The Good Life – May-June 2017

2 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

Unlike the juniper-heavy "piney" flavor that we typically 

associate with 'gin', Old Tom is modern gin's slightly sweet 

predecessor. 

HISTORY: 

Our MINIONS Old Tom 

is a unique revival of a 

style of spirit prevalent 

during late 1800's and 

up until Prohibition, 

consisting of a base 

blend of our own 

malted barley and 

potato spirits. 

Nearly a dozen hand 

selected botanicals 

including juniper 

berries, coriander, 

and citrus peels are 

macerated as well as 

infused by distillation. 

These subtle yet 

complex flavors 

and aromas are 

well balanced and 

continually change 

throughout the tasting 

into a smooth and mild 

finish. 

PHOTO BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

HOW TO ENJOY: 

Easy to enjoy, sipped 

simply over ice, or as 

an interesting twist in 

classic cocktails. 

VISIT OUR DISTILLERY & TASTING ROOM: 

414 4th Ave N • Downtown Fargo, ND 

proofdistillers.com 

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 3

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HAVING A BEER WITH 

JAY THOMAS 

CLASSIC BIKE NIGHT 

A PASSION FOR CLASSIC BIKES 

EL ZAGAL SHRINERS 

BEYOND THE FUN AND LAUGHS 

ON THE COVER - JUSTIN NUDELL 

TRADING ADDICTION FOR AWARDS 

MR FULL-TIME DAD 

STILL ALIVE ... ONE YEAR IN 

DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY 

TAKING PHOTOGRAPHY TO NEW HEIGHTS 

LOCAL HERO - JOE WALLEVAND 

TEACHER, SCIENTIST, POET, SOLDIER 


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 

Brittney Goodman 

Ben Hanson 

Krissy Ness 

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES 

Darren Losee / 701-261-9139 

darren@urbantoadmedia.com 

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The Good Life Men’s Magazine is distributed six times 

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writers or advertisers and do not necessarily represent 

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



BY: MEGHAN FEIR • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

After living in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Denver, and 

Minneapolis, Jay Thomas made his way to Fargo 21 

years ago. Now he’s permanently stuck here (read on). 

Known for “The Jay Thomas Show” on 970 WDAY, 

Thomas got his start in radio when his mom worked 

for a station in his hometown of Hibbing, Minn. From 

starring in commercials when he was a kid to filling 

in for DJs by 10th grade, Thomas knew he wanted his 

voice heard across the airwaves. 

As we enjoyed a brew and a less hoppy beverage 

called water at Drekker Brewing Co., I discovered 

some lesser-known facts about the radio host. 

Good Life: If you could travel anywhere right now, 

where would you go? 

Jay Thomas: I’m not a person that travels. I just don’t. 

Every time I travel, something happens to my vehicle. 

It never fails. 

GL: Do you think if you were traveling by plane— 

JT: No. I once decided to go down to the cities for a 

radio convention in July, and I said, “You know what? 

We’re going to fly down from Fargo to Minneapolis. 

I’m not messing around with vehicles.” So we flew 

down to the cities, tore it up, and had a blast. When 

we were about to fly back, something happened to 

the plane. We were stuck on the tarmac for almost 7 

hours, and they didn’t give us anything to eat or drink. 

I told my wife, “See? This is why I don’t travel.” 

GL: Have you tried traveling by train? 

JT: Not even going to give it a shot because you know 

what will happen; off the tracks it’ll go. The bad luck 

started after I moved to Fargo. It has some curse on 

me. That’s why I never leave West Fargo. 

GL: Well, did anything happen when you were coming 

from West Fargo to Fargo today? 

JT: No. I usually have somebody drive me. 


GL: What would people be surprised to find out about 

you? 

JT: Probably that I’m a really good artist. I can do 

architectural drawings, and I have no training. I can make 

them look just like a picture. 

GL: If you could live in any era, which would you choose? 

JT: The ‘70s. I wish I would’ve been a little bit older in the 

‘70s because I would’ve loved being a teenager back then. 

I love the clothes, the cars, the music. The whole attitude 

was just laid back, and unless you lived during that time, 

you can’t explain it. 

GL: If you had to choose between having a tarantula or a 

viper as a trained pet, which would you choose? 

JT: Definitely not the tarantula. I’m terrified of spiders. I 

will literally get sick to my stomach. 

GL: Like, when you see one or even just imagine one? 

JT: Doesn’t matter. 

GL: Oh… I’m sorry. Forget I brought them up. 

“I'm terrified of spiders.” 

8 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com 

JT: Even a daddy long-legs. I’ll get sick to my stomach. If 

one gets on me, I have to go shower. 

GL: If Hollywood were to make a movie about your life, 

whom would you want to be cast as you? 

JT: Matthew McConaughey. He’s my man crush. 

GL: All right, all right, all right. 

JT: You know, speaking of Hollywood, I love the Lifetime 

Movie Network. I sit and watch those movies for hours. 

I want a part in one of those movies as a bad guy. I want 

one so bad. 

GL: How about Hallmark? 

JT: No. I can’t stand that. In Lifetime movies, there’s 

always dysfunctional crap. I just want a small, bad-guy 

part in one of those movies. 

GL: If aliens landed in front of you right now and offered 

you any position on their planet, which position would 

you choose? 

JT: What kind of question is that? I’m going to throw beer 

in your face. 

GL: Please, no. I’m allergic.

JT: I’d want to be the guy in charge, their leader. 

GL: Would it be a democracy or a monarchy? 

JT: It’d be a democracy, and I’d be president. 

GL: How did you meet your wife? 

JT: I was working at 95X here in town, and about a 

week into it, I got a knock on my office door. In walks 

this beautiful blonde lady. To this day, I can remember 

what she was wearing. She had on a white sundress 

with polka-dots on it, and she said, “Hi, I’m Alex. I’m 

here to start working.” The guy that I’d taken over for 

had hired her. I was looking at her and the first thing I 

thought was, “Yeah, like I’m not going to give this lady 

a job. She has a great voice and she’s beautiful.” A few 

months after she was hired, we went down to the lakes 

area to do some promotions together and we just hit 

it off. We started dating and have been together ever 

since. We still have a blast together. 

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

JT: It just means having a nice home, a job you love, 

a wife you love, just a great family, and having a good 

time. That’s the good life. • 


A PASSION FOR CLASSIC BIKES 

BY: KRISSY NESS • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

Classic Bike Night is back again for its second year. 

Last year this event was held at various businesses and 

bars around the Fargo-Moorhead area and the largest 

gathering had 55 bikes. 

This year, Blarney Stone’s parking lot will be the sole 

location for this boisterous event. Every second Tuesday 

from April until September you can race over and check 

out vintage, classic, and odd bikes you wouldn’t otherwise 

see in the area. People bring bikes from all over the world 

to share in this classic event. 

Jim Bolluyt, Mike Lacher and Joe Karvonen, who share 

a passion for odd and vintage bikes, put on this event. 

Collectively these men have been working on bikes for 

many years, the urge to restore bikes and share with 

each other on social media runs deep. Lacher is know for 

restoring bikes that are more likely to be forgotten, and 

he shares that hunger with enthusiasts alike. 

Bolluyt began tinkering with the idea for Classic 

Bike Night by being involved with The Distinguished 

Gentlemen’s Ride, which began in Australia and has 

been around for more than 5 years. This event is very 

unique in that you are required to wear a suit and tie 

when showing off your vintage bike, similar to what they 

wore in the 20s through the early 40s. On top of that, 

this event raises awareness for prostate cancer and male 

suicide prevention. Although there isn’t a dress code for 

Classic Bike Night there is an effort to help those in need; 

a portion of the food sales purchased by event attendees 

will be given to the Make-A-Wish North Dakota. 

I sat down and spoke with Jim Bolluyt about the creative 

efforts of Classic Bike Night and what they hope to bring 

to the community. “Our vision for Classic Bike Night is 

getting more people interested in classic and vintage 

motorcycles,” stated Bolluyt. “There are so many people 

in the community who share this passion for odd bikes, 

but they didn’t have the opportunity to share with the 

public.” 

The amount of people who attended last year confirmed 

the passion and desire for an event like this. People from 


“We want to encourage anyone who has a unique 

motorcycle to come out.” — JIM BOLLOYT 



all ages showed up ranging from 

16-70 years. These enthusiasts get 

together and discuss their passion for 

motorcycles, whether it be restoring 

them or just discussing the details 

and the fine-tuning that goes along 

with bikes. For some individuals 

there isn’t always an outlet for unique 

and odd bikes, and that is where 

Classic Bike Night comes in. 

“We want to encourage anyone 

who has a unique motorcycle to 

come out – the odder, the better, 

declared Bolluyt. “Some my not feel 

comfortable coming out because 

their bike doesn’t fit what is ‘popular’ 

today.” 

What is special about motorcycles 

is that you can have many different 

types and not break the bank; where 

as being a classic car collector can 

become an expensive endeavor real 

quick. 

“It is not a competition of paychecks, 

it’s more of a craft or passion for 

motorcycles that seems to bubble 

to the surface of this event,” said 

Bolluyt. This should be more of an 

encouragement for anyone to come 

out and show off their bikes or dive 

deeper into their passion for bikes. 

“There are enthusiasts and then 

there are bikers, I would definitely 

say the people who show up here are 

enthusiasts,” declared Bolluyt. 

It is very exciting to have an event 

like this held in the Fargo Moorhead 

area, it provides an opportunity for 

people to share their passions and 

also a place for people to learn about 

something they don’t know a lot 

about. 

You do not have to own a bike to 

partake in these events. There are so 

many people who want to share the 

hard work and memories that have 

gone into their bikes. Keeping the 

past in the future is very much alive 

in classic bikes. 

Do yourself a favor and get down to 

one of these events, whether you are 

bringing a bike or just coming to look, 

you will not be disappointed. • 


BEYOND THE FUN AND LAUGHS 

BY: MEGHAN FEIR • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

Fancy hats. Tiny cars. Candy. What do those three things 

have in common? Shriners. 

For much of the chapter’s 126-year history, the El Zagal Shriners 

have been putting on parades, circuses, benefits, and various other 

community events to support children battling serious health conditions, 

proving that a lot of good can come from having a lot of fun. The history and 

purpose behind the lodge men goes far beyond throwing a little candy on the 

street. 

Richard Pallay III, membership chairman for the El Zagal Shrine Temple, moved to 

Fargo six years ago. It didn’t take long for Pallay to recognize similarities between his new 


esidence and his larger hometown of Pasadena, Calif., 

one familiar presence being the Shriners. Interested in 

what the organization was truly about, Pallay decided 

to visit the Shriners hospital in Minneapolis. 

“It was incredible,” Pallay said. “I got to meet some of 

the kids, and I saw the care they got and the excitement 

on their faces. I just fell in love with this amazing 

organization. I was like, ‘Yep. Done. This is what I’m all 

about. This is what I want to be a part of.’ If you can get 

down to the hospital, that’ll really help you know what 

we’re all about.” 

After completing the process to become a Master 

Mason, the last of the three tiers in the Masonic process, 

Pallay joined El Zagal and their mission to help others 

with the same enthusiasm that was instilled in him as 

a child. 

“I have a passion for helping kids. My dad was a youth 

pastor for over 24 years, so we just always did stuff in 

church with homeless ministries and helped children,” 

Pallay said. “As an adult, that passion to help was still 

there, and I wanted to do something and put my time to 

good use. It’s been an incredible journey.” 

While the members continually see the value in their 

involvement, new memberships in fraternities across 

the country have declined. Pallay attributes the main 

cause of this enrollment drop to the set-in-their-ways 

stereotypes so often associated with traditional, menonly 

organizations. “We’re always trying to help bring 

new people in and get out of the ‘this is how things 

have been done’ older way of thinking. We’re shifting 

our focus and thinking bigger.” 

As one of the oldest, private organizations in the world, 

the secrecy often associated with Masonic lodges has 

led to hesitancy in trusting the group’s actions behind 

closed temple doors and has even led to conspiracy 

theories, notions Pallay brushed off with a laugh. 

“I got to meet some of the kids, 

and I saw the care they got and the 

excitement on their faces. 

I just fell in love with this 

amazing organization.” 

— Richard Pallay III 


“People will take a very small portion of a thing and run 

with it. There are definitely no weird animal sacrifices or 

anything like that,” Pallay said. “Even though you have to 

go through the process of becoming a Mason before you 

become a Shriner, I wouldn’t change it because learning 

what I did really helped me stay grounded and understand 

why we do certain things. If you just jumped right into the 

fun, you wouldn’t realize all the work that goes into getting 

there.” 

In 1985, El Zagal Potentate (president) Blake Wrigley 

went through that very Masonic process when he 

was 23 years old, following in his 

father’s footsteps of joining the 

Shrine. Due to a job that involved 

frequent traveling, Wrigley wasn’t 

able to get more involved with 

the organization until years later 

when he joined the board and 

eventually became the potentate 

of the organization. From his 

many years on the road, 

Wrigley understands the 

reality of having other 

commitments, but he 

encourages men to 

join, regardless. 

“When people say to me, ‘As busy as your schedule 

is, there’s no way I can be that busy,’ I tell them they 

don’t have to be,” Wrigley said. “All you have to do is 

participate in what you can participate in. There’s no 

requirements, but the more you’re active, the more 

you’ll get out of it.” 

Comprised of different units, the temple utilizes the 

various interests and talents of its members, from 

making music to maneuvering motorized vehicles, 

planning to parading. The Shrine even has a group 

called YOSHI for young men to get together and bond. 

It’s for spring chickens 55 and younger. 

No matter your age, job, or faith, Wrigley stressed the 

importance El Zagal’s place on inclusion. 

“It’s unique because you’re coming from all different 

avenues,” Wrigley said. “You’ve got bankers, restaurant 

owners, marketers, retailers—everyone all comes 

together. Everybody’s got a different look on things, and 

it just kind of grows and takes off from there. Basically, 

it’s good fun and laughs. Everything is too serious in 

this world, and you have to have some fun.” 

For more information on the El Zagal Shriners, visit 

their website at www.elzagal.org. 


“People will take a very small portion of a thing and run 

with it. There are definitely no weird animal sacrifices or 

anything like that.” — Richard Pallay III

Richard Pallay III: “For me and for the organization, living 

the good life is keeping balance. The good life is having 

your time with the Shrine and having fun, but knowing 

when to go home and knowing how to take care of home. 

When you get out of balance with any of that stuff, it really 

takes a toll. You don’t recognize it right away, but it does 

happen. For me, living the good life means making sure 

I’m thinking of how I’m taking care of my 24 hours—well, 

more like 18 hours because I need to sleep—but making 

sure I’m living the best life I possibly can. • 


COVER 

MOORHEAD TATTOO ARTIST SETTLES INTO THE GOOD LIFE 

BY: ALEXANDRA FLOERSCH • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

Justin Nudell can tell you how many tattoos he has on 

his body, but he's given up trying to keep track of the 

number of awards his work has earned. 

In just the last three years, the Moorhead tattoo artist 

has raked in more than 40 honors – though it’s rare 

to hear the humble artist talk about them. He recently 

took home second and third place in "Best in Show" 

at the Chicago Tattoo Arts Convention, besting about 

800 other artists. 

He's still drawn to compete, but has won enough to be 

able to simply enjoy the experience and appreciate the 

art. 

But how did he get here? And, seemingly, so quickly? 

You might expect the usual story—a blend of talent, 

practice and an artist's dedication to his craft. But 

Nudell's story isn't nearly that simple. His is a journey 

from one life-changing experience to another. From 

addiction to recovery, homelessness to security, failure 

to redemption, the recovering addict pushed himself 

in his work and, more recently, was able to show the 

world the depth of his talents. 

BORN AN ARTIST 

Nudell began drawing as a young child, winning 

awards since elementary school coloring contests. In 

high school, he took as many art classes as he could. 

He was different. He was never able to fit in and was 

quickly labeled a troublemaker. Yet, teachers gave him 

leeway of because of his artistic abilities. 

“My art teacher would pretty much let me do my thing,” 

Nudell said. “He’d make everyone else stick to the task, 

and I would just be creating whatever I was creating. 

He’d never say anything because I was making art, and 

he appreciated that.” 



COVER 

He knew he wanted to pursue an art-related career, but didn’t know 

what. One day his future aspirations just clicked. 

“All of a sudden a light bulb went off,” he said. “I thought, ‘Man, I should 

be a tattoo artist.’ I felt like it fit me because I was getting in trouble a 

lot. And I kind of accepted I was going to be a trouble maker.” 

COLORING OUTSIDE THE LINES 

As a junior in high school, he was ditching class and eventually got 

caught up in legal trouble. Originally from Pelican Rapids, Minn., Nudell 

decided to move and live with his dad in Colorado—an opportunity his 

probation officer hoped would instill discipline. 

But after a year of watching his son rebel, get into more trouble and stop 

coming home, Nudell’s father gave up. He told his son to quit school 

and get his GED with the thought his son would never finish school. 

Nudell moved back home to try to move on, though he quickly 

discovered it wasn’t quite that easy. Still, he cut back on partying and 

became focused enough to finish out his senior year at Pelican Rapids 

High School. 

After high school, Nudell followed in his peers footsteps, leaving home 

for college in Duluth. “It seemed like a good idea instead of staying in a 

small town,” he said. But partying was his only priority, and he quickly 

failed out of college his freshman year. 

TRADING PASSION FOR POISON 

Nudell’s big break came when his high school art teacher called to tell 

him about a tattoo artist looking for an apprentice. He went to work for 

a 65-year-old biker in the back woods of Litchville, N.D., who trained 

him until he was ready to begin tattooing. 

As instructed by his mentor, Nudell began practicing at a biker bar in 

Valley City, N.D. “(My boss) told me, ‘This is the best way to get over 

your anxiety of tattooing people. We’re just going to line ‘em up and 

you’re just going to start tattooing,’” Nudell recalled. “And that’s what 

we did.” 


Nudell quickly learned how to tattoo, but at a steep price. He found some bikers like 

to barter rather than pay, trading drugs for ink. In small-town N.D., Nudell couldn't 

resist. 

“That’s where it really started,” he said. “I was living in the middle of nowhere and 

feeling like life wasn’t working out. I needed to feel alive again.” 

With one hit of meth, Nudell was instantly addicted, and so he continued trading his 

work for substances rather than cash. 

CHASING THE HIGH 

Wanting to open his own shop, Nudell moved back home. Not knowing the details 

of his drug history, his family supported him and The Buzz was born in Erhard, 

Minn. 

But the venture didn’t last long. He wasn’t running the business responsibly. “Any 

money that came in I was partying with – and I would take my friends out and party 

with.” 

After just six months, the fun ended. “One morning I came to open my shop and the 

door was open,” he said. “Somebody had popped the door and stolen everything. It 

was probably a blessing in disguise because that place was going nowhere good.” 

“It’s okay to not 

fit in because 

that originality 

or uniqueness is 

something you should 

embrace. To be like 

everybody else is 

kind of boring.” 

Devastated by the hardship, he spent a month in his mom’s basement, refusing to 

see the light of day, before moving to Fargo to pursue other opportunities. After 

working for a couple shops and leaving on bad terms, he decided to again strike 

out on his own. 


COVER 

JUSTIN NUDELL WITH ANITA BURBECK 

Nudell continued tattooing while remodeling his soon-to-be 

shop, which proved to be exhausting. To fight the hangovers 

and increase productivity, he got back into meth for the 

extra energy he needed to burn through those long days. 

But after two years, the remodel wasn’t done. Nudell started 

tattooing out of his house and he moved onto opiates and 

heroin. At every turn, he continued to go against the grain, 

but eventually life caught up with him. 

THE NEEDLE RUNS DRY 

In 2012, facing multiple drug charges after law 

enforcement broke down the door and raided his home, 

Nudell lost his shop. His house no longer had electricity 

or running water, and he eventually became homeless 

for nearly a year. He bounced from motel to motel just 

chasing the high. 

“I wouldn’t even talk to my family because I was so ashamed,” 

he said. “In the back of my mind I was thinking, ‘I’m going to 

get out of this. And when I get out, I’m never coming back.’ 

But you don’t know if you’re ever going to get out.” 

He knew he needed a change. 

“I had lunch with my mom and said, ‘I need to get help. I 

need to change but I don’t know how to. I’m so stuck in this 

life.’” 

Finally, Homeland Security caught him on video surveillance 

at a local motel. “I was outside smoking a cigarette where 

some big drug dealer had a room,” he said. “Finally, they got 

me and I was so ready to be done. I got arrested and I was 

so devastated but also very relieved.” 

Relieved, yet handcuffed. It was a bittersweet end to his 

downward spiral... and the beginning of the next chapter 

in life. 

“You’re so exhausted. You’re wearing the same clothes every 


day,” he said. “All your friends are just screwing 

you over. They’ll rob you and that’s just what it 

is. You’re around people that all want the same 

thing; it’s dark.” 

PURSUING PERMANENT HAPPINESS 

With seven felonies, Nudell could have easily 

gone to federal prison. Instead, he was offered 

the opportunity to go to drug court for a year and 

seek treatment for recovery. 

“I made a choice when I was homeless that if I 

ever got out of there, I was going to start over. 

I was going to fix this,” he said. “Life started 

getting better. I stuck with it and I didn’t relapse. 

I didn’t want to go back.” 

Along the way, Nudell’s identity as an artist gave 

him the motivation to soldier on through all the 

trials and tribulations. “I’ve always considered 

myself an artist, and I always brought that with 

me. When life hurts, it’s something that I turned 

to,” he said. “That was always my thing. When 

everything else sucked, at least I could draw.” 

Today, Nudell works at Golden Needle Tattoo 

Studio in Moorhead, thanks to owner Joe Garza 

who sought him out in recovery after hearing of 

his work and Anita Burbeck for her unwavering 

support. 

The award-winning artist has been sober for 

more than 3 years. During that time, he also 

became a father. With each day, he yearns to 

learn more. “I’m a dad now so I just want to keep 

growing,” he said. “I put the energy I used to put 

into finding drugs into my work.” 

Looking back, Nudell wishes someone would 

have told him early on that it’s okay to be 

different. “It’s okay to not fit in because that 

originality or uniqueness is something you 

should embrace,” he said. “To be like everybody 

else is kind of boring.” 

Nudell doesn’t know what the future holds, but 

he has found contentment in his art and his 

family. He’s found the good life, perhaps for the 

first time. 

THE GOOD LIFE 

“The good life to me is being able to look into 

people's eyes with confidence, create art for 

living and knowing that my babies are happy, 

safe and enjoying themselves,” he said. “It’s 

about having good relationships with friends, 

family, and artists and continuing to grow and 

learn each and every day.” • 


MR. FULL-TIME DAD 

Still Alive ... One Year In 

BY: BEN HANSON • MR. FULL-TIME DAD 

It was 12:20 a.m. on a Thursday morning 

when it hit me — I’d been wide awake for over an hour, 

rocking my son, Macklin, to sleep in the midst of his 

worst-yet chest cold. I also realized I’ve been at this fulltime 

fatherhood thing for a year now. The early morning 

hours have a way of cutting through your mind clutter, 

allowing the important bits to float to the surface. 

As we sat and rocked in the old, creaky, twice-recovered 

recliner in his bedroom, I had all the time in the world to 

think back on a year that was never in my master plan. 

Some might call it a hiatus from my career, but the truth 

is I’ve never been more successful than I am right now. 

I don’t have a “career.” Never really did. Nor do I really 

aspire to go get one... and the past 12 months have only 

affirmed my unambitious instincts. 

You’ll Never Work Again 

A handful of friends and family warned me that should I 

quit my job to become a full-time dad, I’d have a hard time 

finding work again. That presumed I would ever want to 

find work again. It also presumed the world is chock full 

of people who know how to string words together into 

coherent, thought-provoking, action-inducing sentences. 

Neither have proven to be true. 


Ever since LinkedIn has been a thing, I’ve listed 

“freelance” as one of my jobs. Until this year, that was 

more or less a lie. I took on a writing or editing gig here 

and there, but it was sporadic at best. I never sought 

out work, which might explain the lack of work. But 

something changed soon after I quit my job, slipped on 

a pair of sweatpants and bid farewell to an electronic 

alarm clock. 

When I started writing (for fun, mind you... and for free) 

about my #dadventures on my blog, MrFullTimeDad. 

com, all of a sudden people took me seriously. They 

overlooked shameless plugs like the one I just effortlessly 

slipped in and came a callin’. I can’t explain it, other than 

maybe there’s some higher power that didn’t want my 

son to suffer on my account, at least not yet. 

Honestly, quitting my job has been the best thing for my 

writing… eh, career, I guess. I won’t publicly humiliate 

any of my paying clients by naming them here, but the 

list is illustrious. I’m nowhere close to making up for my 

full-time income, however that’s proving to be much less 

of an issue than I first anticipated. 

Who Needs Money? 

It’s Trump’s America now, so any concern I had about

health insurance or publicly funded arts and education 

programs to enjoy with my son have entirely vanished. 

(Oh, no politics? Got it.) 

The truth is, I was every bit as concerned about the 

finances as were those who offered me their gentle 

warnings. But again, we were all completely wrong. In 

reality, living with less means nothing to a family who 

already had way more than they needed. 

Between the three of us we have four bedrooms, three 

bathrooms, two living rooms, three sofas, two cars, a 

boat, a hot tub, a snowmobile and no debt aside from 

our mortgage. We also have a decent scotch collection 

and a town full of friends and family, so what the hell 

more I need out of this life I can’t really tell you. If you’re 

thinking, “sure, but I bet he doesn’t have secret agent 

good looks and a killer body,” you’re wrong. I have those, 

too. 

Fame and fortune would be nice, I suppose, but I really 

dislike having a lot on my schedule. If you ask me, I’m 

already overbooked between trips to the gym, outings 

at the park, walkabouts at the zoo and my enviable 

freelance… ahem, career. The only thing I truly miss 

from raking in all that full-time dough is seeing my 401k 

balance increase, but that rise was so slow and pathetic 

I’m almost over it by now. 

Everyone Should be Doing This 

Unless you’re some poor sap who enjoys vacations or 

savings accounts, I don’t know why you wouldn’t jump 

at the chance to stay home and raise your own child. I 

get that some people may be driven by some inner fire to 

succeed and make a difference in this world, but really... 

you could be eating corn dogs and playing in puddles all 

afternoon instead. Where are your priorities? 

When this grand adventure was started a year ago, my 

wife and I both kind of assumed it’d be a short-term 

situation. But this past year has been an unexpected 

blessing for all involved. I’m healthier and more content 

than I may have ever been. My wife is free to dominate 

her career and even return to school to explore a second. 

Mack’s grandparents have more time with him, because 

my schedule is his schedule. His favorite babysitter, even 

with the obnoxious car seat crammed into her two-door 

sports car, has become an invaluable, utterly reliable 

part of the family. And Macklin. Well, he’s kicking down 

milestone after milestone like he’s some sort of two-yearold. 

What I’m trying to say is if you have the means, go for it. 

If you’re blessed to even be able to consider the option of 

devoting your life to your children, do it. It doesn’t have to 

be forever. It won’t feel like forever, either. Trust me. You’ll 

come to in the middle of the night, as you soothe your 

coughing, sneezing kid back to sleep, and realize it’s the 

best damn thing you never intended to do in your life. • 


BY: JESSICA BALLOU • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

TAKING PHOTOGRAPHY 

TO NEW HEIGHTS 

Ryan Johnson has always been interested in 

technology. As an engineer for the last 25 years, he’s 

fascinated by how technology is constantly changing 

and growing. 

He channeled that passion into a business he started 

last fall, Prairie Sky UAV. UAV stands for unmanned 

aerial vehicles, which are often used for aerial 

(drone) photography, a field that keeps exploding in 

popularity. 

“It’s gone from a novelty thing and something that 

people were doing as a hobby to now where it’s going 

to be a huge industry,” he said. “It already is, and it’s 

going to get so much bigger.” 

He said North Dakota has been on the forefront of 

this field, earning the moniker “the Silicon Valley of 

Drones.” 

Rules and Regulations 

Within the last year, the Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) has gone through a period of 

transition, especially as the drone industry is growing 

at such a quick pace. They used to require people who 


wanted to fly a drone for non-recreational purposes 

to have a Section 333 Exemption, which granted 

UAV pilots the ability to operate commercially in 

the national airspace. Now people need to apply 

and pass a test to obtain a Part 107 Certification, 

which is a commercial certification mainly for UAV 

(unmanned aerial vehicle) pilots. 

Some people struggle with understanding the 

difference between being a hobbyist versus a 

commercial UAV pilot. The FAA views any kind of 

intent to use pictures or videos for commercial 

purposes or advertising (whether you are paid for 

them or not) as making you a commercial pilot. This 

even includes posting videos to YouTube because the 

site has advertising on it. People have gotten turned 

in for not having a license, faced thousands of dollars 

of fines for flying illegally and even gotten cease and 

desist orders in some cases. 

Even as a hobbyist, there are still many rules and 

regulations to follow. If you’re within 5 miles of 

Hector International Airport, for example, by law you 

need to call Air Traffic Control to notify them and 

abide by height limitations. 


“There’s a lot of risk involved if you’re not doing things the 

proper way,” he said. 

In some cases, it can take up to 90 days or more to get the 

proper certification and authorization to shoot photos or 

videos there. Even though that may seem like a long time, it’s 

better to wait for the authorization to come through than hire 

someone who doesn’t have the proper certifications because 

of the very hefty fines. 

People also need to license UAVs with the FAA, which will 

give the UAV an ID number, like a tail number on a regular 

airplane. If it does crash or someone finds it and calls the 

local FAA office, they’ll be able to tell who it was registered to. 

Best Practices 

Flying over crowds is another big issue within the UAV 

photography field. By law, you can’t fly over a concert, crowd or 

anything where people are shown who aren’t directly involved 

or signed off on being part of it without getting waiver. So far 

only one waiver has ever been issued, and that was to CNN. 

As an engineer, Johnson appreciates the chance to get outside, 

move around and get a different perspective. 

“It offers a perspective that you just can’t get [another way],” 

he said. 

This comes in especially handy when it comes to agriculture, 

the real estate market, construction and more to track 

progress and do calculations. While some people can hire a 

photographer in a plane, the cost savings of not having to pay 

for fuel prices, an air crew, etc., can really make a difference. 

“You can do it so much more cost effectively, and it’ll affect the 

bottom line for everything,” he said. 

Drone deliveries could be coming in the near future from 

Amazon and UPS, but the logistics may take a while to figure 

out as current laws state you need to maintain visual sight of 

the drone at all times. 

“The possibilities are endless for this,” he said. 


Johnson said even when you’re doing things 

the right way and trying not to cut corners, 

some people still have a negative perception 

of drones being used to spy on neighbors and 

other similar things that just aren’t true. 

“Every time there’s a negative story out there, 

the industry takes a little bit of a hit in the public 

relations area,” he said. “We’re all stewards of 

the industry. It’s our job to put it in a positive 

light.” 

Johnson said those who practice UAV 

photography need to keep in mind a reasonable 

right of privacy for people, including in their 

backyards, with no spying on people or 

unauthorized surveillance of any kind. 

“A lot of it boils down to common sense for 

what you’re doing and your surroundings,” he 

said. “If people keep that in mind, it’s going to 

go a long way.” • 


LOCAL HERO 

30 / THE GOOD LIFE 

BY: 

/ urbantoadmedia.com 

BRITTNEY GOODMAN . PHOTOS: URBAN TOAD MEDIA

US Army Special Forces (Green Beret) 

veteran, Joe Wallevand served in the military 

for 21 years, taught in public schools for 

19 years, and was a chemist for American 

Crystal Sugar for 24 years. In the Army 

Special Forces Wallevand served as a medic 

and also a trainer. When asked about any 

medical experience prior to the Army, he said: 

“I was a Boy Scout.” 

Wallevand has three years of active duty and 

then served 18 years in the North Dakota 

Army National Guard in three different 

companies: the 191st Military Police Guard 

Company, 634th Service Company at 

Hillsboro-Mayville, and the 815th Medical 

Clearing Company Fargo-Bismarck, 

eventually attaining the rank of first sergeant 

for that medical company. He achieved the 

E-8 level before retirement. 

Wallevand was drafted, then enlisted in 

the Army in April of 1965, completed basic 

training and then entered Special Forces 

Training, beginning with jump school in 

Oct of 1965 in Fort Benning, Georgia after 

completing his basic and engineering 

Advanced Individual Training. 

In his youth, Wallevand described himself as 

an “egg-head” with high skills in math and 

a long-held fascination with parachuting, 

the military, and guerrilla warfare. Thus, 

the Special Forces seemed a good fit for his 

talents and interests. 

Becoming a medic was a decision Wallevand 

made, at least partially, because of being 


LOCAL HERO 

involved in an auto accident prior to the 

service, which left him with guilt about 

“not being able to give proper medical 

attention to the elderly gentleman who 

died later.” He underwent 47 weeks of 

training, including 16 at the Fort Sam 

Houston medical school, nine of on-the 

job-training at an Army hospital, 16 at the 

advanced medical lab in Fort Bragg and 

six weeks of Special Forces tactics and 

techniques. 

Wallevand explained that his Special 

Forces training involved map reading, 

irregular “guerrilla” warfare, infiltration, 

methods of instruction, defensive 

measures, land navigation, patrolling, 

raids and ambushes, sabotage, civic 

action projects, escape and evasion, 

and then the special skills training that 

Wallevand asserted that, “if I told you 

about that, I’d…,” which is a standard joke 

among service people. 

Wallevand got his orders to go to Vietnam 

on Valentine’s Day, 1967 and arrived in 

Vietnam March 31. He was assigned to 

the 5th Special Forces Group. 

In Vietnam, Wallevand was initially a 

junior A-team medic. He recalled being in 

Hà Tiên near the Gulf of Siam. He was 

told “don’t go too far down that road or 

else you will be in Cambodia and it will be 

an international incident.” One of his jobs 

was also to “go out to our airfield, toward 

Cambodia, and deliver any personnel or 

supplies back to our camp.” 

Wallevand was to train some Montagnard 

people whom he described as “some 

of the first inhabitants of Vietnam” and 

fairly primitive, with large piercings and 

some with “bones in their noses”. He was 

called upon to jumpmaster a training 

jump for them. Wallevand explained that 

jumpmasters normally jump last from the 

plane. However, due to the Asians’ lack of 

training and language, he had to jump 

first as an example. Wallevand recalled, 

right before he jumped, looking back at 

the Montagnard people: “Their eyes 

are normally almond-shaped. But 

when I turned around all of their 

eyes were as big and as round as 

mine. They were scared. It made 

me remember my first jump at 

Fort Benning, which was the first 

time I had flown in a plane.” 


Wallevand still has the Viet 

Cong flag that he retrieved. 


LOCAL HERO 

An advertisement 

that intrigued 

Wallevand into 

joining the military. 

As part of a civic action, Wallevand 

handed out manual tools to the 

Vietnamese people – shovels, picks, and 

spades, to be used in the rice patties. He 

explained that “winning the hearts and 

the minds of the people” was one of the 

goals of the war. He remembered that 

the Vietnamese said, “Thank you, doctor.” To 

them, he was considered a doctor because of 

his medical training. Later, however, during 

the Tet Offensive, they had taken these same 

implements and built bunkers inside their 

huts. 

Wallevand explained the “most successful” 

operation of his A-team, a month and a half 

before he was to return home: “We went into 

an area (restricted to us) to raid a small group 

of Viet Cong.” His team collected a number 

of documents, weapons, and propaganda. 

Wallevand said “we did not lose anybody and 

killed eleven VC.” Wallevand retrieved and still 

has a Viet Cong flag and some propaganda. 

Wallevand returned home from Vietnam in 

1968: “I did not get spit on when I came back. A lot of my 

friends had very bad encounters.” Several years later, a 

colleague called him “a baby killer.” Wallevand explained: 

“At the time, I didn’t like hearing that and feel the same now. 

It is coming on my 50 year anniversary of going to Vietnam.” 

Wallevand has been married for 47 years to fellow teacher, 

and fellow Concordia graduate, Linda. They are proud 

of their successful, creative children. Mike works for 

Thompson-Reuters Find Law; Steve for Media Productions; 

Deb for Old Hat Creative managing promotions for NCAA 

sports teams. 

Linda described her husband as “a real renaissance man” 

with talents in music, writing, arts, science and teaching. 

They are both musicians. Linda has been a piano teacher 

for 40 years, while Wallevand sings in the local Master 

Chorale. Wallevand has an uncanny ability to figure things 

out: “In our little school system – he was the first computer 

teacher,” and Wallevand chimed in: “They just dropped a 

computer in front of me one day, and I just figured it out. I 

used to describe myself as a full service science teacher.” 

Linda described their first date, while at 

Concordia: “It was in January and it was 20 below. We were 

walking on campus and I was freezing. Joe was pointing 

out the constellations for me.” Wallevand is an amateur 

astronomer and the couple has travelled to Canada to 

witness and celebrate two solar eclipses and they will soon 

be going to their third event. 

Wallevand currently does public speaking of many types 

and is active in talking with local students. 

When asked, “What does ‘the good life’ mean to you,’ 

Wallevand responded: “The good life means peace and 

being with the people you love.” 

Wallevand is reluctant to accept the title of “hero”: “You 

want to talk about heroes? My big brother was my hero. 

But there are guys who aren’t here anymore - their names 

are on the Wall. There are the guys who came back from 

the war with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) who 

don’t know what to do with their lives so they end them. 

Then there are the Agent Orange victims.” He goes on to 

describe local Vietnam War Medal of Honor winner, Loren 


D. Hagen, whom the new West Fargo American Legion is 

named after, a member of a special unit of Special Forces 

called the MACV-SOG. These soldiers engaged in extremely 

dangerous missions without any identification – no dog 

tags. Loren died serving his country on one such mission. 

Wallevand explained: “I’m sure I have PTSD. I don’t know 

if you could go through and see all the things I have, that 

anyone could, and not have it.” 

A common problem for veterans of wars is “survivor guilt” 

- a term Wallevand described as “the feeling of not doing 

your part, of not giving, as Lincoln said in ‘The Gettysburg 

Address,’ the ‘last full measure of devotion’” – that gnawing 

question of “why did you make it while others did not?” 

Wallevand continues: “If people want to call me a hero, I 

guess that’s fine. I did put myself in harm’s way for a greater 

good. But when you think of those guys on the Vietnam 

Memorial Wall, for the rest of us – the survivors – it is 

almost embarrassing to be called a hero.” • 

To reflect on survivor guilt, Wallevand wrote a poem based 

upon Percy Bysshe Shelley’s 1818 “Ozymandias.” He wrote 

it after returning from a visit to the Vietnam Memorial Wall. 

He read it as part of his 2016 Memorial Day speech at our 

local Veteran’s Memorial Bridge: 

“Survivor Guilt” 

by: Joe Wallevand 2016 

Along a watery pathway, 

Meeting in the middle: 

Two bold, black blocks of granite 

Stretch long upon the green, grassy earth. 

And upon them written names — 

Seemingly endless list of names — 

Many the names I know — 

Chiseled in solemn relief. 

I look for my name; 

I search the span of when I served. 

I am not on the Wall — 

Where is my name? 

Surely my name is in the mix; 

I was there, as were they, 

But surely as we all were there, 

My name surely should be here. 

Had there been a million names 

Without mine on it; 

Had there been a wall with no names at all; 

Mine could have been on it. 

What did they do to deserve to be listed? 

What did I do to deserve being left off? 

But my name IS written… written deep within me… 

Just not on the Wall.

The Good Life – May-June 2017

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