It’s always a joy to find an unexpected flamingo from an anonymous sender in your mailbox! Actually, there were two — a veritable mini flock, if you will. This ornament and an ice cube tray. I can’t wait to make… Read More ›
Pacific Northwest
Whine and Dine
I just dropped my parents off at the airport after a weeklong visit. It’s always a bittersweet feeling; on the one hand, it’s nice to have our routine back (and I’ve missed driving my car). But the house feels so… Read More ›
June 24, or, How I Arrived Here (Twice)
Twice on June 24, I arrived in Rapid City. I don’t think I even realized that until a couple of days ago. Obviously, the anniversary of our arrival on this date two years ago has been top-of-mind lately. But equally… Read More ›
Pretzels are the New Pickles
There are surprisingly few things I miss about living in the PNW. Family and friends, of course. Powell’s Books. Liberalism. But most of my fondest memories are tempered by reality: the worsening traffic jams, the median home price inching ever… Read More ›
10 Things I Love About You
I woke up Sunday morning and asked Tara, “Hey, wanna move to South Dakota this week?” Fortunately, she was down. So: here we are. Moving week. Four more days! It still feels surreal, even though Tara’s last day at work… Read More ›
This Looks Familiar
Six years ago, shortly after Tara moved out here, we took a drive and came across a couple who were stuck in the snow. We helped them out of that jam by enlisting the aid of a guy with a… Read More ›
From Chinook to Chislic
I came across an article in Portland Monthly last week on bierocks, a Midwestern staple that resembles a glorified Hot Pocket. Apparently I am not the only one who has never heard of them because Microsoft Word doesn’t recognize the… Read More ›
Not Montana
I was in the kitchen at work the other day and one of the RMs walked in for a cup of coffee. “So, I hear you’re moving!” he said to me. “Montana, is it?” I corrected him, but couldn’t help… Read More ›
100 Days
Today is a momentous milestone. In exactly 100 days, we will be leaving the PNW behind and heading for South Dakota! Seeing that countdown timer drop to double digits tomorrow is going to be surreal. We have slowly been preparing… Read More ›
What’s a “Swinged Cat,” Anyway?!
Like most states, South Dakota has several different nicknames. Most are not surprising. It is called, among other things: The Mount Rushmore State The Coyote State The Sunshine State The Blizzard State The Land of Infinite Variety But one nickname… Read More ›
