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Personal note to Dj ... 20 years later ... keep up the good work!

Boston for Beds!

It's April 4th ... and Spring should be in the air. Instead, newly fallen snow blankets Minnesota ... and Molly is slipping over the pavement on a final training run for the Boston Marathon which is two weeks hence. However, as Molly (my wife) moves towards Patriot's Day and her 26.2 mile jaunt, running the final yards will be just a tiny bit easier for her than for most competitors.

You may ask why? The answer is simple ... what began with a trip to China, Loppets for Lingyun, continued with Rich's Birkebeiner K's for Kids, will finish via Molly's Boston for Beds. The end result will be a new school dorm up in the mountains of Southern China near the Vietnamese border.

Take three minutes and watch our video ... then donate. Contributions to the China Tomorrow Education Foundation are tax deductible in the USA (full report).

Donate via PayPal ... even a $25 donation helps!

Boston for Beds Video (3 minutes in duration)

Note: Click on the screen icon to view full sized (bottom right corner)

One Armed Skier Builds Dorm in China!

My first of three "Kilometers for Kids" cross-country ski races start this Sunday with the City of the Lakes Loppet. Due to a recent ski injury that saw me break my thumb and tear a ligament, I will compete minus one ski pole (i.e. I can't hold anything with my left hand). Although this will slow me down significantly, and cause me problems going uphill ... I can't let the kids down. Contributions to the China Tomorrow Education Foundation are tax deductible in the USA (full report).

Donate via PayPal ... even a $10 donation helps!

Here are two photos of me ... cast and all. In addition, you may wish to watch this YouTube Video Report of last year's Loppet. After all ... have you ever seen skijouring (dogs pulling cross-country skiers ... another much shorter event)
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A Nerd's Dorm Rises in China

Two days ago I was feeling sorry for myself. A New Year's Eve day cross-country ski injury had left me with a broken bone in my thumb and a torn ligament. I had planned to ski three long distance ski races this Winter (25 to 52 kilometers) to finish raising the money for a dorm my wife Molly and I are trying to build in the mountains of southern China near Vietnam (LingYun).

Instead I was taught a lesson in humility when by chance yesterday photographs of the dorm's construction process arrived . I thought ... who cares how fast I ski ... one armed cross-country skiing will still get me to the finish line. Thus, broken bones, torn ligaments and all ... please sponsor me in my Kilometers for Kids Project. Help me and the dorm reach the finish line! The races will take place in February ... and hopefully we can achieve our fund raising goal by March 1st!

Take two minutes and watch the video I created ... then donate. Contributions to the China Tomorrow Education Foundation are tax deductible in the USA (full report).

• Report Date: February 25, 2009
• Money Raised: $6,067
• Goal - $7,500

Donate via PayPal ... even a $10 donation helps!

LingYun Video (2 minutes in duration)

Merry Christmas from the Northstar Nerd

Today I post my blog holiday card, and use the artwork of a friend, He Qi. Two years ago I said this about He Qi: (more about The Artist)

While I was growing up in Minnesota during the 1960's, and worrying about the fortunes of my favorite Minnesota Twins baseball players, He Qi was being "re-educated" by the Chinese. He Qi was considered an "undesirable" due to his Christian faith, and was sent into the Chinese country side to learn proper thought. The local authorities learned of his artistic ability, and he was given the task of painting portraits of Chairman Mao. By night, he painted the Madonna.

I own two different large silk prints including the Nativity shown below, which hangs in a place of honor in my home. My other print is Finding Moses (more on the Silk Print Style |detail). I like how He Qi combines Chinese folk art and bible stories.

Thus, Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays. Please pause to reflect about what is truly important this Christmas season. My little attempt to try and make the world better is in southern China.