Friday, June 13, 2025 – Day 304

Friday, June 13, 2025

Good morning.
It’s Friday the 13th! 😱🫣

This date always reminds me of the last time I intentionally watched a horror movie. Flashback to WIU in 1978—I went to see the debut of Halloween. This movie , along with The Exorcist and Psyco, put me so on edge I swore off the entire psycho-killer genre. I still dislike taking showers which use shower curtains. On our new bath shower, I asked Cindy to get a clear shower curtain so I could at least see somebody lurking with a big knife in hand. Totally irrational, I know.

Heck, even the serial killer details in John Sandford’s Prey series push me to my limit—I find myself skimming those parts with one eye closed. What can I say… I’m a wuss. I admit it unashamedly.

Switching gears… As part of making the guest bathroom wheelchair-accessible, we had to remove the vanity—along with all its built-in storage.

At the moment, there’s zero storage in there. Cindy has been hunting for a wall cabinet to mount above the toilet for the past couple of months. Sounds simple, right? Not so much. We ordered a couple of cabinets online, and both were completely misrepresented—poorly and cheaply constructed. It took no debate to reject them and return to sender.

So Cindy made an executive decision (and I nodded in full agreement, as any smart husband would): it was time to find a cabinet maker. Easier said than done. Turns out, getting a custom piece built—just one cabinet—meant visiting multiple shops that weren’t interested in such a small project.

Then on Tuesday, we got a break. Cindy found a shop that might be able to help… but they were closing permanently…in two weeks and weren’t taking new orders. Undeterred, she told the on-site carpenter our backstory. Somehow, she convinced him to pass our request on to the owner for consideration.

The next day, the shop owner called back. He had learned about my ALS from the carpenter—and agreed to take on the project and could we stop by and work out the details. Our lucky day.

We just happened to be out running errands, so we stopped by the shop to iron out the details. The guy was fantastic. Within 30 minutes, we’d finalized the design and chosen the wood. No deposit. No paperwork. Just a good old-fashioned handshake agreement. If it doesn’t work out, we’re back to square one (or IKEA), but I’m hopeful. And if it does work out, we’ll have a beautiful custom piece in a week or two—no Allen wrenches required.

Switching gears again… Yesterday afternoon was our monthly visit to See Hop’d Brewery. Mark and I are founding club members (#1 and #2!). As part of the membership, we each get a free 4-pack every month, so we’re obligated to go 12 times a year.

It was a beautiful 80° day, so we sat outside and brought Bear along. When we arrived, a cool breeze greeted us—cool enough that it felt almost chilly—so we huddled into a protected corner table to find relief from the wind. It was too late to bail and indoors was off-limits…no dogs allowed.

Per usual, we had enough snacks to feed a small army, but I was craving something warm, so I grabbed some BBQ—macaroni and brisket—from the food truck. It hit the spot… and I have leftovers for breakfast. After our two-beer limit and claiming our free 4-pack, we headed home. My walking each time we head home, is slightly more challenging than the last time. We may have to load the walker or wheelchair for the next visit.

The rest of the day was quiet—perfect for reading or just unwinding. I dove into Certain Prey, which arrived Tuesday. I’ve been trying to keep up a daily reading rhythm to maintain momentum through this 35-book series… which will become 36 books in 2026.

Then, out of the blue, without any prompting, book #11 (Easy Prey) arrived yesterday. When I opened the envelope, I was hoping to see a clue inside… but just a single book fell out. That was a bummer. I’d love some hints on who this anonymous sender could be!

So I’m covered on reading material for a few more days. And with the U.S. Open happening this weekend, you can bet I’ll be watching plenty of golf in between chapters.

Have a great weekend and Happy Father’s Day!

Love you guys!❤️