Good morning, everyone.
Yesterday was a recovery day.
Sunday night really sucked the energy out of me. By Monday morning I was running on fumes — physically and mentally. It’s amazing how quickly the tank can empty.
I tried to refill it the best way I know how: an early formula feed and a nap by the fireplace. It helped… but I was still in a serious energy deficit. I ended up in bed in the early afternoon and hooked up to the pump for a feeding.
Good morning, everyone.
ALS reared its ugly head this weekend.
I had a fall in the downstairs bathroom a couple of days ago. It was different from my previous falls. I was holding onto the grab bar with one hand and the vanity with the other when I went to step — and my right leg simply gave way. No warning. It caught me completely by surprise. I managed a somewhat controlled drop to the floor, but once you’re down, it doesn’t really matter how gracefully you got there.
Good morning, everyone!
More family lore to go with your morning coffee.
Sunday mornings meant 9:00 a.m. Mass at St. Anastasia. That required getting eight kids up, fed, and dressed in proper church clothes. “Casual” wasn’t in our vocabulary—at least not until sometime in the late 1970s when the Church got progressive and brought in guitars to engage the youth.
In our grade school years, we made a special effort on the big holidays that mattered most to my parents—Easter, Mother’s Day, Christmas.
Good morning, everyone. And Happy Valentine’s Day. 💝
A Dad Story My dad, Eugene, grew up in North Chicago, a blue-collar town built on grit and steel. It was a tight-knit community of Eastern European immigrants, many of whom spoke little or no English. They worked long, grueling hours in factories and mills with one shared dream: that their children would climb a rung higher on the ladder. Safer jobs. Cleaner hands.
Good morning, everyone.
Today marks the 72nd anniversary of my parents’ wedding. It’s time to pause ALS updates for a story.
My dad grew up in North Chicago, Illinois, of Polish descent. It was a tight-knit community of Eastern European immigrants, and there was an unspoken expectation that he would marry a “nice Polish girl.” At least that was what his mother envisioned for her only son.
My mom grew up in Marshfield, Wisconsin, with Irish blood running proudly through her veins.
Good morning, everyone.
We continue modifying the house to keep my fall risk as low as possible. Our king bed—hard enough to get into without a disability—had become a real challenge.
To get in, I have to stand from the wheelchair and pivot, aiming my landing onto the mattress. The problem? I could only get the very edge of my backside onto the top corner of the bed. Then I’d scramble to get my arms behind me and scoot backward into a safe seated position.
Good morning, everyone.
I had a so so overnight, but it’s still a three-way wrestling match between machine, mouth, and mind.
We adjusted the humidity setting on the ventilator and finally found a level where there wasn’t excessive condensation dripping through the hose. That part worked. But there wasn’t quite enough moisture for me. At 2:00 a.m., I woke up with a desert in my mouth.
Once I wake up like that, my mind starts racing.
Good morning, everyone.
We had to say goodbye to Nikki and Wyatt mid-morning as they headed back home to the DC area. Having them here for two nights really broke up the monotony of my schedule and—maybe more importantly—gave me a welcome distraction from ALS. Thank you for making the trip and for giving me that time with Wyatt.
He didn’t care one bit that I was in a wheelchair. He’d walk right up and give me more than a quick, polite hug.
Good morning, everyone.
The Super Bowl is behind us. Having the squares pool added some excitement to what turned into a defensive struggle. Some of you were rooting hard for a score change, others praying for things to stay exactly as they were—hoping the numbers would finally lock onto your square. Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to those who donated their winnings back to ALS United.
We had a few people over for a pregame chili dinner and the first half of the game.
Good morning, everyone.
It’s Super Bowl Sunday. Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. CST.
The Squares pools are attached.
Pool #1, make sure it says “revised” at the top—otherwise, you’re not looking at the correct version.
Pool #2 had no changes.
Good luck to everyone. Have fun.
Nikki and Wyatt pulled off a last-minute surprise and came in for a weekend visit. They’re staying until Monday, which means they’ll be here to watch the Super Bowl with us.
Hold the press.
On pool #1 I regret to inform you of an error. On the Seahawks side of the board, there are two 7’s and a missing 6. I will repost corrected version.
Sorry for the error and confusion that results.
I Good morning, everyone.
Super Bowl Squares Pool All the numbers have been drawn and assigned. There are four sheets for each of the two pools, each one corresponding to the ending score of a specific quarter. The numbers change every quarter, so it may look a little confusing at first—but I’m confident it’ll make sense once you see the sheets.
With your help, we raised $2,000 for ALS United. Thank you all for being part of this.
Good morning, everyone.
Super Bowl Squares Pool • Pool #1 — sold out • Pool #2 — sold out Photos of the numbers will be on tomorrow’s blog. We raised $2,000 for ALS United. Thank you. Truly. Now I just need to wipe the tears from my eyes so I can keep typing.
Yesterday was clinic day. We had arranged for a driver and a van that could accommodate my power chair—something new and something I was actually looking forward to.
Super Bowl Squares Pool • Pool #1 is sold out • Pool #2 is open — ~45 squares remaining Same deal: $25 per square ($10 goes to ALS United)
In the notes section of Venmo or Zelle, please write Super Bowl Squares and your name, and send to: • Venmo: @Nicole-Snarski • Zelle: nesnarski@gmail.com • Phone number to verify: 847-687-3312
Once the squares have numbers assigned, I’ll post a photo on the blog.
Good morning, everyone.
I had a much better night’s sleep 😴. There’s an over-the-counter product called Biotène that helps with dry mouth, and it actually works. It’s not perfect, but it’s taken the edge off enough that I don’t feel the urge to rip the ventilator mask off in the middle of the night—which feels like a small but meaningful win 😃.
In my photo box, there’s a picture of all eight of us kids standing in front of our house at 316 Keith Avenue in Waukegan, probably taken just before we moved to 1922.
Super Bowl Squares Pool • Pool #1 is sold out • Pool #2 is open — 45 squares remaining Same deal: $25 per square ($10 goes to ALS United)
In the notes section of Venmo or Zelle, please write Super Bowl Squares and your name, and send to: • Venmo: @Nicole-Snarski • Zelle: nesnarski@gmail.com • Phone number to verify: 847-687-3312
Once the squares have numbers assigned, I’ll post a photo on the blog.
Super Bowl Squares Pool • Pool #1 is sold out • Pool #2 is open — same deal: $25 per square ($10 goes to ALS United)
In the notes section of Venmo or Zelle, please write Super Bowl Squares and your name, and send to: • Venmo: @Nicole-Snarski • Zelle: nesnarski@gmail.com • Phone number to verify: 847-687-3312
Once the squares have numbers assigned, I’ll post a photo on the blog. I don’t have it… yet.
Super Bowl Squares Pool.
• Pool #1 is sold out • Pool #2 is open — same deal: $25 per square ($10 goes to ALS United)
In the notes section of Venmo or Zelle, please write Super Bowl Squares and your name, and send to: • Venmo: @Nicole-Snarski • Zelle: nesnarski@gmail.com • Phone number to verify: 847-687-3312
Once the squares have numbers assigned, I’ll post a photo on the blog. I don’t have it… yet.
Good morning, everyone.
Super Bowl Squares Pool • Pool #1 is sold out • Pool #2 is open — same deal: $25 per square ($10 goes to ALS United) In the notes section of Venmo or Zelle, please write Super Bowl Squares and your name, and send to: • Venmo: @Nicole-Snarski • Zelle: nesnarski@gmail.com • Phone number to verify: 847-687-3312
Once the squares have numbers assigned, I’ll post a photo on the blog.