Sunday, December 10, 2006

Hey Mom, what's that smell???

Friday afternoon my former crip tonight son yells up to me, "hey mom, a package just came for you!" Oh, goodie, I was expecting my Knitters' Coffee Swap package to come and I got so excited about what LaVerna had sent me. Then he yells, "Hey Mom, what's that smell? It's coming from the basement!"

I'm thinking, ok, what's in my basement - laundry room, bathroom, furnace room, media room... Could be a sewer pipe? OMG, could it be gas?? I creep down the stairs and, regrettably, passed by my package from LaVerna. Then it hits me - THE MOST GOD AWFUL SMELL OOZED INTO MY NOSTRILS. I took a side glance at my birds to see if they were still alive, thinking that if it was gas or carbon monoxide, they'd be dead right? Then I remembered that carbon monoxide is odorless and none of the alarms in the house had gone off - that left gas or a sewer pipe. I didn't hear water, I didn't see water, then it couldn't be the sewer pipe (besides I've used up all of my plumbing debacles for the year already).

I decided not to take any more chances and I evacuated the house out into the 20 something degree temperature. I pull the car out of the garage and told my son to get in. I call the gas company and the furnace company. Inside 15 minutes (the way all first world countries ought to work, notwithstanding the dozen or so blackouts we've had so far this year), the gas company shows up. The guy is fisted with two meters and he creeps into the house. After 5 seconds he says, "Lady, you got a problem worse than gas." I'm thinking what #^%$$ could be worse than the possibility of my house blowing up?"






they are not cute in a cartoon

or in real life

The gas guy had a real laugh at my expense, meanwhile the smell is getting worse and I'm thinking that if I can get my yarn, my birds, my pictures, my books out of the house, I just might blow it up myself move out...

The furnace guy came and announced that something definitely tried to get in through the duct work that leads from the chimney to the furnace because part of the duct work was clawed out! I tell you people, I wanted to run right then and there but it was my house and all my stuff was in my house so I had to be brave and find the 'IT' myself.

Four or Five hours later I gave up the search. Wherever or whatever IT is, it's gonna have to wait till morning.

LaVerna's package was my only consolation to an otherwise crappy Friday night.

And what did she send me?














In addition to all of that great stuff, there were 3 bars of chocolate (better than prozac) and there was this other thing that was totally uncanny -


I put the soap in my pocket just in case the IT showed up...

15 comments:

hakucho said...

Wow, you had an intesting day! Glad you had that nice package to open up. I know it would make me feel better if I had a day like yours. :)

happy knitting :)

AR said...

Eww! My best friend called the gas company for a gas leak in the middle of the night. Yep, it was the same problem you had. Hope your little nasty friend goes away and stays away!

Great package! That should make you feel a little better. LOL

Anonymous said...

I hope that package made up for that stinky problem!

Anonymous said...

Yuck. At least the cool package sort of made up for it. Right?

Mary Anne said...

oh my gosh, peeweuuuhh....
I hope little skunky is gone by now. Thank goodness for the beautiful package you received.

Anonymous said...

Oh man Deborah. Sistah I feel for you. What is that a racoon? Geesh, only in NJ, ok and maybe the Bronx too. That is one rocking package your pal sent you. I'm in a knitters coffee swap too and I got scared. Thankfully this happens to be a different one, but looks just as cool.

Necia

LaVerna said...

LOL!are you still carrying the soap around in your pocket?It might just work!

Sheila said...

Oh my... I wouldn't be able to function, but if I'd received a package like yours... the situation would be bearable...hehe.
How in the dikkins are you going to get rid of those pesky pirates...?

Janice said...

What a bummer!! I thought the mice I have occasionally were bad!!
The package is wonderful.. what a treat on an otherwise no good, horrible very bad day!!

sherry said...

Oh my, it WAS the weekend for wildlife! (Friends of mine captured and relocated a PORCUPINE on Saturday--it was filling their dogs full of quills on a regular basis.) Best of luck with the skunk. My mother-in-law once had us dog-sit her dog, without telling us it had been recently skunked...Yikes! Nothing in tv or movies really prepares you for the eye-watering reality that is skunk spray. Hopefully it wandered back out over the weekend? I'm very glad you had such a terrific package to distract you.

Tammy said...

OMG!! What a story. I'm not sure I would have gone back into the house. I would have sent someone else!! But Im glad your package brightened up your day. Looks like nice stuff!

Looming Looney said...

OMG, Was it really skunks? How did you get them to leave. I think I would have just left. Anytime a creature of the forest claws his way into my house It just might be time for me to leave.

I would have been freaking out!

Anonymous said...

Girl, you handled it better then I would've. I hope IT shows up or is found or just disappears altogether. Hopefully the stinky smell has left the house already. On the bright side, you received a lovely package! Beautiful yarn, and oh that soap! I need something like that for when I cook.

C+SK said...

Ohhh what happened to the skunk??

Anonymous said...

I stumbled on your blog via Moki’s (http://moki.blog-city.com/) idea of blog jumping & OH MY GOD! Thank you! I was crying I laughed so hard at this post! I am so sorry that you had to deal with such a thing but that was funny! Thanks again!