rad dad

people might be surprised to know I...

Was quiet, shy and at times painfully self conscience the first 20 or so years of my life. Those that knew me then would likely be surprised at how much more outgoing I have become.

i love my profession because...

Like most healthcare professionals, the personal satisfaction of helping people each day is what drives me. I meet so many wonderful people each day and being able to help them out of pain and teach them how to avoid re-aggravating their injury or condition is very rewarding. I rarely consider what I do a job; it is part of who I am and I enjoy going to work each day.

one of the first things about my wife that I fell in love with was...

What’s not to love...beautiful, smart, funny…she is so alive and energetic in everything she does in her life. I can’t even remember all the times where we have been in a social gathering [family, friends, colleagues, strangers, you name it, it doesn’t matter] and things have started to lull, become awkward or even uncomfortable and the next thing you know she has the entire room fully engaged in some conversation or activity saving the day.

the most challenging thing about having four kids is...

Without question time management. Balancing my time between seeing patients, running the business aspect of my office, and meeting the individual needs of Kari and each of the kids is at times nearly impossible. I always feel like I’m short changing someone.

the most completely perfect day I could imagine would consist of...

This question is written like the back cover of a romance novel. You are not going to trick me into giving some sappy, dreamy Harlequin answer. Nope, I’m not going to do it. But, here is a great day in my book: a Sunday afternoon at our house with my family including my parents, my brothers and all forms of in-laws, nieces and nephews. All are wearing purple. Great food is on hand—picture chips, chile con queso and grilled bratwursts rolled in lefse. Vikings win. Packers lose. The End. I’m getting a joyous tear in my eye just thinking about it.

the TV show I can’t miss...

Well, let’s say I miss a lot of TV these days. I try to catch the Twins games if possible and I record “Meet the Press” to watch later when I get a chance.

if a date night is on the schedule, my wife and I...

My first reaction is, “what’s a date night? This term seems foreign but feels oddly familiar too.” I conferred with Kari and she also had a sense that date night should be proverbial, but its meaning may have been lost over time under sedimentary layers of various basketball, volleyball and baseball games/practices, band and choir concerts and typical childhood illnesses. Dusting off ancient tombs to research our past we found references to locations where quiet uninterrupted dinners for two were traditional.

my kids would say I...

Was goofy and funny.

my definition of a rad dad...

That has to define just about any dad in 2009 doesn’t it? Watching old reruns of “Leave it to Beaver” I have a hard time believing that Ward Cleaver’s approach is a true example of what fatherhood was like in the 1950’s, but if it was, we are all rad dads now.

something else you should know about me...

I have been brewing beer at home for 10 years and love the whole process from choosing the type and quantity of malted grains, hops and yeast, to the chemistry behind the mashing process, and hop extraction of the boil. “Quality not Quantity” is the motto of our brewery. As an added benefit if you make beer and give it away for free you are never short of friends.