The old ways suck.

One of the few times I buy paper books is when I do a signing at a bookstore. I figure it’s the least I can do. That’s how I wound up with the hardback version of At Home, by Bill Bryson. It’s a great whacking lump of a book, so good that I bought my parents the Kindle version on our shared account.

Yesterday I was reading while eating, which is when I do 90% of my reading, and this monster book wouldn’t stay open on the table unless I held it with one hand. So tedious. So although the paper version was RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, I went upstairs, got my Kindle, downloaded the ebook version, and read that.

To tell the truth, I don’t even like to go into bookstores anymore. Looking at all that paper that has to be stored on your shelf, knowing that many of those books will be returned to the publisher and pulped… Honestly, it makes me all twitchy. What would I take with me on a desert island? My phone and some sort of magic cell connection. I don’t want to travel by horseback (ooh, the smell and feel of horses!), I don’t want to churn my own butter, and I don’t want a paper book.

Puppy Teeth

Josie toof — The Tooth Fairy left a dime, but Josie didn’t know how to spend it.

Yesterday, Josie O was gnawing away on a beef tendon while Joe and I looked on dotingly. Suddenly she started doing that peanut butter stuck to the roof of the mouth thing.

Me: She must have a piece of tendon stuck on her teeth.

Josie: (spits out little gristly looking thing)

Me: Aren’t you gonna eat it? You worked so hard to chew it off.

Joe: (puts bit of stuff on finger tip, offers it to Josie) Wait a minute, it’s a tooth!

So Josie, who still has some gaps in her mouth arsenal at 10 months, is still cutting teeth.

Josie O, Bite Free for [1] Day(s)!

I don’t know if Josie really got stung by a wasp yesterday or not. She napped most of the day, and when her eensy dose o’ Benadryl wore off, she was as lively as ever, with no limp or sign that anything had happened. I never saw any swelling, so for all I know, she just stepped on something sharp. Regardless, she got a restful day out of it.

When Josie was at her most pitiful, I put Musette down next to her bed, to see if maybe she’d be sympathetic.

Musette (leaning in): Aw… What happened to– (stiffens) No! She is my sworn enemy! (stalks off)

I think Musette wants to try a friendly overture, but isn’t sure she wants the consequences. Come winter, when the outdoors ceases to please, that’s when it’ll happen. “The power of boredom compels you!”

Josie O learns about stinging insects.

Josie and I were outside when she suddenly let out a yip and ran for me and the front door, in that order, whimpering and holding up her left front paw. She’s been interested in the bees and wasps, so I figured she got stung.

Once inside, she got in her bed and licked her paw while I got a Benadryl gelcap and poked it with a pin. Gave her about half a drop, mixed with some honey, and now she’s like Bill Murray when they gave him the truth serum in The Man Who Knew Too Little. (“Are you a member of our Frequent Renter’s club?”)

Don’t know what kind of bug it was, but the first-aid instructions are the same. Good thing it wasn’t her face, or we’d be at the vet right now. So far her paw isn’t swollen very much at all. For all I know, it was an ant.

Poor little pup

I gave Josie O my Popsicle stick to chew on while we were on the porch, and after a few licks, she accidentally pushed it through the crack between two boards and it was gone. She stared down in the exact manner of a kid holding an empty ice-cream cone.

The Littlest Coworker

I put the tuffet on the floor behind my desk chair so Josie O could keep me company if she wanted, then forgot all about it. Turned around and this is what I saw.

Another chance to win The Portrait of Doreene Gray.

Heads up: Angus MacGregor will be on Dru’s Book Musings tomorrow to talk about what it’s like being the editor of Tripping Magazine. (Your guide to paranormal destinations.) And yes, one lucky commenter will win a hardback copy of my newest book, The Portrait of Doreene Gray.

If you’ve read both my books, drop by anyway and ask Angus some personal questions. He loves those.

In honor of Angus, here is a photo of a very fat Chihuahua in a kilt.

Animals to which I compare Josie O

Herewith, a list of animals I to which I compare Josie O, my Chihuahua puppy, including the body parts that make me think of those animals.

Hummingbird – heartbeat

Butterfly – ears

Snake – mouth

Frog – mouth

Squirrel – paws

Monkey – face, entire attitude

Mouse – eyes, ears, fur

Bunny – legs, bouncy jumps

Bug – the way she runs around on the floor, looking all small

Worm – butt, as in the way it wiggles

“I am not a chipmunk.”

I was upstairs at the computer when I heard Josie O whining downstairs. I ignored her, as usual, but it kept up for longer than usual, so I decided to make sure nothing was wrong. She was standing at the bottom of the stairs with her head stuck in her chipmunk stump toy.

I know I should have taken a picture, but I felt too bad for her. Her ear was sticking out one of the holes and everything. It was really pathetic.

Josie O’s weight

Josie weighed 2 lbs. 10 ozs. mid-morning on our digital postal scale. The weight chart for Chihuahuas projects her at 4 lbs as an adult. I think that was the projection when she was born, too. Apparently these things are pretty accurate.

We took our longest walk yet this morning, around a full block plus a bit. She behaved really well, with only a little random woofing. Didn’t see any other dogs. Sorry I didn’t get a better photo. Am still getting used to everything, and seem to have too few hands.