I’m writing this on a cell phone whose battery is dying, with what could possibly be my final words to the neighborhood.

I was lying on the couch, peacefully dreaming of food, when she crawled up onto me, settled down, and wrapped her paws around my neck.

Then she looked me straight in the eyes and in those beautiful eyes, I could read the cold ferocity of a creature who had just discovered that I had allowed her food bowl to go empty.

I’m really scared.

I know that if I call out to my wife for help, she’ll end me right where I lie.

So, in case she’s not the forgiving sort, and these truly are my final moments, I need to leave this behind so Marilyn knows what happened.

It was the food bowl.

I let it go empty.