Yukon Ho!

Yesterday, I talked with my former roommate, Andy, for the first time since he married Helen last fall. It was really nice to get caught up.

While we were talking, I recognized an interesting trend with my closest friends: they have all married foreign women! Branden married Ronel (South Africa), Andy married Helene (France), and Mike married V. Although Victoria is a US citizen, she is the only one in her family to be born outside of the UK and Mike did propose in Scotland—so I think the pattern fits. Bottom line: I need to look abroad.

For those that seem every bit as interested in my love life as I am…I still have feelings for the girl I mentioned in my last post. But alas, she is from Kansas.


Seattle 1992 with my cousins Lindsey and Nicolas. Today is Lindsey's 16th birthday! Happy Sweet 16, Kid!

Perspectives...

This semester I am taking the Perspectives class. I am really enjoying it! A number of my friends have already taken the course while others are taking it for the first time along with me.

We had a great speaker from the Traveling Team speak and his message was right on target. Actually, I should say, His message was right on target! Even so, it was someone I saw tonight that my friends will be wanting to talk about. Someone I didn't think I would ever see again.

Humphrey Bogart could not have put it any better when he said, "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”

Prayers would be very much appreciated.

ps—Avs won tonight!

Northwoods 1937

In the history of the Northwoods, 1937 is one of those years that stands out. 1937 was the year that the infamous Paul and Babe statues were unveiled in Bemidji. Equally important (from my perspective), it was also the year that Grandpa and Grandma were married. Both of my grandparents had worked in the logging camps of northern Minnesota: Grandpa was a lumberjack and Grandma was the camp cookie. It is because of them that I decided to do my research on Paul and Babe.

Why bring this up today? Because today is my grandma’s birthday! In addition to wishing her a happy birthday, I would also like to thank her for all the (wild) blueberry pancakes topped with homemade maple syrup that I have devoured over the years. To this day, Grandma still makes sure that I am treated to this every time I visit. Lucky for me, my research requires me to make frequent trips to the Northwoods.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Roy and Gladys Snyder

"It's time to get up!"

While on Christmas break at my parents’ house my nephew, Magnus, took it upon himself to wake me. Unfortunately for me, Magnus is an early riser. So as the sun was breaking the distant eastern horizon and the new day’s light slowly melted the frost from the needles of the Ponderosa, Magnus entered onto the warpath.

The young dunedin began his attack by slowly cracking open my bedroom door, being sure not to vent a whisper so as to avoid detection…and then promptly rushed my bed and jumped on me meeting me face to face and excitedly proclaiming, “Uncle John! It’s time to get up!”

Love that kid.



Magnus training for upcoming World’s Strongest Man competitions (1st Birthday)