a gecko surprise

A few nights ago, around 8pm, we heard some sudden shrieking coming from next door.  Unusual, but we just presumed our neighbour and her friends were happy and shrieking with excitement over something.

This was not the case!

Within a few minutes, there was a knock on our door.  "I microwaved a gecko," she said.  "Can Stewart come rescue me?" Apparently the excitement next door was not happy excitement.  Shrieks of terror, more like it.

So Stewart and I went over to her place, camera in hand, ready to save the day.  Well, Stewart was ready to save the day.  I was ready to document it.

We all decided that avoiding any actual contact with the microwaved-but-not-yet-dead gecko would be best.  So Stewart used a pair of tongs covered in a plastic bag.  As he reached into the microwave to retrieve said gecko, it moved.  Ick!  Stewart tried again, this time removing the tail in the process.  Double-ick!  Now there was a microwaved-but-not-yet-dead-still-moving-without-a-tail-which-was-also-still-moving gecko to deal with.  Ew.  Ew.  Ew.  Our lovely neighbour (who will remain nameless to protect her identity) and I were both shrieking at this point.

the disembodied tail

Eventually the gecko was removed and deposited into the trash, thanks to my very brave husband.

And now I am very careful to always keep everything in my kitchen covered up.  And our neighbour?  She always shuts her microwave door when not in use.  (She used to always leave it open.  Hence the gecko.)