Yesterday was a fine day:  I received and gave away a goodly amount of chocolate for Valentine's Day.  Moreover, my sister and I hosted a spectacularly successful reception for my mother's retrospective art show in her hometown of Stillwater, Minnesota.  Something like 150 people attended, and everyone was blown away by the paintings and collages.

   But today is even better.  In fact, today is the best day of the year.  Why? Today (to steal a joke from sportwrite Bob Verdi) pitchers, catchers and chemists report for spring training.  Somewhere down there in Florida, the Minnesota Twins are launching their 2009 campaign and, dammit, this year isn't gonna end with another painful defeat at the hands of the dreaded White Sox....