Is 52 and 11 months old too early to retire? Asking for a friend. :|

Took a look at the Oscars in time to see one of the few nominees I actually watched, the animated short “Bao,” win. Delighted. Adored this little Asian immigrant story. It was hard to hide my tears from the Tween when we saw it at the theater.

A rare photo that doesn’t involve either the puppy chewing on the cat or the cat getting the puppy in a headlock.

Dilemma: Tune into red carpet coverage of the Oscars, or continue to listen to the Brewers radio broadcasters discuss Usinger’s head cheese and goofy minor league team names?

I vote for head cheese and team names.

I’m spending too damn much on the dogs.

You know it’s horribly windy when your glasses get blown off your face.

We’re supposed to get significantly high winds tonight in the Chicago area through Sunday night. This, in a warped way, reminds me of one of my favorite SCTV bits.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: As much as I love the White Sox, listening to Ed Farmer’s play-by-play is like the aural equivalent of watching paint dry. Can’t wait till televised games with Benetti and Stone.

Went to the local Pakistani grocer and found these. Haven’t had Aeros since our last Canada trip. A subtle difference in taste between this (unclear on whether they’re from Poland or the UAE) and the Canadian version, but these are still tasty. (Got four, but F and I split one.)

Before cleaning the kitchen, set up the first cut daffodils of the season. Priorities, people.

If this is in The Onion today, it must be spring training.

Reading: Do Not Disturb: How I Ditched My Phone and Unbroke My Brain (NY Times)

”Mostly, I became aware of how profoundly uncomfortable I am with stillness.”

Listening to spring training baseball on the MLB app. Phillies-Rays. I don’t really care about either team, but it’s spring training baseball. On a Friday. All feels right with the world right now.

Teenagers Say Depression and Anxiety Are Major Issues Among Their Peers (N.Y. Times)

“Fewer teenagers cited bullying, drug addiction or gangs as major problems; those from low-income households were more likely to do so.”

A nice find. I don’t drink a ton at home, and some days this is just enough. Quality stuff, too.

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The New York Times Cooking app is peddling heresy.

“The clown is kind of creepy.” — Frannie, 10, watching Bozo the Clown clips from the 1960s on WGN-TV

Still unwell from this morning, but we still managed to crank out our first attempt at simple buttermilk biscuits. It may take numerous attempts to perfect, but the first go-round went well. F liked the generous use of butter throughout and atop the biscuits.

Not feeling well, so F and I stayed home from church this morning. We’re going over the Gospel passage that she and the other First Communion kids are reviewing in the run-up to their big day in June.

So, I decided this morning to scope out what kind of poop-scooping apparatus is out on the market these days. We’re a little overwhelmed.

“Do we really want to live in a culture like this? Where no one has the room to grow or change or become a new version of him or herself? I’d like to think that the differences between me in 2019 and me in 2004 is a sign that we all can.”

“Whether Democratic or Republican, liberal or conservative, right, left, center, blue or red — seeing and reinforcing the value of a teacher should be a national pillar that rises high above partisan politics and cheap applause.”

‘Word Jazz’ Creator And Host Ken Nordine Dies (WBEZ)

”In a 2000 interview with Nordine, WBEZ’s Steve Edwards described the show as a ‘delicious buffet of sound portraits, mind-altering moodscapes and irregular riffs.’”

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Reading: Westminster Dog Show: King Continues Reign of Terriers (N.Y. Times; huge H/T to @macgenie)

My colleagues were often kind enough to give me dog show stories to edit in my newspaper days. I would have killed to come up with a headline like that.