We have a whole new Schmedley T. Cat around here. About two weeks ago, he went in to have a couple more teeth removed, leaving him with a grand total of 6. While they were digging around in there, they also removed an infected, impacted root from where a tooth must have broken off a long time ago. He had most of his teeth removed 2 years ago, but perhaps it had gotten overlooked at that time.

He is like some other cat now. His coat is fluffy, his nose bright pink and he jumps around like a kitten. Even his hiding place in the closet has moved from the deepest back corner to under a shelf in the doorway, so you can't see him but he can watch what's going on.

Our happiness of finally figuring out what was wrong with him is dampened by the guilt of how much pain he must have been in for so long. But it's not like he hadn't been to the vet on a regular schedule, and it had been what we considered his "normal" behavior. He had come out of his shell so much in the last year since Ernest died, who knew there was even more Schmedley in there waiting to break free?

Ironically for a guy with no teeth, he is eating like a farmhand and is putting on weight. He's eating a can of soft food a day, and I'm looking forward to easing a bowl of crunchies back in to his diet, so he has something to snack on during the day. Lisa gave me a couple of packets of Tender Vittles that he totally scarfed down. I'm not sure how good they are as food, but perhaps as a snacky treat. He is supposed to only have soft food for a month. The vet is having me mix in a spoonful of canned, unsweetened pumpkin in his food for extra fiber.

Schmed is not as happy with my disappearing lap, though. His usual real estate has shrunk, and it's quite amusing and uncomfortable for me to have him try and snuggle my growing belly out of the way.

I went to the OB Gyn last week, and who was in the lab area chit chatting with the nurses? Charo!!! The "Cootchie Cootchie," former Mrs. Xavier Cugat goes to the same doctor's office. She's looked great, and I knew immediately it was her just from the back of her head even before I heard her voice. She was not totally done up or anything, but wearing the Beverly Hills uniform of beige pantsuit and tasteful make up. She looks great for whatever age she is. And the nurses were all having a great time chattering away in Spanish and laughing with her.

1966 Careers for Girls! This is a great link to check out. What I do find very telling is that I think there was more truth to this game than people want to admit. I have had more that one woman who came of age in the 50's tell me that there were basically two careers for women, Teacher and Nurse. You could become also become a secretary, but that wasn't considered a career, more of a holding pattern before you got married and quit your job to have kids. You were expected to do that with Teacher and Nurse as well.

At least this game also gives girls the glamorous options of Ballet Dancer, Model, Actress and Stewardess.

As much as I worry that this current conservative society swing has turned back the clock on women, focusing them on appearance over substance and the overwhelming onslaught of "family values," we still have come a long, long way in 50 years.

I had success at IKEA yesterday, and have started assembling the many filing cabinets I purchased. They are the most complicated IKEA items I have ever assembled. I will certainly have earned my IKEA Girl Scout badge by the end of this project.

I will know I have reached a level of personal success when I can order furniture and have delivered to my house fully assembled and carried in by workmen. Steve says I have modest dreams. He wants a Jet Pack.

Superbowl commercials wrap up...

We had a bunch of people over to watch the game and play Wii. Mostly Steve's friends from work. A good time was had by all. The white shirts beat the blue shirts, and everything was wet and slippery, and they all looked miserable. At least it was warm.

I'm moved to write this post because no one is mentioning the craziest commercial in all of the media wrap up stories. In general, the commercials were boring, and everybody worked in an office, no matter what they were trying to sell. Is it because The Office is such a popular show? Uhh...that's not because of the location. Steve Carrell and crew would be just as funny if the situation was they worked for an airline or in a restaurant. I digress...

Strangest Ad That No One Is Mentioning is the one in the first block with the middle aged guy who is really good at sales, so everyone admires him at work. The product was some sales tool website. The hot young redhead wants to date him, the boss invites him to dinner, the young guy in the office thinks he's so cool. We all were waiting for the punch line, because the ad was so cheesy, it HAD to be a joke of some sort. It wasn't. And it hung in the air like a fart.

My favorite ad was the Bud Light "Rock Paper Scissors" spot that was the first of the night. I also liked the auctioneer wedding. Bud spots are usually really good, and even their mediocre ones are better that most of the competition. They also spend gigantic amounts of money, and make WAY more ads than make it to Superbowl night, so they have a pool to choose from.

The Map Monster was cool and funny. (somebody's GPS system)

The Office in the Jungle (careerbuilder.com?) were the best of the "set in office" spots, because it had an actual twist. How much bug spray did they go through on that shoot?

CBS branding spot with Oprah and Letterman was just adorable. Oprah runs on an ABC affiliate out here, but I guess that doesn't matter. Simple and to the point.

FLOMAX-a bright spot at the very end of a long boring game, the point where the announcers are digging deep for game stats and giving shout outs to the production crew and staff. But I don't think it was supposed to be funny.

A bunch of older guys are being all EXTREME and ACTIVE, but yet we know that they can all still take a wicked big piss just like when they were 17, thanks to Flomax. The money shot is a group of them all drinking out of water bottles, after biking together up a rugged, far-flung mountain. As they raise their bottles in a toast, we see three actual water bottles that you might put in the carrier on a bike, and one Mysterious Bottle. This guy is toasting victory with an unlabeled bottle, such as Poland Springs water might come in, half filled with a pale, yellow fluid. Doesn't look like Gatorade, might be watered down Crystal Light...hmmmm. A Trucker Bottle he found along the edge of the road? Ewwwwwwww!!!!!!!

We missed a few ads because we would switch over to Animal Planet for Puppy Bowl III, and it was well worth it. Puppies, and then a kitten half time show.

Speaking of, Prince put on the Greatest Half Time Show Ever. Dancing girls, marching bands, and pyrotechnics that couldbe seen from space. And he got the crowd to sing along. I think most of those shows are just for the tv audience, but that one looked like it was just as awesome in the stadium. Cool!

Saturday night I went to a fabulous dinner party as a guest of my friend Maurissa. The theme of the party was "Bette and Joan." All guests had to dress up as either Bette Davis or Joan Crawford, and it was hardcore. It was a formal, sit down three course dinner for 12, prepared by a chef and preceded by a cocktail hour in the drawing room. The house was beautiful, and they had gone all out in dressing it for such an occasion. A gigantic crystal chandelier hovered over the table in the formal dining room, and yards and yards of red velvet was draped over every curtain rod and table. The mood was set. There was even a fresh scrubbed young man to serve drinks. The food was amazing, and lived up to the hype of the printed menu cards at each place setting.

I held my own as Joan Crawford, though I didn't win any prizes. I was very proud of my makeup job, once again, the Kevin Aucoin book comes in handy for creating a vintage make up look. I scored extra points for bring a bottle of Pepsi as a hostess gift. One of my favorite guests and the winner for creative interpretation was "Joan Jett Crawford."

The guests were all women and gay men. I had spent an estrogen filled day at a bridal shower and baby shower, and it was a delightful way to spend the evening after all of that "traditional" womanly stuff. I like to keep my "Fruit Fly" membership card stamped and current, and I want to be invited back again. The next one is going to be a Tennessee Williams themed barbecue over the summer. I hope my wet nurse can watch Junior while I try and fit into a bias cut frock. Mama will need a mint julep just around late July, I do believe.

As I live and breathe. The plumbers and the tile guy have finally arrived to finish the job. We have not had a usable shower or tub since last Thursday, and it has been a real drag. I have been taking showers next door at Helen's, but somehow Steve can't get the timing right for Helen not to be home, so he has taken to bathing in the fountain in front of G4 instead, which has not made him the happiest guy all week.


UPDATE
We have shower! We have shower!!! I still have to wait an hour for the caulk to cure, but it's hooked up, water is on, and I just put up the new curtain, which smells like New Barbie, a happy smell to me.