“You seem calmer today.”

—I’m always calm.

“Yes, except those times when you nearly break the wall open with your thumping tail hoping I’ll get up and feed you.”

—That’s my exuberant calm.

“I see, but I was trying to sleep in.”

—Why? Doesn’t the pull of your responsibilities make that difficult?

“Responsibilities?”

—You know what I mean.

“Yeah, that’s not hard to figure out: my responsibilities to your bottomless pit of a stomach.”

—See how calm I’m remaining even as you insult me?

“Remarkable. And I guess you’re admission that you were a ‘nervous wreck’ yesterday reflected your calm breakdown mode?”

—Something like that, though I believe you’re misremembering what I said.

“No doubt.”