My mom was the first person in my family to use the term granddog, which frankly shocked me. If I had used it I would have expected her to be outraged (whether about the "grand" or the general cutesiness I'm not quite sure).

These days though, I see a ton of Emma, Lucy, Emily and Maggie.

Aren't they all pretty near the top of the human lists, too? Matilda's school is full of all of them, and we've got multiples of most of them in our private lives too.

For boy dogs in this area, Jack has to be the all-time leader.

H'm. I think at least half the boy dogs I've ever known have been named Sparky.

And, randomly, my favorite cat names ever have remained exactly what they were the moment I first heard them twenty-two years ago, from a college friend hiding her contraband twin boycats in her dorm room: Aloysius and Sylvester, nicknames Wishy and Vesty. Decades later, I've still never heard a better cat pair name.

Even more randomly, my favorite anything-pair name is from another college friend, who named her breasts Flotsam and Jetsam.

Scrappy, that is not only not a crazy idea, but it's the SECOND BEST IDEA EVER.

But every day you would have to wear a t-shirt that says "What I Said."

This, however, is the FIRST BEST.

Aren't they all pretty near the top of the human lists, too? Matilda's school is full of all of them, and we've got multiples of most of them in our private lives too.

Totally.

This neighborhood is skewing sharply towards traditional girl names these days. Susan, Clara, Stella and Lola. Those last two are also super popular pet names.

Oddly, I've only met one Sparky.

Group Health had a doctor die, which was why my medical appointment took so long to get, but I finally saw a doctor today. Good news: a pulled muscle and nothing more serious. Bad new: it takes about three months to heal, and all that can be done is support and stretches. Yarn has proven an inexpensive solution to improvising my own truss, since there is not really a standard truss of the type I need. Surprises me: I'd think even if there were no medical market, male strippers could probably use something along the lines I need, to help maintain symmetry.

That's good news, TB, even if it leaves you without an immediate fix.

I see a niche market there, Typo.

I am pretty sure we won't meet another dog named Capability Brown but, evidently, there was an English band in the 70s called that (friends found an old flyer or picture--I'm not sure they haven't given it to us yet--of Capability Brown playing a show with a band called Jack the Lad which would also be an awesome dog name!).

I always wanted to name a dog--preferrably a collie--Ladadog, for the Albert Payson Terhune title.

But then, I've wanted forever a pair of girl kitties I could name Hepzibah and Mehitabel.

And a tiger named Spot.

I'm sorry to hear about Kuma, Kat.

Other local dog names: Oil, pronounced "earl," Jockamo, Hans, Hansel, Boudreaux, Thibodeaux, Breaux Man, Thi-belle (those last four all belong to DJ's cousins), Sprout, Jolie, Porter...

Somebody tell me that a good quality neutral everyday bra for $38 is not a bad deal, and I should stop hyperventilating? And be proud I didn't buy the corset that was on sale for $38 as well?

That is not a bad deal at all.