Tolliver Smolen Lives and Pig in Autumn

Please don't sue me, Armistead Maupin.

So, about that fourth cat we don't have...she is freakin' NUTS.  Back when we were still keeping her isolated in the guest bedroom she was all sweet and loving and then we let her out and she kinda went crazy; but I'll get to that in a second.  Let's start with formal introductions.  Our kitty's name is Pog.  She looks a lot like this:

But exactly like this:

In case you're wondering, I didn't get her at a bad angle...that's just how she looks at me.  To be fair, I'm not the only one who's getting a bad vibe off Pog.  Now that she's been "integrated" into the main part of the house she's developed a hobby: tackling Tolliver.  Tolliver, as it turns out, is not coping well with having another cat around the house who is exactly like him.  For those of you who haven't spent much time around Tolliver, let me give you some insight.

Minion of the Anti-Christ

Okay, this one is just cute

So poor Tolliver has been slinking around the house trying to avoid being tackled to the ground by cat who is less than half his size.
Also, she's a filthy trash bandit

I am a little worried though by how out-numbered Nicholas and I are by the feline contingent in our house.  I mean, they're smart and they're organized...who knows what they do once we go to sleep at night.

Hopefully nothing this queer

The humans have been keeping busy too.  We went back to New Brighton on Saturday for a baby shower and my friend Addison and I gave Nicholas a makeover.

Note the awesome magenta blow dryer

And on Sunday I went to observe Nicholas and in the lab again.  Personally, I think his look could still use a little work.  Note the exposed chest hair and chain:

I finally learned how to use Paintbrush

To me a white t-shirt here would be the difference between "I'm going to fix your teeth" and "I'm going to sell you a used car."

It's gonna be legend-... wait for it... and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY!

That's right folks, another legendary blog entry from the Cleve!  You know how new parents like to impress their friends and families by sharing anecdotes of the new words that their babies are saying?  Well, it's not like we're trying to one-up anyone...

...but I have little story of my own to share.  Nicholas has a new word: mitzvah.  The other day a woman stopped us on the street and asked to use Nicholas' cell phone to call her son.  After placing the call for her and successfully connecting mother and son, Nicholas proudly declared that he had done a mitzvah.  I'm really proud of his recent dedication to doing good works; so much so that I've been thinking of getting him a tzedakah box to keep in the house so that he can make more frequent contributions to the needy.

New tzedakah box

Perhaps the more impressive bit of news--not that my 29 year old learning new words isn't impressive--is that a week ago today we closed on our house.  That's right! We are now home owners.  I'll let the pictures do some of the talking for us.

Just a little taste to encourage each and every one of you to come visit (NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME!).  We're ecstatic to have finally closed on the house.  We even had all of the other Case families on our street over to the house tonight to celebrate.  In case in you were wondering why the dining room table looked like it was listing under the weight of too much food in the photo...that's why.  Also, if you've ever wondered how you keep four children under the age of three entertained in a house with no toys, I now have the answer:

Oh my goodness! You guys will never believe the adorable thing Nicholas just did!

See?  I mean, does it get any cuter?

And in closing, I just want to say: remember how Nicholas and I always had four cats?  Yeah, well that's still true.

lf the whole world moved to their favorite vacation spots, then the world would live in Hawaii and ltaly and Cleveland

Due to popular demand, we've decided to resume our blog writing.

Popular Demand

Sorry that we've been depriving you of tales from our adventures.  And let's just say, they don't call it the wild, wild (mid)west for nothing. 

So, shortly after we moved in, Nicholas and I took to feeding one of the local stray cats--Pog, the Pig doppleganger.  One night a couple of weeks ago we put some food in Pog's dish and called for her; but she didn't come...as it happens, she's been reluctant to respond to the name that two strange humans made up for her a few weeks ago.  At any rate we set the food down on the porch and went about our business.  When we returned later to check for Pog, we found a gigantic raccoon eating out of her dish.  Seriously, this thing wasn't like a regular size raccoon; it was HUGE.


To scale

 I don't know if you were aware of this, but Nicholas and I are not quite the wildlife experts that we appear to be.  I tried all of the usual tacks and when squealing and knocking on the window then giving it the finger when it looked at me didn't work, Nicholas was at the bat.  Rugged outdoorsman that he is, he had the presence of mind to stick a curtain rod out the door and smack at the ground near where it stood to spook it.  And I could tell that Nicholas had really intimidated it because as soon as it had eaten its fill, it walked away with the slow, casual walk of a terrified animal.
See, didn't I tell you? Adventures galore!

But there's definitely more to our time in Cleveland than our rugged outdoorsy escapades.  We've also been enjoying some domestic bliss.  As always, I've been experimenting with new recipes; but Nicholas has really stepped up as well.  When I got back from Costa Rica last weekend, Nicholas had a huge pot of matzoh ball soup waiting for me.  I could hardly believe it.  Over the year and half that Nicholas and I have been living together, he's really come a long way.

Nicholas with the Pope in 2009

Nicholas today

I know, even I'm surprised.
Speaking of all the progress that Nicholas has been making, today I had the wonderful opportunity to go to the lab with Nicholas and watch him work.  You see, tomorrow Nicholas has a competency exam (that's where the dental school professors determine whether or not he's able to stand trial) and I went to keep him company while he practiced.

Editor's Note: In no way is a competency exam associated with whether or not the dental student is able to stand trial. 

And so I finally bore witness (bore being the operative word) to the process of waxing teeth.  I must say, Nicholas was really in his element.

Man makes fire

Man waxes tooth



Man poops pants? (Just guessing based on furrowed brow)


Seriously though, when Nicholas was done, it looked like just like a real incisor.  So for those of you who have been waiting anxiously for Nicholas to be able to do your dental work for free, the moment has arrived.  Nicholas can now do your dental work...as long as what you need done is to have green wax replica of your incisor made.

This just in: Beverly Hills 90210, Cleveland Browns 3

Welcome to another thrilling edition of our blog.  Since last we wrote, Nicholas and I have had some splendid adventures.  Last Saturday we went to the Shaker Woods Festival, a craft show in Columbiana, OH.  The festival featured lots of beautiful arts and crafts.

Footage not found

Nicholas was, however, able to capture some of the more interesting exhibits at Shaker Woods.

Fountain

Also a fountain

Whatever this weirdness is

Since this didn't feel sufficiently festive for one Saturday, when we got back to Cleveland we decided to go to the Greek Festival at the local Greek Orthodox Church.  Nicholas enjoyed a variety of Greek delicacies, like gyros, spanakopita, and baklava.  Personally, I indulged in their vegetarian and dairy-free alternatives:

Footage not found

We had a fun time listening to the music and watching the young children do their dance routines.

This week in school Nicholas had to hand in his first project.  Based on my current understanding it was something vaguely tooth shaped that he created after many hours in the lab.

Artist rendering of Nicholas' lab creation

In spite of his professor's warning that many people do not pass their first project and are often made to redo it in order to obtain a satisfactory grade, Nicholas found out today that he passed with flying colors. (Alternate theory: Professor was consumed by tooth monster shown above)

I, in the mean time, have had a lot of time around the house while Nicholas is at school.  I've been making great use of all of the quiet and solitude.  It's really given me the chance to work on my writing, like this blog...or my manuscript...

Come to think of it, it's probably a good thing that my semester starts on Tuesday and I'll be out of the house more often.  But we have another weekend to enjoy together before the start of the Mandel School's academic year and we're kicking it off with a neighborhood BBQ.  We'll be sure to let you know how everything goes

Picnics and Mommunists: Starting our new life in Suburbia

Well today we went to the dental school picnic at Squire Valleevue and Vally Ridge Farms.

It basically looked that but filled with dental nerds and the people who love them.  Many of our neighbors were there with their wives and children.  First everyone feasted on hotdogs and hamburgers and then Nicholas and the boys proved that their dexterity is limited to creation of wax coatings for fake teeth by throwing a football around.

See, I was so not kidding about that wax coating thing...

While the boys tossed and very nearly caught the old pigskin, I hung out with Mommunists and scads of children under the age of three.  They're actually a very nice group of young women; but they were all terribly interested in when Nicholas and I will start adding our share of children to Rushleigh Road.  It wasn't until after the picnic when our neighbors suggested that we meet up with them for custard that Nicholas and I were educated in the "Curse of Rushleigh Road."  So say the neighborhood men: If you move onto this street you will have a baby...and it will be a girl.  I hate to disappoint you, gentlemen, but this about all of the baby girl we can handle for right now:



Nicholas preparing to nurse Pig



Pi preparing to suck the essence from an unsuspecting human

Besides, the next few years need to be about focusing on my field work. Which is to say, I need to help people fix their screwed up children for a few years before I'll have all of the requisite ammunition to screw up my own.

Okay, well it's time for me to meet back up with the Mommunists and go to see The Help.  Shhhh.  Don't tell them that Nicholas took me to see it already. 

School, school, school, schoo-oo-ool

Bonus points to anyone who can hear the Warner brothers and their Warner sister, Dot, when reading the title of this exciting new blog entry.

(Just in case we lost you on the reference)

Today was Nicholas' first day of dental school--and just in case you're anything like his loving domestic partner, we should clarify that he is not in fact a dentist already.  It's more like one day down and 4 more years to go.  What did Nicholas learn today, you ask? He learned how to wax teeth.  For those of you not in the know, waxing teeth is the elective procedure during which hot wax is applied to the tooth followed by cotton strips.  The dentist then pulls off the cotton strip thereby removing all unwanted hair.

(Editor's Note: Waxing teeth is not the removal of unwanted hair from teeth.  It's actually the painstaking process of creating a hot wax cast of a tooth.)



All in all the process is quite taxing on the fledgling dental student.



After



 

Before



Don't fret.  He had a wonderful first day of classes!



I had my interview today at The Hanna Perkins Center for a potential field placement.  I met with my future supervisor and he explained to me about the work that's done at the center and the responsibilities of and learning opportunities for interns at Hanna Perkins.  Interns take on their own clinical case load right away.  My interviewer told me that he feels like I would be a good fit and would bring a lot to the center if  (when) I accept a field placement there.  It promises to be a very rewarding and challenging experience, since if my interviewer's anecdotes are any indication, I will be helping some very troubled children.



 

 

Pictured above: Very troubled children

All in all, it seems like we're getting off to a good start with our first days of graduate school!