Montana broke me

[FLMountainMan]



Sidney!

No way! I lived in Sidney for a little bit. Cool little place. Has the Bakken boom affected ya'll at all?

 

[benjclark]

Has the Bakken boom affected ya'll at all?

Big time. My wife is from here originally, family here forever, etc. We've grown a lot in the last two years we've lived here, but it's small potatoes compared to just across the border in ND. Williston is nuts. They added 1000 kids to the school system last year. This is a town that was a little over 10,000 people not very long ago. Taco John's starts at $15/ hour because of labor shortage. UPS drivers get bonus for showing up for work all week. It's crazy. Sidney's school system is hiring a dozen teachers for next year. This is a town of 5000. At least it was.

 

[FLMountainMan]



Big time.  My wife is from here originally, family here forever, etc.  We've grown a lot in the last two years we've lived here, but it's small potatoes compared to just across the border in ND.  Williston is nuts.  They added 1000 kids to the school system last year.  This is a town that was a little over 10,000 people not very long ago.  Taco John's starts at $15/ hour because of labor shortage.  UPS drivers get bonus for showing up for work all week.  It's crazy.  Sidney's school system is hiring a dozen teachers for next year.  This is a town of 5000.  At least it was.

Yeah, I spent almost a year in Williston (after Sidney) when it was ~11,000 (in 1999) . I've always wanted to go back, but from what I read lately, I'd probably hate it. I always thought it was cool how the state line runs right through the middle of Fairview, there was a couple of bars on either side when Ilived there.

 

[tben]

Quote:

Very jealous. This is what I envisioned when i got my History degree. Now I'm stuck teaching school.

Same...I still aspire to be a historical archivist. Sorry about slightly derailing the thread, I've never even been to Montana.

 

[Kakkoii Mono]

Sidney??!! Goodness, what's the nearest shopping, the Walmart in Miles City? I'm serious, I can't imagine where one would shop in Eastern Montucky having been through there several times.

There are more important things than apparel here, however, we're a pretty cosmopolitan group in Bozeman (and pls don't call it Bozangeles, only residents can do that.) That being said, I've been in MT for a long time, and never been to anything black tie. I suspect that's something that happens occasionally in Billings. I can't even think of anything in Helena that calls for black tie.

At least once a year I will be contacted about a tuxedo and it will turn out that what's being offered to me is only the jacket. That's Montana Black Tie, denim w/ a tux jacket. For shame.

We're lucky to be here, no matter what we're wearing. But don't tell anyone how wonderful it is - it's a secret.

 

[benjclark]

We have a much-improved-since-first-coming-here grocery store for most food needs -- plus a local butcher, I have an egg guy, a lady that brings me honey, and we just got in on a fruit/veg co-op situation. For anything else, there's Amazon Prime. Closest WalMart (which I do not shop at) is in Williston, ND. It's almost worth it to go to Miles City instead though. But I almost never have a reason to go there. Clothes - like I said, thank goodness for the Internet. I do like to hit the consignment shops when traveling-- but they can be mostly misses. As far as black tie -- I know of one event for sure in Helena that's black tie b/c my wife's sister is a Dr. there and she and her husband attend.