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Worst. Cat. Ever.

A quick update on our found dog, Speedy, since many of you were wondering. Yes, we decided to keep her. We just didn’t have the heart to put her up for adoption, knowing that all the shelters in San Antonio are overflowing, and with a high-needs dog like her, she’d have trouble finding a home. We did our due diligence: took her to the vet to check for a microchip, put out signs, searched Craigslist, etc., but it seems the poor puppy was well and truly abandoned, so now she’s part of the Riordan pack. What can I tell you? We’re an ADHD family, so she fits right in.

Our cats are still convinced Speedy is a cat — a strange, afflicted cat with the worst manners ever. Our older dog Sunny is not amused with our new addition, but she has made peace with the idea, since it means much more outside time for her and occasional puppy treats.

Speedy is making some progress. As near as we can tell, she’s a terrier/basenji mix, about six months old, and she never had much training, potty or otherwise, so we’ve had our hands full. She now knows how to ask to go outside (mostly). She can sit, wait, walk with a lease, and the boys are trying to teach her to dance (like she needs any encouragement). She excels at mauling stuffed animals (Mo’s pigeon is history, I’m afraid) and is convinced that if she keeps digging in the bean bag, she will eventually unearth a rodent, or possibly dig an escape tunnel.

Now, back to writing Mark of Athena! But if you see me on tour in the spring looking a bit more tired than usual, or with some new scars on my hands, or if my shoes look like they’ve been used for chew toys, you’ll know why!

Rick Riordan