Wednesday, December 17, 2025 – Day 491

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Good morning, everyone.
8 days until Christmas! 🎄 (got the math right today)

My sister Maria and her husband Pete stopped by yesterday on their way back from Florida to Minocqua. Somehow, I had it in my head that they were simply driving through the Chicago area. Why else would you stop in Crystal Lake, right?

They arrived right at 2:00 p.m., loaded down with packages—including dinner. I mistakenly thought I heard Jordaniancuisine, but it turned out to be Georgian food… a pretty big difference. (See photo) As they were hauling in their many packages, I asked where they had driven from that morning, fully expecting to hear Indianapolis or somewhere nearby. Their answer?

Appleton, Wisconsin.
Huh? What??

As it turns out, they flew from Florida to Appleton on Monday and then drove down to Crystal Lake just to see Cindy and me. I was genuinely stunned. After a few hours here—bellies full—they were still planning to drive back to Minocqua. What should have been a 3-hour drive turned into a 9-hour day.

When they arrived at our house, I’d already had a long, exhausting day. We had two appointments—one in the morning at the house and another in the early afternoon that required heading out into full winter conditions. Being in a wheelchair is hard enough, but cold, snow, and ice raise the difficulty level considerably.

Watching Cindy wrestle the wheelchair out of the car over snowbanks in the side mirror was tough. Getting me into the building wasn’t much better—dead weight, stuck wheels, slippery ground. It’s just never easy. We arrived home only minutes before Pete and Maria pulled up.

So, it was a shorter visit than we all would have liked. I sampled some of the Georgian food—it was good, just very different from what my brain had been expecting when I thought it was Jordanian cuisine. And as usual these days, I didn’t have much of an appetite. ALS sucks. Can I just say that?!?

It was a wonderful visit. I got a little emotional 🥲 when they left. I was overwhelmed by how much effort they put in just to spend a few hours with us.

Thank you, Maria and Pete I’m still in awe. Thanks for letting us know you arrived safely home…just before midnight. Let’s do Jordanian next time—our treat.

Chicago Marathon 2026 There is truly an army coming together for the Chicago Marathon on October 11, 2026. Andy’s Army is back to raise money for ALS United—and the team has grown significantly. Here’s a preliminary list: Returning (2)

I’m honestly at a loss for words. I never would have expected anything close to this level of commitment—to support me and to raise money to fight this shitty disease.

All I can say is thank you for running for those who can’t.

I am honored and humbled.

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