can't take me home

it's significant that i mark my return with important news from the homeland. minot, my birth city, the birth city of my father and both brothers and much extended family, is under siege by mother nature. it is, in fact, worse than the flood in fargo this past year, or any other year. minot, which is the 4th or 5th largest city in north dakota, is also one of the hilliest. the eastern part of north dakota, where fargo is located, is flat flat flat. flatter than a pre-pubescants chest. bad joke. that wasn't mine. i think i saw that on a t-shirt one time. the west, where i was born, is hilly. or as hilly as you'll find in the prairie land. i lived in minot until i was 7 or 8 years old. i think 8. we moved when player was 1. we moved 5 hrs away to fargo and i grew up there, but minot is still a part of my blood. i still remember my first phone number and the addres. and if i am anywhere in minot, i can eventually figure out how to get to my old house. if you were to put me on ANY hill in minot, i could find my way home. i would go down the hill to the flat part of town (the middle) and then go east, near to out of town, and then head up past b&d grocery store. i'd drive up the hill and then take a right and find my house on the end of the street. my old house was on a hill, and presumably, out of danger at this moment. half of minot is not. there is a major river that runs through minot - the souris river. it comes down from canada, swoops into minot and then heads back up to canada. this same river, which means "mouse" in french, is overflooded in canada. all that water is rushing towards minot at this very moment. the low-lying levels of the city are being evacuated. tonight, on nbc nightly news with brian williams, they showed the city and the incoming destruction. they even interviewed the father of my best friend from when i was 5. they used to live across the street from me (and in a safe area) and moved when i was in junior high to the flat part of town. now they are packing up everything and heading out.

flooding is very sad. i've lived through 2 (kind of 3) major floods with no damage. for there to actually be damage and destruction to a place so near and dear to my heart is crazy. i can hardly comprehend.

at least two of my friends have texted me today to ask about minot. is all over the national news. my friend, chad, who shares the same birthday as me, twittered a link to these photos. the site is too crafty and i can't paste any pictures here for you.

in addition, here are some other articles about the destruction:

that was from huffpo (sorry homie).

10,000 people were evacuated earlier this month and there wasn't much damage. but this has come back and come back quickly. now 11,000 people are told to leave. more info here.

before you ask... no one i know is in a low-lying area. everyone i know is on a hill and therefore safe. best wishes to everyone in minot.

[title of pink's cd.]