Sunday, October 5, 2025
Good morning all. One week to the Chicago Marathon!! 🏃♀️🏃♂️ Last Thursday I reached out to my medical team at the ALS clinic to get myself ready for race day. There will be crowds everywhere, and finding a restroom when I need it is going to be a challenge. I have what I call an excitable bladder—and when it signals it’s time to go, the countdown usually starts at “10, 9, 8…” before all systems are go.
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Good morning. A couple of days left of mid-summer weather and then we’ll finally cool off for the marathon. Temps are looking good for both runners and spectators. Whew! These 90° days just don’t belong in October. The Andy’s Army shirts have all been claimed. I’m still waiting for the second run to be completed—it’s going to be close to race day before they’re ready, but I’ll keep you posted.
Friday, October 3, 2025
Good morning! Here I am once again, sitting in the quiet solitude of the early morning with the ticking of the clock and the owl conversation outside. I’m overcome with emotions of thanks and love and salty tears stinging my eyes. Boy those tears really sting. Yesterday, Andy’s Army blew past the $50k mark in fundraising for the Chicago Marathon. That number stopped me in my tracks. Our four runners—Nikki, Alex, Meghan, and Michael—have raised nearly double the next closest team… and we still have 9 days to go.
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Good morning, Andy’s Army! The Andy’s Army t-shirts are slowly making their way out the door. Yesterday we dropped off and mailed a big batch, so if you live more than 30 miles away, yours is on the way. Most of you should have shirts in hand by this weekend—except for the new orders from Tuesday. We still have about seven extras in various sizes, and no, attending the marathon is not required to wear one.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Good morning! Andy’s Army is inching closer to $50k for ALS United—less than $2,000 to go. Every little bit helps, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Yesterday, Cindy and I went to lunch at Lindy’s Landing in Wauconda, meeting up with Deb S.—a longtime running and triathlon friend—and Kim (yes, my former wife). It had been years since I’d connected with Deb. Back when I moved to Crystal Lake and was commuting to Florida for work, our paths just drifted apart.
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Good morning! Wow—last day of September, and it’s been wicked hot here in the Midwest. The Chicago Marathon is just 12 days away. For all you runners out there, the forecast looks much cooler by race weekend—no worries on that front. There will always be other things to worry about, but try to plan for them now. Waiting until race weekend is too late. You want a quiet mind and good rest heading into the race.
Monday, September 29, 2025
Good morning, blog readers. Andy’s Army Chicago Marathon shirts are on the move! We’ll be connecting with folks throughout the week to get them into your hands. If you missed the first order but still want one, let me know. If there’s enough interest, we can do a second run. I’m covering the cost as my way of saying thank you for all the support you’ve shown me in this fight against ALS.
Sunday, September 28, 2025
Good morning. ☀️ Alex came over early yesterday and spent much of his Saturday working on my Christmas light tree. He pulled into the driveway at 9:00 a.m.—no small thing since it’s over an hour drive for him, and that meant an early wake-up on his weekend. Because I couldn’t really get things organized, he had to dig through the garage to track down everything we needed: the potato gun and supplies, extension cords, twelve working light strings, ropes, stakes, and plenty of miscellaneous odds and ends.
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Good morning, everyone. Yesterday was all about coordinating the Andy’s Army shirt distribution—phone calls, text messages, picking up mailing supplies, and making sure every order lined up with the t-shirts that were printed. If all goes according to plan, most of you should have your shirts in hand this week. While Cindy managed all the logistics, I sat back and watched Team USA get spanked on Day One of the Ryder Cup.
Friday, September 26, 2025
Good morning Andy’s Army, and welcome to Friday—the last weekend of September. Good news!! The Chicago Marathon shirts are done and already in our hands. Start to finish? Four days. It pays to go local…and most importantly, the shirts look sharp. If you didn’t request one, I might do a second run. No promises, but I’ll try. Don’t delay! I owe some “thank-yous” to a few people… First up, Terri K.
Thursday, September 25, 2025
Good morning. Welcome to Thursday. Let’s talk about love because yesterday I had happy tears rolling down my cheeks. 🥲 I can’t begin to tell you how much love and support this blog has brought back to me. When I first resisted the idea of being a “blogger,” it was because I didn’t think I had anything meaningful to say—nothing that would hold anyone’s interest beyond family members who might feel obligated to read whatever repetitive garbage I churned out.
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Good morning, world. We packed a lot into yesterday. Cindy dropped off Bear by 8:00 a.m. for a day of play, and we were out the door by 10:00 a.m. for Glenbrook Hospital. That may not sound like much, but by the time I’ve done the formula feeding, used the restroom, showered, and dressed, I’ve already lived a full morning. Each step drains precious energy, and they all take extra time.
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Good morning, friends and family. Thanks for joining us today. First things first—Happy Birthday, Barb! (Cindy’s sister.) 🎉 We’ll see you tonight for the celebration. Now for some good news: the Andy’s Army t-shirts are officially on order and expected to arrive October 3rd. Knowing this vendor (Think Ink), I think they’ll show up even sooner. A few last-minute requests snuck in, and we managed to get those included too. Nearly 100 t-shirts will be out there supporting Andy’s Army—I’m flabbergasted.
Monday, September 22, 2025
Good morning, new blog readers and those of you who’ve been following, welcome to Andy’s Army. I don’t know everyone reading this, but I’m humbled that you’re taking the time to follow my ALS journey, my daily life, and to meet my family and friends through these posts. Andy’s Army was started by Nikki and Alex (my kids) and Meghan (my niece), with the goal of raising money for ALS United by running the Chicago Marathon on October 12—just 20 days away.
Sunday, September 21, 2025
Good morning, y’all. It’s September, and nature’s preparing for winter. I’m sitting here in the early morning, it’s quiet, and dark…and then snap! I hear a mouse trap in the basement go off and tumble from the steel girder to the floor. Got another one! Great news…except somebody has to collect the trap, and that somebody is Cindy. She hates even looking at the kill traps. I never minded carrying them outside, emptying, and resetting them—again and again.
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Good morning, blog readers. Welcome to Saturday! A quick reminder: we’re ordering Andy’s Army t-shirts for the Chicago Marathon. We added about a dozen names to the list yesterday. I’ll publish the updated list tomorrow with everyone who’s requested one. Orders close at the end of the day Sunday, so if you’d like a shirt, let us know. Cost is still TBD but will be nominal. Yesterday morning, my triplet brother Tom stopped by with a big pot of his homemade chili—complete with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and oyster crackers.
Friday, September 19, 2025
Good morning. Happy Friday! We had a lunch date with Rob H. at Chessie’s in Barrington yesterday. I’m glad it was on the calendar—I needed to get out, soak in the beautiful fall weather, and connect with people. I was starting to slip into a funk just sitting at home. Thanks, Rob, for checking in and picking up the tab. It’s on us next time. Today the humidifier for my respirator arrives—yeah!
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Good morning, blog readers. It’s been a quiet week with a touch of post-wedding blues. The whirlwind of Alex and Nicole’s big day, combined with my physical fatigue, has me feeling a little flat. The best way I can explain it is with an Ironman analogy. When you train for an IM, it becomes all-consuming. Every spare minute is dedicated to preparation—you borrow time from work, family, sleep, and just about everything else.
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Good morning everyone. Well…here we are: 400 days since the ALS diagnosis. What a ride it has been. I’ve had far more highs than lows, and the progression has been slow enough that this shitty disease didn’t dampen Alex and Nicole’s wedding—as you’ve seen this past week. Still, there’s no ignoring the toll: I’ve lost 40 pounds (about a pound every 10 days, or three per month), and walking—even with the walker—has become increasingly difficult.
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Good morning, blog fans. I have to believe many of you who traveled to the wedding this past weekend are still in recovery—unless you’re under 30. Am I right? My tiredness can’t be chalked up to ALS alone. Neon Prey showed up while we were gone, and I started it yesterday—squeezed in between about ten catnaps. Honestly, I couldn’t do much else. Today the palliative nurse comes at 1:00 p.m., and outside of that, it’ll be another quiet day of reading and staying off my legs.