Living in Chicago means living up to the hardiness that others outside Chicago, especially people from the South and West, and often other countries. I've heard questions about how to dress for Chicago, how to prepare yourself for it. Preparation Tip #1: the City of Chicago does not shut down for snow or cold. Another … Continue reading How to bundle up for a Chicago winter
Everything outside is covered in snow and its bitter cold. So I was going through photos and noticed a theme. Life is a beautiful ride. Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike. - John F. Kennedy The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine. - John Howard Truly, … Continue reading Pictures of bicycles
I did a little reflecting on my reading goals for 2018. About all I accomplished was to read a book a month. Okay, I beat that, but I think I did pretty a pretty good job. This is only an account of what I finished. I have a problem with starting and then never finishing … Continue reading What I read in 2018
I've been intrigued by trying to make the cookies from the last season of HIMYM. So I found a few recipes and tried it out. They include: peanut butter chocolate chips cut up Rolos They came out of the oven looking anything but edible. My coworkers disagreed, thankfully. I think for caramel in the future … Continue reading Recreating sumbitches
It came up at work - I'd never made a pie. I guess my family always has a pie at the holidays but usually wasn't homemade. So at Thanksgiving, my mom and I decided we'd make a pie. Using her French cookbook, we made the dough and the filling from scratch. Something else I can … Continue reading Pie baking at the holidays
When I can't go hiking or I'm feeling far from nature I've found it's easy to reconnect through a book that takes you on a hike. Here are five books to will make you want to hit the trail. 1. A Walk in the Woods A Bill Bryson classic, this is one book most people … Continue reading 5 books to get you on the trail
Have you ever been somewhere so beautiful you just couldn't stand it? In making a loop around the island, I spent three days in Doolin and three days in Donegal Town. Both are along the West Coast of Ireland, known as the Wild Atlantic Way. Doolin is exactly what you picture when you picture Ireland. … Continue reading Visiting Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
I initially heard comments, before leaving for two weeks in Ireland, and while there, about going to Belfast. As one tour guide in Belfast said, twenty years earlier they were one of the three B's you didn't visit: Baghdad, Beirut, and Belfast. I did not do much prep before going there. Why I included Belfast … Continue reading Four Days in Belfast, Northern Ireland
It may seem odd since I grew up in Chicago, and have been back for a few years now, but I have never been to Milwaukee. I've been elsewhere in Wisconsin, just never Milwaukee. A day trip with Wanderful Chicago seemed like a great way to experience the city. We started the day on the … Continue reading Milwaukee in a day
I've spent a lot of time in Charleston. It's one of my favorite cities. Here are a few of my top things to do, along with a few other tips. 1. Nathaniel Russell House An ongoing restoration project of the Charleston Historical Foundation, the House is a work in progress to restore it to its … Continue reading Charleston: What to do
