Cat Mandate

This morning I was finishing my tea, searching the internet for news, in other words, preoccupied. My cat, Gigi (short for complaining, grumpy,  grouch), jumped onto the desktop and was most persistent about walking over the keyboard between the computer screen and me--the shortest route to my empty oatmeal bowl. As she passed, she whacked me in the face with her tail. Muttering, I returned my attention to learning more about the features of girly men at the WSJ.

After licking the glass clean,...