is covered under my warranty which will be up shortly. Please, keep my poor computer in your thoughts.
Today was more fun. At work for lunch we've been watching a silent film that we watched earlier, only now someone at work has added in music and they're still working on adding in the dialogue- it is all quite hilarious.
That's pretty much it.
Saturday I spent running errands- looking at tires and the like. Can't say I found anything cheaper for the miles. And I stopped off at the capital grounds. Art booths were set up all around the mall with photography and all sorts of crafts. I stopped for some mini doughnuts (I am so sad that I will miss the Middleton Goodneighbor Fest- everyone back home will have to ride the Monkeys and the Eggroll for me and eat lots of mini doughnuts and cheese curds) and watched some kids do traditional polish dances all dressed up in their costumes. Heading back to my car, I found a cute little place that used all sorts of antique magazines and things so I bought a necklace- now of course though I will feel the need to start visiting antique stores on my own so I can make my own!
But Sunday was much more adventuresome. We drove up to the International Peace Garden, stopping in Rugby to take a picture at the moment proclaiming the spot the Geographic Center of America and in Dunseith to take a picture next to a giant turtle made out of wheels. We were heading up on the Turtle Mountains- which aren't really mountains, but the largest thing around. Some pioneers were getting a bit too hopeful when they saw them. When we entered the International Peace Garden we ate lunch next to a pond surrounded by birches before heading onto the formal gardens. Starting with the concrete peace towers, we headed down past floral displays of American and Canadian flags, a monument to 9/11, America's gift store which was in a pretty building, but really didn't have that much inside that pertained to peace- they even had the wooden pistol things! But it is in the process of being completed. We saw the floral clock and and the fountain and headed back along the Canadian side. The international border runs right through the grounds!
Afterwards we drove to Canada. The Canadian border guard was nice and in retrospect I should have asked him to stamp my passport! We stopped in a city called Boussevain to marvel at another giant turtle and browse a gift shop complete with a gate made out of deer antlers. I refilled my water bottle so I could drink Canadian water, which was very similar to American water and we drove parallel to the border, driving through some small towns and seeing many oil wells. When we hit the border, the American guards asked us a lot of questions and looked through the trunk. He asked about my internship and was like "What the heck do you do that for- fun?" Really now!
For dinner we stopped in Minot. We walked around the historic downtown hoping to find a local place, but everything was empty. Music still played though. We found a place, but still there are too many chains in ND! Minot was nice though- nestled in a river valley and with more taller buildings than Bismarck (although I do believe the capitol building is the tallest building in the state). We didn't get back too late and then it was back to work.
This week I've been finishing up my stories for my theme week. And I've been encountering some inconsistencies- you can't trust anyone! People forget, mis-record, make honest mistakes and all that, but I would much prefer it if they didn't. Oh well. Next week I start working in the reading room- I'll still write stories in any down time, but I have been training in for the job. As I was looking up gambling history for one of my stories there was a great line from the governor about allowing bingo so as to keep the grandma's off the street which I thought was funny.
And on Tuesday I went to the volunteer banquet (because interns ate free and other interns were going!). There was borsch and cheese buttons and kuchen and some other German from Russian food (there were lots of immigrants from Germany who went to Russia and then to ND) and raffle prizes. I got a mug with volunteer written in gold plating. So that was fun.
But yesterday wasn't so fun- I had to turn my computer in- I will be without it for 2-3 weeks. The problem seems to be with the motherboard which is covered under my warranty which will be up shortly. Please, keep my poor computer in your thoughts.
Today was more fun. At work for lunch we've been watching a silent film that we watched earlier, only now someone at work has added in music and they're still working on adding in the dialogue- it is all quite hilarious.
That's pretty much it.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
August 4th
Wow- it is crazy how time flies- soon my Dakota Datebook internship will be over and I'll start working in the reading room.
So today there's this market on the capital grounds- there were about 10 stands and it was nice to walk in the sunlight. I bought some green beans, but I miss the stand at the Madison farmers market with a plastic pool filled with green beans and I thought about buying some jelly, but I couldn't help but miss the Jam guy who knows and cares about the very important difference between jam and jelly. The singing guitarist was nice, but I missed the washboard tunes of Madison. Oh Madison Farmers Market, how I doth miss you, even with your crowded sidewalks.
And now for some things from some newspapers past:
Ad - Yes we have no bananas and we have no sale! but we do have top quality towers, antennas and tv sets even in living color! But you come on by and we'll find some bananas! Yes we'll give you a sack of bananas free with each....
And a story about some boys who stole liquor and then got away on their get-away-bikes. A little while later a policeman stopped them and caught them.
So today there's this market on the capital grounds- there were about 10 stands and it was nice to walk in the sunlight. I bought some green beans, but I miss the stand at the Madison farmers market with a plastic pool filled with green beans and I thought about buying some jelly, but I couldn't help but miss the Jam guy who knows and cares about the very important difference between jam and jelly. The singing guitarist was nice, but I missed the washboard tunes of Madison. Oh Madison Farmers Market, how I doth miss you, even with your crowded sidewalks.
And now for some things from some newspapers past:
Ad - Yes we have no bananas and we have no sale! but we do have top quality towers, antennas and tv sets even in living color! But you come on by and we'll find some bananas! Yes we'll give you a sack of bananas free with each....
And a story about some boys who stole liquor and then got away on their get-away-bikes. A little while later a policeman stopped them and caught them.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Killdeer Mountain and the Tornado Warning
Howdy
On Saturday I got up ridiculously early again for a Saturday- somewhere around 6. I was going to go on a hike up Killdeer mountain for a historical talk given by someone at the Historical society and the bus left at 7:15. We drove out and saw a sculpture of flying geese along HWY 94 and met up with a bunch of people at the base of Killdeer Mountain. Killdeer Mountain isn't really a mountain, it's actually a butte (a smaller mesa), but it is the tallest thing around. Anyway, it was the site of a battle.
In 1860 something, after the US Dakota War of 1862, Sully's troops headed out to attack a village at the base of the mountain. Part of it was retaliation for the war, regardless of whether or not those villagers had actually participated in it. They shelled the village which had about 1400 lodges and eventually the villagers fled, some say through a hole in the top of the mountain you can still see today. Throughout the tour different people piped in adding to the story which was fun and interesting. One of the guys was a descendent of someone in the battle and he said that the hole in the top of the mountain was sacred and should be respected and that it used to whistle and people would leave offerings. It doesn't whistle anymore though. There was also discussion of a possible negotiation before the battle and how many warriors the village had and other things that it seems that only history knows.
For lunch we stopped at a grill and as the food was coming out, mine fell, so I had to wait which was horrible. The waitress brought me pickle spears though.
That was the excitement for the weekend. On Sunday I ran some errands and I will need to give up my computer for a few weeks to have it fixed before my warranty runs out (if my warranty covers the repair anyways). Basically my computer doesn't realize when it's being plugged in. So not horribly exciting.
Yesterday we had a tornado drill at the museum. It reminded me of school drills, everyone shuffling out to the hallway, including heritage center visitors. I was in the museum looking at objects for a theme week I'm going to do. Though we were probably safer in the storage area than out in the hallway, we eventually joined the crowds. Someone handed out coloring pages and crayons. It can be hard to color in thin lines with a big crayon- my picture wasn't a masterpiece shall we say.
Today, there was a talk from one of the interns at the former Governor's Mansion. She'd worked on an oral history project from the time when the place served as a mental care outpatient facility- one of the first in the country. Anyway, it's always good to get cookies at 9 o'clock in the morning.
And that's all folks.
On Saturday I got up ridiculously early again for a Saturday- somewhere around 6. I was going to go on a hike up Killdeer mountain for a historical talk given by someone at the Historical society and the bus left at 7:15. We drove out and saw a sculpture of flying geese along HWY 94 and met up with a bunch of people at the base of Killdeer Mountain. Killdeer Mountain isn't really a mountain, it's actually a butte (a smaller mesa), but it is the tallest thing around. Anyway, it was the site of a battle.
In 1860 something, after the US Dakota War of 1862, Sully's troops headed out to attack a village at the base of the mountain. Part of it was retaliation for the war, regardless of whether or not those villagers had actually participated in it. They shelled the village which had about 1400 lodges and eventually the villagers fled, some say through a hole in the top of the mountain you can still see today. Throughout the tour different people piped in adding to the story which was fun and interesting. One of the guys was a descendent of someone in the battle and he said that the hole in the top of the mountain was sacred and should be respected and that it used to whistle and people would leave offerings. It doesn't whistle anymore though. There was also discussion of a possible negotiation before the battle and how many warriors the village had and other things that it seems that only history knows.
For lunch we stopped at a grill and as the food was coming out, mine fell, so I had to wait which was horrible. The waitress brought me pickle spears though.
That was the excitement for the weekend. On Sunday I ran some errands and I will need to give up my computer for a few weeks to have it fixed before my warranty runs out (if my warranty covers the repair anyways). Basically my computer doesn't realize when it's being plugged in. So not horribly exciting.
Yesterday we had a tornado drill at the museum. It reminded me of school drills, everyone shuffling out to the hallway, including heritage center visitors. I was in the museum looking at objects for a theme week I'm going to do. Though we were probably safer in the storage area than out in the hallway, we eventually joined the crowds. Someone handed out coloring pages and crayons. It can be hard to color in thin lines with a big crayon- my picture wasn't a masterpiece shall we say.
Today, there was a talk from one of the interns at the former Governor's Mansion. She'd worked on an oral history project from the time when the place served as a mental care outpatient facility- one of the first in the country. Anyway, it's always good to get cookies at 9 o'clock in the morning.
And that's all folks.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
My First Stories
My first stories are now online! You can check them out at http://www.prairiepublic.org/?s=datebook. Mine are about the Guilfords and the grasslands. I'd forgotten about them and then when I went to look up something on the website, I was all like, oh, that's one of my stories. It was very weird and now it is exciting. My last name is pronounced wrong, but don't worry, it should be taken care of for my next set of stories. My boss remembered asking me about it and I'm pretty sure I didn't say my last name wrong, but in any case, I wasn't surprised.
And yesterday after our staff meeting there was fresh fruit and treats galore. They were getting ready to send us interns off with clapping and food and no one can object to that. One of the intern's last days is today and soon a bunch more will be following suit in mid-August. I, of course, will be here until the end of September. And I'm looking for jobs in museums and abroad, so if you see anything...
And break is over now. Back to work for me.
And yesterday after our staff meeting there was fresh fruit and treats galore. They were getting ready to send us interns off with clapping and food and no one can object to that. One of the intern's last days is today and soon a bunch more will be following suit in mid-August. I, of course, will be here until the end of September. And I'm looking for jobs in museums and abroad, so if you see anything...
And break is over now. Back to work for me.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Exhibits, Exhibits, Exhibits
Hello,
So on Friday we went over to one of the other intern's houses because his landlord was gone. So I made pina coladas and we played scrabble and watched t.v. Very nice.
On Saturday we headed out early (the people I'm renting from were having a brunch so I needed to leave by 9 which was super early for a Saturday in my opinion). First we went to Oscar Zero which served as a launch alert control center. Basically the site controlled the launching of Minuteman missiles which are intercontinental ballistics which can reach all the way over to the Soviet Union. There were no missiles at the site, but the missiles used to be spread out over an area the size of New Jersey. Now, as part of a treaty to reduce nuclear arms, there are no more missiles in North Dakota, but there still are missile sites in the US. We got a free tour for being interns, which was handy. Before we left, we used the restrooms which we had seen earlier on our tour.
Then we headed up to Fort Totten near Devil's Lake. We also got in free there- it can be handy being an intern. The fort was only a frontier fort for about 20 years, because as the person there said, the frontier is only the frontier for so long. After that it became a boarding school for Native American children. The exhibits switched back willy nilly between the two and it was confusing, so it's a good thing they'll be updating the exhibits soon.
We drove the long way back. Driving along the lake, we were practically at water level. We stopped for dinner at a cute place in a town called Harvey- it was like cheap gourmet and they had sweet potato fries!- very good. We drove through a bunch more lakes on the way back- the lakes seemed very long and I don't think I know how to understand lakes that weren't formed by glaciers- they confuse me. The water was very still so the reflections were beautiful. We got back late and I slept in on Sunday.
We didn't get any internet on Sunday, so I joined up with the Bismarck library and luckily had a letter from a friend on hand to prove my mailing address. I stocked up on dvds for the evening's entertainment and am now on my fourth episode of Ballykissangel.
Today at work was one of the interns last days, which was sad. She works in the Museum Division and so she conspired with the other interns to put labels on everything with all sorts of exhibit label no-no's. Jargon-y sentences filled with obfuscatory language and run-on sentences filled their labels. She mis-labeled all the shelves, too. And they all had labels too such as "Supervisor, mean" (Don't worry the supervisor works hard on her reputation and even has a whip in her desk,which really isn't that large) and "Intern, the." It was enjoyable.
Now I suppose I should get back to work and be done with break since it is not my last day.
So on Friday we went over to one of the other intern's houses because his landlord was gone. So I made pina coladas and we played scrabble and watched t.v. Very nice.
On Saturday we headed out early (the people I'm renting from were having a brunch so I needed to leave by 9 which was super early for a Saturday in my opinion). First we went to Oscar Zero which served as a launch alert control center. Basically the site controlled the launching of Minuteman missiles which are intercontinental ballistics which can reach all the way over to the Soviet Union. There were no missiles at the site, but the missiles used to be spread out over an area the size of New Jersey. Now, as part of a treaty to reduce nuclear arms, there are no more missiles in North Dakota, but there still are missile sites in the US. We got a free tour for being interns, which was handy. Before we left, we used the restrooms which we had seen earlier on our tour.
Then we headed up to Fort Totten near Devil's Lake. We also got in free there- it can be handy being an intern. The fort was only a frontier fort for about 20 years, because as the person there said, the frontier is only the frontier for so long. After that it became a boarding school for Native American children. The exhibits switched back willy nilly between the two and it was confusing, so it's a good thing they'll be updating the exhibits soon.
We drove the long way back. Driving along the lake, we were practically at water level. We stopped for dinner at a cute place in a town called Harvey- it was like cheap gourmet and they had sweet potato fries!- very good. We drove through a bunch more lakes on the way back- the lakes seemed very long and I don't think I know how to understand lakes that weren't formed by glaciers- they confuse me. The water was very still so the reflections were beautiful. We got back late and I slept in on Sunday.
We didn't get any internet on Sunday, so I joined up with the Bismarck library and luckily had a letter from a friend on hand to prove my mailing address. I stocked up on dvds for the evening's entertainment and am now on my fourth episode of Ballykissangel.
Today at work was one of the interns last days, which was sad. She works in the Museum Division and so she conspired with the other interns to put labels on everything with all sorts of exhibit label no-no's. Jargon-y sentences filled with obfuscatory language and run-on sentences filled their labels. She mis-labeled all the shelves, too. And they all had labels too such as "Supervisor, mean" (Don't worry the supervisor works hard on her reputation and even has a whip in her desk,which really isn't that large) and "Intern, the." It was enjoyable.
Now I suppose I should get back to work and be done with break since it is not my last day.
Friday, July 23, 2010
What's new
Well, not too much is new.
I spent last weekend lazing about, sleeping in and sewing up a bag for the back of my bike (because I am way too cheap to pay 40 bucks for one). And I put together a guide for students going to Russia- reliving my glory days. Now I am awaiting feedback from others before putting the final touches on it. I also visited some thrift stores for some camping cooking gear, but was disappointed in my attempt. On Sunday I got out to the farmer's market- there were only 5 stands and I wonder if they are simply more active on other days? And one day I stopped at a bead store called Bead Chicks and restrained myself to only spending 12 dollars which was quite the accomplishment in my book. At work, a news station apparently came in to film some of the people. I missed out on the action while posing for my own photo with my boss for press materials. We pretended to be looking through a roll of microfilm and it was horribly amusing as I pointed at articles.
Mostly this week I've been on the prowl for jobs. Applications await, but still there are not many job openings that I'm qualified for (like directorships). On Facebook someone posted something about this thing at the Museum of Science and Industry where you live there for one month and 10,000 dollars. You have a little room, but you can go wherever you want- explore the place at night and the like. It sounds like a lot of fun, so I think I'm actually thinking about applying.
And I almost forgot, there was a near crisis with regards to housing. The people I'm staying with apparently thought I'd be out by September, but my internship goes through September. Luckily, the person who offered me a space in her loft earlier this summer will let me stay there for the month. Crisis averted.
Well, the weekend approaches. I will be headed out on adventure to Medora and the badlands. I got some advice from someone who lives up there not to run or make sudden movements if ever approached by a bison- same goes for rattlers. I felt very reassured.
And I will leave you with some things I find funny:
On my way to camping trip with Krista I saw a city called Downer. Now, wouldn't it be a downer to live in a place like that? Maybe all the bad jokes (like the aforementioned) really get people down.
There was a place called Funk's Meat market. Hmm.
And this is an article (or most of it) that I found in a Bismarck Trib from 1941. The story is not ND-related however, but it greatly amused me:
Little Betsy has too many friends
VT- Four-year-old Betsy Earle is so popular with the townsfolk that her parents have published the following announcement in the town’s column…:Betsy Earle’s parents wish to announce that she is suffering from a severe case of worms and they urgently urge, that in the interest of her continued good health, the townspeople discontinue the practice of feeding her candy.” This isn’t the first time M r. and Mrs. Earle had tried to meet the problem Once they hung a sign around her neck, reading: “don’t feed me.” That didn’t work, because as Betsy explained: “It wouldn’t be polite to refuse, would it?”
I spent last weekend lazing about, sleeping in and sewing up a bag for the back of my bike (because I am way too cheap to pay 40 bucks for one). And I put together a guide for students going to Russia- reliving my glory days. Now I am awaiting feedback from others before putting the final touches on it. I also visited some thrift stores for some camping cooking gear, but was disappointed in my attempt. On Sunday I got out to the farmer's market- there were only 5 stands and I wonder if they are simply more active on other days? And one day I stopped at a bead store called Bead Chicks and restrained myself to only spending 12 dollars which was quite the accomplishment in my book. At work, a news station apparently came in to film some of the people. I missed out on the action while posing for my own photo with my boss for press materials. We pretended to be looking through a roll of microfilm and it was horribly amusing as I pointed at articles.
Mostly this week I've been on the prowl for jobs. Applications await, but still there are not many job openings that I'm qualified for (like directorships). On Facebook someone posted something about this thing at the Museum of Science and Industry where you live there for one month and 10,000 dollars. You have a little room, but you can go wherever you want- explore the place at night and the like. It sounds like a lot of fun, so I think I'm actually thinking about applying.
And I almost forgot, there was a near crisis with regards to housing. The people I'm staying with apparently thought I'd be out by September, but my internship goes through September. Luckily, the person who offered me a space in her loft earlier this summer will let me stay there for the month. Crisis averted.
Well, the weekend approaches. I will be headed out on adventure to Medora and the badlands. I got some advice from someone who lives up there not to run or make sudden movements if ever approached by a bison- same goes for rattlers. I felt very reassured.
And I will leave you with some things I find funny:
On my way to camping trip with Krista I saw a city called Downer. Now, wouldn't it be a downer to live in a place like that? Maybe all the bad jokes (like the aforementioned) really get people down.
There was a place called Funk's Meat market. Hmm.
And this is an article (or most of it) that I found in a Bismarck Trib from 1941. The story is not ND-related however, but it greatly amused me:
Little Betsy has too many friends
VT- Four-year-old Betsy Earle is so popular with the townsfolk that her parents have published the following announcement in the town’s column…:Betsy Earle’s parents wish to announce that she is suffering from a severe case of worms and they urgently urge, that in the interest of her continued good health, the townspeople discontinue the practice of feeding her candy.” This isn’t the first time M r. and Mrs. Earle had tried to meet the problem Once they hung a sign around her neck, reading: “don’t feed me.” That didn’t work, because as Betsy explained: “It wouldn’t be polite to refuse, would it?”
Thursday, July 15, 2010
KAMPING WITH KRISTA AND AN ADVENTURE FOR TWO GOODY TWO SHOES
Howdy
So last weekend I went with camping with Krista and her sister Cassie. When I got to the park (not a bit late!) I couldn't get a hold of Krista to figure out what campsite we were at, so I drove around, got turned around and drove along gravel roads among very picturesque little ponds and lakes and plenty of trees fearing that I would never find my way out and the dangerous deer would eat at me in the night. So we eventually got a hold of one another and I made my way to the campsite- which was conveniently already set-up. We spent the afternoon on Beers lake (which had no beer), paddling along for a Lewis and Clark style adventure (did you know Lewis and Clark spent most of their time traveling in ND?) and Krista taunted that the long fingers of see plants were reaching up to get us like the dead swamp people in Lord of the Rings. We heard the call of a loon and asked for the time from some people at the dock.
For our campfire dinner I had planned to make potato foil packets, but having forgotten the foil we tried making them in a pan. They burnt and we left the potatoes out for the coons. Well, the coons took the potatoes, but then some slugs fell into the pot and I decided the garage-sale pot wasn't worth saving. Next mornings blue berries pancakes went very well, especially considering that I had also forgotten my fry pan. With plenty of oil and Krista's camp set we survived. We spent another day on the lake, courageously paddling through a field of lily pads and admiring the odd decrepit shanty shacks on the middle of some islands. Before we left, we walked down the main street of Pelican Rapids which has the world's largest Pelican and lots of painted pelicans around the city- one's in laiderhosen, bathing suits and bandit get-up.
And then it was back to work. Researching about the internment camp near Bismarck has been depressing. But I've also worked on some corrections- last Friday Jim and I finally went over the stories, so I got some good feedback. Today I was researching about North Dakota's one and only waterfall and on the wiki travel site about North Dakota there are these warnings:
North Dakota is mostly a dangerous landmass. Never forget that North Dakota's peacefull valleys can give way to deadly ravines and trenches, raging rivers and clay roads, cactus and thorns. Never travel alone in North Dakota. A walk around Lake Sakakawea's beautiful shores can soon turn into a rescue mission. Lakes are deep and sometimes can swallow a life with out anyone knowing for hours. Always wear a life jacket when in North Dakota. North Dakota's graveyards are full for a reason Never ever forget that North Dakota has taken the lives of many. You are on you're own, you may be alone Most of North Dakota's most beautiful scenery is untouched. Remember that there is a reason North Dakota's un-safe land remains a repellent for locals.
Now I shall live in fear and always wear a life jacket, which I suppose will be rather odd at work.
This week the couple got back. I made sure that things were clean (for some of you I know this will be hard to believe), but apparently I didn't think of the damaging capabilities of my (likely dying) tomato plants to her grass.
So anyway, Tuesday night I went on a not-so-adventuresome-adventure with a fellow from work. Another person at work had talked about visiting a ghost town, so I wanted to go. We drove out, following 1806 after it became a gravel road. Lots of Jesus rays came from the clouds and cattle walked along the buttes (think smaller mesa), so it was a nice drive, but we were starting to wonder where it was. When we found it, there were a bunch of old buildings, like an old farmstead and a newer truck. We debated whether or not to go- after all people out here tend to take the 2nd ammendment pretty seriously. We thought we would maybe drive a little bit down the road to one of the houses (after all, we didn't see a private property sign and thought we could pass for the silly tourists we were), but the grass in the middle of the road could be heard dragging along the bottom of my car and we decided to capture the moment with a camera instead of a foot trek.
As we drove along on our way home, we found a train- or a part of a train. I had always wanted to climb up the metal ladders on the side, so we did. I climbed down triumphantly and almost slid down the steep bank- oh well. We walked around a bit, and around this building, but when we heard a radio inside we ran back to the car. I bet the guy inside (if there was one) got a laugh. But I suppose that's what happens when you both talk about being afraid to get in trouble as little kids and the shame of having to stand with your face to the fence. So that was our pansy adventure!
Also, please leave a comment somehow, somewhere! I have no idea who I'm talking to and it's a little weird sometimes.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Fourth
So Last Thursday at work we celebrated Canada day- because after all North Dakotans are so close to Canada they're practically Canadians! Not, but since we couldn't celebrate on the fourth for work, we needed a time to eat good food during work.
On Saturday I headed out on the 5-6 hour drive to Charles Lindbergh state park in MN to meet up with Mom, Jim and Alex for a weekend of camping. We weren't in the best of moods after the drive and some phone tag, but after a late lunch, the tent got put up somehow. That evening we drove around Little Falls, the neighboring town, stopping to look at the grand Mississipp (I am being colloquial here and do indeed know the correct spelling) before having the ever classic campfire dinner - hot dogs and smores. And we stopped at a park where Alex and I had fun on the spinny thing that is hard to find on playgrounds these days because they're "dangerous" or something, but so much fun. Just like old teeter totters- who cares if they're dangerous, the new ones are boring and you hardly go up at all!
The next day I only partially thwarted plans of getting an early start by sleeping in to the late hour of 8:30. We got on the bike path at a decent hour, biking on a bridge over the BNSF train. On our way to a small town called Bowlus we biked through a crowd heading out to the parade. We had not planned at all on their being a parade so it was a nice coincident. We watched a bit while eating some cotton candy and other such delicacies and Alex headed out to the street for some candy before heading back on a classic family bike ride filled with the small bickerings of its members.
For fireworks we returned to the very same town and spread out on our blankets for a very pleasant evening. The fireworks were mediocre, not being particularly shapely, but I've never been big on fireworks anyway. The finale was pretty impressive though. When we got back the campsite was relatively empty and we played with sparklers.
Before heading back on Monday we headed to a U-Pick strawberry place. After taking down the tent and packing the cars we headed off. The place was kinda closed for the season, but still letting some pickers through. The rows of strawberries smelled so good and I ate so many sun-warmed berries as I picked them. The nearest U-Pick that I've heard of from Bismarck is 3-4 hours away, so this was a must stop place for me. I drove home with a huge tray of them sitting on top of my cooler, reaching back every now and then for some. In Fargo I stopped for some fresh groceries and gas (gas is somehow more expensive in Bismarck despite the fact that the oil fields are closer and the refinery is not too far away). Everyone seemed so smiley at the grocery store, but when I stopped in Valley City for some bungee cords because my bike and bike rack were not getting along, no one seemed very happy at all. On the drive I listened to prairie public and saw two rainbows- one crossed a cloud- like the cloud was filled with the striped colors of the rainbow- I have never seen anything like that before.
I arrived to an empty home- they are out for the week in Medora so I am enjoying having the place to myself, painting and drawing with crayons on the walls- I think they'll really enjoy my new murals! (Just seeing if you're paying attention). But I have been cooking up a storm and singing loudly around the house.
Now I am back at work and am very glad for the three day weekend because already it's Thursday. I've been rather sluggish and this weekend I've been staying at my desk during the normal walking routine to type up things like this blog! There may be another date confusion for the radio program- all the dates were left open for me and scheduled as re-runs are now open to everybody so none of my dates have been taken, but I will have to be careful. I've got a few more stories in the works, I just need to write them and do a bit more research. Today there was a tomato plant waiting for me- one of the museum people had a surplus and offered them out. So tonight I will plant it along with some herbs that Mom brought up for me (one of the many things- I had her pick up a bunch of groceries that are harder to find her or more expensive so I shall never go hungry again!). Hopefully I will not kill these plants, I would very much like to have really fresh margarita sandwiches!
Well I suppose I should get back to work now, writing scripts and not blogs.
Oh, and if you read this, leave a comment! I'm curious to know about my readership!
On Saturday I headed out on the 5-6 hour drive to Charles Lindbergh state park in MN to meet up with Mom, Jim and Alex for a weekend of camping. We weren't in the best of moods after the drive and some phone tag, but after a late lunch, the tent got put up somehow. That evening we drove around Little Falls, the neighboring town, stopping to look at the grand Mississipp (I am being colloquial here and do indeed know the correct spelling) before having the ever classic campfire dinner - hot dogs and smores. And we stopped at a park where Alex and I had fun on the spinny thing that is hard to find on playgrounds these days because they're "dangerous" or something, but so much fun. Just like old teeter totters- who cares if they're dangerous, the new ones are boring and you hardly go up at all!
The next day I only partially thwarted plans of getting an early start by sleeping in to the late hour of 8:30. We got on the bike path at a decent hour, biking on a bridge over the BNSF train. On our way to a small town called Bowlus we biked through a crowd heading out to the parade. We had not planned at all on their being a parade so it was a nice coincident. We watched a bit while eating some cotton candy and other such delicacies and Alex headed out to the street for some candy before heading back on a classic family bike ride filled with the small bickerings of its members.
For fireworks we returned to the very same town and spread out on our blankets for a very pleasant evening. The fireworks were mediocre, not being particularly shapely, but I've never been big on fireworks anyway. The finale was pretty impressive though. When we got back the campsite was relatively empty and we played with sparklers.
Before heading back on Monday we headed to a U-Pick strawberry place. After taking down the tent and packing the cars we headed off. The place was kinda closed for the season, but still letting some pickers through. The rows of strawberries smelled so good and I ate so many sun-warmed berries as I picked them. The nearest U-Pick that I've heard of from Bismarck is 3-4 hours away, so this was a must stop place for me. I drove home with a huge tray of them sitting on top of my cooler, reaching back every now and then for some. In Fargo I stopped for some fresh groceries and gas (gas is somehow more expensive in Bismarck despite the fact that the oil fields are closer and the refinery is not too far away). Everyone seemed so smiley at the grocery store, but when I stopped in Valley City for some bungee cords because my bike and bike rack were not getting along, no one seemed very happy at all. On the drive I listened to prairie public and saw two rainbows- one crossed a cloud- like the cloud was filled with the striped colors of the rainbow- I have never seen anything like that before.
I arrived to an empty home- they are out for the week in Medora so I am enjoying having the place to myself, painting and drawing with crayons on the walls- I think they'll really enjoy my new murals! (Just seeing if you're paying attention). But I have been cooking up a storm and singing loudly around the house.
Now I am back at work and am very glad for the three day weekend because already it's Thursday. I've been rather sluggish and this weekend I've been staying at my desk during the normal walking routine to type up things like this blog! There may be another date confusion for the radio program- all the dates were left open for me and scheduled as re-runs are now open to everybody so none of my dates have been taken, but I will have to be careful. I've got a few more stories in the works, I just need to write them and do a bit more research. Today there was a tomato plant waiting for me- one of the museum people had a surplus and offered them out. So tonight I will plant it along with some herbs that Mom brought up for me (one of the many things- I had her pick up a bunch of groceries that are harder to find her or more expensive so I shall never go hungry again!). Hopefully I will not kill these plants, I would very much like to have really fresh margarita sandwiches!
Well I suppose I should get back to work now, writing scripts and not blogs.
Oh, and if you read this, leave a comment! I'm curious to know about my readership!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Weekend and the Cleaning
Please don't be confused I did not clean this weekend- I straightened up, but did not clean extensively. I had a good weekend though.
Friday I got home and found a little note by my door about renter-things. I was very glad to head out to Reza's Pitch with a few other interns from work thereafter. I tried their cheese curds- not bad for North Dakota.
On Saturday I headed out to Lake Sakakawea with another intern. We didn't have things planned out very well and after heading out to the grocery store to pick up supplies we had to return home and then stop at a gas station before getting on the road. It rained most of the way up there and I don't think either of us had checked the weather, still the weather was clear when we arrived. We drove across the Garrison dam to the park- definitely one of the largest dams I have ever seen. I think it was built in the 50's and displaced a boat load of people. We ended up walking along the shoreline although to the dam and on the way back I chickened out and instead of jumping across a puddle I jumped right through it. When we got done with our 2 1/2 hour walk, my feet were the most prune-y they have ever been.
For dinner we grilled out. Just after we got our coals lit, a storm past through. Luckily our dining facilities were near a shelter and there was a fire space there so we made another fire. After the storm passed our coals outside were still warm so we put our vegetables out there for a veritable feast.
We drove home the long way. Thinking we would see a city called Twin Buttes (hoping there would be two buttes) we took a long detour. There weren't two buttes that we could see, but it was fun to see more of North Dakota. Along the way we stopped at a display about pit mining- I think it was the freedom mine or something like that. We got in late which was fine by me.
So now for the cleaning part- yesterday there was a grand gallery cleaning. The objects in the exhibit gallery need to get cleaned every now and then and the museum people recruit people from all over the museum. I got to vacuum the buffalo family which was very exciting. With my vacuum back pack I felt very much like a ghost buster. It was fun to take my shoes off and slide under the reading rail to get up and close with the buffalo. Being careful not to hit anything with my pack, I scouted around, getting into middle of the buffalo family. Vacuuming through a screen (so as not to damage the buffalo) I got closer to buffalo than I will ever get to a live buffalo. Afterwards, they provided us with pizza and ice cream. Not a bad way to end the evening.
Work has been going pretty well. This week I've been getting into some paper documents, reading through people's diaries and the like. It's an odd sort of relationship I have with these people whose stuff I'm going through.
Well, I guess that's it for now.
Friday, June 25, 2010
it's raining, it's pouring
Right now it is raining, so I will stay at work a little bit later before heading out to dinner with some of the other interns. What was I going to do at home anyway?
So I guess I should start with the big excitement- on Wednesday we had a huge intern fieldtrip. All of us, pretty much, headed out in a big red fan on the epic trip. We started off at Double Ditch historic site- you can see depressions where people used to live in earth lodges. We even found (not me by the way)little pieces of ceramic (which we of course left at the site) which I took a picture with. Very exciting. Then we drove up to the Lewis and Clark center- we got to go into their collections. The next stop was Fort Mandan- smaller than I'd expected I guess, but pretty nifty. We stopped inside to play with the kids things and take photos- there was a canoe, a tent, table and dress up clothes. I went with a red hat to compliment my outfit of course. Then we headed to Fort Clark- passing a book and reading passages along the way- this after all was an educational trip. Our supervisor, who is the meanest person I have yet to meet, made us read all of the signs too. She threatened leaving interns behind and dragging people through prickly pear cactus! She likes to work on her reputation ;) At Fort Clark another intern found a clay pipe- someone had a scale on them so we took a picture- very nerdy and very fun. Our next stop was Knife River Indian villages where there used to be a thriving community of Hidatsa before the small pox epidemic which took out 90% of the 1,000 person population. You could see where all of the earthlodges had been because of the depressions- I'm getting much better at identifying those things! Our final stop was secret and we were sworn to reveal the location to no future intern. And then we were back again.
Yesterday I went down to the museum collections- I'm thinking about maybe doing a series about interesting objects and stories that go with them. It was exciting to be among so many objects again.
And today I finally went up to the archives. So far I've mostly been looking through old newspapers on microfilm so it was very nifty to swipe my card to get into the giant storeroom of concrete walls, shelving and lots and lots of paper. I got a little distracted looking at interesting things- searching for ideas. I can't say I've been horribly productive this week. I thought I'd try looking up ideas and then dates while I had a wide variety of dates open, but I think I will have to return to my primary methodology for better results. Oh and today we watched part of silent film at lunch- it was hilarious. The best part was when a couple were walking around and the girl (of course) slipped and fell. Luckily our brave hero caught her before she fell into the ankle-deep water. They were just about to hold hands when we ended the film for the day- oh drats! And the other exciting bit- this afternoon on our walk we saw the museum people. They were throwing atlatls and invited us over- I was the only one to go (afterall I could make up a few minutes lost at the end of the day). Luckily Beloit prepared me for atlatl throwing- I did pretty well. I love atlatl throwing. An atlatl is a spear thrower- predates the bow and arrow- way cool.
And since I have a bit more time I will now convey a story from another intern which was conveyed to me and which I find hilarious. So the other intern is living in the basement of a local guy. Lately the guy has been asking him to come out to a softball game, so he one day he finally goes. On the way back though the renter guy takes out a tube of cherry lip balm and smears it over his hands (while he's driving), clips his nails, pulls out a toothbrush and toothpaste, brushes his teeth, opens the door (while the car is moving) and spits. How ridiculous is that?
Time to go enjoy the weekend.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Holy Crap it's Tuesday
My how time flies. Loads of exciting stuff going on around here. Since we're waiting for people to come fix the ceiling my computer was moved over to another desk. I'm in between two people which does increase sociability, but alas my desk looks lonely with the postcards on the wall and no computer. I miss my little footrest too!
Today I briefly talked with my boss about my stories. He doesn't have too much to say about them. My comment about the state planning director saying it was a poor touch player who couldn't make a pass without spilling his beer might be a little low brow, but he liked it (for a July 4th article). And the unfortunate news. The guy who records the scripts was out and we didn't notify for the dates in time - anyway my first stories, you won't get to hear them until next year. Unfortunate, but no use getting my knickers in a knot over.
Last night I went on a bike ride- I put on the spedometer thingy, but it refuses to work! Much hillier here anyway, and next time I will not follow the bike path along the sidewalk down the hill- it was bumpy and tree-lined and a waste of a good hill.
Tomorrow we head out on an intern fieldtrip. Must not be late!
Today I briefly talked with my boss about my stories. He doesn't have too much to say about them. My comment about the state planning director saying it was a poor touch player who couldn't make a pass without spilling his beer might be a little low brow, but he liked it (for a July 4th article). And the unfortunate news. The guy who records the scripts was out and we didn't notify for the dates in time - anyway my first stories, you won't get to hear them until next year. Unfortunate, but no use getting my knickers in a knot over.
Last night I went on a bike ride- I put on the spedometer thingy, but it refuses to work! Much hillier here anyway, and next time I will not follow the bike path along the sidewalk down the hill- it was bumpy and tree-lined and a waste of a good hill.
Tomorrow we head out on an intern fieldtrip. Must not be late!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
The Weekend
So I finished up a slow week on Friday- I'm on schedule, but I would prefer to be ahead of schedule. Hopefully after the weekend, I will be a busy bee again.
On Saturday I opened a bank account with Wells Fargo all by myself- I feel very grown up now and unfortunately aware of my financial situation. To be young. And rootless for the time being.
And then two other people from the archives headed out to Fort Lincoln. One of the other girls used to be a tour guide there so we got in for free and got the inside scoop and had all of our questions answered. It was frontier days so we got to try doing laundry the old fashioned way and played a game called cat and mouse where two people stand on wobbly pieces of wood across from one another, each holding the end of a piece of rope and trying to pull the other person off their piece of wood- good fun. And I got to try playing a dulcimer, so I would like one now! We took a tour of Custer's house and a Mandan village and looked at the Missouri river from the blockade tours. For dinner we were invited home. All in all, a very good day.
Today I didn't do much, but I made some turtles and pb cups and jelly cups (but no pb and j cups) and that's about all.
On Saturday I opened a bank account with Wells Fargo all by myself- I feel very grown up now and unfortunately aware of my financial situation. To be young. And rootless for the time being.
And then two other people from the archives headed out to Fort Lincoln. One of the other girls used to be a tour guide there so we got in for free and got the inside scoop and had all of our questions answered. It was frontier days so we got to try doing laundry the old fashioned way and played a game called cat and mouse where two people stand on wobbly pieces of wood across from one another, each holding the end of a piece of rope and trying to pull the other person off their piece of wood- good fun. And I got to try playing a dulcimer, so I would like one now! We took a tour of Custer's house and a Mandan village and looked at the Missouri river from the blockade tours. For dinner we were invited home. All in all, a very good day.
Today I didn't do much, but I made some turtles and pb cups and jelly cups (but no pb and j cups) and that's about all.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The flood
Okay, so there wasn't really a flood- although maybe flash flood warnings last night- I don't know. But today the ceiling did leak right next to my desk- not over it mind. Soon one little bucket wasn't enough and we dragged over a huge pink bucket to collect the dripping water. Turns out the heating/cooling system was having some problems and a bunch of ice built up on the unit which started melting. Some guy came to chip the ice off and it splattered across the floor. As the day wore on, they pulled up another big pink bucket and when I left I covered my chair and computer in some plastic bags that someone got out for me- better safe than sorry. But still it was quite funny.
Oh and someone very nice covered my bike seat with a plastic bag during some stormy weather- I think it must have been one of the security guys.
Oh and someone very nice covered my bike seat with a plastic bag during some stormy weather- I think it must have been one of the security guys.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
June 15th
So, today I had a battle with a pen...and lost. But now my hands are relatively ink free. And I can say that I am doing much better with doors- so far that seems to be the hardest part of any job. At Morton it was figuring out the locks, at the Logan it was knowing which ones would lock behind you and here it's remembering that the door that looks like you should pull it is actually a push. Probably not the best answer when my next interviewer asks what challenges I've faced in the work place.
And really not too much happened at work today. It was slow. My computer was slow (that's what you get for coming in last, but really I don't do as much work on my computer as other people) so I got some coffee so I wouldn't be as slow.
In the afternoon I realized that one of my co-workers likes Dollhouse so I had someone to talk to about it because I just finished the last season and now I am so sad. Oh damn you Fox network for canceling it!
Oh and I offered to help the guy who was fiddling with his microfilm for ages- really it was getting distracting. But he wouldn't take any help...from me anyway. He asked for help from some other person. Honestly! I'm getting to know my way around a microfilm machine, thank you very much. And I've read enough newspapers now to know that I prefer Ann Landers to Dear Abby.
And really not too much happened at work today. It was slow. My computer was slow (that's what you get for coming in last, but really I don't do as much work on my computer as other people) so I got some coffee so I wouldn't be as slow.
In the afternoon I realized that one of my co-workers likes Dollhouse so I had someone to talk to about it because I just finished the last season and now I am so sad. Oh damn you Fox network for canceling it!
Oh and I offered to help the guy who was fiddling with his microfilm for ages- really it was getting distracting. But he wouldn't take any help...from me anyway. He asked for help from some other person. Honestly! I'm getting to know my way around a microfilm machine, thank you very much. And I've read enough newspapers now to know that I prefer Ann Landers to Dear Abby.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The First Full Week Completed
So my first full week went pretty well. Before the internship started I worried if looking over microfilm all day would kill me, but so far it's been fine and even if I'm having a harder time finding good stories for the datebook, there are still a bunch of fun things to read- like Ann Landers! I also have my microfilm reading companion who comes in to copy things from a newspaper- says he learning more about his dad from the paper then he ever knew- his dad was apparently a quiet man.
For a while I was getting discouraged on finding good topics- all the really popular things have been taken- all the historic sites, governors, Lewis and Clark and Custer stuff is pretty much covered. But not Dakota Maid Flour! I was so excited about that one- it's a state owned mill. So by the end of the week things were looking up. And I finally summoned up the nerve to show my boss what I'd been working on- heading in the right direction at least. I should probably talk with him more often.
On Friday there was a surprise party for someone in the office who'd just gotten married. I brought potato salad which went over pretty well and then there were many good deserts!
Oh and on Thursday I put up some postcards above my desk and brought a mug in. The postcards started up some conversation. And on Friday I brought in headphones so I could listen to music. Very exciting.
And I finally got my oil changed. Now I need new tires. Ahh.
This weekend I went to the zoo with two other interns. We walked, crouching through low ceilinged tunnels to get to the middle of the tiger's cage and for the prairie dog thing too- I'd never seen baby prairie dogs before-so cute! Then we walked around downtown- not a whole lot going on, but we stopped in a historic church and weather station. For dinner we went to Space Aliens bar and grill- quite the atmosphere.
And tomorrow it will be back to work.
Here are some highlights from the archives:
chin stretching helps devlop good contour
bicycles "better than walking"
velvet lined bathtubs
anti-freckle helmets
children's letters to god- one of your clouds made a face that scared me- please don't do it again
british politician asked health service to provide tights instead of stockings to women to hide the vericose veins of mini skirt wearers
there was also an article about visiting soviets who disapproved of how short miniskirts were and how older people were wearing them and that there was too much coupling
one teacher put fake bomb around bad students neck
"Dangerous when aroused..a woman's curiosity"
"... the way you look may be the way you'll stay in someone's memory-Dorothy Perkins Fine Cosmetics"
"Love on a greyhound bus"
a little boy in NY ran away to coney island because his mom loved the dog better
For a while I was getting discouraged on finding good topics- all the really popular things have been taken- all the historic sites, governors, Lewis and Clark and Custer stuff is pretty much covered. But not Dakota Maid Flour! I was so excited about that one- it's a state owned mill. So by the end of the week things were looking up. And I finally summoned up the nerve to show my boss what I'd been working on- heading in the right direction at least. I should probably talk with him more often.
On Friday there was a surprise party for someone in the office who'd just gotten married. I brought potato salad which went over pretty well and then there were many good deserts!
Oh and on Thursday I put up some postcards above my desk and brought a mug in. The postcards started up some conversation. And on Friday I brought in headphones so I could listen to music. Very exciting.
And I finally got my oil changed. Now I need new tires. Ahh.
This weekend I went to the zoo with two other interns. We walked, crouching through low ceilinged tunnels to get to the middle of the tiger's cage and for the prairie dog thing too- I'd never seen baby prairie dogs before-so cute! Then we walked around downtown- not a whole lot going on, but we stopped in a historic church and weather station. For dinner we went to Space Aliens bar and grill- quite the atmosphere.
And tomorrow it will be back to work.
Here are some highlights from the archives:
chin stretching helps devlop good contour
bicycles "better than walking"
velvet lined bathtubs
anti-freckle helmets
children's letters to god- one of your clouds made a face that scared me- please don't do it again
british politician asked health service to provide tights instead of stockings to women to hide the vericose veins of mini skirt wearers
there was also an article about visiting soviets who disapproved of how short miniskirts were and how older people were wearing them and that there was too much coupling
one teacher put fake bomb around bad students neck
"Dangerous when aroused..a woman's curiosity"
"... the way you look may be the way you'll stay in someone's memory-Dorothy Perkins Fine Cosmetics"
"Love on a greyhound bus"
a little boy in NY ran away to coney island because his mom loved the dog better
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Highlights from the Archives
So today I biked to work in a turtle neck. It gets very cold in the archives, so I thought it would help and sure enough I was very warm for the first part of the day.
Today I finally got my security badge- up till now I'd been using a visitor one so now I am very official. And we all got new chairs. I came back from looking at microfilm and my orange chair was replaced by a huge blue velvety type chair that swivels. The backs are a little stiff, but that should just encourage good posture methinks. Apparently they were going to be thrown out, but now they have home.
Oh here's a random thing, there's a framed copy with the whole "We of the United States, assembled here..." on the wall and because in the olden days eses looked like efs it looks like "affembled" and I can't help but imagine them all stuttering over the word in their white wigs.
In the afternoon I went on a walk with some of my other co-workers- every day at 3- they go so I am joining in. Everyone around the capital goes out for walks along the capital grounds- there are multitudes of little groups of twos and fours taking the air.
Mostly what I've been doing lately is looking through microfilm reels. I pick a random drawer and see what I find and pop the reels in. Yesterday I think I took an older man's favorite microfilm machine- some of them have different light levels I guess. I saw him again today and I suspect I will again tomorrow.
Anyway on my quest for interesting stories pertaining to ND that would make a spectacularly amazing radio script I have found many a great or rather amusing ad or headline. Enjoy!
"He a Caveman, she a flapper"- a story about a man who attempted to carry a woman off and was put in jail
"The only place that makes money without advertising is the U.S. Mint. If your business isn't worth advertising, advertise it for sale."
"Vulcanizing tire repair"
"Men match up to your wife's Gorham Sterling (silverware)..there's nothing that will get you the slippers and pipe treatment faster than a gift of Gorham Sterling."
"If the festive mosquito thinks that he will make friends by the unique familiarity that he takes with every body just now he is greatly mistaken."
There was a great article on frozen siberian milk where the common saying was, "Be careful not to break the milk."
And a lovely advice column about an 11-year old boy who had good conservations with a girl his age on the phone, but she always seemed to "turn off" him in person. The columnist advised him that she was either shy, wanted to keep it a secret or was talking to other boys.
Cigarette ad with a man leaning in, holding a woman's hand saying, "Do you inhale?"
From a cartoon: Signing the declaration means never having to say you're Tory
Another cigarette ad with a man and woman smoking together "When you need an excuse to stay a little longer, I'm your best friend- I am your lucky strike. How about just one more Lucky, Angel? Then I'll go"
Gopher Poison: Thy're hungry now. Go after them.. Kill 'em Quick (that's no spelling mistake)
Etiquette tips:
Can a woman cross a hotel lobby to speak to a man? No- ask the bell boy or waiter to have him come over
Ad- says one boy to another: "I'll bet I weigh more than you do. I drink MN Diary Milk"
"The Little Wool Dress"
Ad for a mattress: "The application of the "Rolling-Pin" is an old American custom...and a well-proven method for inducing sudden sleep."
Did you know there were padded hip suits to make your waist look thinner? There were.
And that's all folks.
Today I finally got my security badge- up till now I'd been using a visitor one so now I am very official. And we all got new chairs. I came back from looking at microfilm and my orange chair was replaced by a huge blue velvety type chair that swivels. The backs are a little stiff, but that should just encourage good posture methinks. Apparently they were going to be thrown out, but now they have home.
Oh here's a random thing, there's a framed copy with the whole "We of the United States, assembled here..." on the wall and because in the olden days eses looked like efs it looks like "affembled" and I can't help but imagine them all stuttering over the word in their white wigs.
In the afternoon I went on a walk with some of my other co-workers- every day at 3- they go so I am joining in. Everyone around the capital goes out for walks along the capital grounds- there are multitudes of little groups of twos and fours taking the air.
Mostly what I've been doing lately is looking through microfilm reels. I pick a random drawer and see what I find and pop the reels in. Yesterday I think I took an older man's favorite microfilm machine- some of them have different light levels I guess. I saw him again today and I suspect I will again tomorrow.
Anyway on my quest for interesting stories pertaining to ND that would make a spectacularly amazing radio script I have found many a great or rather amusing ad or headline. Enjoy!
"He a Caveman, she a flapper"- a story about a man who attempted to carry a woman off and was put in jail
"The only place that makes money without advertising is the U.S. Mint. If your business isn't worth advertising, advertise it for sale."
"Vulcanizing tire repair"
"Men match up to your wife's Gorham Sterling (silverware)..there's nothing that will get you the slippers and pipe treatment faster than a gift of Gorham Sterling."
"If the festive mosquito thinks that he will make friends by the unique familiarity that he takes with every body just now he is greatly mistaken."
There was a great article on frozen siberian milk where the common saying was, "Be careful not to break the milk."
And a lovely advice column about an 11-year old boy who had good conservations with a girl his age on the phone, but she always seemed to "turn off" him in person. The columnist advised him that she was either shy, wanted to keep it a secret or was talking to other boys.
Cigarette ad with a man leaning in, holding a woman's hand saying, "Do you inhale?"
From a cartoon: Signing the declaration means never having to say you're Tory
Another cigarette ad with a man and woman smoking together "When you need an excuse to stay a little longer, I'm your best friend- I am your lucky strike. How about just one more Lucky, Angel? Then I'll go"
Gopher Poison: Thy're hungry now. Go after them.. Kill 'em Quick (that's no spelling mistake)
Etiquette tips:
Can a woman cross a hotel lobby to speak to a man? No- ask the bell boy or waiter to have him come over
Ad- says one boy to another: "I'll bet I weigh more than you do. I drink MN Diary Milk"
"The Little Wool Dress"
Ad for a mattress: "The application of the "Rolling-Pin" is an old American custom...and a well-proven method for inducing sudden sleep."
Did you know there were padded hip suits to make your waist look thinner? There were.
And that's all folks.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
The First Blog
Hello everybody,
I have now been in Bismarck for five whole days. I arrived last Wednesday- later in the evening after a relatively uneventful, but very long drive with a brief stop in Saint Paul to see Krista and gas scare on my way to Bismarck. I started looking for places not too long after I hit a quarter of tank, but there was nothing. After my gaslight went on and some frantic calls to Mom, I pulled off the road at the next stop, but there was no gas place, just a dog yapping at my car as I drove along the gravel road. After getting back on the road, the gas light went off and I succeeded in making it to Tappen as my light went back on again. Crisis averted. The guy in the store even let me pay first because I must've had some more important place to get to, or so he said.
Anyway I arrived in Bismarck and decided to look around a bit and my sense of direction got horribly muttled up. Still I managed to find my place of work (although I doubled back because I wasn't sure- though I expected a tall capital building, the supposedly art deco style skyscraper still caught me off guard) and eventually the house I'm living at. After driving past their place, David came out and waved his hands. I pulled into the driveway, saying that I'd hoped to arrive a bit earlier (afterall my grandma sometimes goes to bed around 9:30, so 9:45 wasn't the earliest), but they go to bed later anyway. They helped me unload the necessary things for the evening and I settled in their daughter's old room.
The next day I got ready for work, scrambling to make some eggs (although not scrambled eggs) since that's mostly what I had for breakfast food after unloading my cooler. I found my way to the reading room without a hitch and my boss came out to greet me from behind the glass doors that seperate the workers from the researchers. I expected a more rounded fellow in a tweed suit with receeding light orange hair, but my boss had a full head of salt and pepper hair and a thin frame, wearing a navy suit with a sedate Mickey Mouse tie. After pulling some materials for a grad student who had walked in on rather late notice, he showed me around, introducing me to everyone and taking me down to security to get a badge- right now I still have the volunteer one though. He showed me my desk and the 70's orange chair reminded me of the old wall dividers of the same color in my mom's office- it really felt like an official job then.
At 10, the other interns in my department and I headed off on a large tour of everyone and everything. We walked through the musuem's collections looking at old guns and the Medora horse before heading to Paleontology where we saw the 8,000 pound block of mummified dinasour fossil that still has patches of skin before walking along the shelves and shelves of archives. Then there was a potluck lunch and we finally had a chance to talk with some of the other interns- many of who are actually working at my building and some that are working at the Historical Site's outposts.
On Friday I mostly looked at old newpapers, searching for interesting stories that could make a good radio script for certain dates. Still, for the Fourth of July it seems there were mostly "many celebrations (not a direct quote, but a direct sentiment)". There was also a video about the cold war missil launch facility in Cooperstown- pretty nifty.
Anyway, this weekend I haven't done much. I no longer want to adventure, but rather prefer to hide away. Still I've started reading for pleasure again (a sign that I am re-entering civilian life) and I did manage a bike ride today- I swear there are more hills here. I went grocery shopping and made lasagne because I thought they were going to be out for a bit, but they got back early just as I was layering everything so the kitchen truly was a mess- I felt so horrible, like I was 11 again and I was in trouble- although they probably weren't as distraught about the whole thing as I was. And that's about it for now. Tomorrow I head back to work.
I have now been in Bismarck for five whole days. I arrived last Wednesday- later in the evening after a relatively uneventful, but very long drive with a brief stop in Saint Paul to see Krista and gas scare on my way to Bismarck. I started looking for places not too long after I hit a quarter of tank, but there was nothing. After my gaslight went on and some frantic calls to Mom, I pulled off the road at the next stop, but there was no gas place, just a dog yapping at my car as I drove along the gravel road. After getting back on the road, the gas light went off and I succeeded in making it to Tappen as my light went back on again. Crisis averted. The guy in the store even let me pay first because I must've had some more important place to get to, or so he said.
Anyway I arrived in Bismarck and decided to look around a bit and my sense of direction got horribly muttled up. Still I managed to find my place of work (although I doubled back because I wasn't sure- though I expected a tall capital building, the supposedly art deco style skyscraper still caught me off guard) and eventually the house I'm living at. After driving past their place, David came out and waved his hands. I pulled into the driveway, saying that I'd hoped to arrive a bit earlier (afterall my grandma sometimes goes to bed around 9:30, so 9:45 wasn't the earliest), but they go to bed later anyway. They helped me unload the necessary things for the evening and I settled in their daughter's old room.
The next day I got ready for work, scrambling to make some eggs (although not scrambled eggs) since that's mostly what I had for breakfast food after unloading my cooler. I found my way to the reading room without a hitch and my boss came out to greet me from behind the glass doors that seperate the workers from the researchers. I expected a more rounded fellow in a tweed suit with receeding light orange hair, but my boss had a full head of salt and pepper hair and a thin frame, wearing a navy suit with a sedate Mickey Mouse tie. After pulling some materials for a grad student who had walked in on rather late notice, he showed me around, introducing me to everyone and taking me down to security to get a badge- right now I still have the volunteer one though. He showed me my desk and the 70's orange chair reminded me of the old wall dividers of the same color in my mom's office- it really felt like an official job then.
At 10, the other interns in my department and I headed off on a large tour of everyone and everything. We walked through the musuem's collections looking at old guns and the Medora horse before heading to Paleontology where we saw the 8,000 pound block of mummified dinasour fossil that still has patches of skin before walking along the shelves and shelves of archives. Then there was a potluck lunch and we finally had a chance to talk with some of the other interns- many of who are actually working at my building and some that are working at the Historical Site's outposts.
On Friday I mostly looked at old newpapers, searching for interesting stories that could make a good radio script for certain dates. Still, for the Fourth of July it seems there were mostly "many celebrations (not a direct quote, but a direct sentiment)". There was also a video about the cold war missil launch facility in Cooperstown- pretty nifty.
Anyway, this weekend I haven't done much. I no longer want to adventure, but rather prefer to hide away. Still I've started reading for pleasure again (a sign that I am re-entering civilian life) and I did manage a bike ride today- I swear there are more hills here. I went grocery shopping and made lasagne because I thought they were going to be out for a bit, but they got back early just as I was layering everything so the kitchen truly was a mess- I felt so horrible, like I was 11 again and I was in trouble- although they probably weren't as distraught about the whole thing as I was. And that's about it for now. Tomorrow I head back to work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)