Thursday, July 3, 2025 – Day 324

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Good morning!
 Today marks the start of Crystal Lake’s 4th of July celebration.

There’s a festival here every weekend this time of year, and this one kicks off today. Like most local fests, it’s pricey, hot, crowded, loud…and carries that unmistakable summer funk. Must be the porta-potties, since there aren’t any petting zoo animals for the kids to torment.

It’s also a sentimental day for Cindy and me. Twenty years ago, we got engaged at this very festival. So despite my hesitation, we’ll try to swing by early…before the crowds (and chaos) descend. I’m a little wary, mostly because some of these fests attract rowdy types who seem more interested in making noise than memories. Hopefully I’m wrong. I mean, they wouldn’t mess with a harmless old guy in a wheelchair… right?

Maybe I’ll decorate the wheelchair with flags and streamers…channel my inner 8-year-old from Waukegan. We used to deck out our bikes and ride in the 4th of July parade back in the late ’60s. Those were good days. Simpler times. No one cared if your streamers didn’t match your outfit. It was all about the bike.

Yesterday, we had dinner at the Balasi’s. Maria and Nathan are in town from California for a wedding in Davenport, IA. We sat outdoors in the hot temps…probably too warm, but it’s summertime and being outside is what it’s all about this time of year. Mark grilled up smash burgers, and they totally hit the spot. I don’t think I’ve had a homemade one since last summer. Yum.

That said, eating is definitely getting trickier. Unless I take baby-sized bites and chew slowly, I have a tough time managing both the chewing and the swallowing. It’s frustrating…it steals a little of the joy from eating. But I’m adapting.

The upside? The tube feedings are going great. I’ve got the hang of it now, and I’m not having any trouble tolerating them. That gives me peace of mind knowing I’m getting the nutrition I need. I’m probably closing in on 2,100 calories a day…maybe more. Time to step on a scale and see if it’s paying off. Fingers crossed that the needle’s heading north.

One last win for the day: our new custom cabinet for the guest bath was installed yesterday. Solid hickory, beautiful craftsmanship, and best of all…it was delivered, installed, and nearly free. As they were packing up, they asked if there was anything else we needed. Well, since you asked…Cindy mentioned she’d been looking for a smaller coffee table. One of the guys glanced at our existing solid cherry one and said, “Why not just shrink this one?” He took it with him at noon and brought it back by 5:00 p.m., perfectly resized. Incredible service, gorgeous work, and we repurposed furniture we already had. One less thing to shove into the overcrowded basement. Let’s just hope we don’t get a tornado warning anytime soon…there might not be room for all of us down there.

Too bad they’re retiring and closing the shop for good. No one’s stepping up to take it over. Seems to be a recurring story these days…no one wants to learn a trade or do this kind of work anymore. We were lucky to find them when we did. Now I just need to think fast about anything else we might want while they’re still taking small jobs.

Have a great Thursday, everyone.

Love you guys! ❤️