I moved my home office today, but you don’t want to read about that, nor do I want to blog about it. I still can’t find my wireless mouse – argh! Anyway, it’s a great space. From here I can look out and see the backyard. There are oaks, a little pond, and a figurine Tex calls Esperanza. It’s the only garden statue his ex left behind. When I told him that Esperanza means ‘hope’ he laughed and said, ‘That’s about right. My ex took everything but my hope.’ This sparked a talk about the pluses and minuses of leaving versus being left behind, fresh starts, and abandoned ruins.

From this new office space, I can see a little gecko sunning himself on the window sill. I’ve named him Umberto Gecko because he’s erudite and opinionated. His main pet peaves are bad cockney accents, people who ask him for deals on their car insurance, and cats – and not just because they chase him. He finds them shallow, ill-mannered and coarse as a species. See? I told you he was opinionated.

As for today’s shotgun shot, it’s not often that you see a dashboard festooned with ferns, a nursing possum, lizards and pine cones, but such is the nature of Sparky’s vehicle. Makes it real easy for people like me to find his car in a parking lot.