IN THE SPIRIT OF RUSS RINGSAK from David Edin, Merchandise Manager
Russ Ringsak was the truck driver and a writer for A Prairie Home Companion, but his involvement with the show goes all the way back to its humble beginnings. Russ was a player on the old Jack’s Auto Repair softball team and then advanced to being a researcher and providing Minnesota notes to Garrison when the show was in New York. And he drove the truck on tours. He usually was involved in choosing and editing the “greetings” section of the show, selecting obscure birthday or celebratory wishes and then picking which would get on the air and which would not. Russ was a blues guitarist and a biker and a former architect, and ahead of his retirement from the show, he had the opportunity to play one of the most famous trucker songs — “Six Days on the Road” — live on the show with Brad Paisley, who recently appeared on the American Revival show.
Russ was a kind man with a generous heart and a big smile. He somehow always managed to get the equipment needed to stage the show to the proper location week after week, through snow, sleet, rain or sunshine. He also managed to somehow arrange his thoughts about his weekly travels into a column that became a favorite on the A Prairie Home Companion website. If you have a chance, you can still read many of his columns here >>>:
And if you get a chance, pick up one of his books: Minnesota Curiosities (featuring obscure facts about Minnesota) or Semi True: Seasons on the Road with A Prairie Home Companion’s Resident Writer and Truck Driver. And so to continue the tradition, here are a few of my own random thoughts from the road.
It’s amazing the thoughts that traveled through my head while driving to Colorado this past week via the highways and byways of Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska — encountering sheets of rain in the dark of night plus wind gusts of up to 50 miles an hour pushing the rental van all over the road and simply trying to follow the lights of the semi ahead of me as we soldiered on state after state. My mind was focused on the project ahead, the show that I have come to love, and how I was looking forward to witnessing another full-on A Prairie Home Companion program, this one called an American Revival. This got me thinking about the division in our country and the importance of shows like A Prairie Home Companion. I often wonder if in today’s environment, we have too many options for entertainment and
activity. It used to be that people would talk about a radio show or a television show around the “watercooler” the next few days, often comparing notes and thoughts about what they heard or saw — shows like I Love Lucy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Dallas, Cheers, Seinfeld, all the way up to the first few seasons of American Idol, where programs easily had viewership numbers north of 20 to 30 million. Chatter among friends and foes focused on whether they liked the show or agreed with all the happenings or goings-on. Somehow, we seem to have gotten so fragmented that shows that appeal to everyone have disappeared, and top programs don’t seem to capture enough audience to seem relevant or generate buzz or pop culture excitement. Both television and radio seem to cater to a smaller, more targeted, more segmented audience, and thus, especially with politics, the broadcasts seem to focus on division. Shows like A Prairie Home Companion probably wouldn’t get made today yet were very successful just a short while ago. Shows like this draw people together. It truly gives one the chance to easily meet new friends since you begin with something in common and a topic you can build upon. Garrison had the right idea in beginning an American Revival — we can only wish for more!
The drive home was a reflection on the show itself, the people I met, and the friends I had the chance to reconnect with. A few dinners with people from past Prairie Home Companion cruises were a great opportunity to get to know each other more and catch up on our lives while having some great conversation and good food. I wish I’d had more time to give so that we could have had a few outside adventures. This group plus our core group of fellow working companions made the travel easy and well worth the trek.
I have been amazed by the number of people who told us that their Saturday ritual as a family was to sit down in front of the radio or hop in their car and listen to a two-hour variety show — many of the younger listeners simply stating that they were initially forced to listen to the radio show or the cassette tape stories but eventually they began to have an affinity for the show. A young man of 25 or so attended the show in Colorado as a tribute to his grandmother who had passed away three months earlier. She made him listen to the show and even picked him up for car trips on Saturday nights. As we spoke after the show, you could tell he was moved and enjoyed Brad Paisley, Elvin Bishop, and the full-cast
sketches. He was happy to share details of his road trips and his love for his grandmother.
I spoke to another lady who had traveled from Virginia and came with a box of tissues, since she said that Prairie Home was the “soundtrack to her life” — she’d been raised hearing the broadcast with her mother and father, often in the backseat of the family Valiant, and then passed that tradition on to her own
daughter. She too came in honor of her mother and told me that she had used all her tissues and sang out in joy during the sing-along.
Meeting people and having them share their stories is so rewarding. I hope to share a few stories of the new friends I made along the way in the newsletter on our social sites. This American Revival gives me hope for our country as it remains strong and full of great people. Here’s to meeting more of you in the
future. So let’s have another American Revival soon (I’ll put a word in with our host)! And then, thanks to and in remembrance of Russ, maybe I’ll make another column post or two.
Russ with the APHC Truck -
Get Books by Russ:
Minnesota Curiosities >>>
Semi True: Seasons on the Road with A Prairie Home Companion's Writer and Truck Driver >>>
HIRE A QUALIFIED ETHEREUM AND USDT RECOVERY EXPERT VISIT→FOLKWIN EXPERT RECOVERY.
It was during one session that my trainer casually mentioned his brother had used FOLKWIN EXPERT RECOVERY to recover $160,000 after a wallet disaster. I nodded along, pretending to be paying attention, while in my head thinking, "That’s not gonna happen to me. I’m a crypto genius! " Famous last words, right?
A week later, a software glitch had locked me out of my $280,000 wallet, and suddenly I wasn’t feeling quite so genius-like. I sat staring at the screen as my heart went through the floor. This was that ‘once in a lifetime’ they always spoke about, which would never happen to me. Panic mode: on. The usual ‘click every button so it hopefully magically fixes itself’ approach, complemented by less-than-legal-sounding Google searches, later, with no dice. The wallet was gone, and with it, my calmness. Then, it struck me-my trainer had talked about FOLKWIN EXPERT RECOVERY. I really wasn’t expecting much, but at that juncture, I figured I had nothing left to lose except, you know, my $280,000. So I picked up the phone and called them, bracing myself for what I was sure would be an automated message asking if I wanted to leave a voicemail. But no, this time it was different: on the other end was a real human. A calm, composed human who sounded like they had their life together-something I hadn’t felt in the last 30 minutes. FOLKWIN EXPERT RECOVERY didn’t send me some generic recovery instructions but took me through it like a friend, presenting real solutions and steady guidance. They didn’t treat me like some panicked, inexperienced crypto newbie, which I really was. They reassured me and knew just what to do; within hours, I had my funds back. I couldn’t believe it; speechless was all that remained. Not only did they recover my wallet, but they also helped me secure it properly for the future. I was no longer the guy who thought he could just wing it with some random software updates. Now, I’m the guy who recommends FOLKWIN EXPERT RECOVERY to everyone at the gym, at work, and anywhere else I can get a captive audience. After all, if you’re going to talk about losing $280,000, you might as well make sure the next person isn’t you. So, my advice is not to underestimate the power of random gym conversations, because that one mention saved me from financial disaster. To get in touch with FOLKWIN EXPERT RECOVERY for assistance, WhatsApp +1 740-705-0711 them or email: FOLKWINEXPERTRECOVERY@TECH-CENTER (dot) C OM, And the next time you’re about to do something dicey in crypto, remember to back up your wallet-and maybe listen a little closer to those offhand comments. You won’t regret it, trust me.
Warm greetings,
Mis Karoline Leavitt.
HOW CAN I RECOVER MY LOST CRYPTO (BTC, USDT) investment.
It’s very easy when you contact: Trojanhack@qualityservice.com
Hi Guys, I’m Bryan Li wong from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ok let me start this way.
Though At first i was very skeptical when a friend Davies Frank from Chicago Illinois told me about them and how they were able to help him recovered his Crypto Loss during the Covid 19 pandermic.
I was a victim of a Fake Forex Trading Guru Investment online in 2023 and i was so gullible to get scammed to the tone of 254,650 USDT. i believed them after seeing multiples of their trade result online. little did i know they were all scam and i was so foolish to fell for such stunt. i got depressed and my whole world was shattered as a result of my heavy mistakes.
I couldnt’ withdraw my USDT profit from them. they came up with stories and they kept demanding for more and more from me and it was them i confirmed further they were syndicates.
it was such a terrible and ugly ordeals i went through.
After contacting TROJANHACK CYBER SECURITY COMPANY, i experienced a life changing recovery process, they were able to trace and recovered all for me within 4 days.
Their team are the best and very good at what they do. which if not could have been my life’s greatest mishap. I am forever indebted to this reputable company (TROJANHACK CYBER SECURITY COMPANY) and i know there are thousands of people who are undergoing same situation as mine and for that reason i’d be listing their contact details once again which are as follows:
Email: Trojanhack@qualityservice.com
When the unthinkable happened and a valued Bitcoin wallet was lost, I was hopeless and lost. But thanks to the expertise of "GHOST CHAMPION RECOVERY PRO, the trending Ethical hackers and PI on the web made this miraculous recovery possible. This highly skilled team of cyber digital punks swung into action, the minute I reported a bunch of losers who almost made me lose my digital assets investment. Leveraging on these scammer’s weaknesses and using their deep technical knowledge and cutting-edge tools to trace cryptocurrency already sent out. Through meticulous analysis and tenacious private investigative prowess, they were able to pinpoint the exact location of the missing Bitcoin, which had become entangled in the complex web of online transactions. GHOST CHAMPION RECOVERY PRO carefully extracted the valuable cryptocurrency, navigating the labyrinth of code and cryptography that stood in their way. It was a triumph of human ingenuity over technological complexity – a remarkable feat that left the grateful owner in awe. In the end, the lost Bitcoin was restored, the crisis averted, and faith in the power of digital asset recovery was renewed. GHOST CHAMPION RECOVERY PRO has once again demonstrated its unparalleled ability to solve even the most daunting cryptocurrency conundrums, emerging as a true hero in the high-stakes world of digital finance. It was not a good experience for me when I lost my bitcoin of 205,000 USDT, I had nothing to do until someone told me about GHOST CHAMPION RECOVERY PRO. I gave them a chance and today I am grateful for it. Get GHOST CHAMPION RECOVERY PRO to get your lost bitcoin back via: ( ghostchampionwizard@gmail.com )
Telegram : https://t.me/WizardGhosthacker
Are you looking for a reliable Hacking Service?
ETHICALHACKERS renders the best hacking service on the web. They are the most professional team of hackers in the dark web.
ETHICALHACKERS offers tons of services:
1. Remote phone hack
2. Crypto Recovery
3. Upgrade gpa
4. School Grades Change
5. Increase credit score
6. Database hack
7. Facebook, Whatsapp hack
8. Remote phone Hack .
9. Remove criminal records.
They also sell high grade techs and hacking chips and gadgets if you are interested in Spying on anyone. They sell software, programs, apps for hacking services.
Interested parties should contact : ETHICALHACKERS009 @ GMAIL COM OR WHATSAPP +14106350697
What’s Up Guy’z
Updated & Fresh Fullz are available now
2025 Latest spammed databases
Freshly & Newly fullz unused
USA UK & Canada Fullz
All States & Cities info available
For Contact & Deals here we’re
What’s App = +1.. 7277.. 886.. 129
Tele Gr@m = @ leadsupplier & @ killhacks
Skype = @ peeterhacks
E mail = dghacks2 at g mail dot com
SSN DOB DL Address
SSN DOB DL Address Employee & Bank Info
Real DL Front back with Selfie SSN
DL Fullz with issue & Expiry Dates
Young Age Fullz 2010 above
Old Age fullz 1960 below
W-2 Forms with ID front back
High Credit Scores fullz with DL Info 700+ scores
Business EIN Company Fullz Pros
Sweep Stakes & Payday Leads
Specific Info can be provided as well
NIN DOB Address Full
NIN DOB DL Address MMN Fullz
NIN DOB Address Sort Code & Account number Fullz
UK Real DL front back with selfie Pros
UK CC with CVV
SIN DOB Address Full
SIN DOB Address MMN Phone & Email Fullz
Real Canada DL Front back with Selfie Pros
Canada CC’s with CVV Fullz
All info will be fresh sp@mmed
Carding stuff available as well
Fully guaranteed info & Verified
100% genuine Fullz & ID|DL’s
What’s App = +1.. 7277.. 886.. 129
Tele Gr@m = @ leadsupplier & @ killhacks
Skype = @ peeterhacks
*Contact Fast for fresh & Unused stuff
#USAFULLZ #CANADAFULLZ #UKFULLZ #SSNFULLZ
#SSNDOBDL #SSNDLSCAN #NINFULLZ #SINFULLZ
#USAUKCANADAFULLZ #CVVSHOP #DUMPSFULLZ #EINFULLZ
#YOUNGAGEUSAFULLZ #TAXRETURNFULLZ