The Royce Files

I decided to go to the performance of Dakota Air this weekend. This monthly radio show is recorded live someplace in North Dakota each month. Today it was a few blocks away from where I currently reside. An acquaintance at work is the music director for the show and since it seemed pretty similar to the show I do at Christmas I decided to check it out. I was not disappointed. The show was chalk full of musical performances intermixed with historical and local flavor in the form of skits and monologues. Steve Stark anchors that side of the show flawlessly. The host, Merill Piepkorn, kept the show flowing and often sang and played superbly on the harmonica. Now the show is definitely a step-child to Prairie Home Companion minus fake sponsorships and a fake town which a monologue is delivered about. In fact, the show is a lot less fictionally based than Keillor's gig. Dakota Air is also missing the big name acts which often appear on Prairie Home. Instead, they utilize local talent...

Went shopping today but I was amazed at how many times I could have been taken had I not piped up and said something. 3 time! Actually the 1st time I let it slip. The clerk caught the markdown on one item but not on the other. Next at the hardware store I often frequent, I was nearly charged from 4 feet of an item instead of the 3 which was on the order slip. I caught that one. I am not sure why the clerk input 4 when it clearly said 3 on the slip. The last time was at one the big box home improvement stores. It was sort of was my fault- I decided to pick up a live Christmas wreath because they were free now. I put it on the belt and the clerk rang it up. I interjected that it was supposed to be free. He mentioned the sign near one entrance and assumed it was for live items at that door. Finally another clerk had to step in and verify that indeed all live wreaths were now free. Hurrah! Now my balcony is just a little more festive. I found it odd that this retailer (rhymes with jac...