I would have preferred DQ

Got to experience a near-blizzard this weekend. In the end, I don’t think it was as predicted, but I’m fine with that. And the timing was fabulous, as I didn’t have to drive anywhere.

Still, I prefer my Blizzards with M&Ms from Dairy Queen, served upside down.

In North Dakota, they don’t do that. Serve them upside down, I mean. I thought that was some kind of DQ mandate; I mean, they even do it in Cambodia and Indonesia.

But it’s completely unknown to North Dakotans that you’re supposed to get your DQ Blizzard upside down, despite the fact it says it on the cup. It does not say it on the cash register, though, where in other states/countries it states that if you don’t get it upside down it’s free.

But, I must say it appears North Dakotans know how to cope with their other blizzards, the ones with a lower-case “b.” It’s not something I hope to get used to, but this baby one was fine.

The snow didn’t start to fly until Friday, really, so I just buckled down with “Rock Star” (the first of two showings on the weekend). I wound up getting an invite that same night but didn’t want to drive or inconvenience anyone else by having to give me a ride, so I turned it down.

I heard the wind big time Friday and was again thankful I am not in the RV now. I mean, I am in a triple-wide and I could feel the wind shaking the place and blowing over, under and to the side of it.

But it was warm and I did not have to walk to take a shower or pee in the middle of the night, so that’s fine.

And in the morning, I got up at the crack of 10 a.m. and shoveled. I had a huge drift in front of my door and then some 2-foot ones in the driveway, but in other places, most notably the sidewalk, it was clear.

I resisted the urge to make a snow angel, though I am not sure why. I think it might have been the presence of a neighbor outside that dissuaded me.

The wind is insane here. Being a plains state, there’s just no trees or anything to break the wind and as a result it just whips everything all around. My house has a little alcove and the snow just somehow winds up there.

But I didn’t need to drive anywhere, so I’ve had no issues so far. I did walk into work; I’d forgotten my calendar and decided to drop off my tea and pick up the calendar because I was bored.

I pulled on the pumpkin suit and headed in. Unfortunately, I had some bad timing and wound up being there just before the start of a funeral. I’d gone at 1:30 p.m. and had thought the funeral was at 11 a.m., but I must have gotten it mixed up with Tuesday’s funeral.

So there I was, wearing pumpkin pants and carrying a gallon of tea, trying to sneak through the fellowship hall to stick the tea in the fridge and then slip out. But you can’t sneak wearing fluorescent orange pants.

The funeral hadn’t yet begun and people were still trickling in, so it wasn’t too bad, but I felt awful – it was the funeral of a 2-week old preemie who’d been born at four months to a teen mom.

Today, the only exit from my house was to Walmart. I threw on the pumpkin suit with my tall LL Bean boots and headed there through the wheat field. I'm literally four houses and a fill pond from Walmart, but you have to cut through either the back yards or the wheat field to get there that way; otherwise, I have to double back and go on the road and it's about 3-4 times as far.

I followed some snowmobile tracks and it turns out the snow was packed down in some places but not in others. Quite a workout; I would take two steps on solid snow and then sink to my ankles, take two more steps like that, go back to solid ground and then sink to my knees. I should do that 4-5 times a day!

I got some weird looks and comments in Walmart because of the pumpkin pants. I took them as compliments.

It's funny to me that the people from here make such a big deal about how tough and hardy they are, but in reality, they go from their garages to leaving their engines running all day long and they're rarely in the weather. It's the Florida girl walking through the snow to buy potatoes, onions, Cheetoes and Grasshopper cookies.

Tomorrow, I’m headed to Bismarck to some PR class that’s hosted by FEMA. I’m really not sure what it’s all about, but, and I think I’ve mentioned this once or twice, there is a Cracker Barrel there so I’m psyched about it. I just wish I’d be there Saturday because I love the chicken and rice special.

Anyway, it’s not an early morning thing; I just have to be there by 6 p.m. to check in since I didn’t leave my credit card number for the reservation. I am hoping the highway is clear; the high tomorrow is supposed to be minus 1. I think it is due to go up to just above freezing but crash back down just in time for me to drive back. Lovely.