HUGH GAVE ME “THAT” LOOK: “You should prob’ly go.” is what he said. I had a run up to Fargo from Sioux Falls ahead of me, either that night or the next morning. He got a report from his parents who were driving up some hours ahead of me, and things were looking rough.

So I made the call to split. We dropped Leigh off at her flight, I snagged rental, hugged Hugh about 43 times in the parking lot and got the hell out of town. Just to fuck with the universe a bit, I took backroads for the forst 30 miles. That is, until the snow started coming down, where I weaved back out to Interstate 29, due north.

That snow quickly turned to blowing wind and blowing snow, and “MOTHERFUCKIN’ WHITEOUT!!!” is something we yelled shortly after, doing our cautious 43 miles an hour, completely snowblind.

Made it to the Dakota Magic Casino that night around 9pm, barely able to find the exit. Pulled in, checked in, won $100 off the Blackjack table, ate a meal and hit the sack, unable to work on the hotel’s state-of-the-art-but-nonexistent Wi-Fi signal.

Snowed in. If I don’t make it outta here, Leigh, make sure Dale doesn’t get my records, okay?