Friday, November 21, 2025 – Day 465

Friday, November 21, 2025

Good morning, everyone.

We had some of my high school friends over yesterday. We had to switch things up a bit—big restaurants and big groups are tough for me to navigate these days—so the crew made the long trek from Lake County out to edge-of-suburbia Crystal Lake. And they didn’t come empty-handed. Ric, Cathy, Bill, Monica, Carrie, and Chrissy arrived with the full dinner spread: appetizers, salad, homemade lasagna, and dessert. How nice is that?

They rolled in around 2:30 p.m., and Cindy’s sister Barb joined us too. Mark stayed home to keep tabs on their lovable dog Roxie who is getting up in years.

It didn’t take long before wine corks started popping, glasses were filled with generous pours, and the whole house warmed up with laughter—my favorite background music.

I spent the evening tucked by the fire, avoiding any unnecessary laps around the house. My body was a little tender from the previous day’s massage and maybe still a bit bruised from my bathroom fall. No big deal… everyone doted on me, which I never mind.

Earlier in the day, Cindy and Barb baked shortbread cookies and turned the dining room table into a fully equipped decorating station. We’ve done this in past years, and it’s always a blast. This is coming from a guy who nearly failed third-grade art—you really do have to try it to appreciate the fun.

At one point, I pulled Chrissy aside for a long-overdue backgammon rematch. I’ve been quietly holding onto the memory of the beating she gave me… oh… 35 or 40 years ago. We sat down, I made the opening move, and slowly I boxed her in on my home court. I even took one of her stones and thought I had the perfect trap set. I left one piece vulnerable—just one—and she got a fortuitous roll, knocked me off the board, and the tables turned quickly. Long story short, she tossed double sixes to slice right through my blockade. Knife to the heart. Game over. I declined a rematch. Some things simply aren’t meant to be. Congratulations, Chrissy… you still reign.

Everyone sat down to homemade lasagna except me. I didn’t have an appetite, so I stuck with my formula feeding like the nutritionist ordered. It still feels strange how ALS takes away the desire to eat—one of its weirder tricks.

After dinner, I needed to use the bathroom but avoided the downstairs one—I swear it has a voodoo spell on it. That’s where my last two falls happened.

So I headed upstairs using the chair lift like always. At the top, I stepped onto the landing and reached for the rollator. Right then a head rush hit me, and my vision went dark for a split second. I missed the handle, my balance went sideways, and when I took a step my sock slipped on the hardwood. The rest played out in slow motion: a slide onto my left hip, my right hand trying to soften the landing, and then the unmistakable thud.

As always, my first thought: Did anyone hear that?
Two seconds later: “Did you fall?”
Well… that answered my question.

My first reaction was, Well, that’s embarrassing. But it quickly shifted to, Okay, let’s get the bodies over here to hoist me up. Ric and Bill did the heavy lifting with Cindy directing traffic while I just lay there on my stomach. They had me upright in no time, and within ten minutes I was back to my original mission: getting to the bathroom.

Afterward, I stayed upstairs to play it safe. Everyone came up to say goodbye—hugs, kisses, and love all around. Then I decided I needed to say goodbye downstairs too, so down I went and we repeated the whole routine again. More hugs, more kisses, more love. Not bad for a guy who didn’t even eat dinner.

At 7:45 p.m., I looked at my watch—my official bedtime. Cindy chaperoned me upstairs and kept a close eye on me. Who could blame her after back-to-back falls? She even escorted me downstairs this morning… just to be safe.

I’m so blessed to have so many terrific people surrounding and supporting me. It truly was a great day, fall and all. Thank you to everyone for making the long trek out to Crystal Lake. It was a day of love, laughter, and lasagna.

Have a great Friday. I promise to behave… or at least I’ll try. Love you guys! ❤️