Saturday July 18th

Saturday morning I sat in bed eating breakfast and talking with Kalli as she set up Maurice a Google email address so that we could keep in touch. Maurice is going to buy a computer within the next week for while he was here he had decided it was time that he finally had one of his own. So, we set him up with his first email address while he finished packing up all of his things. We both got out of bed and headed out to the canary room to get a couple last pictures with my big black bodyguard which is what he called himself. It is interesting how while you are here you create these great friendships that unfortunately will become difficult to keep up due to the fact that in only a couple days I will also be leaving and heading back to Wisconsin. Maurice lives right here in Chicago and promises to come visit me on Tuesday before I leave.

Around 11 o'clock all of Maurice's papers were signed and his ride was here to bring him home. We said our final goodbyes where I gave him a big hug and promised to stay in touch; which I definitely plan on doing. I can't wait to get him up to visit the valley and get him in a boat for his very first time. For, somehow, after 42 years he has never even been in a boat at all. So, as soon as I can I am going to have him come visit for a guys weekend.

At one o'clock I had a PT session with a guy named Vince, whom I have never had before. Vince turned out to be very knowledgeable and taught me several exercises that were really great for strengthening my core. After my session with Vince, I decided to sit down and draw some very detailed diagrams of my beloved rickshaw. With all the dimensions down on paper I really think it is going to be a fairly easy piece of equipment to recreate. Now, I haven't really mentioned this to Mark yet, but I am hoping he is down for creating a workout/gym somewhere in the house or garage so that both of us can get buff.

After completing my drawings, I of course needed to make sure the rickshaw was still working so I pumped out another six sets of fifteen. After pumping iron, I came back to the room where Kalli and I pulled out my Uncle's E-stim machine and did another session of therapy on my hands. While we were shocking me, Mike and Ruth Schmelzer, the parents of my good friend Bob, stopped by for a visit. We all decided to head out for dinner at a local restaurant called Timothy O'Tooles. Again, it was incredibly interesting the way in which we needed to enter the restaurant being that I am in a wheelchair. In fact, this was probably the most interesting entrance that I have experienced yet. Basically, we went into another building's ramp, through a tanning salon, into a back beer keg storage room, where we then entered a 140 year old freight elevator filled with fruit flies. This very interesting elevator then brought us to the restaurant's level where we entered in through some back secret entrance. Finally, we appeared at the table where everyone else was already seated. The food was great and we all had a cocktail and then headed home.

On our way home, my mom once again parted her way and Kalli and I headed back to the RIC to start my nightly routine. This was the first night without big Reese which was kind of strange and a bit lonely, but I had absolutely no problem passing right out for really I was only working on about 3 or 4 hours of sleep from the night before.