Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Nose Knows

One of my least favorite things about returning home from a weekend away is the overstuffed bag of dirty laundry we bring with us. And it's not really about washing it all, I would have to do that anyway, it's that a dirty bag of laundry smells. Nothing specific, nothing terribly offensive, just a stale Wash Me kind of smell that moves me quickly into the laundry room.

I have a very keen nose. This drives my husband crazy, he knows I can always sniff him out. Eleanor and I share this trait and we see it in Mary from time to time. We are smellers (not smellees I hope) and while dirty laundry reminds me of the downside of this glorious gift, wonderful smells serve as reminders of many a happy time. My husband believes that I think everything smells either like Aspen or Puerto Vallarta, not true, although both are very nice places to smell (save the horrid exhaust problem on the malecon). Here is my list of things that smell so good, things that keep me from cutting off my nose when I am downwind of a bag of dirty laundry.

1. Fire, contained and woody fire, best smelled while outside in the very crispy cold air. Also acceptable, burning peat in Ireland.
2. Cut grass, specifically cut grass outside my sixth grade classroom. Golf courses are also very nice.
3. Mimi's kitchen, usually cooking lamb (yuck) but also apple pie, roast chicken, or cheeseballs. I would take any of those smells, including the lamb, anyday.
4. Baby lotion. Not all babies but babies wearing the pink lotion, wonderful smell.
5. Burgers on the grill. This one is an Aspen smell, coming up the lift to the Merry Go Round restaurant, you can also get some fire mixed in, smell euphoria.
6. Stepping off the plane in a tropical location in February.
7. Corn tortillas, fresh cooked, wonderful, but a quick sniff of a decent bag will do.
8. Little kid running around smell, best on cold days, warm happy children required.
9. Christmas trees, real balsam fir air, freshly cut, heavenly scent.
10. Cigars, not in a closed space mind you, but open air cigars.
11. The ocean, and sometimes a large body of water, but the ocean smell, and all that goes with it, just so refreshing.

When I find one of these on my smell radar I move around quickly, trying to strategically place my nose in the most accesible smell spot. Surely I would laugh if I saw someone doing the same thing, I'm kind that way.

Perhaps this year I should put a Christmas tree in our laundry room.

3 comments:

72 and sunny said...

is this by coincidence? the title? check out my title...

Karen @ BonjourBruxelles said...

Ally, I'm going to add:

1. Coppertone
2. Wet Asphalt after a long-needed rain
3. Rosa Rigosa aka Rose hips-you know those beachside hot pink flowers
4. My kid's blanket
5. Off! (it reminds of summers in Kansas)
6. A Zippo lighter after igniting (reminds me of my dad)
7. Scotch
8. A musty attic
9. baking bread
10. my husband's armpit (no, I'm kidding. This was getting way too sunny and upbeat-had to throw in something gross)

northsidefour said...

Karen, I had to add cigars, how could I forget that? Cigars are my dad.

Your list reminds me that I could make very long list, smelling be one of my favorite things.

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