Friday, August 15, 2025 – Day 367

Friday, August 15, 2025

Good morning — it’s Friday, which means it’s time to kick off a party weekend.

🎉 Happy Birthday to my brothers, Tim and Tom, who are turning 66 today! Can’t wait to see you tonight for another “triplet birthday” celebration.

Yesterday, I met up with my NIU college crew. We all live just far enough apart that getting together takes some effort… except for Kathy and Gary, who are practically down the street in Crystal Lake. Alter Brewing in St. Charles was our meeting spot. Sue and Dave came in from Indiana, Robyn and Jim from Dixon. No one had a short drive — in fact, a few spent more time on the road than at the table — which says everything about how special these friendships are.

These college bonds run as deep as my high school ones. We’ve got enough shared stories to fill a multi-volume set…and we’re still learning new things about each other. We’ve partied at weddings (ours and our kids’), navigated a couple of divorces (always a challenge for the seating chart), and now we’re celebrating our children heading down the aisle.

The best part? We’ve stayed young at heart …quick to laugh at ourselves, slow to judge, and always ready with a hug. Friends like this? You hold on tight.

ALS has added its own… unique hurdles. Walking’s tougher, talking takes effort, and tears have taken up permanent residence in my emotional carry-on. So I’m grateful for the patience, love, and literal helping hands that kept me upright yesterday.

Special shout-out to Dave for escorting me to the men’s room. Unlike my high school friend Bill — who offered “full service” — Dave made it clear I was on my own once I crossed the threshold. Still, he waited until I was done, zipped (or in my case, reconnected the magnets), and sanitized. Thanks, buddy.

Jim also followed us in — maybe as backup, maybe as the official photographer, maybe both. I guess there’s an unwritten rule that if you head to the restroom in a group, three is the minimum. Either way, it’s good to know they had my back…and that’s exactly where they stayed…in the back.

We packed three hours with laughs, love, and hugs. I had just enough voice left to say goodbye and thank them for an afternoon that filled my tank. Thanks for picking up lunch — and for decades of friendship that somehow keeps getting better.

Have a great Friday, everyone.
Love you guys! ❤️

p.s. Thanks Robyn for cutting up my food into bite size pieces. Anything that keeps me from choking…I welcome the help.