Considering the early awakenings lately, it was no surprise that my eyelids sprung up like overwound-up spirals in an antique clock. Surprisingly, I wasn't sleepy or tired, so I rushed to the kitchen and prepared my usual mouthwatering pancakes. I ate like a king. After devouring the nosh, I grabbed Abby's leash and took her for an early morning walk in the hope of not meeting any similar geezers with their woozy canines on the empty streets. Speaking of empty streets, there still were remnants of last week's gale as the wind knocked over some bins carrying their contents far away, littering our city. It's a pity. Where are the road sweepers in times of need? Where was I? Oh, yeah, alone with Abby on the streets. So, as we were ambling about, out of sheer fluke, we didn't bump into anyone; Abby got slower and slower. I thought she had some issues she couldn't talk about, but guess what? She was as hungry as a wolf and wanted to return home. When I stopped for a ...