jayfurr | Minnesoter

I normally avoid Garrison Keillor and the Prairie Home Companion radio show on NPR like the plague; a few years ago he broke the camel's back of annoyingness and since then I scream and lunge for the radio dial when I hear his voice. But Saturday night I happened to climb into my car at the airport and head home just as he was doing a drawing for four public radio contributors to win trips to St. Paul, Minnesota in midwinter.

Keillor rooted loudly for the trips to be won by Floridians. The second and third winners were from Michigan and Illinois, which amused me mildly, and the fourth and final winner drawn was from Austin, Texas, which got a few celebratory whoops from the studio audience.

But the first one drawn will probably regard the trip to St. Paul as a warm tropical vacation; they were from Kotzebue, Alaska. Find that one on a map and you'll know why I happily said "In your FACE, Keillor" as I was paying the parking attendant. (Got some looks for doing that, I must admit.)