GaryOsberg.com

It is a bright sunny day in Collegeville today. It is still cool, but with no wind and the sun higher in the sky, it is starting to feel like spring. We took a mini-vacation and visited some friends in Sioux Falls this week. It turns out that the economy is doing quite well in South Dakota. Housing is not in the dumps in Sioux Falls and the same is said to be true of Rapid City. Steve and I tagged along on a short shopping trip in downtown Sioux Falls. It was fun to drop in on some of our underwriters. I was able to find a hard copy of “How To Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie for only seven dollars at The Book Shop on Phillips Avenue. A “heck-of-a-deal”. When I started in sales, I was terrible at it. I was trying to sell automated drafting service to various department heads at Control Data. I had come from Control Data and it seemed logical to call on my previous co-workers. I managed to alienate every one of them. Someone suggested that I might be well served if I read “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. It made a huge difference.

The show this week is a special Manhattan matinee which is designed to get you in the mood for spring. Special guests include American soprano Renee Fleming, the Queen of American folk music, Odetta, legendary classical pianist Andre Watts and the ambassadors of Scottish traditional music, Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain. Enjoy the show.

The reception for the 28th annual High School Art Show, presented by Visual Arts Minnesota, will be Monday at 5:30 PM at The Paramount in downtown St. Cloud.

“Every minute spent in planning will save two in execution.” Henry Kaiser