I am starting to think my minivan has been the recent recipient of a stink curse. It seems no matter what I do lately, my van gets doused with a new and unpleasant odor every few days.
It started about a month ago, when my husband was trying to do yard work, and ran out of gas for the mower and weed whacker. He asked if I would be so kind as to run to the gas station and fill the gas can while he continued to limp along on the fuel he had left. I wanted to make sure I understood the in's and out's of the gas container, and asked him to show me how to secure the lid so it wouldn't spill. His words "just turn it until it clicks". Check. Fill the gas can, recover with the lid, lid clicks, set it in the back of my van, head home. However, when on the drive, I smell an overpowering smell of gasoline. I rationalized that it was simply because it was IN the van with me, and that is why the smell is so strong. When I arrive home, I find the can has fallen on it's side and is leaking gas into the back of my van. Annoyed and aggravated I take the clearly defective container to my husband and complain about it leaking all over my van. He checks the lid, and said, "Well your problem is you barely have the lid tightened." Um, hello, the lid clicked. I demonstrated placing the lid onto the container, and hearing the click of the tightened lid. "Well, you only let it click once. It needs to click several times to be tightened." To me, this seems like a very pertinent piece of information that I needed to know during the first demonstration. Grrr. So smell number one, gasoline.
Enter smell number two. I buy a special milk that comes in cartons. It is non-homogenized and free of hormones. I won't bore you with all the details of why I buy this milk, but I only get it once a week because I have to drive about 20 minutes to the only store in town that sells it. Therefore, I purchase several cartons. That being said, about two weeks ago, a friend told me a story of how she once spilled milk in her car, and the smell was so putrid it seemed nothing would remove it. It was even suggested that she sell her car because it stunk so bad. I thought that was a bit extreme, and figured she just needed to be a bit more vigilant in cleaning the spill. Three days later, karma bit me in the butt. We went to purchase our milk, and the cashier accidentally tore one of the carton tops slightly. She offered to get me a new one, but as it wasn't actually opened, I said that it was no big deal. Ha! My husband was driving this time, and on the way home, I hear our grocery bags sliding about in the back of the van. Upon our arrival home, it was found that the compromised carton, though not open, leaked profusely. Leaving a large spill of milk in the back. We soaked it up and scrubbed at it, and thought the problem was solved. Yeah, it wasn't. Two days later it warmed up, and I got into my car, and thought, "what the...?" It smelled like someone had vomited in there. Oh yeah, spilled milk is horrendous in a car.
Enter smell number three. Yesterday, in the morning, I ran an errand to Michael's. I was in the store a total of five minutes. I made my quick purchase, and as soon as I walked out of the doors of the store it was evident that a skunk had made his rounds in the parking lot, obviously confused as to the time of day. They usually are out in the evening. It was so fresh and thick it made my stomach turn. I got into my van, and shut the door, only to discover it smelled just as strong inside. Did the little bugger spray my van directly? Every time I got out of my van, the skunk smell clung to me and my clothes. The only slight positive to the newly added odor is that it was so overwhelmingly foul that it squelched the presence of the first two odors, at least temporarily.
Now I am just waiting for my kids or my dog to take an unexpected crap in the van and we will have encountered the full spectrum of foul smells in one place.
Anyone need a lift?
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