When you wake up with a glimmer of wisdom and hope after a dismal day, celebrate with breakfast, indulge in Pokemon silliness with the family, and move on.

You know it’s a lousy day when the Google doodle wishing you a happy birthday feels more heartfelt than anything else that has happened to you today.

Best birthday gift ever: a notebook filled with artwork by my sister, who has been making cards and mixed media art since she retired more than a year ago.

I wish Pico Iyer was on Micro.blog. From Twitter:

”’Attention,’ Simone Weil noted, ‘is the rarest and purest form of generosity.’ Is it any surprise, then, that the Age of Distraction seems also to be the Age of Detraction and Incivility?”

Repenting in the age of iPhones and instant gratification (America Media)

Lent is the moment — or 40 days of moments — for us to turn away from our constant and public self-curating and turn towards God.

Starbucks is launching a drink with Ariana Grande. Sadly, it will not be called the Ariana Grande, thus denying one the opportunity to order a grande Ariana Grande.

Last paczki-themed photos for a while, especially since today is Fat Tuesday and we’ll be done with this stuff until next year. The line at Lilac Bakery in Lombard, Illinois, was maybe 20 deep. The wait was worth it.

But next year, I’m pre-ordering and pre-paying.

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Outside the bakery where the line was 20 deep for quality paczki: “Oh please, oh please, oh please — I will gladly pay you next Tuesday for a paczki today.”

It’s almost Lent, and all I can think about is how much I want to give up on my church home and move on. I don’t think this is the point of Lent. Pray for me.

Our annual haul of dog paczki. Two of each—coconut, sweet potato, peanut butter, and chicken—but I can’t tell one from another. I would have taken a photo of Puppy’s First Dog Paczki, except he inhaled it in less than a minute.

Neat to see lots of people here talking about digital spring cleaning. It’s inspiring—and given that it’s just before Lent, what a perfect time to do some purging!

Puppies are tiring.

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It’s hard to be roommates with an awkward four-legged toddler.

Valid question.

Good morning.

A little Cowbell Zen. (garciabuxton.com)

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.)