Minot, North Dakota - ?

[BBC]

Originally Posted by macuser3of5

Weather-wise, we should be alright, we went to college in Ellensburg, WA, and they seem to match up pretty well (hot summers, ball-chilling winters). I do need a parka/down jacket, though....

Jesus, fella, you've lived in some tough spots. I lived in Grand Forks, ND, for a couple of years - before the flood that destroyed their downtown in the mid-1990s, and just wrapped up living in Ellensburg for four years. After Ellensburg, Minot will seem like a "Magic City", except you won't have the Cascades. Unfortunately, the local beers in North Dakota can't hold a candle to some of the stuff from Roslyn or the Iron Horse Brewery in Ellensburg (don't know if the Iron Horse was around during your stint in Ellensburg).

 

[foodguy]

my dad's from north dakota. he tells stories about going to parties where everyone would bring in their car batteries and leave them on the porch so they wouldn't freeze. ah, good times!

 

[macuser3of5]

Originally Posted by BBC

Jesus, fella, you've lived in some tough spots. I lived in Grand Forks, ND, for a couple of years - before the flood that destroyed their downtown in the mid-1990s, and just wrapped up living in Ellensburg for four years. After Ellensburg, Minot will seem like a "Magic City", except you won't have the Cascades. Unfortunately, the local beers in North Dakota can't hold a candle to some of the stuff from Roslyn or the Iron Horse Brewery in Ellensburg (don't know if the Iron Horse was around during your stint in Ellensburg).
yup, had many a kegger of iron horse. Ellensburg is better IMO, closer to a major city and has a much better bar/food scene. the only decent place here is that josh duhamel joint, though we just did get applebees not too long ago

I do like minneapolis, was there for a few days last july 4th. Got stuck in an elevator and missed the fireworks show by about 4 footsteps

i did eat a lot of meat at some downtown restaurant though so it's all good.

 

[Teacher]

Originally Posted by BBC

Jesus, fella, you've lived in some tough spots. I lived in Grand Forks, ND, for a couple of years - before the flood that destroyed their downtown in the mid-1990s,

You'll be happy to know that downtown now looks better and is livlier than any time since the mid-70s (when commerce shifted to the south end). Good restaurants, cool stores, etc.

Originally Posted by foodguy

my dad's from north dakota. he tells stories about going to parties where everyone would bring in their car batteries and leave them on the porch so they wouldn't freeze. ah, good times!

That must have been a long time ago...I've never heard of that!

(Maybe not a bad idea, though....)

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by foodguy

my dad's from north dakota. he tells stories about going to parties where everyone would bring in their car batteries and leave them on the porch so they wouldn't freeze. ah, good times!

Jeebus. I had a consulting trip to Montana one November in the mid-90's, and I freaked out at how cold it was. Everybody there chuckled at me, saying it didn't really get cold until Jan-Feb or so.

Geek moment: the Ford dealership I was visiting sold more engine block heaters than oil filters year after year, which was the first time I'd ever seen that.

 

[Teacher]

Originally Posted by Thomas

Geek moment: the Ford dealership I was visiting sold more engine block heaters than oil filters year after year, which was the first time I'd ever seen that.

Geek moment, part deaux: The block heater was invented in Grand Forks! Yay us!

(Seriously, though, nobody changes their oil at the dealership, unless they enjoy paying twice as much as they need to.)

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by Teacher

Geek moment, part deaux: The block heater was invented in Grand Forks! Yay us!

(Seriously, though, nobody changes their oil at the dealership, unless they enjoy paying twice as much as they need to.)

I change my own oil, but when you look at an inventory ranking by sales for a dealership, the sales volume (unit) leaders were consistently the oil filters. FL1A, FL400, etc. Seeing anything at the top other than FL1A was bizarre.

At that time, though, there was a push to get the dealers into the maintenance loop, and deals on LOF (lube, oil, filter) were commonplace.

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by Teacher

That must have been a long time ago...I've never heard of that!

(Maybe not a bad idea, though....)

well, duh ... I'm an old guy and it is my DAD who told me. that was back in the 40s. i'm sure battery technology has improved since then, though I doubt NDak weather has.