Last night I tried a new recipe for banana bread. I was convinced it would have to be thrown away because I didn't have the right ingredients and I fiddled too much with the proportions and substitutions.

Surprisingly, it rose to the top of the bread machine pan and smelled delicious. I left it on the counter to cool off, looking forward to this morning's breakfast when we'd give it a try.

After I fed Ricky and the cats I eagerly sliced the end of the bread, slathered it with butter, took a couple of delicious bites and laid the slice down on my desk while I attended to another chore. Returned to my desk and couldn't find the bread.

Turned around and there was Ricky hunched over his bed, obviously hiding something. I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck (you can see my arm), used my left hand to remove the lens cap from the LX3, lifted the flash, put the camera on the dark floor, pointed it in the direction of Ricky and shot, hoping for the best.