The Good Life – July-August 2021

FATHERS | DAD LIFE 

Raising Well-Rounded Humans 

WRITTEN BY: PAUL HANKEL 

One of the main roles I serve in within our family is as 

Chief Transportation Officer to all of my son’s various 

activities. I serve in this capacity year-round and the pay 

is abysmal. While the absolute last thing I want to do is 

get up at 6 am on a Saturday morning for practice, I find 

that the benefits far outweigh the costs. 

I’m striving to raise a well-rounded mini-human so he’s 

involved in pretty much every activity we can find. Soccer, 

basketball, football, church activities, art classes and swim 

lessons dominate the evening hours and weekend time 

slots. We have yet to enter the traveling sports team phase 

of youth sports participation, but I’m told its…hectic. 

I constantly remind myself, as I’m running out to my car 

during practice because we forgot his water bottle, that 

this will all pay off when he lands a sports scholarship one 

day, only to be reminded by a quick Google search that only 

about two percent of high school athletes receive sports 

scholarships…time to double down on music lessons? 

While sports remains king, I think that it is extremely 

important for kids to experience as many different 

interests as they can while growing up, before settling 

into their chosen passions. Music and theater play just as 

important a role in the overall development of our kids 

as sports. I was what some would refer to as, “hyper,” 

growing up and this resulted in my parents, in lieu of overmedicating 

me, putting me in every activity they could 

find. Thankfully, Fargo was and continues to be a great 

environment in which to explore all types of activities. 

Coming as a surprise to absolutely no one, my son is 

exactly like I was when I was a child and I am eternally 

grateful that this area continues to invest in its youth by 

offering a literal buffet of child-age activities. Below is a 

list of some of the activities we hope to participate in this 

summer. 

FM Rugby Club 

My son began asking if he could play, “football without 

pads.” It took me a minute to realize what he was referring 

2 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

to and then it dawned on me: rugby! Thus our rugby 

journey began. FM Rugby Club is a great option, offering 

rugby programs for all ages. 

Red River Valley Lacrosse Association 

Lacrosse programs are booming in the US and the sport 

is now more accessible than ever! Fargo is home to 

several local lacrosse programs, many of which provide 

the gear and equipment needed to play. 

Code Ninjas 

It's like playing video games…with a purpose! If your child 

is like is anything like mine, then electronics, tablets, and 

video games are all the rage. While YouTube and Fortnite 

are reign supreme, there are lots of coding programs and 

activities that combine the aspect of gaming with coding 

and computer science. Code Ninjas offers great childlevel 

coding experiences by making coding fun! Check 

out their website for a list of classes and programs, 

including Parents Night Out (I highly recommend)! 

Trollwood Performing Arts SchooL 

As a former theater geek, I could write an entire novel on 

the impact that Trollwood has had on my life, however, 

I do have a word count on this article. Suffice to say, 

Trollwood continues to offer the very best of theater, 

dance, and art through a combination of stage plays, 

theatrical classes, art classes, and an ever-growing list of 

offerings. Regarding more information, your best bet is 

to take your family to one of their summertime full-stage 

productions. They are excellent! Then, visit their website 

and get your child involved. 

Elevate Rock School 

Music is extremely important in our family. Thankfully, 

the FM area is home to a host of musical opportunities 

for busy families. Elevate Rock School, which opened in 

2011, is located in Fargo and offers a full list of music 

lessons from beginner to advanced. Classes are available 

for almost all ages and they even offer a fully licensed 

daycare. 

In closing, I’d like to bring up a few universal parenting 

truths regarding bringing your child to various activities: 

– The parking always sucks. 

– Your child’s practice will always be at the earliest 

session on Saturday mornings. 

– Your child’s mouthpiece will always go missing, five 

minutes before you leave for practice. 

– Yes, you will be forced to sell pizzas door to door. Grin 

and bear. 

While these annoyances and inconveniences are 

rampant, overall, I think that its absolutely worth it in 

order to help your child grow and excel. 

As I mentioned, there are SO MANY great children’s 

programming options. Take a minute, check them out, 

and we will see you there! Cheers! • 

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 3

JULY-AUGUST 2021 

VOLUME 9 | ISSUE 1 

2 24 

fathers - dad life 

raising well-rounded humans 

rocky mountain 

grilled t-bone steaks 

6 

10 

12 

16 

18 

wouldn't it be...Nice? 

Nice Barber CompanY 

oven fried catfish with radish, 

Asparagus & citrus salad 

red river kart club 

tattoo sunscreens 

protect your ink 

on the cover 

fargo's meat jesus 

jason aamodt 

co-owner of meats by 

john & wayne dishes on 

life as a butcher 

26 

30 

having a beer with 

owner & licensed 

funeral director 

jim boulger 

local hero 

serving veterans 

with a purpose 

andrew nathan desires 

to leave everything on 

the line 


The 

GOODLIFE 

MEN’S MAGAZINE 

PUBLISHED BY 

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Dawn Siewert 

dawn@urbantoadmedia.com 

OWNER / PHOTOGRAPHER 

Darren Losee 

darren@urbantoadmedia.com 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Jeff Benda 

Meghan Feir 

Paul Hankel 

Ben Hanson 

Krissy Ness 

Alexis Swenson 

Emma Jean Vatnsdal 

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darren@urbantoadmedia.com 

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The Good Life Men’s Magazine is distributed six times a year by 

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writers or advertisers and do not necessarily represent the views 

or policies of The Good Life Men’s Magazine. 


Nice Barber Company is bringing small town America back 

to the service industry, one shave at a time 

WRITTEN BY: EMMA JEAN VATNSDAL 

PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in early 2020, 

very few thought much of it. Sure, there were a select 

group of individuals who knew the possibility of what 

could happen to the country in the upcoming months, but 

one thing was for certain — life as we knew it was about to 

change, possibly forever. 

What followed was months upon months of new 

guidelines and rules, mandates and ordinances, all 

designed and redesigned to keep communities safe 

through something nobody quite knew how to handle. 

And while the fear of the unknown continued to grow, the 

hustle of everyday life seemed to come to a standstill. 

Offices began setting up at home. Morning commutes 

went from taking 15 minutes to drive across town (if 

you’re lucky), to sliding into the office chair as the clock 

strikes 8 a.m., after traveling a few feet from the kitchen to 

the living room. Online shopping became king, as words 

like “social distancing” and “masking” became ubiquitous 

and everyone began to really recognize what six feet was. 

Sounds like the perfect time to set up shop in the service 

industry, eh? 

Branden Ashmore thought so too. And after Fargo- 

Moorhead residents came out from behind their screens, 

there was no better time than the present to help them 

look their best. 

Through the smell of freshly-brewed beer and cedar 

planks, Ashmore has created a haven of manliness within 

the southeast corner of the newly-formed, hallowed halls 

of Fargo Brewing Co., and business has been Nice. 

“I’ve had many different jobs,” said Ashmore, co-owner 

and master barber of Nice Barber Company in Fargo, N.D. 

“But my most frequent and last job, I was a bartender.” 

Years of long nights and even longer weekends, with little 

time to see family and friends was taxing on Ashmore. 

Not only that, he was also dabbling in photography at the 

time, shooting weddings, concerts and motorcycle rallies 

— helping ensure his time card was never clocked out. 

“I just got burnt out to the point where I just wanted time 

to hang out with family and stuff like that again,” he said. 

“And my uncle used to always tell me that I’d make a great 

barber, but I was like ‘I will never run my fingers through 

a man’s hair for a living.’” 



"My uncle used to always tell me that I’d make a great barber, but I was like 

‘I will never run my fingers through a man’s hair for a living." - Branden Ashmore 

As silly as the thought of running his fingers through a 

man’s hair for a living sounded right away, Ashmore says 

the more he thought of it, the more it made sense — a 

service industry job, whether it’s bartending or barbering, 

is no different from another service industry job. 

Nice. 

Ashmore completed his training at Moler Barber College 

in September 2019, and began working at Everett’s 

Barbershop in downtown Fargo shortly thereafter. 

Then COVID hit. Workers stayed home and haircuts 

became scarcer and scarcer. 

“We were laid off for three months, and we’re sitting at 

home,” Ashmore said. “And the next thing you know, we’re 

back to work. We’re busy for two, three weeks, then we 

started plateauing. I was the newest barber over there 

too, everyone else was established, so I was getting 

two, three, four haircuts a day — if I was lucky — and it 

kind of made me think about, well, what if? What if this 


ainchild that Jade Nielsen and Ian Johnson and I 

had talked about was worth trying out? I really didn’t 

have any intentions of leaving Everett’s, it just kind of 

happened. I just had to try to take the chance. 

The shop opened along with the grand opening of 

Fargo Brewing Co. on April 20, 2021. Ashmore says 

business was booming the first few weeks, but has 

started to settle down now that they’ve gotten into the 

groove of things. 

“It’s pretty consistent,” he said. “We have highs and 

lows because, you know, we’re a new shop.” 

But even though Nice Barber Company is a new shop, 

Ashmore and his fellow barber, Scott Ehresman, 

want to bring in that something that harkens back to 

“the good old days.” Less like going to the dentist, and 

more like visiting an old friend down at the hardware 

store in small-town North Dakota. 

“We’re all Midwestern, small town people,” Ashmore 

said. “And Nice was kind of created because — 

especially with this pandemic and how everybody 

started treating each other, you’re trying to be distant 

from everybody, everything started feeling really cold. 

There was no feel of community or togetherness or 

anything.” 

After a bit of brainstorming, Nielsen, Johnson 

and Ashmore kept coming back to the same idea: 

‘Wouldn’t it be nice?’ 

“The word (nice) just kept popping up in everything 

we talked about,” he said. “We wanted to bring that 

sense of unity and community to a business and it 

just worked. At first we were kind of hesitant on it, but 

the more and more we thought about it, it just made 

perfect sense. I mean, we’re here, we’re a business, 

but we’re here to become a staple of the community.” 

Nice Barber Company is located inside Fargo Brewing 

Company. Stop in for a beer and a visit — the shop is 

open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. • 



Serves 4 

RECIPE AND PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: JEFF BENDA 

The Red River of the North is home to over 70 species of fish, but my 5-year-old 

daughter and I love to catch and eat the whiskered warriors known as channel 

catfish. With spring officially here, it was time to turn in those winter soups and 

heavy casseroles and bring back a perfect light salad to pair with some fresh fillets 

from the one that didn’t get away. 

Ingredients: 

4 (4 to 6-ounce) skinless catfish fillets 

1 egg, beaten 

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs 

1 ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning 

16 asparagus spears, cut into long, thin strips 

1/3 cup orange slices 

1/3 cup pink grapefruit slices 

2 green onions, chopped 

2 radishes, sliced thin 

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise 

1 Tablespoon honey 

¼ teaspoon poppy seeds 

¼ teaspoon dry mustard 

1/8 teaspoon each salt & pepper 

Zest and juice from half of 1 orange 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 4250 F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. In a shallow dish, stir 

together the bread crumbs and Old Bay seasoning. Dip catfish fillets in egg, then 

place them into bread crumb mixture and coat liberally; place on greased baking 

sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the salad. In a bowl mix together 

asparagus, orange, grapefruit, green onion, and radish. In separate small bowl 

make your dressing by combining mayonnaise, honey, poppy seeds, dry mustard, 

salt, pepper, and zest & juice from half of 1 orange. Whisk together, pour over 

salad, and toss well. When fish is done, take out of the oven, place one fillet on a 

plate and garnish with ¼ of the salad. Repeat with remaining 

plates and serve immediately. 

Jeff Benda is an avid outdoorsman and family man who spent 25 years in the restaurant 

and catering business. He now focuses his time as a home cook and professional wild 

game recipe creator. He hopes that by sharing and celebrating the food he creates 

with fish and wild game, he can highlight the great contribution so many hunters 

and anglers have made to conservation in this country, and reflect the freedom we 

have to enjoy America's great outdoors. For more recipes, visit his website: 

www.wildgameandfish.com or follow him on Instagram: @wildgameandfish 


WRITTEN BY: KRISSY NESS 


For more than 12 years, Red 

River Kart Club has been 

hosting drivers young and old. 

Their youngest members begin 

at age five. However, this club 

accepts drivers of all ages, 

some being as old as 70 years. 

This club can be a feeder 

program where the kids can go 

onto drive modified or sprint 

cars. 

Located on the Red River Valley 

Fairgrounds, in the northwest 

corner, you will find the track, 

paved in asphalt, which is onetenth 

of a mile. 

When this program began, 

there weren't nearly as many 

drivers as there are today; a 

lot of it had to do with cost. 

"My nephew raced karts at the 

Red River Valley Fairgrounds 

many years ago, and it didn't 

seem like a lot of kids were 

involved in it at that time. It 

was getting expensive. We 

were looking for different 

avenues to be able to save 

people money," said Nick 

Skalicky - President of the 

Red River Kart Club. "At that 

time, there was a different 

engine package that came out, 

that really catapulted us, and 

was very affordable to have. 

So now the karters coming 

in, even at age five, are buying 

the nicer karts that have all 

the adjustments - so they can 

run that same kart throughout 

their whole career." 

Six years ago, Red River Kart 

Club became a non-profit. It is 

not about making money but 

providing a club for kids to 

race and have the whole family 

involved. What is even better 

is the community support. It 

Located on the Red River 

Valley Fairgrounds, in the 

northwest corner, you will 

find the track, paved in 

asphalt, which is one-tenth 

of a mile. 


is a pleasure to see companies 

donating funds and equipment 

that go directly to keep the club 

up and running. 

In addition to speaking with 

Skalicky, I had the pleasure of 

talking to Jeremy Clark. Clark has 

two boys in the Red River Kart 

Club, Alex, 10, and Andrew, 8. 

"We have been racing for years," 

said Clark. "Alex has over 100 

feature wins, and Andrew has 

more than 30 wins." 

Clark used to race when he was 

younger, but you can see that the 

passion never left, and it has been 

instilled in his boys. 

When it comes to getting prepared 

for a race, you better believe this 

is a family affair. 

"The boys have their list of things 

they need to check and clean 

during the week, and they work 

on getting the trailer loaded the 

day of the race," mentioned Clark. 

"They check their own tires and 

are responsible for taking them 

on and off. Additionally, they each 

have their own tote, and it is their 

responsibility to make sure they 

have all their gear in there, and if 

it is not in there, they don't get to 

race." 


The responsibility that this sport 

incites is no joke. Aside from the 

boys making sure they have fulfilled 

their part, mom and dad also have 

a laundry list of things to get done 

before each race. Whether that is 

making sure everyone is organized 

and fed to working on the karts after 

work to ensure they drive safely and 

accurately. 

"It is definitely a family sport; it's not 

like any other sport where you can go 

drop them off at practice." Laughed 

Clark. "You are probably more 

invested than they are." 

Clark gave the boys a leg up by building 

a track on their property. Furthermore, 

the precision, ability, and overall 

intelligence it takes to operate these 

vehicles cannot be overlooked."It has 

been a lot of fun," said Clark. "And they 

boys really enjoy it." 


It is important to mention this is 

not a male-dominated sport."There 

are a lot of girls who have gone on 

to be very successful," mentions 

Skalicky. 

The Red River Kart Club has 

produced many racers that have 

gone on to drive modified or sprint 

cars. Many can be found racing at 

the RRV Fairgrounds, Norman 

County Raceway, or Buffalo River 

Speedway. "I have had kids that 

have won national titles that 

have come out of the kart club," 

exclaimed Skalicky. 

It is incredible to see a club excited 

about the youth in their community. 

Family and community mean the 

same thing when you are a part of 

the Red River Kart Club. 

"The good life to me means – 

seeing the kids grow from where 

they started with us and watch 

what they chose to do with their 

life, whether that be racing cars or 

not," said Skalicky. 

"We try to teach them life lessons 

about competitiveness; even 

though it is a singular sport, it is 

still a team sport." • 


tattoo sunscreens 

protect your ink 

protect your skin and your ink with these sunscreens 

Keep your new tattoo out of the sun and 

direct sunlight. Allow your new tattoo 

to completely heal before applying 

sunscreen. 

The sun is a 

tattoo's worst 

enemy. 

The most best thing you can do to 

protect your tattoos is to stay covered 

with loose clothing and avoid direct 

sunlight. New tattoos are open wounds, 

and sunscreens can cause irritation if 

they are not fully healed. 


Things to look for when 

choosing a sunscreen: 

• Application Method 

(spray or lotion) 

• SPF - Sun Protection Factor 

• UVB and UVA Protection 

• Water and Sweat Resistance 

• Moisturizing 

1. Neutrogena ® Ultra Sheer ® 

Dry-Touch Sunscreen Broad 

Spectrum SPF 100+ 

Goes on easily and absorbs 

quickly for an invisible, lightweight 

feel on your skin. 

Formulated with Helioplex ® 

Technology, it offers superior 

broad spectrum protection 

from aging UVA rays and 

burning UVB rays. 

$15.99 | neutrogena.com 

2. Banana Boat ® Ultra Sport 

Clear Ultramist ® Sunscreen 

Spray SPF 100 

Provides powerful protection 

that absorbs quickly and 

won’t run into your eyes. This 

lightweight, clear spray is 

designed expressly for sport 

enthusiasts and other active 

folks who need sunscreen 

staying power in the sun! 

$11.99 | bananaboat.com 

• Reapply sunscreen every two 

hours, no matter the SPF. 

• Wait at least six weeks 

before applying sunscreen 

to a new tattoo. 

• Protect your ink with SPF 50 

or higher. 

• Keep extra sunscreen in your 

car and office for on-the-go 

coverage. 

3. Panama Jack ® Continuous 

Spray Sunscreen - SPF 100 

Escape Everyday ® ... Our 

Panama Jack continuous 

sunscreen sprays delicately 

combines antioxidants with 

moisturizing oils and a tropical 

fragrance in a reef-friendly, 

broad spectrum UVA/UVB 

formula. With SPF 100, this 

Panama Jack water resistant 

(80 minutes), UVA-UVB 

sunscreen lotion is best for use 

by very fair/extremely sensitive 

skin types that tan slowly and 

burns easily. 

$13.00 | panamajack.com 

4. Coppertone ® Sunscreen 

Lotion Sport SPF 50 

Designed to stay on strong 

when you sweat, this highperformance 

sunscreen 

protects you from the sun with 

a durable and water-resistant 

formula (80 minutes) that 

leaves a light, breathable 

feeling on your skin. 

$11.99 | coppertone.com 


ON THE COVER | JASON AAMODT 

Co-owner of Meats by John & Wayne 

Dishes on Life as a Butcher 

WRITTEN BY: BEN HANSON 


People always say, You know, he's quite the 

character. With no detectable filter or lack of selfconfidence, 

there may be no more of a character 

in town than Jason Aamodt, known by his proteinloving 

groupies as "The Meat Jesus." It's a fitting 

moniker for the co-owner of Meats by John and 

Wayne, one of Fargo's most beloved butcher shops 

that have been serving up hand-cut and homeprocessed 

selections of beef, pork, poultry, fish 

and wild game since the mid-2000s. 

"It was a friend of mine and long-time customer 

that walked in one day and threw that name at 

me… Meat Jesus," Aamodt recalled. "It just stuck. 

I was like, 'That's it!' That's what I'm going to 

brand myself as from here on out." 

Aamodt originally had dreams of getting into the 

broadcasting business, and with a background 

in advertising and marketing, he knew the 

importance of branding. While John and Wayne 

— the original founders of the company — had 

little interest in that side of the business, it came 

naturally to Aamodt… as did his natural hard work 

ethic. 

The 'Third Wheel' Grabs the Mic 

Aamodt was the "third wheel," as he described it 

when he first got hired, and he was only supposed 

to be part time. But the day he showed up, the 

other employee quit, and Wayne said "Well, looks 

like your full-time... starting now." As the saying 

goes, he never looked back, working his way up 

over about 15 years to become a third owner in 

the business. 

With a knack for self-promotion, Aamodt would 

preach to anyone and everyone within shouting 

distance about Meats by John & Wayne. To this 

day, he says, they find it hard to pay for advertising 

considering how steadily they grew almost purely 

on word-of-mouth referrals. 

"John and Wayne always wanted a place for regular 

people who wanted good meat for a good price 

with different selections," Aamodt said proudly. 

"They created the old school butcher setup. 

Made everything in house, cut in house, beef 

was ground in house from full muscle meat. 

Everything that goes into our processed 

products, we're throwing in ourselves." 

Soon enough, though, the Meat Jesus 

was tapped to get the word out to new 

audiences. 

"Wayne handed me the golden 

microphone when we finally decided to 

advertise," Aamodt said. "To watch it 

grow from then to now... the wordof-mouth 

and then moving into 

being the spokesperson, it's been 

magic." 

Insider Tips & Tales 

When you've got the butcher's 

uninterrupted attention leading 

into peak grilling season, you get 

unvarnished access to the insider 

tips. With zero hesitation, Aamodt 

declared both his favorites, as well as 




Favorite cut? 

"New York Strip. 

Dude, it's got the 

right amount of 

marbling, just fatty 

enough to stay juicy, 

and you get to eat it 

all without risking the 

giant heart attack…" 

the top customer picks he sees week in and week 

out. But not before a quick story on the injuries 

he's seen over the years. 

"Dude I've seen people's hands get caught 

in saws, cuts that down to the bone, hands 

in slicers, guys run over by cows," he said. 

That one needed a bit more context: "So 

my first job in this business was at a plant, 

and one day a guy in the slaughterhouse 

got trampled by a cow. And this dude 

was as big as the cow." 

So maybe the best tip? Keep your blades 

sharp, but your eyes even sharper. On to 

the meat of the story... 

"Favorite cut? New York Strip," he said. 

"Dude, it's got the right amount of 

marbling, just fatty enough to stay juicy, 

and you get to eat it all without risking the 

giant heart attack… as much!" 

What about the most popular product walking 

out of the shop every day? 

"Ribs, without a doubt. Still to this day, we take 

the most phone calls on ribs," Aamodt said. "It's 

the Wednesday special — been that way since 

the beginning. That was the thing that started to 

bring people in. Everything else is popular, but 

those are what people call for on Wednesdays. 

We cook two 250 pound batches a day now!" 

And speaking of ribs, here's a tip you can put 

to use immediately to improve your BBQ game: 

always divide your cook into two. "If I buy one 

rack, I always cut them in half and do one with 

sauce and one without," Aamodt explained. "With 

ribs, you can smoke, grill, bake… they're so versatile. 

In the end, they're always kind of the same, but always 

awesome and very forgiving for less experienced cooks." 




Meat Jesus Prep Tips: 

BEEF 

I'm very impatient, so I'm a season right before I go on 

the grill kind of guy. The biggest piece of advice is just 

to pay attention to the grill, and to your meat. You've 

spent a lot of money on that meat, so don't ruin it. 

PORK 

Pork fat is so lusciously good. People forget about it 

too much. Everyone is all about burgers and steak, but 

don't forget about that lovely pork chop. They're easy. 

It's clean. You don't have to cook well-done anymore. 

Pork is safe. You can have some juice and not be 

worried about it as much anymore. 

and summer. I like to just put a big pad of butter and 

some salt, pepper, garlic in foil, let it cook, and simmer 

in that butter. Deep-fried shrimp? Who doesn't love it? 

Salmon is a low and slow. The fat in salmon is like a 

ribeye, you want it to melt down and keep that salmon 

moist. 

WILD GAME 

Buffalo jerky is totally phenomenal. I'd never tried it 

until I had started here. That said, my favorite wild 

game that I've gotten to eat is moose. It's easy to dry 

out, though, so keep an extra close watch on it. • 

POULTRY 

I love the bone. The bone-in chicken — thighs and 

legs — with BBQ sauce just rock. My go-to chicken 

dish is legs and thighs on the grill. I grew up on 

that. Chicken breast is so versatile, and I do love 

homemade chicken tenders with your own breading 

and hot sauce like boneless chicken wings. Also, 

get yourself some Two Gringos 'Chupacabra Rub'… I 

cut up any and all leftovers, throw that on and turn 

it into fajitas. 

FISH 

I'm a local river and fish guy. I grew up on Devils' 

Lake. That's what we did. Walleye and perch, winter 

"The biggest 

piece of advice 

is just to pay 

attention to 

the grill, and 

to your meat. 

You've spent a 

lot of money on 

that meat, so 

don't ruin it." 

- Jason Aamodt 



ocky mountain 

grilled t-bone steaks 

WITH CHARRO-STYLE BEANS 

This recipe tastes great over the campfire or on your grill at home. 

Pepper-rubbed T-Bone Steaks are served with flavorful Charro-style beans. 


COURTESY OF BEEFITSWHATSFORDINNER.COM 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 beef T-bone Steaks (1 inch thick) 

RUB 

• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 

• 1 teaspoon green peppercorns 

• 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns 

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt 

• 1/4 teaspoon white peppercorns 

• 3 juniper berries 

CHARRO BEANS 

• 1/2 pound pancetta, chopped 

• 1/2 cup diced onion 

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic 

• 1 can (15-1/2 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed 

• 1 can (10-1/2 ounces) no-salt added Mexican-style 

diced tomatoes 

• 2 fresh poblano chile peppers, fire-roasted, seeded, 

peeled and chopped 

• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth 

• 1 medium jalapeno pepper, diced 

• 1 tablespoon chili powder 

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 

• 1/2 teaspoon roasted ground coriander 

• 1/2 ounce 70% dark chocolate, broken into pieces 

COOKING 

1. Combine Rub ingredients in a spice grinder. Pulse on and 

off until grind has sand-like consistency. Set aside. 

2. Cook's Tip: You may substitute 1/8 teaspoon ground white 

pepper for 1/4 teaspoon white peppercorns. 

3. Preheat large cast iron skillet on medium-high heat for 5 

minutes. Add pancetta; cook 7 to 10 minutes until crisp, 

stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta; 

set aside. Pour excess oil from pan. Return same skillet to 

heat; add onion and garlic. Reduce heat to medium; cook 3 

to 5 minutes until onions are translucent, stirring often. Stir 

in pancetta, beans, tomatoes, poblanos, broth, jalapeno, chili 

powder, cumin and coriander. Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 

to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chocolate during last 

5 minutes of cooking; stir until combined. 

4. Meanwhile, press Rub evenly on steaks. Place steaks on 

grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 11 to 16 

minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 15 to 19 

minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, 

turning occasionally. Remove bones and carve steaks into 

slices. Serve with Charro Beans. 

5. Cook's Tip: To broil, place steaks on rack in broiler pan so 

surface of beef is 3 to 4 inches from heat. Broil 15 to 20 minutes 

for medium rare to medium doneness, turning once. Rest 5 to 

10 minutes before slicing off of bone. 


HAVING A BEER WITH | JIM BOULGER 

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

Jim Boulger isn’t your typical 

36-year-old guy. Hot dogs are his 

favorite cuisine. In high school, he 

jammed to movie soundtracks in his 

car. He also works at a funeral home. 

As the fourth-generation owner and 

licensed funeral director of Boulger 

26 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com 

Funeral Home in Fargo, Boulger has 

continued the legacy his ancestors 

started in 1897. Starting at the age of 

12, Boulger mowed the lawns of his 

father’s business, which eventually 

led to accompanying his dad on 

transfers and vacuuming the carpets 

and cleaning bathrooms in the 

funeral home (tasks he still does to 

this day). 

He wasn’t always certain he 

wanted to meander the funereal 

path of his predecessors, so he 

attended St. Thomas and earned 

a business management degree

Good Life: If you were to rename 

the word “coffin,” what would 

you call it? I heard one guy call it 

“a to-go box for the Lord.” 

Jim Boulger: Maybe an underground 

condominium. 

GL: If any animal could be as big 

as a horse, what animal would 

you choose? 

JB: An English bulldog. I own 

one and her name is Blanche. 

If she were bigger, it would be 

incredible. 

GL: Would it be intimidating to 

have her extra large? 

JB: No, you talk to her and she 

rolls on her back. Is that possible 

as a horse? 

GL: I think so. 

JB: Do they sleep standing up? 

GL: I think they can sleep standing 

up, but aren’t they usually like, 

“Ehhh,” and they kind of sleep 

shifted to one side of their hip like 

this? 

JB: I bet they make that sound too. 

As a kid horses never scared me, 

but now I’m old and they freak 

me out. Thinking about what I do 

for a living, people die in really 

strange ways, so that’s always my 

fear; I don’t want to be the funeral 

Meghan, attempting to 

recreate—from memory— 

the stance of a sleeping 

horse. She got it wrong. 

HA-HA! 

before graduating with a degree in 

mortuary science from the University 

of Minnesota. 

Fourteen years later, as we sat 

outside of Brewhalla in the heat 

of one of the hottest Fargo June 

evenings in memory, no regrets were 

in sight. We chatted about how being 

a funeral director is a good fit for him, 

how it certainly isn’t for everyone, 

how much he enjoys working with 

his dad, and what kind of animal he’d 

love to have transform into the size of 

a horse. 

THE GOOD LIFE / 27

director that was kicked in the head by a horse. Every time 

I’m doing something where I’m like, “Is this normal because 

if I die right now…” 

GL: If you could make up a national holiday, what would it 

be and how would you want people to celebrate? 

JB: My favorite food on the face of the earth is a Chicago hot 

dog. It has to be done right. So mine would be National Hot 

Dog Day. 

GL: What was the most scarring movie you ever watched 

as a child? 

JB: Oh, I can 100 percent tell you it was “Poltergeist.” To this 

day, I still sleep with a cover over my head with a little spot 

for breathing. I wish that wasn’t true, but it is. Everywhere I 

go I do it. My wife is like, “You do it so quickly,” and I’m like, 

“I’ve been doing it for 30 years.” My feet cannot be out of 

the bed because somebody will grab them. I’m convinced. I 

sleep with three comforters. I need to be cocooned. 

To this day, I still sleep with a cover over my 

head with a little spot for breathing.” 

GL: I definitely did that too with just a little breathing hole 

for my nose, so we have that in common. I don’t remember 

when I forced myself to stop. 


JB: I got a lot of crap in college from my buddies and 

I think they took a picture of me once, but I’m like, 

hey—I’m still here and I’m not haunted. 

GL: What’s your heat tolerance for spicy foods? 

JB: Absolutely nothing, but I’ll eat it and suffer. I 

remember the first date I went on with my wife. We 

were in St. Paul and I was trying to impress her, so I 

went to this Thai place acting like I knew what it was. 

I was sweating and she was like, “You look like you’re 

miserable,” and I was like, “I am, but I’m enjoying it.” 

I’ll never forget that. And now I’m 36 and on stomach 

medication. What’s going on? Am I 70? 

GL: In the event of an EMP where we lose all electrical 

power, what would be one of the old-school skills 

you would offer to people, besides your current 

occupation? 

JB: You’re asking me what talents I have, and, 

apparently, there aren’t a lot. 

GL: What skill would you decide to learn right away? 

JB: I’d have to learn how to make a fire right away. I 

order a lot of food, so I’d have to learn how to cook 

better. I can hunt and I’m a fairly good fisherman. I 

can negotiate fairly well, so if we’re bartering at 

that point I could do that. And I’m not squeamish 

on things, so if we need to do something, I’m okay, 

whatever that involves. 

GL: What’s one of your favorite memories as a kid? 

JB: My dad and I used to go to the Bitterroot 

Mountains in Montana and go fly-fishing every year. 

We’d spend a week or 10 days hiking and fly-fishing. 

We still do it. My dad’s getting a little older, but I want 

to keep going out there with him. 

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

JB: Having a family that loves and supports you, 

although the definition of “family” might not mean 

kids or a marriage to some people. The “good life” is 

doing what you like to do and being a good person 

while doing it. I like to think I make a difference. • 


LOCAL HERO | ANDREW NATHAN 


SERVING VETERANS 

WITH A PURPOSE 

Andrew Nathan Desires to Leave 

Everything on the Line 

WRITTEN BY: ALEXIS SWENSON 


Andrew (“Drew”) Nathan is an Employment Coordinator for the Fargo Veterans 

Affairs Department carrying out his personal life mission of serving others. 

After graduating college, Nathan enlisted in the Army. With three jobs to choose 

from, Nathan became an Intel Signals Analyst. His first assignment was serving in 

Korea for a year. Afterward, Nathan submitted his Officer Candidate School (OCS) 

packet and was selected for OCS in February 2001. 

During his Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course in Fort Benning, G.A., 9/11 took 

place. “Our Infantry Officer Basic instructors came out to tell us there was something 

happening. As infantry, we realized we were probably going to have to fight...in the 

Middle East. Training picked up exponentially after that,” said Nathan. 

Nathan was then required to complete further education. He passed Airborne School 

following his first attempt at Ranger School. Nathan was assigned to the 82nd Airborne 

Division as a Platoon Leader and was deployed to Afghanistan on January 2, 2003. 

Deployment 

From the moment their boots hit the ground, the 82nd was in continuous motion. They 

were responsible for finding weapons and capturing high value targets, putting the soldiers 

in constant danger. Due to the well-established network within country, capturing high value 

targets was complicated—oftentimes the platoon would arrive mere minutes after the target 

escaped. 

“In February we were told we’d been assigned a big mission to capture a very high value target. 

We didn’t know who we were getting. We linked up with a 2nd Ranger regiment and a Navy Seal 

team for a joint operation. We were getting ready for a combat air mission,” said Nathan. 

The platoon jumped on the night of February 25th, 2003 to provide security and secure the landing 

zone for the Navy Seal team. “We came to find out that the Navy Seals had captured the high value 



PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: ANDREW NATHAN 

target. We found out later the target 

was Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, 

the mastermind behind the 9/11 

attacks,” said Nathan. 

Nathan finished deployment in 

August 2003 and entered Ranger 

School again. “It was career ending 

to not pass Ranger School. I ended 

up graduating in February 2004 

which was a big accomplishment of 

my time in the military,” said Nathan. 

Getting Out 

Soon after graduation, Nathan 

completed a tour in Iraq and 

returned to the States exhausted. 

Nathan’s decision to leave the 

military was a difficult, but sure 

one. “I loved the military, but I 

was burnt out, so I decided to get 

out. One of the things that had me 

decide to get out was that I got 

engaged. I had two combat tours 


and made my goal of becoming an 

Airborne Ranger, what more do I 

need to do?,” said Nathan. 

He returned to North Dakota and 

married his now wife, Fara. Still, 

leaving a life of service completely 

was out of the question for Nathan. 

Within three months of leaving the 

military, Nathan began drilling on a 

“weekend-warrior” basis with the 

North Dakota National Guard. 

“I had a really hard time. I was 

dealing with a lot of issues along 

with being newly married and 

starting a whole new job. I didn’t 

know what was going on with my 

own self. If you don’t get help right 

away and aren’t using the resources 

that are available, it can be quite 

damaging. I had a really tough time, 

but I got some help through the 

V.A.,” said Nathan. 

National Guard Service 

Nathan held multiple jobs within 

the ND National Guard, but 

missed combat. When he had the 

opportunity to deploy with the 

Minnesota National Guard in 2009, 

he transitioned to the MN National 

Guard to complete a deployment in 

Iraq from 2009-2010. 

Nathan was tasked with helping 

establish a bazaar in Basrah, Iraq. 

“It helped create inter-connection 

between soldiers and Iraqis. There 

were camel rides, hookah bars, and 

a date palm tree—we called it ‘The 

Oasis’. We were supposed to be 

turning the country over and now 

the Iraqis would have established 

this business center. I had a little 

part in that,” said Nathan. 

Following that deployment, Nathan 

returned to the ND National

Guard with the Air Defense Artillery 

battalion in Grand Forks. His 

battalion was called to complete a 

domestic deployment in Washington 

D.C. Resulting from the 9/11 attacks, 

there are defenses established to 

defend against any further attack on 

the National Capital Region. Nathan’s 

battalion was the first ND National 

Guard unit to take a tour in Washington 

D.C. from 2013-2014. 

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: ANDREW NATHAN 

“I was the Operations Officer for that. It 

was a pretty cool thing how everything 

came around; I was involved in 

Afghanistan fighting the war on terror 

and then defended domestic soil,” said 

Nathan. 

Following this deployment, Nathan 

transitioned to the Army Reserve at 

Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He began 

instructing a Master’s level doctrine, 

strategic planning, military history, and 

leadership to Captains and Majors. 

Rounding out his last five years in the 

ND National Guard, Nathan instructed 

Command Staff before retiring August 

5, 2019 with the rank of Lieutenant 

Colonel. 

“In those 22 years, I sought every 

aspect of the military. I was fortunate. 

Not everybody gets these opportunities; 

I was just in the right place at the right 

time,” said Nathan. 

Patriot Assistance Dogs 

“I struggled really horribly with active 

duty to civilian transition although I 

was still a civilian. This part of me that 

was so ingrained in me for 22 years 

was gone. If you don’t bridge that or 

fill it with something else...that’s the 

wrong move. There’s a void,” said 

Nathan. 

This led Nathan to a conversation with 

longtime friend Ray Pizarro who is a 

board member and former client of the 

Patriot Assistance Dogs organization. 

Based in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, 

Patriot Assistance Dogs (PAD) provides 

highly trained, certified psychiatric 

service dogs to qualified U.S. Military 

veterans. The cost of training each dog 

is roughly $15,000-$20,000 and all 

donated monies go directly toward the 

dog and veteran selected. 



Learn more about Nathan’s ride across North Dakota: 

https://app.donorview.com/R9YeR 

Nathan and Pizarro decided to 

fundraise for PAD through a bike ride 

across North Dakota. Adrenaline 

junkie Nathan trained for the three 

day ride for a year with a goal of 

raising $50,000. The inaugural 

ride was August 7-9, 2020. Nathan 

biked while Pizarro provided 

support along the route. Nathan’s 

son, Jerod, also biked intermittently 

and provided coaching, water, and 

nutrition. 

While the original plan was to bike 

along Old Highway 10, between the 

stretches of unpaved and nonexistent 

road, Nathan and Pizarro adjusted 

their plan to make I-94 their primary 

route. 

“The last 25 miles was a downpour 

and tornado warning; it was looking 

like I’d have to end the ride and 

not accomplish the mission. I was 

getting a lot of road rash and was 

ripped up pretty bad. I ended up 

getting a flat tire and had to use 

my son’s tire to finish. I was in an 

incredible amount of pain, soaking 

wet, tired, and hungry,” said Nathan. 


It was all worth it when the final 

tally came in at nearly $30,000 

raised to support PAD. “I’m doing it 

for the idea that dogs help Veterans 

with their Traumatic Brain Injury, 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 

general adjustments, getting into 

the civilian world, being a healthy 

individual, and repairing their lives. 

I’ve seen how much these dogs help 

Veterans,” said Nathan. 

This year’s ride is August 13-14, 

2021—two days to bike roughly 370 

miles for a goal of raising $75,000. 

Anyone is welcome to bike alongside 

Nathan by joining at I-94 exits, but 

he’s especially hoping for more 

bikers on the last 22 miles from 

Casselton to Fargo. In Casselton, 

there is a planned stop at the 

Memorial Bridge. Those 22 miles 

honor the 22 service members 

who die by suicide each day (US 

Department of Veteran Affairs). 

“If I can get a bunch of Boy Scouts 

that ride with me to the end that 

would be great. Boy Scouts earn a 

merit badge for biking different mile 

levels. I have high expectations for 

this year and am hoping to get more 

people involved,” said Nathan. 

Nathan’s service would be empty 

without the consistent backing his 

wife, Fara, and son, Jerod, offer. “My 

wife is a saint. She’s been through 

two deployments where I haven’t 

been around and has put up with a 

very crazy schedule with me being in 

the military. She supports me 100%. 

I wouldn’t be able to do what I do if I 

didn’t have my family and community 

behind me,” said Nathan. 

The Good Life 

Nathan’s outlook is heavily informed 

by his faith. 

“The good life is being at peace with 

God and your fellow man. What 

are you doing to glorify God and 

help your fellow man? Especially 

in today’s world — everything’s so 

polarized. I’m not perfect at it, but 

I have a strong belief and purpose. 

I know that Jesus is Lord. Also, I 

enjoy a good single malt scotch,” 

said Nathan. •

The Good Life – July-August 2021

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