My niece bought a house. She's a teacher of tiny little kindergarten people, with a year-old daughter and a working-man husband. They gave up their apartment lease to move in last summer, but some work had to be done before the new house would pass inspection. So they moved in with my sister the ex-mayor's wife for a couple of months until it was completed. They're still getting everything completely stowed away now that they're in it. Sis had a story the other day when I stopped by.
Sis had gone over to visit. She was helping put some playthings away in the room designated as the toy room. She wrinkled up her nose. Something didn't smell quite right. She didn't want to say anything. It was only that one room. But she couldn't help herself.
Sis: "Is it just me, or does this room smell funny?"
Niecy: "It's not you. There's an odor."
Sis: "It's only this one room. What is it? Paint? Some kind of chemical? It's kind of strong. Maybe you shouldn't let her play in here until you get this cleared up."
Niecy: "We've tried everything. Glade. Stick-ups. Febreeze. Nothing works."
Nephew-In-Law: "I know what is it. It just started smelling when we moved her toys in. The toys that had been stored at my grandma and grandpa's house. It's BO. That smell is body odor from my grandpa. He won't wear deodorant. He never has. He says his people never wore it when he was growing up, and he doesn't see any reason to wear it now. Sometimes Grandma tries to put it on his armpits while he's asleep, but he wakes up. I'm sure that's what this smell is. It really stinks. We can't get rid of it."
Not a valet stinking up a car. A grandpa stinking up the toy room. You can't exactly wash a house with tomato juice. I hope Niecy doesn't have to leave the key in the lock and abandon her house.
"Old people" smell. It's the worst.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I'm not a fan of deodorant either, but I do shower a lot!
ReplyDeleteYikes! I'm glad I don't have an app for smell!
ReplyDeleteI know someone that refuses to wear deodorant and he smells up the place wherever he goes. It is so foul it makes your eyes water. Unfortunately I do not know him well enough to tell him he reeks and I often wonder if anyone has ever told him. Isn't it one of those things that someone would want to know? I have made my daughter swear an oath to tell me if I ever have chin hairs. The same goes for stinkage.
ReplyDeleteBO on baby toys...LOL
ReplyDeleteMay be too late for the toys. Send grandpa through the car wash once a week.
ReplyDeleteI hear that Matthew McConeghy (however his last name is spelled) does not wear it either. I think he was quoted as saying that he liked the smell of natural people.
ReplyDeleteWell, "natural" people stink.
Catalyst,
ReplyDeleteI guess nobody's gonna patent that and put it on the shelf next to a can of New Car Smell.
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joeh,
Stay out of the toy room, Joe H.!
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Stephen,
Springtime is rolling around tomorrow, and soon I'll be elbow-deep in that armpit smell until school's out. I don't need an app, I have the real thing.
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Birdie,
I'm not sure. Ask Joe if he wants to know. I must confess that I did not tell somebody that she had a "bat in the cave" last week when I observed a crusty booger dangling just inside her left nostril. I meant to enlighten her, but she kept talking. I must say, I was staring at that thing lest it take flight. But she walked away unawares.
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Linda,
"LOL." That's the sound the baby makes as it gags on the BO miasma.
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Leenie,
I think they frown on grandpas going through the car wash without a car.
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Sioux,
Alright, alright, alright! I think he means that he likes the smell of HIM being natural, while others mask their odors in a socially acceptable manner.
Most BO is from not showering and from unclean clothes. I shower frequently and wear clean clothes,,, NO BO! My roommate in college used tons of Right Guard and the smell made me sick. I understand some people naturally sweat a lot, this is not a problem for everybody. I had 2 ex-wives who would have had no problem telling me I stink, they would have rejoiced in it if they could have, They called me everything else!
ReplyDeleteI'll take your word for it. But even though I shower, and wear clean clothes, if I forget my deodorant, I stink in about four hours. For that reason, I avoid the toy rooms of one-year-olds. Val refuses to take the fall for smothering the creativity of future toddlers.
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