No matter what I do, I am constantly having awkward encounters with my neighbors.

Yesterday I was on the way to the laundry room and I ran into the girl who lives a couple doors down. "Hey," she said. "Didn't you used to have a dog? I never see you walk him anymore."

She's lived in the complex for just as long as I have and we pass each other every morning in the parking lot, but she's never spoken to me. I guess I was kind of taken off guard because before I could think I blurted out, "He's dead."

She looked shocked, and kind of uncomfortable. "I mean, he died," I said. "He was old."

She looked so uncomfortable that I sort of laughed, kind of to break the tension I guess, or to show her that hey, I'm okay with it, I'm not devestated or anything, don't feel bad for asking.

She looked very shocked when I laughed, and then I felt very uncomfortable.

"He had kidney failure. We had to put him to sleep," I said. I could feel myself still smiling widely and for some reason, I couldn't stop.

"Oh," she said, looking confused. "That's really sad." She walked away, surely thinking that her neighbor is the most cheerful dog killer on the planet.