Saturday, August 2, 2025
Good morning! Today we leave the tranquility, fresh air, and lazy days of summer in the Northwoods. Itâs been a great weekâand the last full day did not disappoint. Zack found an active fishing hole just a few hundred yards from the lake house, making it easy to take the boys out and teach them how to fish. Itâs always funny to watch kids touch a fish for the first time.
Friday, August 1, 2025
Good morning! It always sneaks up on youâone moment, youâre soaking in a great vacation⌠and the next, you realize itâs almost over. Today is our last full day on Fence Lake, so the plan is to cram a full weekâs worth of fun into these final hours. The East Coast crew has a 9:45 a.m. flight out of Central Wisconsin tomorrow, which means a very early departure from the cabin.
Thursday, July 31, 2025
Good morningâitâs the last day of July. The summer is flying by. Is that something we ever say about winter? Probably not⌠at least not me. Yesterday was a full one, thanks to our pirate-themed adventure. There was quite a bit of walking involved, paired with some well-spaced beveragesâstrictly for hydration, of course. đ We kicked things off with a pirate breakfast to get the kids into character and give them a chance to practice their âArrrghsâ with one eye closed.
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Good morning all. Sometimes we humans know we shouldnât do somethingâbecause thereâs a decent chance it could end badlyâbut we do it anyway. Case in point: Maria and Pete put in their pier this week. You thought this was about meâŚdidnât you? AnywayâŚputting in a pier requires multiple trips in and out of the lake, which stirs up the sandy bottom. And yes⌠you probably guessed it⌠they fell victim to swimmerâs itch.
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Good morning family, friends, and fans! Yesterday was a mixed bagâI logged fall #11. The good news? No injuries. Either Iâm blessed with a layer of protective bubble wrap, or Iâm just on a lucky streak. So far, the damage report includes only scrapes, bruises, and the occasional headache. It was another gorgeous day up here, and most of it was spent on the lake zipping around on the pontoonâtowing paddle boards, water skiers, or just cruising with the kids.
Monday, July 28, 2025
Good morning all! Iâm comfortably settled into my new writing corner overlooking Fence Lake. Itâs peaceful hereâjust me, a quiet view, and no one stepping over me or each other. The main house has enough space for everyone to spread out. The bungalow, on the other hand, is a little cozier Four adults and three young kiddos packed in with stray shoes, forgotten clothes, and toys littering the floor throughout. I have no idea whatâs going on over there, and frankly, I think thatâs for the best.
Sunday, July 27, 2025
Good morning. Yesterday was a wonderful day. Thereâs just something about having the kids running in and out of the house, filling the air with joy (and the occasional chaos). Their energy is infectiousâmost of the timeâand their curiosity cracks me up. I love their endless stream of questions and their tender instincts. Without even asking, they bring me my walking sticks like itâs part of their job description. I brought three canes on this trip so Iâd always have one nearby, but honestly, with this crew, I couldâve just brought one.
Saturday, July 26, 2025
Good morning from Fence Lake in Northern Wisconsinâwhere the black bear is to be avoided and the white Bear is to be adored. You have to listen carefullyâthey can both sound scary, but only one is all growl and no bite. Choose wisely. Yesterday was a full travel day for everyone heading up to the lake. Maria and Pete arrived in the evening after a very long journeyâMaria from Kyiv (48 hours!
Friday, July 25, 2025
Good morning everyone! Today we leave for Minocqua. Iâm excitedâbut also a little apprehensive. Iâm really looking forward to time with the kids, their friends, my sister Lis and her husband Steve. Most importantly, itâs a chance to make memories with the grandkids. I keep looking out toward the horizon, and I know my time is short. Wyatt and Coco are still young, and I know their memories of our time together will eventually fade.
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Good morning! Masters Tickets Update: If you entered the lottery for a chance to buy tickets to The Masters, this was the week of the big drawing. If you did win, make sure you check your emailâand donât wait too long to claim them. I didnât win this year đ , but I did win two years ago, so I can confirm: real people actually do win. Donât give up hope.
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Good morning! Itâs another scorcher today, so Iâll be staying indoors again. Honestly, this summer might break my all-time record for indoor livingâat least since 1988. That was the infamous summer of 47 days over 90° and a sweltering seven days in the triple digits. Memorable for more than just the weather⌠Nicole was in the oven (literally), and Kim was on bed rest, stuck inside while I, the proud expectant father, probably found a way to complain about having to go to work and face the heat everyday in an air conditioned environment.
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Good morning!! Itâs getting busy around hereâalmost like weâre moving to a new home. Weâre heading up to Wisconsin for a family vacation, and depending on how things go, we may be gone for nearly two weeks. Over the past few months, so much medical equipment has been delivered to the houseâand the truth is, I use all of it. So when it comes time to pack the car, itâs going to be a tight fit.
Monday, July 21, 2025
Good morning, everybodyâhope you had a great weekend. Iâve talked about some of my high school friends in the past, but today I want to mention someone I met way back in my sophomore yearâCarrie. We met in geometry class, which I hated. I could never quite wrap my head around theorems. Those early years of high school were awkward for me. I was still trying to find my place and figure out who I was.
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Good morning! Welcome to Sundayâand for all you golf fans out there, itâs the final round of the British Open. For those who donât care about golf⌠donât worry, itâll be over by early afternoon. Meanwhile, back on the home front, my digestive system has staged a full-scale rebellion⌠again. Weâre talking delays, roadblocks, andâletâs be honestâtotal gridlock. I had high hopes that with enough fiber and water, and no other âencouragement,â I could keep things moving naturally.
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Good morning. Itâs the weekend. Iâm always thinking about those of you who are still working and the joy you get from sleeping in or doing something fun after a week of the grind. I had my annual physical yesterdayânow officially called a âwellness checkâ since I joined Medicare. Honestly, itâs a strange exam compared to the physicals Iâve had in the past. Once I was in the exam room and confirmed who I was with name and date of birth, the tech started asking a long list of questions Iâm not used to.
Friday, July 18, 2025
Good morningâitâs Friday! Hope you have some exciting plans for the weekend. Yesterday, we had the privilege of meeting a young man named Dean, whoâs traveling across the U.S. gathering perspectives from individuals diagnosed with ALS. Dean is 19 years old, freshly graduated from high school, and using his summer breakâbefore heading off to collegeâto pursue this project. I thought back to where I was at 19, and I can tell you with absolute certainty: I wasnât anywhere near mature enough to take on something this meaningful.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Good morning, blog readers. I want to say thank you for being part of this ALS journey with us. As youâve seen through my posts over these many months, itâs not an easy road. But your presence, encouragement, and supportâŚalong with the kind words about my writingâŚcontinues to humble me. Honestly, I thought by now I mightâve lulled you into complete boredom. I figured at some point you’d grow weary of these morning diatribes.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Good morning. Yesterday, I mentioned to Cindy that I find myself doing a kind of improvised country line dance when I walkâjust without the music, rhythm, or control. Itâs a lot of steps, a lot of corrections, and absolutely no two routines are the same. Every trip across the room is a new piece of choreography. The footwork is awkward, the balance is questionable, and the tempo is whatever gravity decides.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Good morning! âď¸ Thanks to everyone who chimed in with suggestions on how to transport the new beast of a wheelchair. I was genuinely surprised by how many of you weighed in. The overwhelming consensus? Bite the bullet and get a modified vehicle nowâsolve the problem once instead of nickel-and-diming it for months, only to end up in the same place anyway. I agree. Itâs time to rip off the Band-Aid.
Monday, July 14, 2025
Good morning! Welcome to a new week! Todayâs post is all about finding a practical solution. No emotional, philosophical or social engagement thoughtsâŚjust pros and cons dealing with an ALS problem. Before we go there, Happy Birthday to Mike and Bethâs granddaughters, Lainey and Lilly, who turned 8 over the weekend! Hope you had a great party! Yesterday, I reached out to my brother Tim and asked if he could come over and bring down our trailer hitch from storageâŚpacked into the recesses of the garageâŚthe one we normally use to transport extra gear on road trips.