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.
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