Saturday, August 23, 2008

Today’s blog brought to you by the Sense of Smell
Sesame Street represent!

One of the many weird/annoying things about my mom is she claims to have broken her nose so many times when she was younger, she lost her sense of smell. I believed her when I was a little kid, but the older I got the more I was like, that can't be possible. Weirdo. But I have checked around and it is possible for people not to have a strong sense of smell, so if this is the case, I feel sorry for her. While there are certainly times I wish I could turn mine off (most often after Brian has consumed Raisin Bran, Mexican food, baked beans, broccoli, Corona, or hell - water), most of the time I am very happy about my ability to smell things.

Nostalgia, for one. I just told April the other day that all I have to do is catch a whiff of that Aussie hair spray and it takes me straight back to the early 90's and us prettying ourselves up to go drink beer with boys in the woods. The same thing with Grace and I and L'Oreal hair products or Sand and Sable perfume; it's the 80's and I'm drinking different beer with different boys. The smell of Old Spice conjures my dad so strongly, I only allow myself to sniff it every once in awhile and when I do, it's as likely as not to make me start crying. Strangely enough that cheap aftershave that gets made fun of a lot was the perfect scent for my dad and the only one he ever wore.

And not only for memories, but everyday sniffing is just as important. The scent of my husband's neck is what makes me miss him the most when I'm away from him. (Well, I guess it's the SECOND most thing I miss, ha ha, hee hee) Walking into a movie theater the other day during lunch to pick up a gift card for Elizabeth immediately transported me from a stressful, busy workday to fun nights with my movie club. The way the big chain book stores smell with the mingling smells of good paper and coffee. Coffee itself - I loved to smell it long before I liked drinking it. And bacon frying? The world would be a lesser place without it. It has the power to make me instantly hungry whether mah belleh is empty or full. Upstate New York in the summertime - I can't describe it adequately, except to say fresh hay and grass toasted by sunshine mixed with cool sharp mountain air. Freshly mowed golf courses, especially after it rains. The first hint of Fall air in the morning when you walk out the door. I would eat it if I could. Even my dog sticks his nose in the air when it starts getting cooler. He's not stupid.

You can imagine the careful consideration that goes into me picking out a new perfume. That's one of those frivolous things I feel guilty spending a lot of money on, yet at the same time is a really good example of getting what you pay for. There is just no reason on earth if you're past the age of junior high to buy cheap perfume. If you are like Grace it can even cause migraines. If you work in an office closely with other people, it can get you reprimanded and very disliked. No, I refuse to cheap out on the way I smell. While the past few years Clinique's Happy has been my spritz of choice, there is a new (to me) sheriff in town and its name is DKNY's Be Delicious. It comes in a cute green apple shaped bottle and smells like heaven on earth. There's a Red Delicious version as well, which I like almost as much, but not quite. This will be my next perfume, probably pretty darn soon. If you have a favorite, please share it with me - I love perfume talk as much as I love make-up, hair and clothes talk.

So while I do enjoy sight, hearing, touch and taste, today I am taking a moment to bring to attention what's probably the most overlooked sense of them all. Nose, you may not be perfect, but thank you for doing your job so well.
And Mom? You're messed up.

3 comments:

Dr Zibbs said...

I base all of my colgne purchases on the celeb on the bottle or # of quarts in the bottle

Kim said...

Surprisingly enough, Paris Hilton's smells really good! (Not that she was in the lab mixing it up or anything)

Anonymous said...

I'm sendin' you an e-mail about this one! :)

I smell the best in some of the things that I've paid the least for. Scented oils that I get at the hippie store when I buy my incense (don't look at me like that) and some after-bath sprays from Bath & Body or Victoria's Secret (nothing flowery and absolutely nothing raspberry).

Some of the more expensive perfumes actually give me a headache so I have to spray them in the air and walk through the mist instead of spraying directly on me. Better yet, the ones that smell fine in the store and smell like vinegar on me when I get home.

I'm just not a fancy girl, I suppose. :/