Day 178

I think everyone has had the experience of driving past a skunk roadkill and having to endure a carful of skunk stink for a few minutes. I always ask myself- how does that get inside my car so fast when I am just driving by?!

I am here to tell you that what you smell from that roadkill is NOTHING compared to having a live skunk spray your dog, then letting that dog into your house before you realize what's happened.

Oh. My. God.

Now I consider myself an experienced person when it comes to bad smells. After 15 years of critical care nursing and being married to a man who farts after eating just about anything, I thought my nose was pretty immune to stink.

Well, let me tell you- my husband's ass has finally met it's match,

The smell was so bad that it literally made my eyes water. It was like a mixture of onions and garlic, only times one trillion. I kept waking up all night literally from the smell. Luckily my parents had some special "skunk off" shampoo, which helped the dog smell less pungent, but my house still was permeated. I emptied almost two bottles of Febreeze without prolonged success into the air, and of course it was pouring rain outside, making it impossible to open the windows.

I posted my debacle on Facebook, and felt a teeny bit better when I saw that many of my friends had been through the same ordeal. I was paranoid all the next day at work, certain the skunk stink had permeated into my hair and clothes. I came home hopeful that it had dissipated, only to be disappointed. It was better- but still there.

Later that night, I received a gift from a friend. It came in a traditional gift bag, like you would give someone on their birthday or other holiday. Confused, I read the note inside. 

My friend had taken time out of her busy life to make me a care package, knowing how much the skunk debacle had stressed me out. There was a package of baby wipes to help wipe away the tears from my eyes and the stink from my hands when giving the mutt (multiple) baths. There were two boxes of baking soda to put in bowls and place around the house for odor absorption. And lastly, she had taken two oranges and hand-inserted hundreds of cloves into the rind, making homemade air fresheners that were odor absorbers as well.

I have said it before, and I will say it again- the best gifts are not the fancy ones. 

Tonight's picture represents friendship, and finally being able to breathe in your own home. Friends take care of each other, in the good times and the bad. I came home tonight after a day of my homemade air fresheners working hard, and I can definitely tell a difference. The dog still has residual stink, but I can live with that. In the mean time, I have seen not one, but two skunks slinking around in my backyard, and am pretty sure they must have babies behind my shed. Tomorrow I will be calling animal control to see if they can relocate the family- because there is no way I am taking a chance at my 170-pound Mastiff getting sprayed...there are not enough oranges in Florida for that.