Monday, August 18, 2025 – Day 370

Monday, August 18, 2025

Good morning, Andy’s Army!
New week, new chances—let’s see what it brings.

We closed out the birthday marathon last night with Barb and Mark, plus Kristen and Geoff, who made the trek from the city. Dinner was at The Assembly in Hoffman Estates, a place that’s been around since 1978 and hasn’t changed a lick since. Same booths, same wallpaper… pretty sure the server was original issue, too. The food hit the spot, but honestly, just sitting back with family after a string of celebrations was the real treat. Just a nice easy conversation.

This birthday will stick with me. The cards piled higher than ever, the hugs were strong enough to recharge my batteries, and the messages—wow—were as uplifting as they were humbling. Thank you, all of you. The balloons are parked right in front of my writing chair, so every time I glance up, I’m reminded of the love. The leftovers in the fridge are also doing their part. I’ve got enough food stockpiled to ride out the week without asking Cindy “what’s for dinner?”

Remember the power chair that broke down on Thursday? Tim and I poked around trying to identify the cause, but it was beyond us. Yesterday I flipped it on out of curiosity…and boom, everything worked perfectly. No error codes, no complaints, just smooth sailing. Apparently it has a self-healing feature. Im happy things are working because I was still waiting to hear from the account manager on a fix. Not the most comforting silence.

Meanwhile, Alex finally wrapped up his wedding ring project. His first attempt at soldering didn’t go so well (think “circle…ish”), but he found a goldsmith in Highwood who let him join in the process. After six months of trial and error, the rings are finished…and they’re beautiful. Chalk it up as proof that sometimes you just need the right tool… and someone who actually knows what they’re doing.

Now, onto the less shiny part of the weekend: fall #13. Lucky? Nope. I was trying to help Cindy by cleaning the bathroom…figured I’d give her a break since she already does everything else. I sprayed down the sink, reached out to steady myself, and my hands slid off the vanity like I was trying to grab a greased pig. Down I went, tailbone first, with a thud that rattled the walls and brought Cindy running. The pain in my backside had me convinced something cracked. I stayed put, did a quick inventory, and thankfully nothing was broken…just me and my pride.

With Diane from PT whispering instructions in my head, Cindy and I managed the “how to get up without breaking your caregiver” routine. Slow and steady, gait belt in hand, and I was back on the couch soon enough. Pride heals… eventually. Bones? Not so forgiving.

Lesson learned: my version of “careful” isn’t cutting it. From now on, the rollators upstairs and down will be my constant companions. I may ache, but I dodged another bullet…and I’ll take that win.

Here’s to a Monday may it be without falls, failures, or fractures. 
Love you guys! ❤️