ANN ARBOR, Mich. – After a pandemic-fueled boom, U.S. pizza sales appear to be headed back to earth. Domino’s and Papa John’s pizza chains both said Thursday that their same-store sales lost steam in the fourth quarter compared to the huge increases they saw earlier in 2020. Same-store sales are expected to continue seeing percentage declines well into this year. Pizza delivery remains popular, but diners’ choices are expanding, with more restaurants now offering delivery. Ann Arbor-based Domino’s said its same-store sales __ or sales at stores open at least a year __ were up 11% in the October-December period.

In an ad-hoc hotel room at MSU’s Butterfield Hall; the school’s version of a skid-row flophouse. Surrounded by empty Papa John’s pizza boxes, overdue VHS tapes from Campus Video, and probably a bucket next to the bed. And at the same time trying in vain to convince myself the new Rolling Stones album “Steel Wheels” was actually good. As an aside, “To Live and Die in L.A.” is largely forgotten but it is not to be missed. It was like the musical version of my stay in that horrific room, laid up by the flu, spending the holiday by myself.