The Good Life – September-October 2019

FATHERS | MR. FULL-TIME DAD 

Five Stages of Toddler Sleep 

WRITTEN BY: BEN HANSON 

It’s 8:02 p.m. Macklin’s mama and I exchange knowing 

looks, reluctantly nod our heads and announce to our 

audience of one that it’s time for bed. Our nightly dance is 

about to begin, and we wonder, as we start the chase, what 

new moves may be introduced into the well-worn routine. 

it past 

Three seconds later, the sounds of 

three-year-old fists banging down 

doors made clear we hadn’t yet made 

stage two. 

Some nights, with naive optimism, I think back to the 

days when Mack was an infant and wanted nothing more 

than a quick night time bottle before being left alone to 

fall quickly asleep in his crib. There wasn’t much cuddling 

or soothing required in those early days. If you wanted to 

sneak a snuggle, you had to risk waking him up by taking 

him out of his crib mid-slumber. 

It was well worth it — and still is to steal those precious 

moments of silent bonding — but lately, we’ve been getting 

our fill during the hour-plus emotional extravaganza that is 

toddler bedtime. 

My wife, Emily, is a highly experienced and sought after 

child and adolescent therapist. A real pro, in other words. 

I do my best to follow her lead and pick up on the lessons 

she teaches through her interactions with Mack. Her 

patience rarely expires, but some nights the challenge of 

getting Mack into bed (and keeping him there) can push 

even her to the limit. 

In the middle of one recent bout with an especially tired 

boy, she walked out of Mack’s room and announced, “This 

is like grief therapy … hoping we hit acceptance here soon.” 

2 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com 

Emily nailed it. Like I said, she’s a pro. Mack’s bedtime 

has evolved into what we now call the five stages of 

toddler sleep grief. Our goal is to navigate our way 

through as quickly and as quietly as possible. 

Denial 

It’s now 8:02 p.m. … and ten seconds. The proclamation 

of bedtime has been made, and Mack — right on cue — 

issues his retort: “No it’s not.” He’s in full-on denial, often 

going even further. “I want to wind up!’ he shouts before 

turning his back to make his escape. Next to acceptance, 

denial is the easiest stage to get past … I simply catch 

him, throw him over my shoulder and march him up to 

his room. 

Anger 

8:05 p.m. Time for some old fashioned kicking and 

screaming. It’s best to just keep your distance for a few 

minutes and let the little guy wear himself down on his 

own. It’s not a fool-proof strategy, but it’s better than 

catching an errant kick to the shorts. At some point, 

we do have to jump in and pry him out of his clothes 

before steering him into the bathroom to pee and brush 

teeth … and yes, cry-brushing is a common occurrence,

ut we gotta get those sugar bugs out! Anger is the 

least enjoyable stage for obvious reasons. Our secret 

weapon is Mack’s low tickle threshold. He loves it, and 

uncontrollable giggles always help the transition into 

stage three … my favorite of the five. 

Bargaining 

8:20 p.m. A slightly more tired Macklin turns on his 

charm and proceeds with his attempt to disarm us with 

an onslaught of surprisingly witty compromises he 

hopes will score him a few more minutes of playtime. 

The most common bargains are “just one more story, 

please Daddy?” or “how about some nighttime music, is 

that a good idea?” or “will you send Mama in?” Lately, 

he’s been very concerned about our new robot vacuum 

and requests to double-check that it’s safely “at its home” 

before he can really feel settled. 

Depression 

8:50 p.m. After a good 20-30 minutes of stories, more 

bargaining and more tickling, Macklin resigns to the fact 

that there is no escaping the inevitable. He’s not getting 

out of his room until morning, and the revelation crushes 

him. Regardless of who does the reading and the initial 

tuck-in, the other parent is consistently called in to 

replace the starter mid-way through stage four … and the 

back-up always gets the best snuggles. A sad toddler is 

sad but oh so loveable. Plus, the second parent gets the 

win … ushering Mack calmly into stage five. 

Acceptance 

9:05 p.m. After fifteen minutes or so of soothing Mack 

out of his nightly depression, he rolls over, turning his 

back to me and says, “Goodnight, Daddy, you can go 

now.” Stage five comes and goes in an instant, and it’s as 

comforting to me as it is to him. Once stage five hits, we 

rarely hear another sound coming from his room, aside 

from perhaps one last visit to the bathroom. 

Do I miss infant Mack and his astonishingly easy tuckins? 

Absolutely. Do I wish Emily and I would have more 

time to ourselves before we crash exhaustedly into our 

own bed? Yep. Would I give up his 

brilliant bargaining and adorable 

acceptance stages to avoid the 

other three? Nope. Some day, 

not too far out, I’m sure I’ll 

miss our nightly sleep grief 

therapy sessions every bit 

as much as I miss the 

other struggles that 

seemed so endless 

… until they were 

over. • 

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 3

VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 2 

CONTENTS 

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2019 

2 

6 

10 

14 

FATHERS - MR. FULL-TIME DAD 

FIVE STAGES OF TODDLER SLEEP 

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE 

AERIAL SPRAYER ERIC KLINDT REACHES 

NEW HEIGHTS 

RUSTICA - SIMPLICITY AT ITS FINEST 

BACK IN BUSINESS: RUSTICA'S OWNERS 

CARRY ON TRADITION 

HAVING A BEER WITH - JEFF CULHANE 

"VOICE OF THE BISON" AND PROGRAM 

DIRECTOR FOR BISON 1660 


18 

24 

28 

30 

ON THE COVER - FIX IT FORWARD 

THE MECHANICS OF FAITH 

FIX IT FORWARD'S IMPACT ON THE 

COMMUNITY 

LOCAL BAND - THE HUMAN ELEMENT 

BETTER TOGETHER 

ASK 30 WOMEN 

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WISH ALL 

MEN WOULD KNOW? 

LOCAL HERO - MIKE GRUCHALLA 

FROM THE MIDWEST TO VIETNAM AND 

BACK, MIKE GRUCHALLA'S FOCUS HAS 

ALWAYS BEEN DOING HIS JOB WELL 

AND FIERCELY SERVING OTHERS

PUBLISHED BY 

Urban Toad Media LLP 

www.urbantoadmedia.com 

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Darren Losee 

darren@urbantoadmedia.com 

OWNER / GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

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dawn@urbantoadmedia.com 

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Ben Hanson 

Jessica Kuehn 

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the views or policies of The Good Life Men’s Magazine. 


FLY 

LIKE AN EAGLE 

Aerial Sprayer Eric Klindt Reaches New Heights 

6 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

“ 

Of all the dangers 

that are in a job, with all 

the training you do, it just 

becomes normal work that 

I don’t really think of as 

dangerous anymore.” 

WRITTEN BY: JESSICA KUEHN 

PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

Even though many people head to the lakes 

in the summertime, you’ll often find Eric 

Klindt flying in the sky. As an ag pilot with 

Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness in Wahpeton, 

N.D., Klindt is putting his more than 20 

years of experience in aerial spraying to 

good use. 

The late David Yaggie from Breckenridge, 

Minn., first got Klindt involved with aerial 

spraying. Klindt had always wanted to 

farm, so he helped Yaggie and his son both 

in a tractor on their farm and in a plane 

with aerial spraying. Later, he attended 

The University of Minnesota Crookston, 

where he received his commercial pilot’s 

license and aerial applicator training. 

Even though he really enjoys flying itself 

and how every day is different, there’s 

something else he loves more than 

anything. 

“The best part is that you get paid to do a 

job that you love to do,” he said. 


Eric also uses his plane 

to assist in putting out fires 

in the community. 

Aerial spraying can be dangerous 

work, especially when it comes to 

the first initial pass with a heavy load 

or when you’re taking off a shorter 

strip with a full load, but Klindt said 

he doesn’t worry about any of that 

anymore. 

“Of all the dangers that are in a job, 

with all the training you do, it just 

becomes normal work that I don’t 

really think of as dangerous anymore,” 

he said. 

The biggest thing he wants people 

to know about aerial spraying is 

how much the sprayers care for the 

ground, the farmer’s crops and the 

environment. 

“Some can say that we’re not very 

good to the environment by spraying 

pesticides, but it’s those pesticides 

that help the environment in 

controlling weeds and bugs that can 

overtake your field,” he said. 

One of the most memorable 

experiences in his career so far 

includes being honored for the 

work he’s done in the industry from 

the National Agricultural Aviation 

Association (NAAA). Another 

memorable, albeit sadder, moment 

includes doing flyovers at burials 

after losing a pilot. 

“Those are quite memorable,” he 

said. “I mean, that’s something you’ll 

never forget for the rest of your life. 

There’s probably a lot more I could go 

into, but it’s just the fact that you can 

do this for a job and basically have 

the winters off, even though I find 

a lot of stuff to do, that’s rewarding 

work.” 

According to his bio on Wilbur-Ellis’ 

website, his motto is “go big or go 

home,” which is a message he said he 

can’t help but live by, especially when 

flying around in his Air Tractor AT- 

802. 

“I guess there’s nothing I do that’s 

little,” he said. “Now in this industry, 

it just so happens that I’m flying the 

biggest ag plane there is to spray with 

in the world, basically, so I can get 

a lot done with it, which ultimately 

helps the customers and the farmers 

that I’m working for.” 

With bigger equipment and planes, 

more work is being accomplished 

more quickly than it used to be, 

making the process much more 

efficient over time. 

“If you go back 20 or 30 years, there 

were almost twice as many airplanes 

that did our work, but yet the number 

of acres that were covered are about 

the same, so we cut the planes in half 

but we’re still doing the same amount 

of work,” he said. 

Klindt knows that some people aren’t 

fans of the aerial spraying industry, 

but he said most of their unhappiness 

could be solved with more knowledge 

about what they really do. 

“Usually the people who don’t like 

what we do are just quite ignorant 

on what we do,” he said. “I always 

say that people claim this stuff is so 

Whether it’s cleaning out your toilet or cleaning the countertops, those 

chemicals are way more toxic than the stuff that we put in our planes.” 


horrible. The stuff under your kitchen sink is way more 

toxic than most of the stuff we put out of our airplane, but 

you don’t think twice about that. Whether it’s cleaning out 

your toilet or cleaning the countertops, those chemicals 

are way more toxic than the stuff that we put in our planes.” 

He said that they do use toxic chemicals at times, but that 

isn’t all that they do, so he wants to help educate more 

people about it. 

Another aspect that’s important for people to know about 

the industry is the importance of family support due to the 

long hours that can often vary due to weather. 

“If [the family] doesn’t understand the roles and the 

sacrifices that they have to give in the summer when 

they’re aerial spraying, that makes it very difficult,” he said. 

For example, Klindt was in Iowa during this phone 

interview, and then he was going to head to Illinois next. He 

said that wouldn’t be possible without an understanding 

family since he has to be gone often in the summertime 

and work long hours, which causes him to miss family 

outings and other events. 

“If you don’t have a supportive family, it makes it difficult, 

and I’m fortunate that I have a wife and kids that 

understand that,” he said. 

When asked what the good life means to him, he 

responded: “To me, the good life is to be able to live in 

a faith community, have a decent job, be able to do the 

things you want to do and spend time with your family.” • 


RUSTICA 

Simplicity at Its Finest 

Back to Business: Rustica’s New Owners Carry on Tradition 

WRITTEN BY: MEGHAN FEIR • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

Rustica Eatery & Tavern, one of Moorhead’s favorite restaurants, 

closed its doors earlier this summer for two weeks. Panic ensued 

in the hearts of their patrons. Once they were informed it would be 

under new management, a second round of panic took place. This 

time, it was concern over potential menu changes. Would people still 

be able to get their “burrata fix”? Would the fried chicken and pizzas 

still be available? Would those items taste just as good, if they were? 

Would people’s taste buds ever dance again? 

These and other questions bounced in the minds of many, but 

thankfully for these loyal customers, the new management team 

happened to be equally loyal employees of Eric and Sara Watson, 

the previous owners. Executive chef Micah Leitel has worked at the 

restaurant and tavern nearly four years, and Anna Weisenburger took 

on her role as front house manager in March. 

A month after Weisenburger started, the Watsons approached the 

two employees, encouraging them to take over the business. It didn’t 

take much convincing. Both Leitel and Weisenburger knew they each 

wanted their own restaurant someday. “Someday” just came a lot 

sooner than they had imagined. 

While it’s inevitable the two will gradually make their mark on the 

place, they want to keep Rustica customers happy and satisfied by 

keeping staples on the menu and the restaurant vibes the same. The 

homey environment, comforting food and occasional twists regulars 

have grown to love will continue being a fixture of Rustica. 

Read on to learn more about the new owners and 

their unique approach toward working in the 

hospitality industry. 


Good Life: Are there any drastic changes you two have 

in the works for this place? 

Micah Leitel: Our main goal is consistency. We want to 

provide the same experience to the guests they’ve come 

to expect. For now, we already have an existing clientele 

that love the place, so why mess with that? Give them 

what they want in the way they want it. Will it be exactly 

the same this time next year? I highly doubt it. It will 

always evolve. 

Anna Weisenburger: We didn’t 

want to rip the rug out 

from anybody. 

There are some things that just won’t change because 

they’re not broken, but we definitely will slowly put 

our mark on things. 

GL: What’s something unique about how Rustica 

functions? 

ML: Our kitchen team is pretty awesome. They’re 

very dedicated and disciplined, and that’s kind of rare. 

Usually, kitchens are very chaotic places, but ours is 

serene. Even on a wild Saturday night, nobody’s fighting 

with each other. I can’t recall the last argument that was 

in the kitchen. That’s something special. 

AW: There’s not a lot of drama. Everybody jives together 

really well. Another unique thing about our operation 

is that we don’t have a specific dishwasher. Everybody 

washes dishes back there. If someone isn’t as busy, they 

go wash dishes. It is complete teamwork all across the 

board. Nobody is too good for anything. 

“ 

We didn’t want to rip the rug out from anybody. 

There are some things that just won’t change 

because they’re not broken, but we definitely will 

slowly put our mark on things.” 

— Anna Weisenburger 


GL: Did circumstances or a driving passion lead you 

two to where you are now? 

ML: I never set out to be a chef, but I’ve worked toward 

where I’ve gotten. You experience things and look for 

new challenges, and I found a lot of those here. If you 

can survive everything, you move on to the 

next station or role. I’ve always found that to 

be exciting. Then you just keep moving and, 

eventually, we got to buy the place. That’s 

pretty cool. 


AW: I think for people who take this seriously 

and make it their career path, the goal is to 

eventually own something. It’s often in the far-off 

distance, and a lot of us never get to do it, but once you 

reach a management role, what else is there, besides 

having your own place? 

GL: What makes Rustica so special in town? 

AW: I think what makes it unique is that it’s so sought 

after. It’s the best of the best. It’s comfort food that’s 

done really well and we offer really great service. 

ML: Simplicity takes a certain amount of confidence 

because you don’t have much to hide behind. The 

technique is very apparent right away. That’s the way 

I go at it. 

AW: I think the space we’re in also contributes to how 

unique we are, as well. This is the oldest bar in town. 

Guests can walk in and choose if they want to be in 

the tavern or the dining room. You get to pick your 

experience. 

ML: We occupy that odd middle ground between fastcasual 

and fine dining, so guests can really choose 

their own adventure when they walk in the door. 

GL: What does living “the good life” mean to you? 

ML: I’d say it’s being satisfied with what you do. 

Whatever it is you’re interested in, if you can turn that 

into a career, why not? You don’t need to be rich, just 

enjoy what you do. If you’re going to spend 13 hours a

day doing something, you should at least like it and 

be able to look back on what you did that day with a 

measure of pride. 

AW: In the same sense, I feel pretty good about 

watching the hard work you’ve put into something 

make a difference, like turning a negative situation 

into a good one with a guest and just seeing results. 

We come in here every day and work really hard. If our 

guests are happy with what they get from us, that’s a 

day that’s been done well. 

ML: I think owning this place would be a very poor 

idea if we didn’t absolutely love what we do. I love 

Rustica. I have so many good memories, and we’re 

making more. • 

“ 

Simplicity takes a certain 

amount of confidence 

because you don’t have 

much to hide behind. 

The technique is very 

apparent right away. 

That’s the way I go at it.” 

— Micah Leitel 


HAVING A BEER WITH | JEFF CULHANE 

“ 

I think I’ve learned that 

time and place are very 

important when you have 

an opinion. To a certain 

extent, you may be right 

about something, but it 

might not be the right 

time to share it.” 


HAVING A BEER WITH 

JEFF CULHANE 

"Voice of the Bison" and Program Director for Bison 1660 


Jeff Culhane’s family has a history — of being in broadcasting, 

I mean. His dad and uncle used their voices as announcers for 

sporting events on and off the radio. That drew Culhane in. 

While his friends would be playing video games, he would be 

announcing play-by-plays for them as a kid. 

By the time he was 14, Culhane was already working parttime 

at a radio station. 

After a few years in South Dakota, six years at Husker Sports 

Network in Lincoln, Neb., and a stint in Morgantown, W. Va., 

he landed his current role as the official “Voice of the Bison” 

for NDSU and the program director for Bison 1660, positions 

he’s held for three years. At Bison 1660, Culhane has daily 

talk shows and covers football, men’s basketball, baseball 

and more. He, along with his team members, tries to cover as 

many men’s and women’s sporting events and conferences 

as possible. 

As we sat in Brewhalla for — what else — a brew and a holla 

(sorry), I had the privilege of learning more about the guy 

behind the Bison mic. 


HAVING A BEER WITH | JEFF CULHANE 

Good Life: Jeff, you’re from Mitchell, 

S.D.? 

Jeff Culhane: Yes. They’re famous for the 

Corn Palace. 

GL: Is Mitchell also famous for other corn 

things, like corn hot dishes, corn drinks 

and corn candy? 

JC: Not really. The Corn Palace gift shop has a 

lot of candy corn stuff and corncob heads and 

who knows what else. My parents actually 

own a sports bar right across the street from 

the Corn Palace, so corn chowder is on the 

menu. 

GL: It better be. 

GL: Did you have to do some vocal 

coaching to get your radio voice, or 

did all your practice in elementary school 

pay off? 

JC: I like to say I have a face for radio and a 

voice for newspaper. Not really. I have noticed 

through the years how certain things affect it, 

like if I drink a sugary drink. On a football game 

day, which is long and energetic, I’ll stay away 

from any pop and ice-cold water. That sounds 

weird, but I know how it makes me feel. I can’t 

eat close to or during a broadcast. My wife 

Sarah and I have a tradition called Game 

Day Breakfast. It’s usually a combination of 

eggs, bacon, pancakes or waffles. But, yeah; 

no schooling or coaching for the voice. I just 

have a feel for what makes my voice strong 

or weak. 

GL: Did you ever have to work on getting rid of an accent? 

Like me — I obviously have a very strong accent of sorts. 

Some people think I’m Canadian. I’m not. Some people think I’m 

from Alabama. I don’t know. Did you have to work on getting rid 

of yours? 

JC: Not really. When I get into the broadcast mode, I don’t have the 

upper Midwest sound. It’s not too over the top either way. 

GL: Yeah, you have a very neutral voice. 

JC: I was actually told from a southern school I applied for at one point 

that I sounded too northern. 

GL: Oh, my goodness. “The confederacy can’t handle it.” 

JC: That was a legit response from the school. So it’s real. Call it 

whatever you want to call it, but you have to sound like the locals to a 

certain degree. 

GL: Vocal prejudice. 

JC: There you go. In this day and age, get outraged. 

GL: That’s right. Get upset. 

GL: What’s one of your hobbies outside of work? 

JC: I like to play golf. I recently told my wife that if we’re ever lucky 

enough to retire, a goal would be to play a golf course in every state of 

the Union. That would be fun. I’m not very good, but I like to play and I 

like to hang out with the guys or Sarah. We just had our first child five 

weeks ago, so I would say he’s my number one hobby now. 

GL: Congrats! Whoa, that’s a fresh baby. 

JC: Thank you. Yes, he’s fresh, in more ways than one. He’s taken 

things over, certainly for the better. 

GL: What’s your favorite movie? 

JC: Saving Private Ryan. I was in high school when it came out, and 

I went there with a friend. Of course, when you’re 15 or 16 years old 


— or guys at any age — crying or 

showing any emotion is just not 

something you’re quite expected 

to do. I remember we sat there 

after it ended and we just kind of 

looked at each other like, “Who’s 

going to say something first?” 

It was just such an amazing 

account of D-Day, Normandy and 

sacrifice. 

GL: What’s one of your 

biggest personality traits 

that have changed since you 

were in your early 20s. 

JC: I’m quieter than I was then. I 

think I’ve learned that time and 

place are very important when 

you have an opinion. To a certain 

extent, you may be right about 

something, but it might not be 

the right time to share it. I don’t 

think there’s anything wrong 

about saying what you feel, but 

I definitely do think that if you’re 

looking to continue improving 

relationships and connect with 

people, or you’re looking to 

improve your career, it’s okay 

to not say something from time 

to time. That doesn’t mean you 

can’t say it at some point. 

GL: What’s one thing 

you’re really into, almost 

like an obsession — besides 

sports? 

JC: I would probably now say, 

my son. As every parent that will 

read this knows, it’s just different. 

He and Sarah have been 

constantly on my mind as she’s 

still on maternity leave. I’ve been 

thinking about the future and 

how to do what’s best and how to 

provide, protect and guide, stuff 

that was as far away as you could 

think it would be a year ago. 

GL: What does living the 

good life mean to you? 

JC: What I’m doing right now. • 


ON THE COVER | FIX IT FORWARD 

THE MECHANICS OF FAITH 

FIX IT FORWARD'S IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY 


Auto mechanics. They’re often met with mistrust. 

Women, specifically, have been told to watch out for 

mechanics that take advantage of the fact that many 

girls (myself included) don’t know a whole lot about cars, 

although, let’s be honest; many guys don’t either. 

Throw that stereotype out the window and imagine what 

a car obsession and philanthropy could accomplish 

when joined forces. 

Matt Carlson and Jeremy Jensen have been car hobbyists 

for years. They’re probably the type of guys who tried to 

soup up their Hot Wheels as kids, but starting an auto 

care shop was never a bucket list item — for either of 

them. 

Carlson and Jensen met when they attended Moorhead 

High School in the ’90s. Years later, they both wound up 

at Microsoft and reconnected. It was there where they 

creatively merged their passion for cars with their desire 

to help others. 

Four years ago, their dream became a humble reality 

with the beginnings of what is now known as Fix It 

Forward Ministry. 

A Life of Service 

Mark 10:45 

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but 

to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. 

After 15 years of working a stable, well-paying job, 

Carlson took the leap and began working for Jeremy’s 

and his brainchild, Fix It Forward Ministry. 


“It was a difficult leap,” Carlson said, “but it was a good 

time for me to move on, and things fell into place. I felt 

like I was called to do this. We really felt like God led us.” 

Carlson and Jensen first ran the ministry on a private 

property out of town, but the limitations and location 

made it difficult. Their shop, while sizable for a residence, 

wasn’t large enough to service and store many vehicles. 

They also lacked a fenced-in space that could house 

donated cars. Despite these frustrations, they still knew 

this was what they were supposed to do. 

— the perfect spot to start their next idea — an auto care 

shop to support the ministry. 

“We came up with the idea of just creating the shop and 

have it pay for the heat, electricity and the rent. We were 

able to get this big building that has enough room for 

everyone to work, and by having a regular automotive 

shop, we were able to get insurance,” Carlson said. “The 

more we can grow the auto shop, the more we can grow 

the ministry because all the equipment is used for both.” 

“We found out that if you give away your services, 

it’s going to grow quickly,” Carlson said. “We started 

by working with the YWCA, and then we went to the 

Rape and Abuse Crisis Center. Lots of people have 

transportation issues, but if you’re a single mom with five 

kids, transporting is really difficult, so we thought we’d 

focus on that area. Then we went to the homeless shelters 

and 40 other organizations in the F-M community.” 

As Fix It Forward swiftly grew, they acquired their 501(c) 

(3) as a nonprofit and began giving away donated cars 

they repaired. Soon a shop with 6,000 square feet, 

private offices and a fenced-in area went on the market 


ON THE COVER | FIX IT FORWARD 

Good Stewards 

Throughout this process, God’s impeccable timing and 

creative way of providing for every need have reassured 

and encouraged Carlson and Jensen. 

“Before we changed our name and realized we needed 

to start a shop, someone at Jeremy’s church wanted to 

help with graphic design. We said, ‘That’s great, but 

we don’t really need anything.’ Two months later, we 

decided to start the shop and didn’t have a name, a logo 

or anything,” Carlson said. 

“He saw what we needed before we realized we needed 

it,” Jensen said. “By the time we had the building, he had 

everything laid out. He was like, ‘Here’s the logo, here’s 

the name, here are the colors.’ God put Stephen Dorsey 

in our path and knew the exact time we needed him, even 

though we had no clue we would. The whole ministry 

has been one thing like that after another.” 

The people that have stepped up to the plate to help 

the Fix It Forward journey take off have a wide array of 

skill sets that are necessary for the mission’s success. 

Carlson and Jensen stay in their lane and allow other 

experts to assist them as they help those in need to gain 

independence and safety. This is one reason they rely on 

the organizations to provide the donees. 

“It comes back to being good stewards,” Jensen said. 

“We want to take the resources God’s given us, whether 

it’s financial or people’s time, and apply those in the most 

efficient ways possible. Part of that process is making 

sure we’re not trying to do those things we’re not called 

to do and avren’t skilled to do — letting the organizations 

do their work so we’re efficient on our end.” 

“We want to give cars to people so they can get that job and 

get out of the shelter or away from that abusive person — 

whatever it takes so they can be self-sufficient,” Carlson 

said. “These case managers are great at identifying the 

people who are in that spot. We’re not. We fix the cars.” 

Sticking to their interest in fixing cars for a purpose and 

allowing others to help them along the way has been 

the most efficient way of growing their business and 


“ 

We attract people who are 

really excited about our 

mission, so it’s not just that 

they want to turn a wrench; 

they want to give back.” 

— Matt Carlson, President 

ministry. Both Carlson and Jensen encourage 

others to use their interests to help others in 

unique and practical ways. 

“Take the skills God has given you and help 

others,” Jensen said. “Take that gift, that passion 

and focus it on something bigger than you.” 

Finding Purpose 

For too many people, work is a source of, 

well, very little, besides earning income and, 

hopefully, benefits. Sure, you may have a friend 

or two at your job, one you can share memes 

with for an occasional laugh, but it might be 

hard to feel that sense of meaning. 

It’s for this very reason that people have 

sought out work at Fix It Forward Auto Care. 

Carlson and Jensen have never had to post 

job advertisements because the reward of the 

purpose is so palpable. 

“We have six employees here now. We haven’t 

ever put an ad out to hire someone,” Carlson 

said. “God keeps dropping the right people 

in place for us. That’s kind of unique in this 

industry.” 

As with many blue-collar jobs, there has been 

a national shortage of auto mechanics, and the 

turnover rate can be high. For Fix It Forward 

employees and volunteers, the impact their 

work makes in the lives of others keeps them 

satisfied. 


“We attract people who are really excited about our 

mission, so it’s not just that they want to turn a wrench; 

they want to give back,” Carlson said. 

“It’s a job with a big bonus,” Jensen said. “It’s very hard 

to find a career or a paying job in this industry that has 

that purpose or mission tied to it where you can go to 

work not only to achieve wages but to give back to the 

community, too.” 

Fix It Forward Auto Care opened 16 months ago and 

continues to grow alongside the ministry. They currently 

have six employees and had over 75 volunteers involved 

with the mission in 2018. They’ve also been able to fix 

up and give away 178 cars to those in need. That number 

continues to grow because of the generosity of others. 

Many of Fix It Forward’s volunteers are a part of Carlson 

and Jensen’s church families. It’s been a well-received 

opportunity, especially for the men of their congregations. 

“One of the struggles of the church is to get men 

involved. Statistically, if a man is involved in his faith, 

the family follows, but how do you get men involved in 

the churches? Most men don’t want to serve cupcakes 

at funerals. That’s not our calling, and nobody wants 

Jeremy singing in the choir,” Carlson said. “So you have 

to provide opportunities for these guys. For a percentage 

of the population of the congregation, this gets them 

involved.” 

Living the Good Life 

When asked how they would describe what “living the 

good life” means to them, the friends’ answers were as 

meaningful as their mission. 

“I think as I grow and, hopefully, become wiser, living 

the good life is following the pattern that Jesus laid out,” 

Jensen said. “Living the good life is doing the best I can 

to take what God has given me and do good for others on 

the path he has for me. It really comes down to that — 

that giving back and living a life of service.” 

“My thought is basically living out your faith,” Carlson 

said. “Jeremy and I are both doers. One of my favorite 

mottos is ‘Less talk. More do,’ so living out the faith is 

going out there and doing those things that your faith 

talks about, which is serving others. It’s a different way 

of saying the exact same thing that Jeremy said, but that’s 


probably why we work on so much 

together. I think most of the people 

working with us would answer in 

the same way. They feel that need 

to serve.” 

Get Involved 

If you would like to get involved 

with the ministry, here are a 

number of ways you can help their 

efforts grow. 

1 Volunteer. Help fix cars during 

the evenings or weekends, or offer 

to visit with clients as they wait for 

their cars. 

2 Donate your car, if your car is 

repairable. 

3 Give a gift. Cash donations help 

pay for the car parts. 

4 Get your car fixed at Fix It 

Forward Auto Care. This is how 

they keep the heat and lights on 

and how the ministry stays afloat. 

In order to receive help from 

Fix It Forward, each individual 

must have a referral from a case 

manager connected to the YWCA, 

Rape and Abuse Crisis Center, or 

one of the 40 organizations Fix It 

Forward Ministry works with on a 

case-by-case scenario. • 

“ 

Living the good life is 

doing the best I can to 

take what God has given 

me and do good for 

others on the path he 

has for me. It really comes 

down to that — that 

giving back and living a 

life of service.” 

— Jeremy Jensen, Vice 

President 


LOCAL BAND 

THE HUMAN ELEMENT 

Better Together 

WRITTEN BY: KRISSY NESS 


Interviewing local Fargo- 

Moorhead bands has 

become the highlight of 

my life these days. From 

meeting new people and 

listening to music I know 

or I am hearing for the 

first time is such a rush 

and always a treat. 

For this article, I had the 

pleasure of interviewing 

the members of The 

Human Element. Seth 

Holden is on drums and 

is the resident comedian 

(although they are all 

hilarious), Matt Johnson 

is their lead guitarist and 

sings vocals, Brant Niemi 

is their bass player and 

bookkeeper, and Kari 

Marie plays they keyboard 

and sings vocals. 

“We’ve been playing since 

2015 as a band - Seth, 

Kari, and myself and 

Brant came aboard in 

2018,” Said Matt. With 

that being said they have 

been playing music for 

many years, whether it’s in 

other bands like O’Fosho, 

Sovereign Sect, Living In 

Tent City, or just jamming - 

these four have talent like 

no other. 

Before adding Brant to the 

band they group can agree 

there was something 

missing. “Brant was like 

the Ironman that put the 

ship back together,” said 

Kari Marie. “He is our 

magical unicorn,” added 

Matt. 

Although his band mates 

are singing his praise, the 

love they all have for each 

other is admirable. Our 

interview was a mere 35 

minutes, definitely one of 

the shortest interviews 


“ 

When we were 

talking about what 

we should call 

ourselves once we 

decided this was 

a cohesive unit,” 

said Kari Marie, 

“one of the things I 

thought was quite 

prevalent is that 

regardless if we 

have original music 

or if we are playing 

cover tunes is that 

we each bring our 

own element or we 

each bring our own 

humanity to the 

songs.” 


LOCAL BAND | THE HUMAN ELEMENT 

I’ve ever conducted, but it was filled with so 

much laughter, knowledge, and love that I felt 

like I’d been friends with them for years. 

What does The Human Element mean, you 

might be asking yourself? 

“When we were talking about what we should 

call ourselves once we decided this was a 

cohesive unit,” said Kari Marie, “one of the 

things I thought was quite prevalent is that 

regardless if we have original music or if we 

are playing cover tunes is that we each bring 

our own element or we each bring our own 

humanity to the songs.” 

No matter how hard you try you can never 

recreate what the original artist made, but you 

can bring your own element to that cover. 

The Human Element describes their sound as a 

mix of funk and singer-songwriter. It is definitely 

music you want to get up and move to and you 

really feel connected to the band when they play. 

“The music is so much better when you love 

who you play it with and love what you do,” said 

Seth. “It has got to be fun” added Matt. 


As a group, The Human Element doesn’t take their 

music lightly but they approach it with a lighthearted 

attitude and correct their errors with little 

to no confrontation. 

“We never dwell on mistakes we’ve made while 

were playing or after,” said Seth. “ We may chuckle 

about it after the show, but then (that mistake) will 

never happen again.” 

It is easy to tell by talking with one or all the 

members, attending a show, or listening along in 

your car that they really love what they do when 

they are playing together in this band. 

“We never obsess over how we played in the show, 

we obsess over how fun it was to play the show,” 

Matt. “There is always musicians to play with, but 

there is not always musicians to play together,” 

added Seth. 

There is more to just music when it comes to 

shows though, “The sound and light crew are just 

as equally important as we are,” said Kari Marie. 

“It’s not always just that the songs were good, it’s 

how does the audience look, how crisp was the 

kick drum, can I hear Matt’s guitar or Kari’s Keys?” 

added Brant. 

Everyone brings their own special part to a band 

whether it is songwriting, composing, or making 

sure the sound quality is the best it can be. 

“We’ve been elevated to another level of magical 

playing since we’ve had Brant,” said Kari Marie. 

The Human Element is in the process of recording 

a live album along with their third studio album, 

the date is not set yet, but you can find their music 

on iTunes, Spotify, Orange Records in downtown 

Fargo or at any one of their shows. 

For all upcoming shows check out their Facebook 

page and check out some of their live shows on 

YouTube, you won't be disappointed. • 


ASK 30 WOMEN 

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WISH ALL MEN 

WOULD KNOW? 

“Yeah, I know.” “I knew that already.” “I know everything.”… False! You know some things, but not 

everything, about the important ladies in your life. You really don’t, and we can prove it. We asked 30 

women “What is something you wish all men would know?” 

1. Don’t try to fix it - just listen! 

2. Chivalry is not dead. We 

always appreciate when you 

hold open doors, or offer to carry 

our things. 

3. Women are like cats. We 

want attention when we want 

attention. But too much and we 

might bite/claw/scratch. 

4. Reaching to hold hands in the 

car or in public actually means 

a lot. 

5. It’s not always about the 

big extravagant things. Little 

gestures like doing laundry and 

dishes are appreciated. 

6. When you leave the toilet seat 

up, we fall in. It’s not fun getting 

wet buns! 

7. It’s the little 

things that 

mean a lot. 

8. There is 

nothing 

wrong with 

owning an 

expensive 

handbag. 

Nothing! 

11. When we are venting, a 

great question to ask is, “Are 

you just venting or do you want 

me to help you solve this issue?” 

Because sometimes we just 

need to get it out but we will 

handle it on our own. 

12. Even strong and 

independent women appreciate 

hugs, hand holding, and kisses 

on the forehead. 

13. Women like to be told they 

look nice. Everyone likes to be 

complimented. 

14. “You look fine” is not an 

acceptable answer. 

15. How lucky you are to not 

have to sit on a toilet in a public 

restroom. 

16. They 

should know 

women are the 

stronger sex. 

19. They could avoid two 

hour long conversations by 

communicating well for five 

minutes. 

20. We always notice when you 

check out another woman. No 

matter how hard you try to hide 

it - we know. 

21. We love any romantic 

gesture. 

22. How much cramps hurt. 

23. No matter what we say, 

we always appreciate things 

like unexpected flowers or 

compliments or just coming up 

behind us for a hug that isn’t 

attached to any expectations. 

FLOWERS? 

IT'S NOT EVEN 

MY BIRTHDAY! 

24. We like Star 

Wars too. 

25. We shave 

our legs for 

you, not 

ourselves. 

26. A man 

who cooks is a 

dream come true. 

27. We take so long getting 

ready to look good for you. 

9. We know 

they’re not gonna 

understand us, but 

at least try. 

10. Money 

is not 

impressive. 


17. How to put the lid 

down. 

18. We need 

to hear “I love 

you” even if 

you are out 

with your guy 

friends. 

28. I need to hear how you feel 

about me often. 

29. Stop competing and start 

listening. It's a team project, not 

a race. 

30. My mood swings are 

hormonal, not personal.


LOCAL HERO | MIKE GRUCHALLA 

WRITTEN BY: ALEXIS SWENSON 


When Mike Gruchalla arrived in 

Saigon, Vietnam on January 11, 1970, 

he hit the ground rolling - literally. 

“As soon as we touched down at the 

airport base ... the Viet Cong started 

mortaring us. The airplane got to the 

end of the runway, started taxiing 

back, lowered the back ramp on 

the airplane ... we exited while the 

airplane was still taxiing ready to 

take off. So, I hit the ground rolling,” 

explained Gruchalla. 

Merely seven months prior the 

19-year-old had been drafted to serve 

in the Vietnam War. 

“I drafted and then I enlisted [in the 

Army] because my older brother had 

gone AWOL. I figured that if I enlisted 

and volunteered to be a medic and 

got sent to Vietnam, it would keep 

my brother out of Vietnam,” said 

Gruchalla. 


Gruchalla volunteered to be a medic 

simply because he knew they were 

needed and assumed it would send 

him to Vietnam. 

In August 1969, Gruchalla left for 

Fort Lewis, Washington to complete 

basic training followed by Advanced 

Individual Training (Gruchalla’s 

medic training) in Fort Sam Houston, 

Texas. After the abbreviated training, 

Gruchalla went home for Christmas 

leave and arrived in Vietnam on 

January 11, 1970. 

Life in Vietnam 

Gruchalla felt life at base camp was far 

less appealing than getting out in the 

field and often volunteered for patrol 

with any group that wanted a medic. 

“I didn’t like being at base camp 

where I had to have spit-shine shoes, 

a pressed uniform; I wanted to do my 

job,” said Gruchalla. 

This willingness to go out with anyone 

— Koreans or other allies — exposed 

Gruchalla to extremely dangerous 

situations. In the course of nearly 2 

years, Gruchalla found himself in 15 

different tunnels, being shot, surviving 

four helicopter crashes, and being run 

over by a tank. 

Earning the Combat Medical 

Badge Medal 

Most memorably, Gruchalla cites the 

event that earned him the Combat 

Medical Badge Medal, because, 

“there were only 2,231 combat medic 

badges awarded in Vietnam.” 

“On July 2nd, I was sent out to a 

firebase ... The night of the 2nd, we 

got attacked. When the attack started 

the enemy was playing Johnny Cash, 

Charlie Pride, and other country 

songs over loudspeakers in the jungle. 

Over a period of five or six hours, we 

threw everything at them we had.

“ 

That badge says I did 

my job. I think I did 

it well. I wish I could 

have saved more, 

but there’s only so 

much you can do.” 

– Mike Gruchalla 



We even lowered the guns and fired 

beehive rounds (155 howitzer with 

seal darts), said Gruchalla. 

“... I was dragging a wounded soldier 

into the command bunker with the 

help of another guy. A satchel charge 

went off in front of us, blew me into 

the tunnel, and as soon as I got into 

that tunnel, they blew it. That sealed 

the entrance. 

“There were 38 of us in the bunker 

and we called in an A-B52 strike on 

our position. When it was all done, 

63 GI’s died. 38 of us got off. I was 

number 38. 

“When we got dug out, it was my job 

to tag and bag the 63 guys. The first 

guy that I tagged and bagged was 

the guy that was helping me with the 

wounded man. He had the flag from 

that firebase inside his shirt. And, I 


have that flag today,” said Gruchalla. 

According to the American War 

Library, the Combat Medical Badge 

Medal was established to recognize 

medical personnel who experienced 

combat while providing medical 

assistance to wounded personnel. 

“That badge says I did my job. I think 

I did it well. I wish I could have saved 

more, but there’s only so much you 

can do,” said Gruchalla. 

Gruchalla’s Medals 

Gruchalla also received a Purple 

Heart Medal, a Bronze Star Medal, 

and a Silver Star Medal, but the only 

paperwork he has is for the Combat 

Medical Badge Medal. 

“When I came home from Vietnam, it 

took me 4 months to get my things … 

They were going through and taking 

things out ... because they made 

references to where I was,” explained 

Gruchalla. 

Gruchalla reasons that the paperwork 

was confiscated because he carried 

out some of his work in Cambodia 

and Laos – a direct violation of 

international law. 

“We weren’t supposed to be there,” 

said Gruchalla. 

Per military rules, an individual is 

allowed to wear their medals if they 

have paperwork to verify earning 

them. As such, Gruchalla continues 

to be denied from wearing the 

medals. Initially frustrated, he has 

now reached a resolve of sorts. 

“It hurt at first, but it doesn’t matter 

now. My dad saw my medals and 

that’s all that counts,” said Gruchalla.

“ 

It hurt at first, but it 

doesn’t matter now. My 

dad saw my medals and 

that’s all that counts.” 


Coming Home 

Despite diligently doing his job to help fellow soldiers, 

Specialist Spc. 4 Gruchalla’s homecoming was 

characterized by a negative public perception of 

Vietnam veterans. 

“... On the flight from Minneapolis to Fargo, the only 

seat that was available was first class. There was a guy 

sitting in the window seat next to me. As soon as the 

plane took off, he went and sat with the stewardesses; 

he didn’t want to sit by a Vietnam vet. When we landed 

in Fargo, nobody got off the plane until I did. They all 

waited at the back of the baggage claim area until I got 

my bag and walked out the door,” said Gruchalla. 

In the following weeks, Gruchalla determinedly 

attempted to register for college. 

“I dressed the part – bell-bottoms, shirt with puffy 

sleeves, the beads, the whole thing. But, I went up to 

the registrar's office and pretty much got chased off of 



Moorhead State. I had short hair, 

I was a Vietnam vet, I was a ‘baby 

killer’, said Gruchalla. 

“I went home. I spent four months 

in my folks’ basement growing out 

my hair. I didn’t go out for anything 

because I didn’t know if I would be 

accepted for having medium length 

hair,” said Gruchalla. 

A Continued Medical Career 

Eventually, Gruchalla acquired a 

job in the medical field, continuing 

to care for hurting people. For 10 

years, he worked at Dakota Hospital 

for orthopedic surgeons. Then, 

he spent the next 27 years at the 

Fargo VA Hospital working in the 

operating room. 

Gruchalla saw firsthand how much 

of what the medics learned in 

Vietnam was put into practice on 

American soil. 

“It was a slow process, but it went 

from ambulances basically being 


a meat wagon ... to someone riding 

in the ambulance able to initiate 

medical treatment. And, with that, 

the use of helicopters to transport 

because we found out in Vietnam 

that we only had basically an hour 

before things would permanently 

die,” said Gruchalla. 

“My Lives as a Medic” 

At the consistent urging of a VA doctor 

and Gruchalla’s now-wife, Gruchalla 

authored a book outlining the stories 

he carries from the Vietnam War. He 

was reluctant at first, in part due to 

his dyslexia which made the writing 

process challenging, though he’s glad 

now that he wrote it. 

“My Lives as a Medic: A Soldier’s 

Journal in Vietnam” provides a 

raw, honest memoir of Gruchalla’s 

experience in the Vietnam War. 

Giving Back Today 

Gruchalla wasn’t always involved - or 

invited - into veterans organizations. 

“When I first came home, the VFWs 

and the American Legions called me 

... they both told me they didn’t want 

me. ‘Vietnam was not a war ... we 

don’t want the Vietnam vets’,” said 

Gruchalla. 

Many years later, prompted by the 

positive change in the public’s view 

of Vietnam veterans, Gruchalla 

joined the VFW, AM Vets, Disabled 

American Veterans, and Vietnam 

Veterans of America. 

Gruchalla helps the Vietnam 

Veterans of America with their 5K 

and 10K races as a crossing guard 

and is involved with the Fargo 

Moorhead Vietnam Veterans Week 

in May. 

Furthermore, for the past four years, 

Gruchalla has volunteered with 

the Veterans Honor Flight of ND/ 

MN, a nonprofit created solely to 

honor America’s veterans for their 

sacrifices. He assists in Honor Flight 

fundraising events and has been the 

cook for the past 2 years.

Helping with the Honor Flight is a rewarding 

experience for Gruchalla, and his favorite part is “just 

seeing the veterans as they see the memorials.” 

The Good Life 

“In spite of being diagnosed with cancer and having 

a stroke, I’ve had a good life. And, most people would 

say a good life ... with friends and family. ... I have 

associations and acquaintances because in Vietnam 

I learned that you don’t want to be friends with 

anybody because when friends die, it hurts. When we 

acquaintances die, it’s not as bad,” said Gruchalla. 

Undoubtedly, the Vietnam War played a large role in 

Gruchalla’s life although he’s not solely defined by his 

years serving. Rather, his life in whole is a greater 

representation of his values. 

When looking at Gruchalla’s experiences, it is evident 

that in enlisting to protect his brother, working as a 

Combat Medic, 37 years in the medical field, writing 

a book, and volunteering with veterans organizations, 

his primary focus has always been caring for others. 

“... I wouldn’t change a thing. It was meant to be. And, 

like I said, it’s been a good life,” said Gruchalla. • 

“ 

... I wouldn’t change a thing. 

It was meant to be. And, like I 

said, it’s been a good life.” 


“My Lives a Medic: A Soldier’s Journal in Vietnam” 

can be purchased by emailing: 

pmatsonr@hotmail.com 


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The Good Life – September-October 2019

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