Home of Toto

On Monday afternoon Eric stopped by the coffee house to tell me he had a job driving to Kansas to pick up a piece of equipment and could I get off work early and go with him?  Well, not much will keep me, The Road Trip Queen, from going.  My boss was fine with it, so I raced home and packed up some food and all my laundry (I’ll go to great lengths to avoid doing laundry in Watford City).  We got to Rapid City, SD around midnight.

The next day we drove through the Black Hills of South Dakota and on into Nebraska where we followed the Platt River and crossed the Oregon Trail.  We knew we were in Kansas when the road became rollercoaster-like.  (They don’t do road cuts but rather follow the lay of the land).  It’s been said that Kansas is so flat you can watch your dog run away for a week.  Well, maybe in a few parts of Kansas, but having just driven from the NW corner to the SE corner, I can tell you it’s mostly rolling hills, lots of creeks, beautiful hardwood forests, charming old towns and tidy farms.

Oddly, one of my favorite parts of the day was the laundromat in Parsons, KS.  It was old, but clean, spacious and empty.  Normally, I hate going to the laundromat, but this day I rather enjoyed it because now I knew what a truly nasty one was like (Watford City’s).  I got chatting with the attendant—she was born in Wallace, ID, graduated from Kellogg High and has family in Hayden and Coeur d’Alene, ID.  What are the chances?  Anyway, I was happily folding my six loads when Eric pulled up—perfect timing!

Heading back, we saw lots of miniature oil pumps, just five feet tall, pumping away in farmer’s fields.  They’re really cute and apparently have been around since the turn of the century.  Eric loves old machinery and wanted one bad, but we decided to not buy a lawn ornament right now.  J

Into the night we drove on the dark, featureless highway, coming into each little town, shining like a beacon with Christmas decorations and streetlights.  As I studied the map, I noticed a tiny dot near the Nebraska border.  We were going right by that dot, so we got to stand on the geographic center of the United States of America!  Woohoo!!  Not only that, it was on the Winter Solstice!  I think we get bonus points for that. (Scroll down for the exciting photos).

Another Super 8 stay, another continental breakfast, and we set off on the final leg of our trip through an inch of snow as the sun rose behind us.  Going through South Dakota, we saw hundreds of beaver mounds including one with a beaver sitting on top of it, which was a pretty cool sighting on a trip full of wildlife sightings. Besides the beaver, we saw buffalo, antelope, a coyote, deer, lots of hawks , plus skunks and raccoons.  Ok, the buffalo were in a feed lot and those last two were dead, but hey.

I’ll close now as we cross the border into North Dakota.  The sun is low, our shadow is long, and we have five hours left before we are done.  It’s been a good trip—I checked two more states off my list—just six left! 

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Progress at Last!

You would think time would creep by if you were living in a camper with those four walls so very close.  Surprisingly that’s not the case.  I’ve been so busy, the days just fly.  I’ve been doing clerical tasks for both Eric and Joey, along with projects on the camper, and of course,  cooking.  On Saturday, Eric and his truck finally got hired to haul frac  water tanks.  Frac water is used to fracture the shale rock so the oil can be extracted. 

 The tanks look like a shipping container but with a set of wheels and they hold about 400 barrels of water. (They are hauled empty).  They are then filled by yet another kind of truck called a vac truck which is a tanker that holds 6,000 to 7,000 gallons.  I heard on NPR that the average well rig requires about 2000 semi-truck trips, 800 of which are for water!  

While Eric was gone from the afternoon to the wee hours, I put up Christmas decorations while listening to “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and sipping Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea by Celestial Seasonings (what exactly is “natural sugar cookie flavor”?)  I made a batch of Perfect Cocoa Brownies from thecomfortofcooking.com and happily amused myself by surfing foodgawker.com and Facebook.  It’s amazing how many hours pass in front of the computer, isn’t it?  For once it was still outside and the moon shone in the clear, cold sky.  Eric finally rolled in at 4:30 am, tired but happy. 

I just got hired at a little coffee house called Raw Energy (thanks for the intro, Joey!)  It has nice atmosphere with a yoga room and spinning classroom in the back…who knew?  I’ll be working  two days a week , and Pam, the owner, said she would work with me on the schedule should I be hired at a neighboring restaurant that I’m applying at tomorrow.

So now Eric and I are employed (if just partially) and are now thinking that it really was a good idea to come to North Dakota.  After a month and a half, the pieces are starting to fall into place and we are starting to feel like a part of the community.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a first day on the job, and I’m pretty happy about it.  Wish me luck!

Road Trip With a Bonus

After hugging the cats, I took one more look around the house and locked it up.  I climbed into my trusty Subaru, heavily packed with supplies and culinary treasures (yay for Trader Joe’s and Costco!).  With Crash and Gabby yawning and lounging on the sunny front porch, I sighed and pulled out of the driveway.  Eric had gone ahead to finish loading the semi’s flatbed trailer with building supplies and a skid-steer loader.  I caught up with him in Worley, ID and we caravanned through the golden wheat country and down the Kendrick grade to the Clearwater River and the little town of Kooskia.

We arrived just after dark to find our friend Frank waiting with his excavator to help us load a 20 foot container onto the flatbed, then put the car inside of it.  With teamwork and Frank’s operating skill, we finished around 9:00.  Frank’s wife Debi had a hearty spaghetti dinner waiting for us, plus we got to visit their darling son, now 6.  He had grown so much in three years!  A long hot shower and comfy bed were so appreciated, especially knowing what lay ahead.

In the morning we had breakfast and said our goodbyes.  I hated to leave their warm friendship and beautiful home, but I climbed up into the ol’ Freightliner, gave Eric a grin and a thumbs up, and off we went down the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway (Hwy 12).  We passed a highway sign that had a winding arrow and said next 77 miles.  It wasn’t kidding!  We followed the Lochsa River with big rafts of newly formed ice floating down it and tried to spot the places where we were pitched into the rapids on a rafting trip a few summers ago.  Up and over Lolo Pass which was icy and narrow in spots and on down onto the grazing lands of Western Montana.  Eric was relieved to get onto I-90 and we drove through the night to Big Timber.  It was 2am, 10 degrees F with gusts to 46mph.  To be sure the truck would start, Eric left it idling, which also enabled us to run the heater.  The wind howled and shook the truck all night, but we were snug in the little twin sleeper.

After hitting the snooze button we slept till 8:00, downed some canned mochas and hard-boiled eggs and headed east. We finally pulled up to the camper at 9:00pm, entered the frozen space, cranked up the heat and unloaded the things that wouldn’t wait.  The bed sheets were icy—maybe it’s time to switch to flannels!    Now we are ready for the duration.  I think.

Top Ten Things I Love About Home

10.  The sounds of home—the train in the distance, the pheasants and geese, and Pandora Internet Radio, namely Mark Knopfler Radio, my favorite.

9.  Finding everything we need at reasonable prices, like ingredients for special dishes and building supplies for projects back in N.D.

8.  Seeing trees and mountains in every direction.

7.  Using my own washer and dryer—use a grimy Laundromat and you’ll know what I mean!

6. Cooking in my own kitchen.  Even with its circa 1953 cabinets, sketchy range, lack of counter space and drawer space and inefficient layout, I still love it.  Really, I do!

5.  Going for a run with Eric on English Point Trails on a path carpeted with golden larch needles.

4.  Using a real shower.  Enough said.

3.  Having a girl’s day with my dear friend Lynn—shopping at the new Trader Joe’s that we have been pining for for years, followed by a picnic at Manito Park…good times!

2.  The cats!  Crash and Gabby have been all over us, winding around our legs, purring, and jumping on any lap that appears.  I miss them so much when we are gone!

1.  Seeing family and friends—thanks so much for the meals, visits and laughs we have shared.  It was wonderful, and makes us want to come back as soon as we can.

We are preparing to head back to NoDak tomorrow or Saturday.  It will be sort of hard to leave, but I’m looking forward to making progress at our little camper on the prairie.

 I’ll keep you posted!  J

Giving Thanks

On Wednesday, I couldn't stand the idea of not cooking a Thanksgiving meal just because I have a kitchen the size of a medium doghouse.  So I brined four turkey legs that I had brought from home, and headed into town to fill out the menu, while Eric and Joey tore out the rear-end of a Kenworth semi-tractor.  Between the two tiny stores in Watford City I found what I needed.
 
  First thing, pumpkin pie...now where's that pie pan?  Apparently, back in Hayden.  Now what? How about an eight inch saute pan?  In went the Pillsbury crust (no, I didn't make a scratch crust--I'm not that crazy)! Next, a filling from eclecticrecipes.com for "Healthier Pumpkin Pie"  using almond milk, less sugar and four eggs. (I used two whole eggs, three whites, and increased the spices). Turns out the heavier pan solved the problem of the heat source being one inch from the rack, and the pie was perfect :).  For cranberry sauce, I used a bag of fresh berries, one cup of sugar, one cup of  orange/mango juice and 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. After it boiled up and all over the stove, it cooked down to syrupy goodness.  I finished it with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and declared it good.

On to the dressing, the very best part of t-day dinner, in my opinion.  With no artisanal bakeries  in town, I turned to a beloved standard from my childhood, Mrs. Cubbisons, and made the recipe off the box for "lite" version, with the addition of turkey breakfast sausage. Tasted just as I remembered...I could eat a gallon of the stuff!

For the turkey, I used this month's Cook's Illustrated"s recipe for Easy Braised Turkey, scaled down to fit my only-slightly-larger-than-a-toaster-oven oven.  Four drumsticks is max capacity.  The aforementioned heat source problem made browning difficult, so I poured the wine and broth over the sizzling poultry and veggies, covered the pan and hoped for the best.

Meanwhile, I made the other sides--Brussels sprouts caramelized then braised in apple juice, green beans with bacon, and simple baked yams, which I squeezed in with the turkey.  By now, I had dirtied nearly every dish and utensil in the kitchen so I cleaned up what I could before calling the guys in for dinner. They waited hungrily while I finished  the gravy, also from this month's C.I.
Finally, dinner was served, and , keeping with tradition, we stuffed ourselves.  Kind of undid my healthy tweaks, but who cares?  It just adds motivation to work out more, right?  Yeah, right.  :)
After sending Joey home with a load of leftovers, we cleaned up and crawled into bed for some sweet tryptophan-induced slumber.

Thursday's breakfast was leftover dressing topped with eggs over easy, the perfect leftover user-upper.  We buttoned up the camper which included draining, then flushing the pipes with anti-freeze. With lunch and snacks packed up, we headed into Williston to catch the 11:00 am Amtrak home to Hayden. This was my first domestic train ride, and I really liked--it was simple, easy and relaxed.  We chatted with lots of interesting folks, enjoyed the views from the observation car and dined on white linen (turkey dinner, of course).  After fifteen hours, we arrived in Sandpoint, ID and drove home in my Subaru that our employees had left at the station for us.  It was about 1:30 am when we pulled up at the house, where we were joyfully greeted by our cats, Crash and Gabhy.  I'm with Dorothy--there's no place like home.

What am I thankful for?  So many things--family, friends and  home, of  course.  The amazing kindness and generosity of people we have met in North Dakota.  The beauty and richness of our country. Our health. This year, though, I am extra  thankful for the opportunities in North Dakota.  For so many, a job in NoDak will mean the difference between keeping or losing their home, sending their kids to college, or paying off a hospital bill.  For thousands of families, there is hope.

Thanks for sharing some time with me.  I will happily respond to any comments  Have a wonderful weekend!

Scroll down for photos of dinner and the resulting mess!  
 

Moving Day

On Sunday, Eric and Joey, our new friend whose property we are staying on, spent the day driving driving  truck with Joey's lowboy trailer.  I stayed home and nested, making a batch of "Perfect Cocoa Brownies" from the blog "The Comfort of Cooking"  I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder, which is a natural/dutched cocoa blend.  They came out chewy, crisp around the edges, and not too sweet.  With the addition of walnuts they were just the way I like them!  Eric called and asked, as he always does, "What's for   dinner?"  "Salmon burgers" I replied.  "Is there enough for Joey?"  "Uhhh, sure, I'll just make more sides."  Thus, we had our first dinner guest.  Along with the burgers, we had quinoa pilaf, broccoli, and salad.  Oh, and brownies...yum!

Monday was all about preparing to move the camper and equipment.  I was cooking some turkey chili when Eric's phone rang--it was Joey, reporting on his day.  So naturally Eric invited him for dinner.  No problem, I make big batches...and we enjoy his company--he's quite a character.

Today we actually got moved, and went to the high school for a dinner auction.  Got to meet some locals, who were all super nice, and were served dinner (chicken, short ribs, baked potatoes and coleslaw) by the National Honor Society students.  There were something like forty of them from a relatively small school,  and interestingly, they were all weight appropriate.  Makes me happy.

Scroll down to see a photo of our new view, and also what the wine cellar in a camper looks like :)

Finding a Home

We moved again on Thursday, up the hill to a small RV lot (we won't call it a park, because the only plants in sight are tumbleweeds).  The setting wasn't ideal, but you take what you get.  The next day we winterized the camper with foam board insulation, no simple job in the shockingly cold wind.  We bought the last 3 boards at the local building supply store, which was enough with the four that we brought with us.  The discard trailer had all the lumber we needed, so we  were happy to re-purpose them and save about $100.  Prices here are up to double what we pay at home.  We spent the afternoon crafting the most airtight camper skirting ever.  This is really important because without skirting, the plumbing freezes.  Everything here freezes...pipes. pumps, door latches, flashlight controls, windows, toothpaste, vents, my ass...everything.  We slept soundly, knowing all was well.  For a while.

In the wee hours we were rattled out of slumber by the jarring noise of a truck's jake brakes.  Next was the sound of slamming trailer doors.  People work odd hours here and aren't concerned about being quiet.  Normally this would really bug me, but I've gained a zen-like acceptance of things here.  Just deal with it, I told myself.

During breakfast we received a call from a new friend of Eric's, who owns some property just outside of town.  He had a business proposition which included a space for our camper, and all of our equipment.  We checked it out, and it was perfect...quiet and convenient with a sweeping view of rolling hills.  We came to an agreement and will move on Monday.  Yay!!

To celebrate, I made what I call North Plains Chicken---boneless skinless thighs with a pan sauce of onions, prosciutto,white wine, chicken broth and herbed chevre.  The prosciutto is a great flavor booster and lasts for months in the fridge, and the chevre adds a tangy creaminess with only 70 calories per ounce, and it melts beautifully.  With some quinoa, broccoli and vino, it was a happy little dinner.  Tomorrow we move a few things, then back to the Badlands for a run!

Ups and Downs

As in anyone's life, this week has had it's high and low points.  Here, it seems to be dialed up a notch, probably because of everything being so far from normal for me.

 On Saturday, we went to Theodore Roosevelt National Park for a run/walk/hike through the Badlands.  It was a pretty day, high puffy clouds and about 43 degrees.We checked out the prairie dog town and man, are they cute!  We followed a nature trail up to a ridge and down onto a road where we encountered a huge bull bison.  He wasn't just standing there, either.  He was trotting towards us at a pretty good clip.  It was definitely one of those "OH, SHIT!' moments.  "Go down this slope and get behind that juniper tree.  Make room for me!' Eric urged quietly. I pushed my way through the scratchy branches and peeked out from behind the trunk. Eric was cautiously checking out the road, and I worried that the beast would come charging over the road bank. Eric  motioned for me to come out, whispering "He's moving on."  I got back up to the road in time to catch one last glimpse of him disappearing around the bend, too late for a photo.  Turns out there was a young couple walking up the road behind the bison and that was why he was running. Whew!

We continued on through some amazing Badland formations and looped back to the truck for a total of about seven miles. It felt great to get some exercise!

Back at the camper, I made a quick pork tenderloin stew with an apple/wine gravy and buttermilk-herb mashed potatoes, with spinach salad as a starter...what a nice way to end a beautiful day.

Sunday was not so great.  We went to the little town of Killdeer, about 100 miles away to investigate a job lead and do some laundry, which can be a challenge with all the oil workers here..  The one laundromat in town was inside a small truck stop, right next to the trucker showers. Kind of scroungy but usable.  We drove another fifteen miles to the appointment which was enlightening but not too productive.  On the way back, we stopped by the truck stop to get a snack to hold us till dinner.  I got out of the truck, and some guys in a pickup stopped, rolled down there window and openly gawked at me.  Now, I'm no 25 year old cupcake.  I'm a 52 year old woman in jeans and a heavy winter coat.  I looked at Eric and said "I'm fully clothed, right?"     This is what happens when the population is only one percent female.  It's downright creepy!

Monday was a middle-ish day. I was trying to make business cards using a downloaded template, something that should have been very simple.  But for me, new computer tasks are almost always an exercise in frustration. When Eric saw my face he knew that I needed a break, so we went out for a walk.  That night for dinner I decided to honor Meatless Monday with portabello mushrooms stuffed with quinoa,spinach and feta cheese, with pan-braised beets in red wine and balsamic vinegar.  With a couple of glasses of wine, my mood improved considerably.  Off to our cozy bed and it's thick down comforter :)    

Settling In

We've been in Watford City for one week now, getting used to the way things work here.  The locals are very nice, especially considering that their quiet little town has been invaded by thousands of oil workers. Some of these guys are quite surly, maybe because they've been using the sleeper of their semi-tractor as a house for months. 


 The first stop for most oil workers is Williston, about 55 miles north of here.  We went there a few weeks ago on our first trip and spent the night (along with hundreds of other nomads) in the Walmart parking lot.  How surreal to see people sleeping in everything from compact cars to huge motorhomes in temperatures well below freezing.  Inside the store it was even stranger.  The shelves were half to three quarters empty, merchandise scattered on the floor, and only about four  checkstands open with long, long lines of hollow-eyed, zombie-like workers along with some normal but weary locals.  We gathered a few provisions and scurried back to our camper, where we locked the door on the madness outside.


I was sure there were good things about this place, but for now our warm cocoon atop our pickup was enough.