*sigh*

it's snowing again...that makes Dan and I crabby. Enough said.

How Many More Shall Suffer!

Well this HAS been an interesting week, between the flooding in the East of ND and the Blizzard in the West, this state is a mess! We received 18 inches of snow total and I’m told that more is suppose to come next week. ICK! This week there was 2 snow days were work was cancelled.

Dan and I have decided that we do need to buy a snow blower. Thank GOD for friends….Kim, Lenny, and Miranda came over on Wednesday t o help dig us out and allow us back into civilization! The best part was that as we were getting closer a man driving a skid steer came and helped unblock the driveway from when the city plowed a 5 foot high drift. I couldn’t believe how nice he was and that he was willing to help us out!

We do have some bad news and it has been a rough week at our house, we have had to let our shovel go. It was the shovel that my mother game me. It had been limping by but this last storm broke its spirit and the brace of the back. So we have had to get replacements. We are keeping them separated, don’t want to kick the dead shovel while it’s down!

This is another example of “the Dickinson Way”. This snow bank is not another example of just how much snow we received, this snow bank is the median of Sims Ave, separating the two directions of traffic, right outside of the post office!

WHO lives like THIS?!?

Okay so I got cocky-I actually put on summer khakis and actually put all the winter coats away. Boy do I feel stupid. I’m sitting on my second official snow day, this storm hit so bad that Dish did not even schedule a route for Dan the night before.

We did have a drive way and a lawn and the possibilities of flowers…everything—and now…we have officially have to tunnel our way to find Dan’s truck somewhere in the snow. UGH…will this winter EVER be over.

I actually saw people wear shorts and we talked about golfing and thought about landscaping and barbequing. Don’t I feel foolish!

And tooo think-Aunt Janice said it never snows -LIAR!

Hooray for Visitors!

This week we had visitors! Hooray! We started out the week with my sister Alaina. She and I drove back from Bismarck on Sunday and had Heather, a friend that is part of our “couple group”, came over and gave us Mary Kay makeovers and tips. Heather showed Alaina and I eye make up tricks. Alaina’s make up looked great. I’m excited to see how she does it the next time that we’re together. We took her to Sanford’s, which is Dan and I’s favorite Dickinson restaurant, BECAUSE of the enormous burgers. Dan is also addicted to the sweet potato fries, which Alaina and him both thoroughly enjoyed…I can’t imagine how many weight watcher points they would be!!

We ended the week with Dan’s mom and stepdad—Nancy and Larry. It was nice to show off the house, Larry hadn’t seen it yet and the last time Nancy had seen it, it was cardboard box central! We took them to Badland’s Brew (the site of my first supermodel photo shoot) and to Bogie’s diner. When we got home, they proceeded to school us in pinochle multiple times. I think Dan and I were just being good hosts!
Nancy surprised us by saying that she wanted to give us a dishwasher as our housewarming gift, we are excited to start shopping for that!! We just need for the construction to start and to figure out how water would work….I am hoping to have Mom and Dad come out after seeding for Dad to ‘advise’ us!

Last night was also the Twilight party, where we had a showing of the pop-culture phenomenon movie. TALK ABOUT DISAPPOINTED! They lost major parts of the book and the acting was not there, it frustrated Dan, who has read the book. Why are movies NEVER as good as the books?? On the DanandAmanda movie scale...it receives a one--just because the thought is what counts!

Official Ruling on the Field is being Challenged!

This is my mother's response to Dan's victorious calf race win!

Good grief. And I will have you know that I got Dan’s calf started and he took over after it had already taken off!! Ashamed of me you say!

I am sensing that Mom might challenge Dan to a rematch!

Mom and the "F" word and Farmer Dan

What a weekend! Mom’s big FIFTY-ith party was this past weekend. This was the first time I had been home in the new year, it felt like it had been for-e-ver! Her Party was so much fun and it was good to see the family that showed up. She was the best looking one there, HANDS DOWN! I want to thank everyone that came and brought something and helped eat the ice cream cake!

I can’t believe the snow that they have gotten and the amount of twins that they’ve had this year! EIGHT SETS…what does that mean, how can they have sooo many fertile Myrtles! Dan and I put on boots and trenched through the snow and muck to take a couple of calves to the top of “the hill”—the place where all the good calves go! This was Dan’s first ‘hands-on” experience with the calvies.
Mom and Dan even had a race to see who of the two would get their stubborn calf to the top of the hill. I’m proud to say that Dan won and ashamed that even though Mom comes with the experience…she lost!

More Pictures to Come!!

So Many Activities, SO Little Week!

The week has been CRAZY…On Monday, I was a super model for the Dickinson Convention and Visitors Bureau. They are reviewing and revising their marketing material and website. I took pictures at Badland’s Brew and at the CVB Office. I saw some of the pictures that were taken by the photographer, they were phenomenal. I’m excited to see everything that comes out!

I also got to meet and listen to a reading by Debra Marquart. I read her memoirs entitled “Horizontal World: Growing up Wild in the Middle of Nowhere” This was the first memoir that I identified with and actually felt that her story and mine story had been tangled together.

The biggest news of the week: I’m a PAMPERED CHEF consultant…How exciting! Who wants to have a party! I decided on pampered chef because
1. I LOVE kitchen gadgets
2. I love their parties because they serve food
3. I’m excited to develop my entrepreneurial skills
4. This will be a great way to meet people and earn a little money!

Dan Update:
Dan ended up going to the doctor. He had a sinus infection and needed medicine. He is no longer going through kleenex’s like it’s his job! Hooray for me!

Sickness, University Events, and my Youthful Mother!

Well…Dan has been sick and I want to know why I am being punished! He’s coughy and snuffly and groany..and all the other unhappy dwarves! Kleenex stock may be going up…take it as an inside tip, Dan has gone through many boxes! He even took today off to get better and make sure that customers don't look at him like a giant germ. I find it ironic that I have not even had a hangnail since he became infected...hmmmm! Please pray for my sanity otherwise I might have to take Dan behind the shed, between the garage, and shoot him to put him out of his misery!

On Friday, we had 3 couples over to play family feud, where the girls challenged the boys’ intelligent by all the steals and numerous sweeping the board! We didn’t make it to the Steinbeck events that were held at the University, but both of us took in the Women’s Voices panel. This next week will have other Women’s Voices events, I’m excited about seeing Debra Marquart and hearing her reading and lecture. She’s originally from Napolean and is a distant relative to Lawrence Welk.

Mom’s birthday is this week. Come Thursday, she will be very old…50…however, I do hope that I look that good when I’m that old! Ha ha ha! Pictures will be available next week.

Check out the links on the blog to see my father's cameo's on television!

Grandma Dar Brings Warm Weather to Dickinson

Today, we had a heat wave…Dickinson was in the 40’s...and not the negative 40’s!! Water and sludge filled the street…well I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too! If we keep on the positive note, we are also in the process of slowly washing the basement office floor. We are having seepage on the north side of the basement—still. I won’t lie and say I’m not nervous as the 100 foot snow disappears and melts, because I am nervous. Dan and I read that the city is thinking of closing the pool and I told Dan that we could invite kids to play in our pool, and he said, you mean our basement!! Ahh…please continue to think dry thoughts about us!
Dan and I spent quality time today with the shovels! We hacked away ice and shoveled more snow away from the house. I’m not sure the two shovels we have are going to survive the winter. We included some of the pics from today. Not only are we fashionable but we also had fun referencing “American Gothic”.

I thought I’d also provide a tour of the yard…here is the front of the house, the patio, the garden, and the back of the house…see if you can tell the difference.
Is this winter over yet?

I also am excited to talk about the Women’s Voice Panel where I was able to show off my grandmother. She spoke on the “Careers: Breaking Barrier” panel where 4 women talked about their career experiences. Grandma Dar did such a wonderful job, I was so very proud of her. She did get a shock sound she rattled off how many children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren she had. The most interesting thing about the panel was that these women did not see that what they were doing was earth shattering, what they did came out of necessity. Today, Grandma, Aunt Janice, and I spent the day together wandering around Dickinson. I made scones for breakfast, Grandma liked them and Dan had the left-overs tonight and thought they were wonderful! We went and visited Hawk’s Pointe and also introduced Grandma to Sisters and the Village. I liked spending time with these women who I admire and who have had such a great influence on my life.

March 1...and all is WELL! :)

I can’t believe it’s March 1st…This year is going by so fast!
This week some changes were made around the house…we put up curtains! I guess that means we are really moving in. As we get more settled in the house and Dickinson, I feel more and more comfortable with the move and the idea of living in Dickinson. There are certain things about the house that I do not like, like the carpet, bathroom, unfinished basement—but when we do little things like curtains or water in the fridge I realize that I love this house!


March is Women’s month. Yesterday was the first day of the Women’s Voices campaign that I’m a part of at DSU. I asked Grandma Dar to be part of the “Career: Breaking Barriers” panel. Part of the panel is to bring pictures of their lives to share as part of a photo exhibit being displayed at Hawk’s Point, the senior citizen housing just off campus. Yesterday was a social that opened the exhibit up and I was excited to see the pictures that were chosen and how wonderful they looked. Grandma is coming to visit on Tuesday and is staying over night. Another event going on is a lecture/book reading from Debra Marquart. She is originally from Lawrence Welk-country. I’ve been reading her memoirs and it is one of the autobiographical that I’ve read that has really inspired me and I identified with.



The only concern that I have right now is the kitties. The have moved from hissing to play to playing too ruff. I think Lola scratched TonyDanza’s eye. It has gotten uggy filled and will have to take him to the vet this week. He will be going to the same place that Lola was just at on Friday because she’s eating her declaw scares! The vet is going to start wondering if Dan and I are competent pet owners.

Dan, Jack, Kim, and I went and saw Gran Torino, the new Clint Eastwood film....ON the DanandAmanda Movie scale...it receives a ***** (Count 'em, 5 stars)! I suggest this one for my father...it's right up his alley!