The Balance Beam

A ceramic mug dared to block my path across the table! I flared my stance, lifted one oversized flipper high, and aimed straight for a narrow wooden coaster. Wobble? Never! Well, maybe a twitch—my heel skidded, making a sharp hollow rattle against the glossy wood. I let out a sputtered squawk, locked my knees tight, and dropped into an iron-solid crane stance right on the coaster rim. Flawless recovery! That mug knows who rules this perimeter now.