Author Archives: Griff Wigley

This Real Joe blog has been dormant since 2008. It’ll remain so until there’s a new blog and radio show/podcast to take its place.

There was a tragic story in last weekend’s Strib, Tragedy follows invitation to prayer, about the Rev. Kyle Lake, a minister who accidentally electrocuted himself as he launched a 30-day campaign at his church based on the book, Suprise Me: … Continue reading →

Five years ago this week, my dad died of miscellaneous complications from a hospital visit. Today is the 25th anniversary of John Lennon’s death. Julian Lennon has a statement on the diary/blog page of his website that includes this: He … Continue reading →

My wife and I were volunteers for this event, the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration’s National Guard Appreciation Run on Harriet Island in St. Paul. (She works for the company. See the coverage in the Star Tribune: Runners linked by love and … Continue reading →

Kent Nerburn is a book author who I’ve helped become a blogger. His books have made a difference in my life – as a father, a husband, a citizen, a man. He’s been to Northfield a couple of times to … Continue reading →

I’m heading to the Mayo Clinic’s St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester later this afternoon. My motorcycle buddy Jim Douglas and I are paying a visit to Jon Harmsen who was severely injured in a cycle accident about a month ago. … Continue reading →

No, no that SOS. I mean “shot of solitude” SOS which I wrote an essay about 4 years ago (blog post is still us but not the essay.) One of my Wigley and Associates‘ weblog clients is Eden Prairie Police … Continue reading →

I started this weblog over four years ago, part of a plan to make Real Joe into a media property, on a par with other big web content sites. The dotcom collapse took care of that, as well as my … Continue reading →

I’m in Duluth for the US round of the World Trials Championship, taking photos and blogging for the organizers. I did this two years ago but this time it’s a paid gig for my Wigley and Associates business — the … Continue reading →

Ever had your sperm count checked? I did, waaaay back 29 years ago or so when we were trying to get pregnant the first time. We tried the Symptothermal Method to no avail and the next step was for me … Continue reading →

Real Live Preacher, anonymous for 18 months, announced his true identity this week: Gordon Atkinson, pastor of Covenant Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas. But the bigger revelation to me was that last week he announced he was cutting way … Continue reading →

I competed in the first observed trials event of our club’s season over the weekend… and I finished both days, the first time since last July when a small plague of Uncategorized aches and injuries descended upon my not-yet-geezerly-by-god body. … Continue reading →

Last Thursday morning, I woke up after having a very vivid dream that Dru Sjodin’s body had been found. It was so startlingly real that I immediately wondered if I’d read about it online the night before… or if I … Continue reading →

Yesterday I was standing at the return counter at Best Buy and the guy examining the digital camera I was bringing back on the exact 14th day since I bought it looks up and says to me, “You’re a couple … Continue reading →

I watched the final round of the Masters last weekend and couldn’t help but notice how Phil Mickelson kept smiling. It wasn’t just after a good shot, either. He often kept a smile on his face the entire time while … Continue reading →

David Brooks is turning out to be one of my favorite columnists. His column on the Pledge of Allegiance One Nation, Enriched by Biblical Wisdom is but one example: The lesson I draw from all this is that prayer should … Continue reading →

I enjoyed Mitch Albom’s first book, Tuesdays With Morrie. But a few months ago, halfway through his second, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, I gave up and returned it to the library. I couldn’t quite put my finger … Continue reading →

We finally got away for our 30th wedding anniversary last weekend — a mere two months late. We went to our current nearby favorite bed and breakfast, the Thorwood Inn in Hastings and stayed in a room called the Annie … Continue reading →

I’ve started reading a self-hypnosis book. I suggested to Robbie a couple of weeks ago that she might try hypnosis as another tool for dealing with her severe tinnitus. It turns out that one of the authors, Kevin Hogan, lives … Continue reading →

I’d read something recently on the Putting Family First weblog about the importance of just enjoying your kids, playing with them for the sheer pleasure of it, rather than with the primary motive of teaching or improving them. Or maybe … Continue reading →

I’ve got a new post to Ego Orgasms titled Mental Arm Candy. I don’t know whether this kind of advice-giving is appropo or not. I have a couple of quotes relevant to it that I read several times each week. … Continue reading →

I got a thumbs-up on my knee from my orthopede on Friday. He doesn’t want me playing competively because the knee isn’t quite ready to absorb impact from someone who runs into me. But the since the likelihood of that … Continue reading →

A guy I just met a week ago told me yesterday that he’s active in AA and has been sober for many years. He’s been divorced a long time and began telling me about his dating struggles. He said he … Continue reading →

I’m always a little surprised when I get into a funk and don’t seem to notice it for a few hours. I keep thinking I’ve gotten to a point where as soon as I’m bothered, I’ll realize it and take … Continue reading →