When I first moved in ND two summers ago (wow… hard to believe), I was greeted with friendly “hellos”, invitations to cook-outs, and… road construction… lots and lots of road construction. I have heard the joke before that North Dakota’s seasons can really be indicated by descriptions such as windy (Fall), snow (Winter), flooding (Spring), and road construction (summer). Now, while I can handle the wind, a rainy Spring, and yes, even the snow, one thing that really drives me crazy is the road construction. To be honest, it annoys me so much that I’m surprised I haven’t written a blog post about it up until now.
Now, I understand that there is only a short window of time that road construction can take place in the upper midwest. What, with snow on the ground about 7 months out of the year and rain falling for about 3, July and August are really the only time the road crews can get out there and fill in the giant potholes that were created from the 7 months of snow and 3 months of rain. And while I appreciate Fargo, Moorhead, and the vast majority of every other large town in North Dakota’s dedication to impeccable road conditions, the east coast driver in me goes crazy. You see, if you ever come in contact with me you will no doubt find a very polite, good-natured, and friendly young lady. However, stop me with a road flag or take me on a detour while I’m running late, and that lady-like demeanor goes out the window (something my fiancee can unfortunately attest to).
Yes, I know that it isn’t the worker’s fault. Yes, I know the City of Fargo is only trying to make the roads more manageable the rest of the year. Yes, I know in the long run my car will be a lot better off on smooth roads. And yes, I know that really I’m only being slowed down by a few minutes (if that). I don’t claim to be rationale about this. I can only speak the truth. So if you happen to see an angry little blond girl shouting out the window of her car this summer when she is stopped as a backhoe pulls onto the road, or banging at her steering wheel as she is rerouted down a side street… I apologize in advance. Remember, I am BECOMING midwestern. Clearly, I still have a little way to go before I learn to manage my frustration with road construction the way midwesterners do.
