There is a tradition in Jewish households that, at Shabbat dinner on Friday night, the challah – the braided bread blessed at the start of the meal – remains covered until just before it is blessed. A centuries old story explains a possible reason: On all other nights of the week, the bread is blessed first, while on Friday night, the wine and candles take first position; the cover, then, is to prevent the challah from becoming jealous.

Previously, I always took that explanation as purely symbolic, commentary on how we should give thought to the feelings of people in our lives. But, over the last few days, I’ve begun to suspect the intention is more concrete – literally an attempt to keep the challah from choking us to death in spite by stopping itself partway down our gullets.

I say this because, since I mentioned in passing that I was thinking of trading in my Dell for a new Powerbook, my laptop has been deteriorating at a rather alarming clip. Outlook suddenly refuses to check email automatically. At random intervals, Windows puts itself to sleep for no reason at all. The hinge holding the screen has loosened to the point that the screen itself swings precariously as I type.

And yet, I can’t be angry with my trusty C400. Not just because of the two years of solid service it’s put in thus far, but also because I understand what it’s trying to do. It sees the breakup coming, and it’s preemptively dumping me. Or, if I’m downsizing the Windows part of my life, it’s saying back, “Fire me? You can’t fire me. Because I quit!”