Well, there weren’t many Irishmen there — mostly Germans and Italians. But there were Protestants and Catholics.

But instead of improving, they seem to be declining.

But it is a special slope to me. And with the Olympics medals finally awarded, it is time for me to step forward and accept the daring downhill glory long owed to me.

Nancy had a reason to celebrate recently when she was cleared for surgery to have her hip replaced. She has waited months due to health reasons. What better way to build up her strength than with a nice juicy steak. She limped into the Mini-Mobile and we sped off to the Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill in Deer Park.

Spring is like a second chance for gardeners. It is a time to either improve upon what was done differently or perhaps change course entirely. Changes of any size and scope can have a lasting impact. Our landscaping is a result of what was done or not done previously. Each year builds upon the previous year. This spring take a few moments to consider what you want to do with your second chance.

Winter in the Midwest, where I’ve lived most of my life, is an exercise in survival and fortitude. The familiar “winter burrow,” when my neck and shoulders begin to melt into the rest of my body in order to conserve heat, begins in November. That’s when cold winds strip the trees of the remaining leaves and the world seems to be all shades of browns and grays. In December, there is some relief because of all the festive holiday lights and decorations. January settles into a cold, desolate winterscape once again. The lights and tinsel and baubles have been packed away, but a fresh layer of snow can brighten things up.

When I read a magazine or newspaper, I flip past the ads without a glance. It’s even worse with TV commercials. By the time the endless list of potential side effects rolls across the screen, I have blanked out the name of that exciting new medicine that will cure me of… what was it again?

Whether you take stock in that or not, winter is here to stay for a while. But no matter, celebrations still abound. Valentine’s Day is coming up; Wuthering Heights anyone? And in one resort town in Utah, a little film fest just wrapped up its latest iteration there. You might have heard of it. The Sundance Institute, founded by the late Robert Redford, has been the place to see emerging talents and independent artists. The last few weeks of January into February have been carved out to showcase and laud few films, as well as shop them to distributors. This marks the final year the fest will be in Park City, transferring to Boulder in 2027. While most of this year’s selections aren’t available yet, some of last year’s are now on streaming.

Oh, we stand in lines, sure, but we don’t wait. We scroll, we swipe, we tap. We fill the silence with digital chatter, as if the universe might collapse under the weight of an unoccupied moment.

This time, I approached the Genius Bar with trepidation: I had been given the daunting task of picking out a computer to replace the old desktop my parents used for the past two decades; it was so old that it was no longer able to be updated; the keyboard and mouse were, on a good day, slightly functional at best. Despite their best efforts to keep it going, it was finally time to find a replacement.

We were surprised when we found out that there was a Leona’s pizzeria in McHenry. We decided to fire up the “Way Back Machine” and go back in time for a good Chicago pizza.

Here is Part II of NYK’s investigation.