The Good Life – July-August 2016

3

Number of whiskers
on the face of the
average man:
30,000
Beards make
you
63%
more likely
to win staring
contests.
On average, a man's
beard will grow
5.5 inches
per year.
GROWING A BEARD HAS BEEN
A SIGN OF MANLINESS
SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME.
Beards can help
filter out dust and
pollen if you have
allergies.
If you were to put
down the razor and
stop shaving forever,
your beard would be
27.5 feet!
In the Middle Ages,
touching a man's
beard was considered
offensive and
grounds for a duel.
Scientists believe that
prehistoric men had
beards for:
warmth
intimidation
& PROTECTION
against blows
to the face.
The number of strokes
it takes to shave your
entire face?
Between
100 to 600
The average
mustache will trap a
PINT AND 1/2
of beer
every single year.
REFERENCES:
http://nextluxury.com/mens-style-and-fashion/50-beard-facts
http://distractify.com/old-school/2015/03/22/facts-about-beards-1197889556
2 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com http://www.history.co.uk/shows/decembeard/articles/beard-fun-facts

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 3

JULY-AUGUST 2016
18
COVER STORY
BLIND JOE
AN OPEN BOOK
02
CONTENTS
RESPECT THE BEARD
Growing a beard has been a
sign of manliness since the
dawn of time.
CONTENTS
VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 1
14
HAVING A
BEER WITH ...
WEST FARGO MAYOR
RICH MATTERN
24
FATHERS
THE DARK SIDE OF
CRAWLING
It’s like puberty… baby
puberty
06
MAKE YOUR SUMMER
A DRAG, AT
TOP END DRAGWAYS
26
RIDING TOWARD A CURE
Annual event helps raise
money for cancer research
10
THE "OTHER FOOTBALL"
IS BOOMING
Find out what
you didn't know about
'The Voice' Star - p. 18
30
LOCAL HEROES
WE SALUTE YOU
Honor Flight Network
pays tribute to veterans
with D.C. trips
DO YOU KNOW
A LOCAL HERO?
Email us at:
darren@urbantoadmedia.com
READ A PAST ISSUE
issuu.com/
thegoodlifemensmag
LIKE
facebook.com/
thegoodlifemensmagazine
TWEET
@urbantoadmedia
4 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

The
GOODLIFE
MEN’S MAGAZINE
PUBLISHED BY
Urban Toad Media LLP
www.urbantoadmedia.com
OWNER / GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Dawn Siewert
dawn@urbantoadmedia.com
OWNER / PHOTOGRAPHER
Darren Losee
darren@urbantoadmedia.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jessica Ballou
Meghan Feir
Alexandra Floersch
Paul Hankel
Ben Hanson
Martin Olsen
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
Michelle Juhnke / 701-361-1760
michelle@urbantoadmedia.com
The Good Life Men’s Magazine is distributed six
times a year by Urban Toad Media LLP. Material
may not be reproduced without permission. The
Good Life Men’s Magazine accepts no liability
for reader dissatisfaction arising from content
in this publication. The opinions expressed, or
advice given, are the views of individual writers
or advertisers and do not necessarily represent
the views or policies of The Good Life Men’s
Magazine.
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 5

FASTEST RECORDED TRACK
SPEED - 219 MPH IN A FUEL
DRAGSTER BY CANADIAN
RACER CLIFF BAKX,
SEPTEMBER 2014
FASTEST ¼ MILE TRACK
TIME - 6.14 SECONDS BY THE
HOOTER’S TOP ALCOHOL
FUNNY CAR, SEPTEMBER 2006
6 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

BY: PAUL HANKEL ■ PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
When Charlie McCann became the proprietor of his
own drag strip in 2011, he had wanted to still host
weekend races, but primarily focus on turning the
track’s shop into his own. However, due to zoning
laws, he was unable to operate it as a consumer
shop and instead shifted his focus to improving the
already existent race scene at Interstate Dragways.
McCann, a motorcycle guy by background,
purchased the track from its previous owner and set
about making changes.
The Top End Track
Top End Dragways is a NHRA Member Track
located in Glyndon, Minnesota. Formerly called
Interstate Dragways, Top End is the oldest ¼ mile
drag strip in MN and was built in 1959 and has
been in continuous use for nearly 60 years.
Top End is owned by McCann who purchased
the track and renamed it Top End Dragways.
He immediately set about making some needed
changes including launching a new website, adding
staff and upgrading the tracks timing system and
asphalt racing surfaces. According to McCann, “We
continue to a few new things each year, to boost
attendance and give the fans a great experience.” So
far, he says they’re having success.
According to McCann, Top End gets racers from
all over the region and from Canada. The track
hosts weekend races and has several different races
including Street Legals, which is any street car, and
Radial Revolution races, which McCann comically
described as, “Ridiculously high horse powered
cars, running on really small tires!”
The Smells
No really…the smells are a huge part of the drag
racing experience! The fuels, especially exotic ones,
fill the air. Race fans are treated to everything from
the familiar smell of regular gasoline to the ‘burnt
corn field’ smell of full-grain alcohol dragsters flying
down the track. “It’s awesome! As screwed up as it
may sound – some fans seem to love it!”
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 7

The Visuals
From seeing a wide variety of different
cars to the rumbling feeling fans feel
when a dragsters fires up, Top End
is all about providing the visuals and
sensory entertainment. “We get a lot
of new cars, old cars, imports, muscle
cars and dragsters,” says McCann,
“you hear a lot of ‘I had one of those!’
from fans, when they see an old car
they used to have.”
Fans who attend any of Top Ends race
weekends will be treated to several
different classes and style of races, all
taking place on the ¼ mile strip.
The Community Environment
McCann takes a lot of pride in
ensuring that Top End is a top-notch
and family friendly environment
for fans. The track features full
concessions, ample seating and
recent renovations. While no alcohol
is sold at the track, race fans can
bring their own coolers.
Top End isn’t just a family-friendly
environment for fans; it’s a community
for the racers as well. “It’s very
much a family thing, and I don’t
think enough people realize that.”
says McCann about the community
atmosphere amongst the racers. “Very
rarely will someone not be able to
make a run because they’re broke. I’ve
seen racers
pull a part off
of their car
and give it to
another racer so that they can go race.
It’s very much a community.”
The Drag Racing Scene
While drag racing has been
popularized as a Southern pastime,
there is a growing contingent of race
fans in the northern half of the US,
especially in the Midwest. Nationally,
NHRA drag racing events can be seen
on ESPN2 and weekly draw between
400,000 and 500,000 viewers per
race – pretty solid numbers.
While the local and regional drag
racing scenes draw much smaller
crowds and are not televised, there
is still a small but loyal following.
According to McCann, while the local
scene is not as large as he’d hoped, he
8 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

and other tracks, such as the raceways in Brainerd,
MN, continue to see strong showings of support
from their local and regional fans. “We’re not quite
where we want to be yet, but I think it’s getting
better.”
As for Top End Dragways, McCann and his team
hope to continue the innovations and exciting
growth they are experiencing but adding new
classes, drawing in more crowds and increasing
their marketing efforts.
If you’ve never been to a real race night, do yourself a
favor and check out Top End Dragways this summer.
You’ll be treated to an exciting, exotic, sensory overloading
experience that you’ll remember! •
Check out Top End’s website, topenddragways.com,
for information on specific events and times.
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 9

SOCCER
BY: MARTIN OLSEN ■ PHOTOS: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
AN ENGLISHMAN, A MEXICAN, AN
AUSSIE AND A FARGOAN WALKED
INTO A BAR. The Fargoan said in a
dreadful Crocodile Dundee accent,
“Let’s chuck another shrimp on the
barbie, mate,” to which the Australian
replied patiently, “Nice try, but we
call them prawns in Australia.” The
Englishman chimed in that a “Prawn
with real hot chips – not those skinny,
little American fries – would be
perfect.” The Mexican wisely pointed
out that seafood was not a great
choice for anyone living 1,500 miles
from the nearest ocean.
10 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
As always for these four friends,
the conversation quickly turned to
discussing “the beautiful game” of
soccer, which is the world’s only
true international sport. The sport
brings people from all backgrounds
together, and, as with Andres Nunez
(the Mexican), it also often brings
back fond memories from childhood,
playing street soccer in local parks.
After countless chats with his close
friends, Joe Larson (the Fargoan), the
only one in the group who has played
soccer professionally, brought forth
the idea of starting a youth soccer
club in Fargo that would incorporate
all the moments his friends and he
enjoyed as youngsters across the
globe. “Soccer is ready to explode in
Fargo,” Larson said.
It was clear from this group of
passionate soccer fanatics that they
want to build more than just a club.
They want to create a soccer culture
in Fargo.
“I grew up watching my dad’s team
play on Saturdays, which meant I

would be at the pitch all afternoon hanging out with
friends,” David Pritchard, who grew up in England,
said. “The junior games were played on Sundays
in a home-and-away format against other local
communities, which built some fierce but friendly
rivalries between local teams. As a family, we were
always in and around the soccer club – volunteering,
organizing, refereeing and marking out the fields for
the games. I want this kind of experience for my sons
here in Fargo.”
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 11

Shortly after this meeting, the FM
United Soccer Club was formed
to serve the youth of the Fargo/
Moorhead community. The new
club was set up as a not-for-profit
organization that is run entirely by
volunteers from the community, for
the community.
“Soccer does not take much
equipment; a pair of cleats, shin pads,
a ball and some goals in a local park,”
Nunez explained. “FM United plans
to keep the costs of playing organized
soccer as low as possible and to
make soccer accessible to the whole
community.”
“There are three good youth soccer
clubs in Fargo with over 3,000 youth
playing from ages 4-19,” Larson,
the president of FM United Soccer
Club, said. “There are two semiprofessional
clubs that are starting
up in town, which give the younger
players a path to aspire to, beyond
high school soccer.”
FM United will be providing
another option for youth who want
to be involved in soccer. “We want
to work with the other clubs in
town, to provide more local soccer
opportunities and assist in the
development of a strong local league,
where we play more interclub games.
There should be fewer teams traveling
to Minneapolis to find competitive
games,” Larson said.
Soccer players are forced to think
on the fly and make all the on-field
decisions themselves. Larson, who
will head up the coaching activities
for FM United, said, “Unlike football,
the soccer coach never gets to call
the play. There are no time-outs like
basketball. In baseball, they don’t even
let the runner decide when to run.
A coach does that. A soccer coach’s
job is on the training field to teach
good skills and build a strong team
mentality. Once a soccer game begins,
success is entirely up to the players on
the field.”
With the strong focus on teamwork at
FM United, their team will be known
as the Wolf Pack, taken from this
Rudyard Kipling quote:
“For the strength of the wolf is the
pack, and the strength of the pack is
the wolf.”
Larson and his friends are confident
that their board and extended
group of volunteers will make the
12 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

process much easier. “We
had to incorporate as
an organization, source
insurance and register with
the North Dakota Soccer
Association to start. We then
needed a website, coaches,
documentation, uniforms,
grounds to play on and so
much more. We have been
very busy, but the parents are
passionate and we are ready
to play our first games.”
As with any good sports
game, delicious food,
reminiscent of each of the
men’s various backgrounds,
is a necessity to create the
total soccer experience.
According to the friends,
sausage sangers are set to
become a favorite food at
Fargo soccer games. To raise
club funds, you can purchase
this Aussie delicacy for $2. In
the words of our Australian
mate, Martin Olsen, “A
sausage sandwich is the lazy
version of a hot dog. You take
two slices of white bread, grill
a sausage (a sausage brat),
place the sausage between
the two slices of bread, and
add tomato sauce (ketchup, to
us Americans). It is not junior
soccer without one of those in
your hands.”
FM United is officially
launching operations in the
fall of 2016, but with the
mass excitement in the air,
there are five teams that can’t
wait that long. They will be
playing under the Wolf Pack
banner this summer.
FM United is open to anyone
living in the Fargo, West
Fargo or Moorhead area
who wants to get more
involved in soccer and the
soccer community. Keep
checking fmunitedsc.org for
announcements regarding
launch events and team
tryouts for the fall. ■
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 13

RICH MATTERN
When West Fargo City
Mayor Rich Mattern
found out there would
be free beer involved,
even his thick mustache
knew it was time to be
interviewed for
The Good Life.
14 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

HAVING A BEER WITH
RICH MATTERN
BY: MEGHAN FEIR ■ PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
When West Fargo City Mayor Rich Mattern found
out there would be free beer involved, even his thick
mustache knew it was time to be interviewed for The
Good Life. Although he may have retired from teaching
and working in ad communications in 2015, the mayor
of 14 years still has a full plate.
On yet another blustery day in the real windy city (let’s
be honest) at Drekker Brewing Company, we didn’t go
over his goals or vision for West Fargo. Instead, we sat
down and discussed his admiration for “The Powerpuff
Girls” and tacos in a bag. Read on to find out more about
this rich, local personality.
Good Life: What was it like growing up in Lawrence
Welk’s hometown of Strasburg, N.D.?
Rich Mattern: He used to come home a couple of times
a year, and he would come to the school and play the
accordion. He and all his friends would go down to the
café, and he’d cook breakfast. He was just one of the
guys, affectionately known as “Larry” when he came
home.
GL: What is your heritage, and has it played a big role in
your life?
RM: I’m German-Russian, and most people say that
Strasburg is behind the Iron Curtain. When I went to
first grade, I could barely speak English because my
folks always spoke German.
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 15

GL: When you were little, did you
think you were destined to be wealthy
because of your name?
RM: Are you kidding me? Ehhh, no.
We weren’t rich, but on the other
hand, we had cattle, pigs, chickens
and a lot of gophers. We butchered
our own, and one of my favorite
memories was when my dad and our
neighbors would butcher together.
These guys – the dads – would switch
farms, and every one of them had a
different formula for the hamburger
or sausage they made. These guys
would sample each other’s and be
like, “Too much schpice!” or “Not
enough schpice!”
GL: Would you ever want to wear a
sash that says “Mayor,” as the Mayor
of Townsville does on “The Powerpuff
Girls”?
RM: My youngest daughter was into
“The Powerpuff Girls,” and Mojo Jojo
was my favorite character. Annie and
I would be watching it, and she’d go,
“Dad! Who’s that!?” “Mojo Jojo!”
GL: So would you want a sash?
16 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
RM: To make a long story short, no.
GL: If you had a pop band, what name
would you want to go by?
RM: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida because
that song is over 15 minutes long
and those guys were drunk and
stoned when they came up with
it. It was originally supposed to
be called “In the Garden of Eden.”
The middle of it is a drum solo.
If you’re driving a pickup and it’s
storming outside with little pillow
drifts, try to hit a little pillow drift as
the “Brrrrrrumdumdumdumdum”
happens.
GL: If you could implement one selfserving
day in West Fargo, such as
a citywide Bring Your Mayor a Red
Velvet Cake Day (BYMRVCD) or a No
Kesha Music Allowed Day (NKMAD),
what would it be?
RM: I think it would be a street dance
on Sheyenne Street. They used to
once a year, but it got out of hand
with people doing stupid stuff. I like
jazz and blues, like ZZ Ward, so I’d
like that kind of music
played. I don’t like the
head-banger stuff. I love
Lindsey Stirling. She
plays violin and is on my
Pandora channel, along with Carrie
Underwood, for some reason.
GL: Did you ever have an imaginary
friend?
RM: Ya know, I don’t know that it’s a
friend, but a couple of months ago,
a friend was sitting next to me in a
bar, and he said, “Will you quit that?”
I said, “What?” “You’re whistling!” I
hadn’t caught myself whistling. I told
Jody (his wife), “Will you just hit me
when you hear me doing that?”
GL: I think that’s a sign of a happy
person.
RM: I just started doing that after I
retired.
GL: That’s awesome.
RM: No, it’s not awesome. It’s just
weird. I’m trying to quit.
GL: If Batman/Bruce Wayne and
Superman/Clark Kent were running

for mayor, for whom would you
vote and why?
RM: Who the heck came up with
that one?
GL: I did!
RM to Darren Losee: Slap her,
will ya?
GL: Heyyyyy.
RM: I dare you to ask Mayor
Bloomberg that question.
GL: Oh, I totally would.
RM: I’ve always been a Superman
guy because some of the Batman
stuff has been too dark for me
– the movies. Superman has
always been on the up and up, and
Lois Lane was a good-looking girl,
so why would I want to cheer for
Batman? Superman is a little bit
more open and transparent.
GL: Tacos in a bag or burgers in a
bun?
RM: Tacos in a bag. Easy answer.
GL: Which U.S. president has
influenced you the most?
RM: Even though I’m a republican
and Ronald Reagan did really
well, I’d go with John F. Kennedy.
“Ask not what your country can do
for you, ask what you can do for
your country.” I think I will always
remember that quote.
GL: What does “the good life”
mean to you?
RM: Ya know, I get up in the
morning when I want to get up in
the morning. I go to the gym. I’m
having a good time with my family.
I’m retired now. Life is good. ■
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 17

18 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

BY: ALEXANDRA FLOERSCH ■ PHOTOS: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
To say that one conversation with Joe Bommersbach could be life
changing isn’t a stretch.
One moment he’ll be cracking jokes and making you wonder if a
comedic career isn’t still in the cards, the next he’ll leave you choking
back tears as you realize all of the things you’ve taken for granted in
your own life.
The man that America knows as Blind Joe from The Voice has much
more to offer than musical talent and a fresh perspective. He’s an open
book, sharing what he’s learned along the way and chasing any dream
within reach.
He’s an incredible human, to say the least.
But his openness has nothing to do with living 33 years — his entire life
— without sight. While America may have scratched the surface on Joe,
he’s willing to divulge so much more. For the Joe you haven't yet gotten
to know, no topic is off limits.
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 19

“You grow up
and realize
what’s impor tant:
my wife, family, friends
and being true
to your music.”
He’s dedicated to his fans
Those who follow Blind Joe on Facebook
and Twitter know how dedicated he is.
When you question who’s behind his
genius social media strategy, he’s quick
to reassure you that it's him, not some
marketing manager putting a coat of
sugar on everything.
“That’s all me,” he said. “It can be taxing
at times, but it’s part of the gig — a
huge part of it.” Just like he follows his
favorite bands and stars on social media,
he promises to be there for his own
devotees.
As with anyone, technology plays a big
part in Joe’s life. Music-related apps like
Bandsintown allow him to update fans
about upcoming shows, while another
20 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

app, Indiehitmaker, give him a way to track album sales
both physically and digitally.
Custom built apps for the blind and visually-impaired,
like TapTapSee, help Joe recognize his surroundings.
After taking a photo, the app writes a brief describing the
photograph. This is especially useful for everyday tasks
like identifying canned products in the cupboard or just
figuring out the color of his shirt, he shared.
Grandpa introduced him to music
While he received his first guitar at age five, Joe’s first vivid
musical memory came years earlier. His grandfather, who
was an accordion player, was an excellent teacher. Before
long, Joe had memorized the words to the old-school
country songs grandpa sang and played.
One night, when the three-year-old yearned to showcase
what he had learned, grandpa gathered the band to give
Joe his first gig in the basement. “We pulled off a rippin’
rendition of Frosty the Snowman,” Joe said, reminiscing
with his signature smile spread wide. “[Grandpa] put his
heart and soul into what he did.”
In the years following, Joe and his grandfather “jammed
all the time,” always sticking to traditional country ballads
from artists like Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. Joe’s
roots in music run deep, and the inspiration grandpa left
him is the reason for his career today.
He’s a people person
Aside from performing shows and producing his latest
album — which released on May 5, Blind Joe spends
time speaking at school assemblies throughout the
area. Messages about perseverance surface from firsthand
experiences, as he opens up to students about the
obstacles he’s hurdled in his life — both in music and
blindness.
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 21

“I’m a hear t-on-my-sleeve
kinda dude.”
“Today in social media, and media in general, there's a
lot of negativity,” he said. “It’s nice to interact, laugh and
realize you can do anything if you put your mind to it.”
Being a positive role model is rewarding in and of itself,
but Joe says his favorite part of the assemblies are the kids'
reactions afterwards. “They say things like ‘Hey, that really
inspired me’ or ‘That really hit home,’” Joe said.
For Joe, his career is more than performing and making
music. “I’m truly blessed to share both my music and
stories,” he said. “I’m a people person, an open book. I’m a
heart-on-my-sleeve kinda dude.”
He attributes his success to his wife
On The Voice, Joe mentioned that he and his wife, Liann,
might like to start a family. According to the artist, a Joe Jr.
isn’t out of the question. “We’ll see,” he said, followed by a
chuckle. “We’re not, not trying.”
For now, however, the couple is focusing
on music. “We’re just really busy and
it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down
anytime soon,” Joe said. “We would
love to have kids, if God blesses
us.”
When it comes to his busy career,
Joe says his wife doesn’t get enough
credit. In fact, he deems her most
instrumental in his success thus far. “She dropped
everything for me to achieve my dream,” he explained.
Before The Voice, both Joe and Liann worked full-time.
While he taught accessibility software to the visually
impaired, his wife was a preschool teacher. That is,
until one weekend in Chicago changed their fate forever.
Auditioning for The Voice, Joe eventually joined Blake
Shelton’s team, making it to the Knockout Rounds before
he was eliminated.
As his music career ramps up, the country music star is
thankful for his wife, who drives the two of them to shows,
sells merchandise and handles nearly the entire business
side of his career. “She’s 80 percent of why it’s able to
work,” he said. “She put her goals on hold for mine. She’s
an angel.”
He’s modest, motivational and true to himself
While Joe’s original plans were to record his latest album
in Nashville, he ended up in Atlanta instead. There, he
was promised more freedom to record what he wanted;
the studio was open to preserving his music style. “I’m not
good at faking it,” he said. “What you see is what you get. I
will not compromise my music integrity for money.”
When asked what was in the cards for his future, Joe said
he has no plans to sell out stadiums — no rockstar-kinda
dreams like when he was younger. “You grow up and
22 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

ealize what’s important,” he said. “My wife, family,
friends and being true to your music.”
For now, Joe’s goals for his latest album are to
“Get as much word of mouth as I can get and sell
records.” From there, he hopes be invited to tour
with an established musician to open another
door. He plans to “Keep reaching, moving and
doing better one day at a time,” he said.
To other struggling musicians out there, Joe
speaks honestly. At the end of the day, billions
of fans and records sold doesn’t mean a thing.
“All of that crap doesn’t matter,” he said. “Don’t
compromise yourself. Be real, work hard.”
He admits that life has its struggles, but none
of them are worth quitting over. “There’s always
going to be naysayers,” he said. “At the risk of
sounding like a Nike commercial… just do it. It’s
there for the taking.”
When asked what the good life means to him,
Joe responded. “A roof over your head, food on
the table and making music on the daily.” For
Joe, the good life is simple. To “eat and live well,
surrounded by good people — family and friends —
and faith in God.” ■
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 23

THE DARK SIDE OF
CRAWLING
BY: BEN HANSON ■ PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
Last week my son, Macklin, finally figured out how to
crawl. For months, he struggled to get his big, chubby left
leg unstuck from underneath his even bigger, chubbier
belly. You could see the frustration in his eyes. You could
also hear it quite plainly in his not-so-subtle whimpers for
help.
He was struggling so much that my wife and I were
convinced he’d be walking before he’d be crawling. But
more so, we were naively convinced that once he finally got
moving, he’d be a smiley, giggly, constantly contented little
boy freed from his fatty ball and chain to explore the far
reaches of the living room.
(Here is where I would swear if swearing were allowed in
this family-friendly publication.)
We were wrong. Not just off the mark kind of wrong, but
wrong in the sense that the exact opposite turned out to
be true. Like the time I tried replacing the outlets in the
upstairs bathroom. I assumed the circuit breaker that
shut off the lights would also shut off the electrical current
running to the outlets. I was wrong. The jolt of electricity
coursing up my right arm told me so. The realization was
sudden, and I screamed like a big, frightened girl. The dog
even came running.
I was dead wrong (almost literally) about the circuit
breaker, and I was dead wrong about crawling. The
moment Mack finally rolled over that left leg and started
24 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
moving, the fairytale I didn’t know I was living in ended.
As pleased as he was with himself about conquering
the challenge of locomotion, he was equally irate that
he wasn’t immediately able to move around the room at
lightspeed to play with everything all at once. Pre-crawling,
one little box of toys would keep him occupied for a solid
half hour. Now, toys are lucky to enjoy a three-second
lifespan.
I would guess we have about 50 toys within his reach at
any given time. (Before you get excited, they’re mostly
small and almost all second-hand.) Using some very
simple arithmetic, 50 toys at three seconds each gives me,
a trying-to-keep-it-together stay-at-home dad, exactly 150
seconds of free time to do the dishes, prep supper, fold
clothes, go to the bathroom, let the dog out, cut the grass,
take out the garbage, eat something, write a few lines and
post something witty and cute on Instagram & Twitter
(@MrFullTimeDad).
If only I could count on those 150 seconds, life would be
pie. But I already see my time (and productivity) dwindling.
With each passing day Mack’s interest in his toys wanes.
The smiley elephant guy with the bendy legs used to be
fun, but it seems Mr. Big Shot crawler is suddenly too good
to play with such a childish toy.
You know what’s fun now? The powerstrip plugged in
under the desk. The dehumidifier growing mold in the
corner of his bedroom. Anything sharp. The pull cords

hanging off the window shades — you know, the ones
that tangle into knots just by looking at them. Oh, and
every book on every bookshelf. The only thing more
fun than pulling all the books off the shelf is puking
on them once they’re in a pile on the floor. It’s a grand
ol’ time.
What I’m trying to say is, be careful what you wish
for, parents, and use your time wisely while you
have it. It’s a joy watching my son crawl toward me
with a grin smeared across his chubby little face.
But crawling has also proved to be a lot like puberty,
hurling the kid down an uncontrollable rollercoaster
of emotion. A belly laugh now turns into a bucket
of free-flowing tears with little explanation or
provocation, and I’m left trying to discern a solution
to an infantile problem. Literally.
Baby puberty — it’s a thing. And it’s just one of many
minor horrors of parenting nobody tells you about.
Fortunately, I’m here for you. If we’re lucky, I’ll get to
keep sharing my tales of life as a stay-at-home dad
here in the pages of The Good Life. If not, I guess
you’ll just have to follow me online
@MrFullTimeDad. •
Ben Hanson is a full-time father, part-time writer (for
hire). Find him online at www. mrfulltimedad.com and
follow his dadventures on Twitter and Instagram
@MrFullTimeDad.
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 25

ANNUAL EVENT HELPS RAISE MONEY FOR CANCER RESEARCH
BY: JESSICA BALLOU ■ PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
McCloud, North Dakota, has a
population of about 27 people. But
once a year nearly 1,500 people and
hundreds of horses flock to the small
town to raise money for the Roger
Maris Cancer Center.
26 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
Cowboy Up Ride Against Cancer
is the brain child of Bruce Van Den
Einde and a few friends who wanted
to do something different to help
raise money for cancer. He went to
McCloud and started planning a 17-
mile trail ride to the Sandhills and
back.
“I felt I needed to do something to
help in any way we could,” he said. “I
didn’t think it was going to grow the

“
I DIDN’T THINK
IT WAS GOING TO GROW
THE WAY IT DID.
IT GREW INTO
SOMETHING THAT
I NEVER KNEW.
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 27

“
THERE’S NOT TOO MANY TOWNS THAT WILL LET
500 OR 600 HORSES WALK DOWN MAIN STREET,
POOP ON THE STREETS AND WELCOME IT.
way it did. It grew into something that
I never knew.”
“When I first started getting this put
together, I thought it would a bust and
no one would show up,” he added.
To his great surprise, there were
around 130 riders at the first event,
and they raised $15,000.
What started as a one-day event has
transformed into a whole weekend of
dances, meals, softball tournaments
and more. Van Den Einde said the
biggest year he can remember had
more than 500 riders.
There are many smaller events as part
of the larger event, such as 4-wheeler
28 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
runs, a golf tournament, a tractor
stampede, trail rides, dances, meals
and more. Farmers and ranches
in McCloud donate their land for
campers and horses. Van Den Einde’s
wife, Carol, also puts on a small event
called the equine wellness clinic.
“There’s not too many towns that
will let 500 or 600 horses walk down
Main Street, poop on the streets and
welcome it,” he said with a laugh.
Last year there were around 300
riders, and they raised $69,700 for
the Roger Maris Cancer Center. This
year’s event will take place Aug. 19
and 20.
Van Den Einde said this event has
been totally embraced by people,
whether they like horses or not.
People from Canada, Iowa and other
places around the U.S. come to
McCloud each year for this event to
show their support.
Many people paint their horses with
the names of people who are going
through cancer or who have passed
away from cancer to honor and
memorialize them.
They don’t have a certain goal in mind
every year besides trying to beat the
year before. Rain or shine, people
show up to ride their horses and
raise money in the name of cancer
research.
Van Den Einde said they try to change

up the route a bit every year to be able to make it
easier to accommodate everyone from young to
old, new to experienced.
Each year they do a cowboy prayer before the
main event on Saturday, and Joel Heitkamp does
his radio show live on Friday night.
Cowboy Up Journey for the Cure is a spin-off
event that Van Den Einde is planning with a few
of the other original people from the first Cowboy
Up event. They will ride across the whole state of
North Dakota for 16 days and make stops along
the way to raise donations. If everything goes
according to plan, it will take place in September.
All the proceeds from both of these events go to
the Roger Maris Cancer Center.
The Cowboy Up Committee, comprised entirely
of volunteers, has raised about $563,623 total
over the past 11 years for the Roger Maris
Cancer Center in Fargo. The committee also
received the 2010 North Dakota Volunteers
of the Year award from the AFP ND Northern
Plains chapter. Van Den Einde said he wanted
to thank the committee members for their
dedication and support. •
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 29

WE SALUTE YOU
Honor Flight Network Pays Tribute to Veterans with D.C. Trips
BY: JESSICA BALLOU
PHOTOS BY: SCOTT MARTHALER / LEMAR PHOTOGRAPHY
Jane Matejcek loves helping people.
As a nurse at the Veteran Affairs
Medical Center in Fargo for 25
years, she loves connecting with and
honoring veterans.
Back in 2007, she served on two of
the first four Honor Flight trips out
of Fargo. After just returning from
her sixth Honor Flight trip, Matejcek
is more passionate than ever about
getting the word out about the Honor
Flight Network.
History of Honor Flight Network
The Honor Flight Network was
started by Earl Morse in 2005 after
the World War II Memorial was built
in Washington, D.C. Morse was a
physician assistant and retired Air
Force captain who worked at a VA
clinic in Springfield, Ohio. He often
discussed the new WWII memorial
with his veterans, and most said it
wasn’t feasible due to their health or
lack of extra funds.
Morse was also a private pilot and
a member of the aero club at the
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in
30 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

Dayton, Ohio. He came up with the
idea to personally fly one veteran at
a time out to the memorial and back.
He asked other members of the aero
club to get involved and help cover the
cost so the Veterans wouldn’t have to
pay anything. Eleven pilots stepped up
to help.
The program continued to grow,
and by the end of 2005, 137 WWII
veterans were able to see the
memorial in D.C. The original mission
remains the same: veterans do not
have to pay a cent to go on these trips.
All the money raised helps fund the
cost of the airline, hotel, etc.
Two years later, Tracy Briggs, who
works for The Forum and WDAY,
helped bring the Honor Flight
Network to North Dakota. Between
2007 and 2009, there were 11 flights
total in the state of North Dakota in
Fargo, Grand Forks and Bismarck.
‘They need to know’
After chatting with one of her
Korean War veterans January of
2016, Matejcek asked him if he was
interested in going on an Honor Flight
to visit the Korean War Memorial.
She said he was so enthusiastic in
his response that she told him she
would try to get another flight out by
end of the year. She called people
she worked with on previous Honor
Flights and asked them to serve on
the current committee.
The first flight out of Fargo’s Hector
International Airport was in October
2015 with 89 veterans, including 35
WWII veterans. The trip this past May
included 94 veterans.
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 31

It was important to Matejcek that her daughters are
involved in fundraising and volunteering with the
veterans as well.
“They need to know how the country became what it is
today and who sacrificed for it,” she said.
‘They feel that comradery’
On nearly every flight so far, some veterans have
connected with people they haven’t seen since they were in
the service or they find people with something in common.
On the trip last October, the veterans were able to get
a private tour of the National Archives. They were also
able to see the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, the
document signed by General Douglas MacArthur and
Admiral Nimitz that ended World War II that isn’t usually
on display.
One of the veterans who flew on that trip was one of the
original Monuments Men, a group of men and women who
went behind enemy lines during WWII and returned more
than 5 million artistic and cultural items stolen by Hitler
and the Nazis. After the trip, the National Archives
caretaker posted photos and other information
about the WDAY Honor Flight program and its
veterans on the National Archives website.
32 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

On one of the previous flights, a group of cadets had
been paired up with WWII veterans at the WWII
Memorial when something amazing happened. As a
cadet approached the next veteran stepping off the
bus, they discovered they both had recently lost family
members in the same military helicopter accident a few
weeks beforehand.
“So many of these heroes don’t talk about what
happened until they go out there,” Matejcek said. “I
think they feel that comradery. Those who never said
a word start talking, and those who always talked
remember something new.”
One of the veterans told Matejcek his unit received
a Presidential Commendation for sinking the most
tonnage in one day. As a pilot, he was dropping
bombs on ships near Japan. He hadn’t thought of it or
remembered the commendation for the past 60 years.
“These things just come out when they get there,”
Matejcek said, adding that several family members have
messaged to say they’ve heard new stories since their
loved one went on an honor flight.
“Miracles happen on these flights,” she said. “That’s my
favorite part is seeing miracles.”
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 33

‘This is why we do that’
Before each trip, bios are compiled
for each veteran with his or her
hometown, where he or she went to
boot camp, what his or her duty was,
where he or she was stationed and
what his or her proudest moment
was. Each veteran gets a book filled
with those bios on their flight out of
Fargo.
If they raise enough money, they hope
to do another Honor Flight trip either
this fall or next spring.
said he got to the third letter and couldn’t read anymore; he was just so
emotional,” Matejcek said. “He said, ‘I didn’t know anybody still cared.’ This is
why we do that.”
As of mid-May, there were nearly 800 letters for the trip May 22.
The night they return from D.C., there’s a big welcome home party at the
airport. Terry Richardson, the President of the United Patriotic Bodies,
arranges the send-off and welcome home. The Color Guard, cheerleading
teams, a military band and more are all at the airport celebrating the veterans.
“They never got that before, so it’s really cool,” Matejcek said. “I’m so
During their deployment, veterans
often looked forward to getting
mail from home. As a surprise, the
committee secretly reaches out to
each veteran’s contact person and
asks friends and family members to
write letters of gratitude.
As the veterans leave the banquet the
first night of the trip, they are given an
envelope filled with letters.
“On the October flight, one veteran
34 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

passionate about this. It’s just
such an amazing experience.”
‘Blanket of peace’
One of Matejcek’s favorite parts of
these trips is seeing the healing
and the peace it brings to those
who go on it.
“I had a veteran tell me it’s one
thing to go to D.C. and see the
sites, but it’s an entirely different
perspective when you get to
go there with comrades who
witnessed what you witnessed,”
she said.
“There’s like this blanket of peace,
really, that comes over them,” she
added. “It’s okay.” ■
If you would like to volunteer
or get involved, leave a
message on the WDAY Honor
Flight Facebook page or
visit www.wdayhonorflight.
areavoices.com.
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 35

2