Thanks for all the help guys. As we speak, it's fixed. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Problem started yesterday evening, and was still doing it this a.m., so I drove my Dakota to work. I called the dealer, and was told it could be one of 3 problems. Door latch most likely, then door handle, then window regulator. Dealer estimate was 200.00 to 350.00, plus diagnostic time.

I went home at lunch. Problem still persisted. I started the car, and yes the battery was on it's way down, but car started. I let it run awhile. Problem only happened when car was shut off, not when it was running. Hearing that the latch was the number one culprit, I juiced up the door latch with white lithium grease, cycled the door open and closed a few times, and Bingo, the problem went away. With any luck, it was a one and done issue! Here's hoping it doesn't rear its ugly head in the future.