I've been staring at the instructions were it says tell your story trying to think How to start this and if it was my story , "well my brother would probably be making one tomorrow to bail me out of Jail. " The hardest part of my Dad's passing is that I never thought it would include having to use a Facebook fundraiser to ask for help not only for my Dad who many of you knew as "Pappa Bear", but ask for help for me and my little BIG brother. Someone once told me it's the North Wind That makes The Viking. The Wind that tries to push you backwards no matter how hard you row.
Well Papa Bear We Are Almost There is me trying to take my own advice. I didn't get to give my Dad much advice on life because when it came to life lessons my Father Phil Nielsen was a Man full of both life and lessons. What made these lessons so special was that you didn't learn them from listening to him. You learned them from watching him. There are so many lessons like he always showed up early = Life Lesson "If your five minutes early your late." His biggest one's were honesty and hard work = life lesson " The only two things you can judge a man by are his word and work ethic." So if you know me you know that I struggled with addiction which and honesty and but I have always been a hard worker . I used to think I worked hard enough I only had two show up to work about 3 to 4 days A week. I think my Dad fired me twice, but just like APL was always there for him and believe me he was always there for APL as well. Arizona Pipeline was a second home for Pops, My Brother and Me. A place where crews became friends and to my Father they were Family. I would see my Dad turn what we call Crew's into what he thought of as Family ge had a gift he could make Anyone anywhere feel like the most important person on a jobs site . He was a leader abd did it not through fear but through love and respect. He did it at A place where he could turn young men into Grown Men. A bunch of Rag Tag, Misfits, Felons, Outlaws and Outcasts who have been kicked out of and 86ed from most if not all places where they used to hold the famous APL Christmas Party or Royal Rumble as I liked to call it. It wasn't perfect but it was family. I probably have more Uncles, Brothers and Father Figures because of my APL family then any man on earth. My Dad built his legacy at work and at home because from the first day APL opened up that Gate my Dad was there to do right by his family not just us but many of you reading this know him as Papa Bear. That might not sound like much of a legacy but to him it meant the world.
Well we are almost there after 3 months of setbacks and promises made by family not APL family but those other people. Me and My Brother have been rowing against The North Wind fighting to stay afloat, because of finances that are there but we can't touch because someone didn't fulfill an obligation as Power of Attorney. I've tried every avenue to get information, pay what bills I could and most of all keep this house which was the most important final wish he had was don't lose the house. The house were he made so many memories and he was a simple man but he always wanted to get a pool And he got that pool, and many of his best memories were made in our around that pool or in our around a bunch of Family Wearing Bright Orange Shirts. None of that compared to the memories he made with his favorite person in the world she called him Papa and she was the reason he fought to get up and out of bed every morning for probably the past 5 years. So no matter what me abd Dillon will never stop rowing. So I'm asking for help we need people to help us row this boat to shore because I didn't put my pride aside like I would tell my Dad he needed to do a he began to get worse and worse because he was always ok. Ok means I'm hurting and don't want to be a burden and a burden he was not. So because of pride and not taking my own advice and asking for help sooner the bills are turning into warnings and I refuse to stop rowing because we are so close. The Death Certificate and Dad's ashes are at the Mortuary and I sold my truck that my brother bought me from APL for I think 800 bucks for 1,100 so we could go pick him up. Now that we have what we need. I'm asking for anyone who wants to grab a paddle and help row this boat home please hop on in and help us make it home and it hurts to ask is what my pride says but pride aside I know that if I just ask abd he open abd honest I could probably raise a million because the people I know who will hop in this boat would row with us for my Dad as Lombard as it took. The reason I put $7,777 is what I like to raise is my Dad would rarely drink but when he did it was 7and 7 abd I thought if everyone was able to buy my Dad a 7 and 7 right now they definitely would. So instead of a drink it's a bill but we have to give it a shot . I know times are rough and money is tight so I'm asking you to do this if you have enough for you and your family first. I'm also asking that everyone who can share this please do so with as many as you can and prayer is always welcome no matter what religion you are or aren't. Thank you all in advance I know we will be alright. With love the Two Nielsen Boys Cody " CodeRed" & Dillon "The Big Show." NIELSEN.