Monday, October 20, 2025
Good morning. It’s definitely looking like fall outside—cool air, color in the trees, and the sound of leaves crunching under tires. Although, in classic Midwest fashion, our A/C decided to kick on yesterday. Nothing like a blast of cold air to wake you up from a good nap. Only a few day ago, if I didn’t like the temperature in the house, I’d just grab my phone and adjust the thermostat.
Sunday, October 19, 2025
Good morning, all! I was watching the news and saw a story about a New Jersey high school that canceled its homecoming dance because of low ticket sales. That one made me stop and think. Low ticket sales? Wow. Back in the day, homecoming was a main event. Of course today, with social media and everybody being connected by technology these are very divergent experiences separated by 50 years. I started high school as a pretty shy kid—or at least that’s how I saw it.
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Good morning, blog readers. As we grow up, we watch people and we learn from them. Kids are like clay—molded by what they see and experience. We pick up good habits and not-so-good ones, and all of it—along with a little luck—helps shape who we become. A Bad Habit Learned Both my parents smoked, and at some point, I decided to sneak a cigarette from one of their packs. I must have been around 12 or 13.
Friday, October 17, 2025
Good morning, everyone! It’s the end of a quiet week, and yesterday I finally felt recovered from the marathon weekend. It’s was a good feeling to reach the afternoon and not need a nap. Although…I’ll admit I spent most of the morning reading in bed. Sometimes by the time I finish getting ready for the day, I’m already worn out, so I just stay upstairs and read for a couple of hours and recharge.
Thursday, October 16, 2025
Good morning. Happy Birthday, Mary Ann! 🎁🥳🎉 Looking ahead to next year—the Chicago Marathon is set for October 11, 2026. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Alex has already reached out to ALS United to lock in a spot. He’s got his sights set on breaking the 4-hour mark, which is a tough goal but absolutely doable. Now’s the time to commit! If you’re even thinking about running, send an email to Sarah Brandt at Sarah@alsunitedchicago.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Good morning everyone. Happy Birthday to my youngest brother, Nick! 🎉🥳🎁🍾 And…Happy Birthday to Trish Z! 🎁🥳👋🍾 Yesterday I was updating my Facebook page with some photos from the marathon. Between the Andy’s Army shirts and me sitting in a wheelchair, it became pretty clear that something had changed with my health. Within an hour, the questions started coming in—people asking why I was in a wheelchair. When I was diagnosed with ALS on August 13, 2024, it hit Cindy and me like a freight train.
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Good morning! We’re back home, and I feel as mentally and physically exhausted as I did after Alex and Nicole’s wedding last month. What a weekend! I owe many people thanks for making this year’s marathon such a huge success. Lis and Steve drove down from Minocqua to pick up Cindy and me in Crystal Lake and bravely took on Chicago traffic. They’re seasoned city drivers—years of experience in D.C. paid off.
Monday, October 13, 2025
Good morning, fans. It’s the day after the Chicago Marathon, and there’s so much to talk about—yet I hardly know where to begin. A year ago, four runners made a commitment to do something meaningful for me after my ALS diagnosis. That was no small challenge. You don’t just wake up one day and run a marathon—it takes months of training, early mornings, and sheer willpower. Yesterday, on a chilly, cloudless morning, this group lined up at the start—ready to put an exclamation point on their promise and give us all a day to remember.
Sunday, October 12, 2025
Good morning! It’s race day! The runners are up and on their way to the starting corrals. Now comes the classic marathon morning routine—hurry up and wait—trying to calm the nerves, fight off the chill, and make that final bathroom stop at the last possible moment. I keep thinking about a comment from last night’s ALS United dinner: “You have the opportunity to run where others cannot, so enjoy yourself out there and take in the whole experience.
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Good morning, blog readers and marathon participants. One day until the Chicago Marathon! Fundraising total for Andy’s Army stands at $58,902 — what an incredible achievement for this team. A big thank-you to our four runners — Nikki, Alex, Meghan, and Michael — for their commitment to run, and another heartfelt thank-you to everyone who’s donated to ALS United. How It All Began We were in St. Maarten last December when the kids first came up with the idea of running the Chicago Marathon.
Friday, October 10, 2025
Good morning—it’s Friday and marathon weekend! Who’s excited for all the runners? I am!! 🤗🤠 Fundraising total for Andy’s Army stands at $57,342. Nikki crossed the $30k mark yesterday. 🥳 The Moravian Star is back up after a six-month hiatus. These stars can only take so much abuse from Mother Nature. I’ve still got remnants of the last one dangling from the trees like metallic confetti—after four years, it finally disintegrated, and a few pieces are stuck too high to retrieve.
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Good morning, blog readers. Three days to go until the Chicago Marathon this Sunday! As of this morning, Andy’s Army has raised an incredible $56,422. Nicole is just $635 shy of $30,000—amazing. If you’d like to help her cross that milestone, just click on the hamburger icon (top right) and then tap 🎗️Fundraiser. I can’t say thank you enough for all this wonderful support. Yesterday, Mark B. and Fred came over to help hang the Moravian star.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Good morning, world! I love these mornings when the air is cool—but not cold—and I can turn on the fireplace. It makes for a cozy spot to sip my hot black coffee and think about life. The other day Marilyn said how much she enjoys reading the blog and it’s part of her morning ritual, as I’ve heard many tell me. She asked me if I would keep writing. It’s a question I ask myself often.
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Good morning blog readers Five days until the Chicago Marathon! I suspect a few of our runners are feeling that mix of excitement and nerves… I know I am—and I’m not even running. Donations for ALS United are still coming in at an incredible pace. I’ve seen posts on Facebook and Instagram popping up everywhere—it’s all working! As of this morning, Andy’s Army has raised $54,567. That number takes my breath away.
Monday, October 6, 2025
Good morning, blog readers. I’ve been making a real effort to increase my formula feedings lately…I’ve just missed too many of them. I simply can’t get enough calories eating by mouth. It’s not that I don’t enjoy food—though it’s no longer the hedonistic pleasure it once was—it’s that I rarely feel hungry. Eating has become something I have to do, not something that is triggered by hunger pains. I’m hovering around 140 pounds now, which means getting enough calories each day is critical.
Sunday, October 5, 2025
Good morning all. One week to the Chicago Marathon!! 🏃♀️🏃♂️ Last Thursday I reached out to my medical team at the ALS clinic to get myself ready for race day. There will be crowds everywhere, and finding a restroom when I need it is going to be a challenge. I have what I call an excitable bladder—and when it signals it’s time to go, the countdown usually starts at “10, 9, 8…” before all systems are go.
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Good morning. A couple of days left of mid-summer weather and then we’ll finally cool off for the marathon. Temps are looking good for both runners and spectators. Whew! These 90° days just don’t belong in October. The Andy’s Army shirts have all been claimed. I’m still waiting for the second run to be completed—it’s going to be close to race day before they’re ready, but I’ll keep you posted.
Friday, October 3, 2025
Good morning! Here I am once again, sitting in the quiet solitude of the early morning with the ticking of the clock and the owl conversation outside. I’m overcome with emotions of thanks and love and salty tears stinging my eyes. Boy those tears really sting. Yesterday, Andy’s Army blew past the $50k mark in fundraising for the Chicago Marathon. That number stopped me in my tracks. Our four runners—Nikki, Alex, Meghan, and Michael—have raised nearly double the next closest team… and we still have 9 days to go.
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Good morning, Andy’s Army! The Andy’s Army t-shirts are slowly making their way out the door. Yesterday we dropped off and mailed a big batch, so if you live more than 30 miles away, yours is on the way. Most of you should have shirts in hand by this weekend—except for the new orders from Tuesday. We still have about seven extras in various sizes, and no, attending the marathon is not required to wear one.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Good morning! Andy’s Army is inching closer to $50k for ALS United—less than $2,000 to go. Every little bit helps, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Yesterday, Cindy and I went to lunch at Lindy’s Landing in Wauconda, meeting up with Deb S.—a longtime running and triathlon friend—and Kim (yes, my former wife). It had been years since I’d connected with Deb. Back when I moved to Crystal Lake and was commuting to Florida for work, our paths just drifted apart.