I drove to Minot for an engagement with BE Smith at Trinity Hospital. The job was as the Interim Assistant Director for Admitting to help create training documentation for a system conversion to McKesson STAR for patient financials. The work was interesting but limiting. The engagement was to be 3 months, but lengthened into 4, then a little bit longer so the Director could take a little time off. The Hospital has been looking for a permanent Director for over a year, and still doesn't have one.
Minot is in the middle of nowhere. It is the place the Great Northern Railway stopped for the winter of 1859. It is said conductors use to announce "this is Minot, North Dakota. Prepare to meet your doom." The town grew rapidly. Because of the current oil boom an hour or two to the west, there has been growth from 40,000 in 2010 to an estimated 46 to 47,000 now. Many jobs go unfilled in town. Where minimum wage is $8.00 normally, Walmart is advertising $12 an hour, $14 an hour if you will work overnight. Restaurants and mall stores alike advertise "applicants apply inside." New stores, restaurants, hotels, and other businesses are being built even in the winter.
It snowed in early November and I don't think we have had the ground show through since. We just finished a month or more of temperatures below freezing, going many days without getting above 0. 3 or 4 spells have been -15 to -25 with winds blowing at 20-30 mph creating wind chills of -50 to -60. Within 5 to 10 seconds exposed skin begins to burn and is numb. Layers of coats keep that out but still leave one cold. But the "natives" take it all in stride. It should be warm by June.
I would mention interesting places to visit here. But I haven't found any. The surrounding area is largely flat, prairie and farms with a shallow valley the river has created. When Lois was here we drove north about 20 miles past the Minot Air Force Base, home of B52's and other manned bombers along with refueling tankers and some nuclear missile command, and other repair facilities. We went up to the little town of Glenburn, maybe several hundred in population. There was a post office, a silo, a school, a small hardware shop, and a gas station. I think there was a small diner but I'm not sure. I could see opening a supermarket there. We both wondered why there would be a town there - what would people do there? Farming would be scattered away from the above described metropolitan area, wouldn't it?
One person I work with moved here from Germany as a baby in the early 50's. They were to be sponsored by a farmer in Pennsylvania but he died before they started. They were relocated near Minot and she grew up nearby and now lives here, working at Trinity.
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