Island Fever

My friend Kelly grew up in Hawaii but now lives in California. One day while we were eating lunch I asked her why she would ever leave gorgeous Hawaii. Her response was simple and just two words- Island Fever. I laughed, I mean how could someone actually get tired of living in paradise. She said you feel trapped and very isolated- you can only go to the same beaches and same restaurants so many time. Minot has become my island and I now understand the meaning of Island Fever.

To the south of Minot the next town is Bismark at 100 miles away, to the east Grand Forks at 211 miles, Williston to the west at 124 miles and to the north. . . Canada. I have eaten at every restaurant in town, gone to the one and only movie theater and have even been to the moose lodge. I have found that besides playing bingo and shooting guns (which I will save for another blog) there is not much to do in this town. So to pass my time I have decided to make my new hobby going to every little bar and hole in the wall they have to offer. What better to do on an island then people watch. This brings me to my first bar of choice- The Lamplighter Lounge. Drive up liquor store in the front and bar and bingo lounge in the back- its pure genius. Wednesday they have $2 pitchers, which for anyone who knows me can be dangerous. Incorporate gambling with alcohol consumption and I can spend hours there.

After a few pitchers of beer and something called pull tabs, which are like scratch off lottery tickets but you pull a tab instead, I was ready to listen to some Motley Crue. So I do my best to walk over to the complicated touch screen jukebox where I am met by 2 college students. Minot is home to Minot State University- home of the lady beavers basketball team. . .insert various jokes here. As I fumble with the touch screen they ask me what I am trying to find and I say some 'Hair Bands'. No lie- she says "is that something you put in your hair" and it could have been the beers but I am pretty sure she was serious. They helped me find Dr. Feelgood and all is right with the world. I maneuver back to my table and I survey the scene. The two guys next to our table have purposely cut the sleeves off of their shirts to revel their half completed tattoos, I take a sip of my beer, rock out to Dr. Feelgood and forget about my island fever for a few minutes.