High Ground Recon

The chrome dish rack presented an obvious vertical route, and leaving the high ground unclaimed seemed like poor strategy. I tested the bottom wire rung with the toe of my boot. Solid. Threading between two upright stoneware plates took deliberate maneuvering—one careless jolt would turn the rack into an alarm bell. Bracing a hand against a ceramic rim, I hoisted myself onto the flat base of an inverted coffee mug. The entire counter opened up below me from this vantage. Secure footing, zero broken porcelain. I'll call that an efficient start to the morning.