Good morning.â¨Itâs Friday the 13th! đąđŤŁ
This date always reminds me of the last time I intentionally watched a horror movie. Flashback to WIU in 1978âI went to see the debut of Halloween. This movie , along with The Exorcist and Psyco, put me so on edge I swore off the entire psycho-killer genre. I still dislike taking showers which use shower curtains. On our new bath shower, I asked Cindy to get a clear shower curtain so I could at least see somebody lurking with a big knife in hand.
Good morning. Welcome to Thursday.
A couple of weeks ago, I shared that Alex is making his own wedding ring for the big day on September 13. Since then, a few generous folks have come forward with gold tucked away at the bottom of old jewelry boxes and offered it to him. My sister Lis sent a pair of gold earrings that once belonged to my mom, and Cathy Keffer found a gold ingot her grandmother had purchased back in the 70s.
Good morning!â¨Welcome to Wednesday.
Tim and Shawn returned the Yukon yesterday, freshly equipped with a new battery and a fully recharged A/C system. Without one or the other, that vehicle wasnât going anywhereâespecially with 90° temps on the way. Huge thanks to Tim and Shawn for the top-notch concierge service.
As if that wasnât enough, Tim also helped clean up the garage. After our recent hazardous waste run, there were items scattered everywhere, leaving the car once again exiled from its rightful home.
Good morning, Andyâs Army!
I have read all the cards from the open house and the card selection and the messages were moving. I was emotionally hungover much of last weekâŚso I had to pause a few days before I could open them. Iâm always amazed by the power of words and the emotions they can trigger. I just want to keep saying thank you for such a beautiful event and the love that was sharedâŚI still feel it!
Good morning, friends, family, and curious onlookers.
Today marks 300 days since the ALS diagnosis. Three hundred days of trying to will my body to correct courseâstill waiting for that miracle rebound. Iâve said this before: Iâve always believed my body was strong enough to overcome any challenge. No matter what I threw at it, it found a way to push through.
But now? It just wonât wake up and fight back.
Good morning, world! Iâm looking forward to whatever the day brings.
Yesterday was a fairly typical day⌠well, for the most part.
Since Iâm no longer crawling under cars or fixing engines, it was finally time to clear out all the motor solvents from the garage. From here on out, any vehicle issues will go straight to a local mechanic. Honestly, the neighbors are probably relievedâno more jacked-up vehicles in the driveway dragging down the property values.
Good morning to you all.
Cindy and I made a rare return to the health club yesterday. Itâs been so long since weâve seen the inside, we almost needed a guided tour. We completely missed the New Yearâs resolution windowâno promises to eat better, drop a few pounds, or start a new workout plan. We skipped the guilt and jumped straight to June.
It was a gorgeous dayâsunny, 70s, not too humidâso we headed to the outdoor pool.
Good morning! A new day to be thankful forâI am.
Today marks the 81st anniversary of D-Day. Letâs take a moment to honor the courage and selfless sacrifices made that day. We owe them more than we can ever repay.
My own fight is currently happening when I sleepâŚnight two with the respirator.
It didnât go quite as smoothly as night one. I was all hooked up, mask secured, tubing in place, and laying there listening to the rhythmic sounds of air being gently forced in and out of my lungsâan odd mix of Darth Vader and a white noise machine.
Good morning everyoneâIâm Andy!â¨A new day to be thankful for.
Itâs a good thing we have access to an ALS Clinic that consolidates so many of our appointments into one day. If we had to spread them out across the week, I donât think we could keep up. Between pulmonology, neurology, PT, OT, and âWTF-is-this-now?â visits (making Bear go crazy), itâs a full-time job just staying on top of it all.
Good morning! Welcome to Wednesday.
I heard a description yesterday of how New York City smells, and it cracked me up:â¨âHorse poop and then trash and then subway vents and pee and oddly, cinnamon gum.â đ¤Łđđą The kind of sensory experience you never forgetâand never ask for.
On a much more enjoyable note, the photos from Saturdayâs open house at Illinois Beach State Park are ready!â¨đ Open House Photosâ¨Youâll need to enter your email to access the gallery.
Good morning, everybody!
Weâre slowlyâvery slowlyâgetting life back in order after the whirlwind of the weekend. Although when I say we, I realize Iâm being generous. Letâs be honest: I didnât unload the car on Sunday. Iâm not the one cooking meals, tidying up the chaos, or folding the laundry that somehow multiplied like rabbits while we were gone. I mostly hobble in, locate a chair, take a nap, or get in the way.
Good morning!
Iâm back in my writing spot at home. After one of the best weekends of my life, I can honestly sayâit feels good to be home, recharging right alongside my wheelchair.
When Tim first asked if Iâd be okay with him throwing a small party to celebrate me, I was hesitant. I didnât know if Iâd still have my voice, my legs, or the stamina to hold up through 4â5 hours of nonstop conversation.
Good morning from Illinois Beach State Park.
First off â a public service announcement: the ticket lottery for The Masters opened this morning! You have until June 20, 2025, to submit your application. Mine is in. It doesnât cost anything⌠at least not this part.
www.masters.com/en_US/tic…
Now on to the good stuff.
Iâm sitting here this morning with so many memories chaotically running through my head. As I replay individual moments, I start to weep â with happiness.
Good morning.â¨Itâs a beautiful sunrise over Lake Michigan this morning.
Weâre at Illinois Beach State Park for an open house later today. I havenât been here in about 40 years, and itâs strangeâbut also kind of greatâto be back. The state has made a lot of changes, starting with the entrance. What used to be a straight shot into the park is now a long, curving road to the lake.
Good morning â weâve made it to Friday!
Todayâs topic⌠loose lips.â¨Yes, literally and figuratively.
As you know, ALS comes with a parade of symptoms, each one waiting its turn to mess with your daily routine. Iâve shared most of them with you along this wild ride, and today, weâre adding more to the scrapbook.
Each morning starts the same: fire up the coffee maker, take my pills (do they work?
Good morning everybody!!
I know sleep issues arenât exactly headline news, but they are front and center again.
Around 2:00 a.m. last night, my cabbage brain decides itâs time to get to work. Thatâs when it starts sorting through every open tab in my headâworries, memories, to-do lists. It plays out like a pinball game, bouncing from one thought to the next until the machine finally hits tilt. At that point, sleep is done for the night, and all I can do is lie there in the dark and wait for the new day to beginâŚand it has.
Good morning!
I have no idea who reads this blog or how many people tune in each dayâand thatâs by design. I never wanted to chase view counts. I just wanted a place to share this journeyâour ALS journeyâwith family, friends, and curious onlookers who might be walking their own path or simply want to understand ours a little better.
Going back to May 20, when we appeared on Seasonâs Sunflower Hourâme, Cindy, Nicole, and Alex.
Good morning everybody, and welcome to a new week.
Yesterday was a laid-back dayâfor me, anyway. We went to the Memorial Day parade in the morning. The parade kicked off at 11:00, and we left the house at 10:00 to make sure we had easy, convenient parking. We brought the power wheelchair to make things easier on the mobility front.
As it turned out, parking was easyâwe were the first ones there.
Good morning.
Happy Memorial Day!
Donât forget the veterans who gave everything to protect our freedoms. If youâve got a moment today, take it to honor them. Weâll be heading to the parade in Crystal Lakeâitâs become a meaningful part of the day for us.
Yesterday was one of those golden family days. We celebrated Alex and Nicole with the perfect family only coupleâs shower, hosted by Kim and Aras. Cindy and I were right there in the mix.