The other day I was standing in line and there was an active young man ahead of me. It was obvious that he had been engaged in a shopping trip for way too long, at least for his liking.

: As a father, and now a grandfather, I had to chuckle at the conversation between him and his mother. “What’s this?”he asked as he pointed to something on the shelf. “When are we going home?”, and finally, the question that almost had me rolling in the aisle. Well actually it was more of a comment and less of a question. He looked at his mom and declared, “Mom, who is Alberto Clapper? My teacher said that he is coming and that we better make sure we are prepared…” Huh? Alberto Clapper, I questioned in my mind…and then it hit me. The young lad was talking about the soon to arrive, Alberta Clipper. It’s OK to laugh because I sure did.

Then came the big question. Do I, as the old North Dakota resident that I am, weigh in on the conversation? His mother did turn and give him a quizzical glance, but it was obvious that she was now involved in the checkout line duties and this curious young man was not going to get a corrected version of who, or what Alberto Clapper was.

As quickly as the whole situation unveiled itself to me, it came to an end. Mom paid for the groceries. Grabbed her son and shopping bags and headed for the door. I kept thinking, but…but…but…stop, your son needs an answer. It’s not Alberto, well too late. He was out the door and gone.

So where did Alberta Clipper come from? Meteorologist John Wheeler answered the question as simply is it could be put on his 10 p.m. weather segment a couple of nights ago. He said “Hey, it’s not really brain surgery. It comes from Alberta, and it moves fast, like a clipper sailing ship.” So wherever you are young man, and if you are able to somehow read this column. It’s not a who, it’s a what. An Alberta Clipper, and yes, your teacher is right, we should be prepared.

Welcome Kim Fundingsland
I know I did mention that Kim Fundingsland is now writing for the Northern Sentry. I have known Kim for over 40 years; and I know you will enjoy his “Kim Fundingsland Slice Of Life” articles. Kim has a unique way of taking everyday life situations and turning them into “Ah Ha” moments for us. An avid outdoorsmen and fishermen, Kim also has written many outdoor columns in his day. Welcome to the Northern Sentry, Kim.

Best Kept Secrets
OK, I am going to stand on a soap box and announce that the Brass Band of Minot has a concert this Sunday at 4 p.m. at Anne Nicole Nelson Hall on the campus of Minot State University. If you have never heard a Brass Band, this would be a great concert to attend. It is labeled as a “Pops” concert. One of my favorite pieces in the concert is Unchained Melody, made popular most recently in the movie Ghost. There are others like Blue Tango and our ending piece, Born Free, that you will also want to hear. I am the Emcee and play tuba, so yes, this is a bit self-serving, but it will be a great concert.

Today’s Chuckle
This one works for any of those ethnic joke opportunities.
A (Norwegian-German-etc.) had a tough job sweeping up after the circus elephants. When asked why he didn’t quit, he exclaimed “What, and leave Show Biz.”