Arturo set the cat down and poured himself another cup of coffee.
The cat was always climbing on the table, counters, chairs, bedstands. Anywhere and everywhere that was not the floor.
Marina named the cat Zippy and Arturo always thought of the cartoon Zippy. The pinhead.
Marina also had a bird she named Sophia. She said she just liked the name.

Arturo lost his job as a solar panel installer after the tax credits ended. He didn't blame Obama like his co-workers. But he was still out of work. He had been an "independent contractor" so he received no unemployment benefits.
The construction business was in the dumps so Arturo had spent the last three months fixing things around the house and working on the garden.

He loved working in the garden. He was growing tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, carrots, radishes, and lots of flowers.
Marina worked as a program manager at Intellco.