OMG...what do you people do up here

[FargoBison]

I think the first half of kittas post was fairly accurate, not sure about the waving from a Fargo perspective but in rural ND it isn't exactly that uncommon to have somebody I don't know wave at me when I drive by. I guess living in the city makes time a bit more important as well, I doubt I would be employed for very long if I didn't get to work at 8:00 a.m. each morning. I like to hit the snooze button a few times, so I am in a bit of rush most mornings.

But I do know a ton of people of that hunt, fish, golf, snowmobile, go to sports events, camp, drink/socialize, go to the lakes, and yes, I even know a few people that are horse crazy. Nobody does all those things, unless they are wealthy, but many put their time and money into at least one of those areas.

[3-Oaks]

I would say kittitas post is much closer to 'normal' than your reply, acfreema. We are not affluant, we get buy if we watch our spending, same as anyone else. We also do a lot of things ourselves....this weekend we are building new front steps for our house. Oh, yardwork and gardening also take up a fair chunk of time.

1, 3 & 4) We don't have children, but there's still school sports, plays, choir & band concerts, both at the high school and the small college here in town. There's also many other concerts at the college, too. There's also a lecture series at the museum every year.

2) We are very active in church (as is the larger majority of people in the state). We do some volunteer work in the community, and there are meetings to go to.

5) Horses, I agree....probably 5% or less of folks here in the eastern part of the state have them, but in the middle & western parts of the state, there are a lot of horses. I should add, tho, that there are large horse shows and/or barrel racing, roping or team penning events at the arena nearly every weekend, so that's something else to go to watch.

7) Around here opening day of deer, pheasant, or duck season is nearly a holiday w/ kids excused from school to join their Dad's, uncles, cousins (and sometimes aunts & Mom's, too), and friends & neighbors.

8, 10 & 11) There are lakes within a reasonable driving distance for probably 2/3 or more of the people in the state, so fishing, and water sports are big in some areas.....and camping does not have to be at a lake. I know some 'welfare' moms have a small OLD camper or pop-up and are gone with the kids nearly every weekend, and never to a lake.

9) Snowmobiling isn't that expensive unless you think you have to have the latest & greatest, but from listening to your attitude, I'd just as soon not meet you out on the trails...and there is quite an extensive trail system covering a big part of the state. Cross country skiing and snow shoeing are other winter options, as well as hiking in the summer

12, 13) There's usually at least one place even in the small town where you can go dancing on weekends, but, yeh, drinking can be a problem, depending on what circle of friends you run with.

14) Even in Fargo & Grand Forks, we knew & visited with our neighbors if we had a house. Here, we know half the people in town...but there, again, being involved in your community (or church) helps a lot. ATTITUDE also makes a BIG difference!!!!!!!!

15, 16 & 19) I wave to pretty much anyone and get waved to in return...again....ATTITUDE. Don't know where you get the honks, tail gaters, etc if you're driving even halfway normal. Attitude?????


Capitalization, punctuation, etc is ALWAYS important. It says a lot about the person doing the posting, it's like a first impression when meeting someone new. Again.....attitude.........

Originally Posted by acfreema

kittitas' post really romanticizes this area, i feel the need to clarify some of the misinformation. i'll address the points of contention in order


1) not all of us have children, and the swimming portion of the year is short
2) not all of us are superstitious
3) if parents, the pta is a very small part of your life
4) again, not all of us have children
5) horses?! not realistic for 99% of the population

6) that's correct, the television will do nicely
7) i can count the hunters i know on one hand
8) fishing is an option, if you can find a place
9) snow-mobiles are expensive and not a viable option for 90+% of people
10) camping is acceptable, but the lakes are very limited if one is not on the eastern side of the state
11) i don't know about you, but i have met three people with lake cabins, much of the population is too poor

12) night life here IS NOT like many other places, we have get-dangerously-drunk places
13) dancing? you have obviously not recently visited any place with a dance floor, that's not dancing

14) most of the people i know have never met their neighbors, except to say "keep your dog from defecating in my yard" (for the home-owners) or "turn down your music" (for the apartment dwellers)
15) the people who know you wave, strangers couldn't care less
16) i am concerned, suspicious, and confused when strangers gesture at me

17) i'm pretty sure i've witnessed people receiving mandatory disciplinary action because they can't get to work on time
18) seriously? there are places where people do this?
19) you must not drive very much. i get obscene gestures, honking, angry glares, and aggressive tail-gaters when i drive the posted speed limit

care to tell us how you know all this about north dakota when you live in washington? you posted your zip code as "98926"

kittitas, if you're going from your memory of life in beulah or grandin, you are sadly mistaken about much of the rest of the state. it is clear from your description that you were part of an affluent, rural family, not part of the upper-lower class (which comprises most of the population).

dare i criticize the pathetic grammar and punctuation?
blah blah blah capitalization blah blah
capitalization is a waste when not preparing documents for job-related or educational institution publication, punctuation and grammar are imperative!

[acfreema]

3-oaks: is this where i point out your inability to properly use full words ("tho" instead of "though"), incorrect usage of homophones ("buy" instead of "by"), improper capitalization ("dad" and "mom" are not proper nouns), and incorrect pluralization (apostrophes do not make nouns plural)? if you want to nit-pick about language, you'd better be able to at least mount a good defense. my writing is practically perfect; aside from neglecting to capitalize in friendly conversation, the only flaws in my sentences are typically dependent upon the preference of the writer (ie using a comma before the "and" in a list of several things, using a comma after something in quotes). if you want to engage in fisticuffs over short-comings in language, grammar, or punctuation, i am prepared to exemplify superior skills.

my attitude works well, i am a nearly perfectly functioning individual. the major flaws that i have are my honesty, my realism, and i don't make small-talk; i don't talk unless i have something worth saying (ie yes, i can see it's raining, tell me something of value). the lack of small-talk makes engaging with new people difficult, but the people with whom i do interact generally result in positive and sincere interactions.

my anger stems from multiple things, but the biggest is the lie this country propagates about college being the route to take if you want to have a good income. this country doesn't value education (need i mention the eight years where we had the dumbest man in politics as a president?). i have applied for many jobs that i should have gotten, and i was turned away without a letter or phone-call to inform me, because it is (if i understand correctly) illegal to not hire someone who is overqualified. what does that mean? out of 100 applications and resumés, i might receive five letters or emails informing me that the position has been filled.
in a place where being drunk is "cool", smoking weed is "cool", and being excessively overweight is acceptable... i would rather not fit into the community at large.
until you've not gotten a job where you were more qualified than your potential supervisor/s, you probably will not understand the complaints that i am voicing.

travisw: you posted your original question in a different thread, i answered it. here's a link, http://www.city-data.com/forum/9548478-post10.html

chrisc: stay on topic, i didn't complain about being without activity. my complaint is about the lack of opportunities for young people.

[Haakon]

Originally Posted by tijlover

I would imagine that a number of people in ND, long ago, discovered that simplicity is a sure sign of maturity. That less is far more. I would guess a lot of wisdom in that state.

I'm surprised North Dakotans aren't getting on the New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago or Las Vegas forums, asking the question:
If you're among the majority of residents there who are working a minimum wage job, what do you do there for fun? Do you get awfully bored? You don't get depressed when walking down the streets and knowing you'll never be able to eat at one of those chic, fancy restaurants? Or be able to afford to go to the Opera or a nice Rock Concert? Or go to one of your fancy, chic shopping malls and leave there only with a pack of gum? Or see many of the fine expensive foreign imported cars on the streets and knowing that a monthly bus pass will always be your great luxury in life?

I used to have a cabin on 15 acres north of Minneapolis with no running water, no electricity, no telephone and a kerosene lamp in which to read some exciting book. As they say, reading is a form of travel.

A simple card game, a board game with neighbors, just the idea of it, the excitement of it, gets my blood pressure skyrocketing!

And get yourself a great pet for company, what more do you need!

When considering a place to retire some day, the places where people unanimously denounce as places with nothing to do, will head my list of retirement places.

Why should you be surprised that people in ND (or SD, MN, MT, WY, ID....) don't go to the NY etc forums? In spite of what people who live in those cities may think the rest of the would couldn't care less about them or what they do - as long as they keep it in their own states. Honestly I wish more of the people who think places like ND are dull, boring and so on would stay in their cities.

I would far prefer to spend a week at your cabin than in any major city.

[kittitas]

You must live a very sheltered life.. All the things I have stated are a fact. Yes I have a zip code in washington State but I also have a resident in North Dakota. I am sorry you cannot understand my grammer and I also am sorry you are "CONFINED" to your little corner of the State.. You really need to get out more. Living on the computer is one way to FAIL to live life.. Its a cop out for not doing anything..Get ajob, Get a life..

Originally Posted by acfreema

kittitas' post really romanticizes this area, i feel the need to clarify some of the misinformation. i'll address the points of contention in order


1) not all of us have children, and the swimming portion of the year is short
2) not all of us are superstitious
3) if parents, the pta is a very small part of your life
4) again, not all of us have children
5) horses?! not realistic for 99% of the population

6) that's correct, the television will do nicely
7) i can count the hunters i know on one hand
8) fishing is an option, if you can find a place
9) snow-mobiles are expensive and not a viable option for 90+% of people
10) camping is acceptable, but the lakes are very limited if one is not on the eastern side of the state
11) i don't know about you, but i have met three people with lake cabins, much of the population is too poor

12) night life here IS NOT like many other places, we have get-dangerously-drunk places
13) dancing? you have obviously not recently visited any place with a dance floor, that's not dancing

14) most of the people i know have never met their neighbors, except to say "keep your dog from defecating in my yard" (for the home-owners) or "turn down your music" (for the apartment dwellers)
15) the people who know you wave, strangers couldn't care less
16) i am concerned, suspicious, and confused when strangers gesture at me

17) i'm pretty sure i've witnessed people receiving mandatory disciplinary action because they can't get to work on time
18) seriously? there are places where people do this?
19) you must not drive very much. i get obscene gestures, honking, angry glares, and aggressive tail-gaters when i drive the posted speed limit

care to tell us how you know all this about north dakota when you live in washington? you posted your zip code as "98926"

kittitas, if you're going from your memory of life in beulah or grandin, you are sadly mistaken about much of the rest of the state. it is clear from your description that you were part of an affluent, rural family, not part of the upper-lower class (which comprises most of the population).

dare i criticize the pathetic grammar and punctuation?
blah blah blah capitalization blah blah
capitalization is a waste when not preparing documents for job-related or educational institution publication, punctuation and grammar are imperative!

[todd00]

etjaipleure, against your will? is your significant other military? why not minot? some pple can give you a few reasons back to that one..haha. but seriously, if you have to go, make the best of it. after all developing friends and a social life will open up some avenues for things to do and possibly some new interests as well. a cozy fire and watching the snow fall, doesnt sound to bad to me. no it wont be a beach party and a shopping trip to the big city, but ive found making good friends offsets to a large degree what part of the country we get stuck in.

heres another idea to help you cope. turn one of your spare rooms into your own beach, buy some sun lamps, get some of those wall paper scenes of the beach for your walls. buy a bit of sand at the home depot, and there ya go. oh and maybe a little kids pool to cool off in. oh and a catalog from n & m for some serious ordering. im kidding of course. good luck.

is there any reason pple cannot share opinions, and disagree without name calling? pple all have there own perceptions of the area based on their own life and experiences. contributing insults and rude remarks does nothing positive for this forum or help the original poster formulate a better answer to their questions.

[Willow_Tree_123]

Originally Posted by todd00

is there any reason pple cannot share opinions, and disagree without name calling? pple all have there own perceptions of the area based on their own life and experiences. contributing insults and rude remarks does nothing positive for this forum or help the original poster formulate a better answer to their questions.

I agree. Well said.

[acfreema]

Originally Posted by kittitas

You must live a very sheltered life..

that depends on what you consider to be a sheltered life. because i don't have enough money to own horses, escape to far away places for operas or plays, don't have children, and abhor religion doesn't mean that my life is sheltered; however, if you have only ever known a life that relies on those activities, a life that has other sources of enjoyment may seem bland.

All the things I have stated are a fact.

i'm not sure i understand, facts about what? i don't see me accusing you of spreading lies, just suggesting that your standards are the only way.

Yes I have a zip code in washington State but I also have a resident in North Dakota.

which implies that you are at least an economic step above most of the rest of us. all this does is give support to my statement that you have a slew of different activities available to you.

I am sorry you cannot understand my grammer

i didn't say anything about understanding, i simply addressed your poor usage of grammar and punctuation.

and I also am sorry you are "CONFINED" to your little corner of the State..

if my economic situation does not permit me to leave, then i am limited in my options. mocking that shows spitefulness that is unacceptable, bordering on a personal attack.

You really need to get out more.

ad hominems are a fallacious way to argue your point. in the future, please refrain from using them, they only detract from the real meat of your statements.

Living on the computer is one way to FAIL to live life.. Its a cop out for not doing anything..

so... where did i state that the extent of my life experiences is through my computer? you are jumping to conclusions and further weakening your already shaky position.

Get a job,

at what point did i imply that i am without employment?

Get a life..

we have already gone over me showing flaws in your statements about what constitutes a "life", so it is obvious that anything i do will not be up to your standards... unless i start doing all of the things that you just described.

i would appreciate if you stop getting your amusement by showing how the live you lead is so much better than mine and that mine is incredibly bland by comparison. if the only way for you to feel good about your life is to compare it to someone whose income is only barely above the poverty line, good for you.

[ElkHunter]

I think this thread has used up it's usefullness. Closed.