release of the stench

Fun pic from this guy's photography blog. http://jaernie12freak.multiply.com/journal/item/29/9_ABSOLUTELY_INSANE_WEAPONS_OF_WAR

If it were me I'd call this pic "livingwithHANK'' . :)

Ooooohhhhhhhhh
Nothing like summer to make my car smell like a gym locker.
I had a mystery smell coming from my back storage bin. It was ...how can I say it. Like dirty feet. But maybe more like dirty cheesey feet. But since they are MY dirty feet its not going to bug me that much. Its not like its someone else's dirty feet. Anyway. I can't really smell it.
Which kind of frightens me.
Its something I briefly notice when I get in my car. At first it wasn't so strong. AT FIRST it was just a little smell. I think it gradually got worse and worse.

Somehow over the summer I just got USED TO IT. Oblivious to the horror behind me.....
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I have a secure back storage bin that you lift up to stow things under the main compartment. It folds down over the bin and you can just put things in it. I started putting the helmets , shoes and gloves in there to AVOID the smelly car thing. But then it started to creep out. I park it in the hot sun all day. So by the time Hank comes to get his bike out of the back of my car in the late afternoon....IT REEKS. sheeeese.

I am reminded of some Seinfeld episode of an odor that was like an entity. Some usher with really bad B.O. moved Seinfeld's car. Somehow the man's body odor stayed in the car. A stench. Soon it attached itself to the owner. The owner, Jerry, then had the stench and it was impossible to get rid of it. They called the smell...... The Entity!

Its summer and my car is basically a ''catch -al''l for all things bicycle. You can see the potential for some odorishness possiblities. It is NOT my upbringing to be a slob. My dad was strict about cleanliness. He TRIED to get me to be a proper young lady and stay all cleaned up. But its useless. I left and as soon as I was on my own I became this slobarina. Its just that cleaning my car is a rather low priority for me. Its the last thing on my list of things to do. I get some free time after work and driving and training and eating and sleeping and all those basic things. That leaves me time for Pets, plants, laundry,turning on the dishwasher, food, craft projects and the house.... OH yes, house cleaning definitely is a priority over car cleaning . Yes. yes yes. Picking up before the maid comes is very important. (haha) :)

Domestique I can do pretty well..... But Domestic? Me??

!!!!

The only time I even think about cleaning my car are in the seconds that happen just before Hank climbs in. As soon as he opens the door, I go "doh..." shoulda cleaned the car''. ONly cause I have to HEAR about it....relentlessly. Someone selling antifumigants for cars should sponsor a bike team. THAT would be good. :)

THE ODOR.
But last week, with the warmer weather. It became apparent even to me that the back of my car really smells bad. Its one of those smells that you can tolerate and get used to and it grows and grows unbeknownst to the slob who is tolerating it every day. So it wasn't until Hank came near the back of my car tuesday nite to get his bike that he made the comment rather loudly,
"WHAT THE HECK IS THAT SMELL!!!!!????" he growled. (he growls a lot).
Oh. Wow. Yes, I do smell it, I tell him as I hurry around him to get the wheels. It seems kind of strong so I add "Why honey, its just those old gloves under the bin. I"ll clean it" I ignore his rant and start getting ready for our group ride. But he is amazed. He won't stop commenting.
"OH MY GOD!!!!!!! IT SMELLS LIKE ROTTEN FEET!!! OH MY GOD~ WHAT IS IT?? WHERE IS IT COMING FROM?!!!"" He lifts the bin and we are struck back by the powerful overwhelming fuming stench which hits us so hard we are forced to stagger back.


"JUNE YOU CAN"T PUT YOUR OLD GLOVES UNDER THE BIN!!!"" he picks up my shoes....."" YOU cant put your SHOES under here like that!!!""" He picks up my helmet "" YOU CAN"T PUT YOUR HELMET BACK under here unless its DRY! What is this , a dirty SOCK???"" and on and on.
I try to answer him . "Oh I don't wear those gloves honey, they smell bad. "" He doesnt laugh.

"" oooh..They've been under there awhile. wow. THey never really smelled this bad before. " I laugh apologetically.
He just looked at me.
I was leaning over to get my helmet and he tried to 'playfully' grab my head to make me smell the dirty gloves.... but I dodged him . HA!
It just so reminded me of when my brother used to shove his dirty feet into my face and make me smell them.
"" MOM!!!!! ERIC is making me smell his stinky FEET!!!!!!!!!!"
I mean. sheese
Shoulda punched him.
But instead, OUT comes that key female word we love to use to let the male know that the converstaion is now over. :: "WHATEVER!!!' ( this is polite woman speek for the F word by the way. )

SO Hank just can't help his european upbringing and he has to fix everything. He fixes it for me. Somehow magically the car smells great. For a little while at least. Helmets are hung on the bikes now to dry and the gloves are dismissed when dirty and kept in ziplock bags when clean. Everything is nice. ....and cleaned.
(hum)
((see? SEE?? take notes. this is how you get someone else to clean your car. Just make it stink SOOoooooo bad that they can't stand it and then they will clean it up for you.)) .... haha... Oh the art of being artful. :)

Somehow, still a mystery to me, Hank defumigated my car. Now it smells nice. I have to learn to do that. Maybe I can just put some Baking powder stuff back there. . Ohhh Pet Carpet cleaner might be good.

I wonder what other people do to avoid THE STENCH.

:) thanks hank!