Quick five

[mrissa]

seagrit's five looked like they could be answered quickly before I go have lunch, so:

1. When are you getting a puppy?

When you asked this question, my answer was, "Ask your brother." But your brother has given the thumbs-up on calling around, so now the answer is, "When we meet the right one."

2. Do you have a name (or two or more) picked out for said puppy?

A few, but we're going to meet the little beast before saddling it with a name. It would be terrible if we were all decided and then looked into its eyes and discovered it wasn't that at all. Well, not terrible terrible, as pet names can morph through time, but still, suboptimal.

When we got Boo, I had a whole page of names for a puppy. (I was 7.) And then when we got her in the car, my mom said, "What are you going to name her?" and I didn't miss a beat before answering, "Honey." Honey had not been on the list. (My Gran was grateful, because she called everybody honey anyway, so it saved her time.) But it was her name, or one of them; we ended up calling her Boo or Booboo because my dad's Yogi Bear imitation annoyed her so much. What she really hated, though, was televangelists. She had this bark when my dad would do his televangelist voice, and it was a very clear, "Stop that! That's not funny!" She had a similar reaction to it when we'd flip past a televangelist on TV, all stiff-legged and unhappy.

This is why we're not getting another apricot-colored puppy: I would try to make the new puppy be Boo in my head, and that's not fair. But she was a really great wee beastlet.

3. What are one (or two or more) books that you think I'd like?

I just finished karentraviss's City of Pearl, and I think you'd find that interesting. SF with aliens. I also just finished a reread of Steven Brust's Athyra, which makes me think you should try Jhereg if you haven't already. And you've read all the Bujolds, right?

4. How much time on average do you spend writing on the computer (both blogging and "normal" writing) versus writing on paper?

It varies a lot. I wrote my first two novels entirely longhand. (That's the first two I was willing to let out into the light of day. First four if you count juvenile attempts.) I'm now neglecting my paper journal pretty badly -- and I mean that in the sense that it will be good for my brain to do more with it, not that there is some moral imperative to using a paper journal. But revisions are all on paper. So...yeah. Hard to give an absolute figure or even a meaningful average, because it varies by where I am in a project.

5. When are you getting a puppy?

This is the thing about math majors: so many of them lose the ability to count.

Comments

[fiddledragon]

ooooh...she has a journal? I loved that book. I picked it up on a whim because there was a reference to an anthropologist in the story somewhere on one of the blurbs I read in trying to find a new author.

It was not what I expected, but definitely enjoyable, and got to a point where I couldn't put it down. What did you think of it?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I liked it. I just added the sequel to my wish list. I felt like it was one of those books that built in interest rather than grabbing me right out of the gate, but I'm not always pleased when books grab and then wander off, so I was fine with that aspect of it.

[fiddledragon]

I'm about to do the same for the sequel - until I followed the link to her journal, I didn't even realize there was a sequel. Yay! I liked the main character a lot.

[seagrit.livejournal.com]

Um, *sheepishly raises hand*, which Bujold do you suggest I start with? I don't think I've read any, unless it was more than 10 years ago and I'm not remembering...

I have read the first three of the Jhereg etc... series. I should perhaps start making more use of my library, despite its wimpy SF/Fantasy section.

BTW, I liked "Trickster's Choice" enough that I bought "Trickster's Queen" almost right after we got home back in January. I don't know if you had read those or not, but I thought they were enjoyable.

[sraun]

Which Bujold - Cordelia's Honor is a nice starting place for the Vorkosigan books (if you want SF). You could start with A Civil Campaign, but you'll miss a lot of the in-jokes. Curse of Chalion is wonderful fantasy, and a good starter.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to disagree with sraun here and go with The Warrior's Apprentice. Then you can go back and read Shards of Honor and Barrayar, which are collected in Cordelia's Honor if you like the concept and are interested in how it all began. And Cordelia is interesting in her own right, don't get me wrong. But still: the Miles. Definitely the Miles.

[cadithial.livejournal.com]

Definitely Warriors Apprentice, then if you like it, follow the Miles books through A Civil Campaign, then go back and get Shards of Honor and Barrayar. I much prefer her SF to her Fantasy though.

[sraun]

What's your criteria for a puppy? Starting with does it need to be a puppy, or would an older dog be acceptable? What size adult dog, any breeds in mind / preferred / set in stone?

Any interest in coming and meeting two Shih Tzus, a Shih Tzu/Terrier, and two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels sometime this weekend? The first three you can meet any time - the two Cavaliers are visitors.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

We're looking for a toy or miniature poodle, I'm afraid. The allergies are an issue for several close friends and family members, and they are so! darn! smart! And I'm the only one in the house who likes big dogs, so standards are right out, and teacups aren't a proper category, they're the unhealthy toys. So.

[songwind.livejournal.com]

Ack! Poodle!

Where do they keep the smart poodles? Never met one, and my ex's mother raised the darned things. Okay, she had one.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Poodles are widely judged to be one of the smartest breeds, right below border collies. The problem with most poodles is not that they are stupid but that their owners have trained them badly and understimulated them, and they are neurotic -- see also many smart humans in similar circumstances. But we don't intend to choose badly or train badly, so.

[songwind.livejournal.com]

Good luck. :)

Actually, for all my bluster I don't actually instantly dislike any breed of dog. The closest I come with that is lhasa apsos, and I am self-aware enough to know that it's mostly due to bad experiences with them as a child.

As you so, many poodles are trained basically to be jealous, lazy, and spoiled. That's not their fault.

[songwind.livejournal.com]

Will you inflict the cottonball haircut on it?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

NO. That haircut was there to protect the animal's joints in bracken. We won't be taking our poodle hunting (or, in more modern circumstances, showing her), so a puppy cut (=non-poofy) will do very nicely.

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

I occasionally take care of a Poodle (a Standard, so she's dog-sized) while her owner is out of town. So my answer is, "They keep at least one of them nearish Chicago." She's a lovely, lovely girl. A little shy, but very sweet and she gets all bouncy once she knows you're okay.

[palinade.livejournal.com]

Er, they *can* be smart, but toy or mini poodles bred poorly can be snappish, neurotic, not good around small children, totally anxiety ridden, and so on and so forth. I'd say that fits for standard sized purebreds, too. Heck, any purebred is at risk for some negative in-bred trait if not watched properly.

I know you'll watch for that sort of thing.

Thought about a cockapoo? It's the mixed cocker spaniel and poodle; small, doesn't shed, not quite as inbred I don't think...

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Cross-breeds are prone to different kinds of health problems than purebreds, but there are characteristic health problems there as well. My beloved old dog before Boo was a mutt, and he died fairly young because he'd gotten a mismatch in body size and organ size from his varied ancestry. In-breeding is a problem -- and it's a reason we're not very interested in brown or apricot poodles, because they're trendy right now and thus more likely to be overbred -- but it's not the only possible health problem.

Most dog neurosis is a matter of training and environment, not a matter of inherent temperament. Also, our vet taught us how to pick one that doesn't yap. So I think we'll be fine. Especially since we have the names of two breeders in the area who breed for intelligence and sweet temperament rather than some trendy color-of-the-moment.

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Also, our vet taught us how to pick one that doesn't yap.

How does that work?

Go your eventual puppy!

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Most people who are picking a small dog want a cuddly dog. Almost all dogs will be cuddly at some point -- they're pack beasts, and you are (if you invest the time with them) their pack. If you pick the small dog who comes cuddling up to you, you're picking the timid animal who is seeking protection from the largest thing present, and the timidity will come out in a constant yap as the animal is scared of leaves, cars passing, etc.

If you pick the intrepid little explorer who is poking her nose into everything, she will still come back to snuggle in with you from time to time, but she won't be so scared of the world that she has to try to warn it off with her bark.

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Ahhh. I've heard of that trick and ones v. similar for picking a pup with a good-and-trainable brain, but didn't realize it would help with the yappiness, too. Makes sense, though. Cool!

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Careful with that! That's how we picked our younger cat, only it turned out what he was doing was not so much intrepidly exploring as running away in terror. He's the one who hides under beds.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yah, you do need to watch body language on it fairly carefully.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

my josie-love, who is very timid, isn't too much of a barker. she is horrifically cuddly, though. pirate-love, on the other hand, is a little explorer and also a yapdog extraordinaire.