Sunday, November 18, 2007

Birthday in review

This is coming to you a day late but I really didn't feel like posting at 12:45 am after a stressful drive back home. It actually wasn't bad after we crossed back into Canada, it was just a matter of chattering away to keep Dave awake and focused, but the US side was sheer ice. We never went over 80 kms and it was so slick, the light from the headlights bouncing off the road like a mirror. I was so glad for all wheel drive, but was really wishing we had winter tires on.
On the drive down it was snowing and blowing, but the roads weren't icy until we where about half way to Minot ND. Then they looked like this. What a day to travel!
We left around 7:30 am and arrived at the mall in Minot before noon, so even despite the roads the travel time was good.

Shopping, shopping, shopping! What fun! Actually it was alright, some stuff we saved tons of money on and other stuff we passed by since the prices where so close to ours up here. It was fun just to go on a mini day adventure.
Some things are just too funny down there, like this sign. Come on, really, would you normally turn into oncoming traffic?! And these signs where on every street light pole!
Another funny thing we saw was no parking signs---every 20 feet on an off ramp. Who would even try to park there!? Someone must have or why else would they have the signs.
After our shopping extravaganza we stopped by our friends place for dinner and visiting----and birthday cake of course! It was so good to see them again! They lived in St. Albert when we did and we moved to Sk shortly after they moved to ND so we are still close, it is so nice!

We did manage to get a little lost a few times and decided that if we where ever on The Amazing Race that we would never survive and would have lost if they had sent us to Minot. Mind you it would have helped if we had picked up a map!
All in all it was a fun day, a little stressful in the driving department, but otherwise it was good.
I had nearly forgotten that it was also just a year ago...to the same day that we moved here! Wow time sure flies. A whole year here already.....takes me back! Here(click) and here (click)are the posts from this day a year ago.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The no parking signs are there because of trucks. Sometimes there are places that advertise truck parking and when you get there it fits one truck and the spot is taken. So you keep on going hoping for a place to stop before you run out of hours. When you don't find a place you end up parking on the shoulder of the road. But if you must stop and park on the shoulder it is always safer to park on the on ramp vs. the off ramp. It's safer because on the on ramp people are trying to get up to speed where on the off ramp they're trying to slow down.

familymclean said...

Interesting! Thanks cc!

Family Adventure said...

Glad you had a good time. I don't envy you the driving conditions, though. Yikes!

Heidi

Kamis Khlopchyk said...

Wow you went there and back in a day! Good for you. We want to go soon too, I have heard there are some pretty good deals :-)

The roads were crazy yesterday too but they were even worse this morning with the ice!

Gotta love winter. Or not.

BeachMama said...

Wow, my Sister said you guys got snow, but I didn't realize it was that blizzardry (is that even a word?). I am chilly just looking at your photos :). Glad you had a nice day despite the driving.

prettyinpink said...

Wow Anna, what a day! Glad you made it home safe and sound and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The Chatty Housewife said...

Wow it looks like I had good timing! I would have hated to make my parents drive me to and from Wolf Point in weather like that!

Madame Bluestocking said...

The yield on green signs are because some intersections have green left turn arrows (when oncoming traffic has a red) and a green light for when you have to yield, while some (like that one) only have a normal green light. This keeps people from spacing out and assuming that oncoming traffic has a red. We have those signs here, too, and I'm glad they do, since I'm a spacer-outer!