hopp@nbs-amrf.UUCP (Ted Hopp) (03/06/86)
> > ...a chance of getting near the house with Florence (not to mention our dog > > Ada) around... > > OK, I've got to know why you named your dog Ada. > > I WILL be adult enough NOT to do a followup to net.lang.ada pointing out > that Ada is a dog! > -- > Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086 > ...Worst-case analysis must never begin with "No one will ever want..." We named Ada in honor (:-)) of the programming language. (Don't get me wrong, though. I like both Ada's.) Ada is brown. That's as much as our vet, or her parent's owners, could tell us about her heritage. I have to admit that Ada's personality had nothing to do with our naming her. Marsha and I were driving down to look at a litter of pups, and Marsha insisted that we couldn't take one home without having a name picked out. We knew we would get a bitch if we picked one at all, so it was a matter of finding a good female name. Neither of us were very enthused about Rover, Fido, or the like; we wanted a name that meant something to us, but common sense told us we couldn't pick the name of a relative or friend. (At least with the people we have for relatives and friends.) At the time, we both happened to be studying Ada (the programming language) for work. After a few minutes of mumbling unsuitable names, I suggested Ada (I had to think of something!) Well, we both liked it, and it meant something pleasant to us, and we didn't know anyone named Ada, the mutt got stuck with it. So, for better or for worse, yes, Ada is a dog. A year later we got our cat, and Marsha put me in the same bind -- no name, no cat. "And we are going to have a cat, so suggest a name!" Well, we might have gone with Diana if I had thought of it, but the only name I could think of was Florence, after the city in Italy. (I don't know why I was thinking of that. Maybe as an attractive alternative to driving along the Washington beltway trying to do as well as "Ada".) For some reason, Marsha also liked the name, and we had a nice ride after that. At the time we got Florence, Marsha and I were both a little worried about my allergies, but I have never had a problem. It's kind of strange, since I'm still mildly allergic to other cats. Florence is a calico, and our vet claims that even people who are severely allergic to cats usually don't have a problem with calicos and a couple of other types I can't remember. They evidently are missing some chemical from their saliva (which causes most of the trouble). It sounds wierd, but I'm happy it has worked out. Ada and Florence really love each other. It's cute to see a six pound cat arching her back to rub against the belly of a fifty pound dog. Ada is a little high-strung about some things, particularly the doorbell and crows. Both of them really set her off. Florence is a "real cat". She is very affectionate until you try to show her some attention, then all of a sudden she can't stand being around you. Florence also has all the dogs in the neighborhood completely cowed. The other day, a termite inspector came to the house. He wasn't at all phased by this big dog barking up a storm and crouching down like she was going to hurl herself at him if he made a wrong move. But when he tried to go into the crawlspace in the basement, he turned around to Marsha and said, "There's a cat hissing at me!" Marsha reassured him that it was just Florence and she wouldn't hurt him. "I really don't like cats," he said. He wouldn't believe he wasn't in mortal danger. Marsha actually had to go into the crawlspace ahead of him to clear Florence out. So Florence not only has all the dogs toeing the line, she also makes a better guard animal than a good-sized, barking dog. I wish I could understand it. (By the way, this little anecdote was not meant to imply anything about the power of Ada as a programming language. ;-) -- Ted Hopp {seismo,umcp-cs}!nbs-amrf!hopp