That Smell

You know what I'm talking about, THAT smell. The one that offends your olfactory senses the minute you walk into your kitchen. The unidentified stench that is lurking somewhere among the cabinets and appliances. Is it fruit that's gone bad? Rotten potatoes? Garbage that needs taking out, something in the disposal, last nights dishes, WHAT IS CAUSING THAT STANK!?! Ugg, its enough to drive you crazy until you scour the entire food area to find the source of that nose-curling smell.

That was me last week when I woke up to an unpleasant odor emanating from the cooking cubby in our apartment. Like all good defenders of the food, this kitchen sheriff went to work washing and scrubbing any suspected culprits. Taking out the garbage, doing the dishes, running the disposal, cleaning out the refrigerator, changing out rags, wiping down counters- and "No children, I can't help you now, mommy is busy. It is VERY important that she finds whatever is making our house stinky." During this purging process I also mopped up one bleeding black berry pie and one bag of chicken oozing all over my fruits and vegetables. This last mess making my skin crawl with the possibility of food-poisoning me or my family.

And did I catch the perpetrator? No, he is still at large somewhere down my drain, but at least he is not committing any more olfactory crimes in my neck of the woods. In the end I have no idea what was actually smelly but whatever it was, he's left town for now. I suspect it may have been rotten food in the disposal. My job as cleaning sheriff is done for now, I've re-holstered my smoking rag and sponge. Don't worry, it is now safe to eat again folks. Until the next time...

(I must be feeling very western all of a sudden, now that I've left the greener grasses of the east coast. "Sitting Side Saddle" and now I'm the sheriff?)