Wild, Wild West

This week, I got out of Dodge for a morning and headed to Williston.

It was for work purposes – I delivered a speech to a minstrel group – but it was fascinating to see the wild, wild West – which is what Williston is.

Minot is a boomtown, but Williston is where the boom really is. It’s Oil Field Central and Man Camp Land.

I’ve heard these words and seen the fringes – much of Minot’s housing crisis stems from oil rig workers who live in Minot and commute – but seeing up close was incredible.

As I’m typing this, I’m sitting in Gramma Sharon’s restaurant and boy, if I wanted an oil man, I’d be in heaven. It’s a nice meal to eat out. I’ve heard the bars at night are unsafe – as in date rape unsafe. But breakfast (I’m starting this on a Thursday at 10:15. I can’t believe I’ve gone five waking hours without breakfast) is a good meal to eat out.

And the bacon is fabulous.

My speech was at the hospital and right at the entry door there was a sign that said “Slipcovers for muddy boots’ with a box of footy things. Now, it did rain last night, but I don’t think that was what it was for – the three guys sitting in the booth next to mine all have mud on their boots.

It’s a blue collar town, and, judging by the morning hour, it’s pretty much what I’d heard.

The drive in – complete darkness, as I left at 6 a.m. – I saw the fire of oil rigs dotting the prairie land around Highway 2. As I neared Williston and the light increased, I saw a real man camp – rows upon rows of trailers split into bedrooms.

I brought my camera and will aim for a couple of photos on the way back. I wish I could have gotten the brightening sky with the oil jack things against it, but it didn’t work out – too dangerous to fumble for a camera, a stick shift and the steering wheel in a construction zone.

[Later…]

Back and it’s Sunday. I spent all day yesterday working. We took down the mess tent, which was a pretty monumental task. It took from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to get the thing down. (See photos at http://www.facebook.com/HopeVillageND?ref=hl#!/HopeVillageND.)

And it’s cold. Not super, super cold, but in the 20s at night and if we’re lucky in the 50s during the day. Now (I’ve fast-forwarded tot Sunday now) it’s absolutely gorgeous outside, although a bit nippy.

In Williston, I hit their Walmart (hiring at $17 an hour, good luck finding housing, though) and bought a nice warm hoodie. Today I am going to set out to the mall and look for Barry a grandpa gift as well as a scarf and decent hat. I have one, but it’s not all too warm.

My sitemate quit, which was the right decision for her. Now, though, I am a little in limbo after her quitting because the housing was supposed to be two of us in a house and now it’s just me. I’m not sure what will happen.