On the bus today, as I hung from the overhead bar like one of those suction-cup Garfield dolls that everyone had on their car windows in the 8o’s, I noticed the girl next to me was… smelling me.
Flared nostrils. The whole bit. Eeeek.
Now, I showered today. As I do each day. Sometimes twice. All my clothes are clean. As they are each day. Sometimes twice. I wasn’t wearing any weird exotic perfumes (my friend Tara at work is allergic to all the perfumes I own.) I did have a cup of cheap gas-station coffee that was fragrancing the air around me, but it actually smelled a lot like Old Spice, which is pleasant in a quaintly Grandpa-esque sort of way (I NEEDED THE CAFFEINE, JUDGER.)
So I was a touch curious as to what she might be smelling. I finally gave her a rather pointed glance and she stopped flaring her nostrils.
Then she asked, “Do you use Tide detergent?”
Hmmm. “I think I actually washed this with Sunlight.”
“Like, you left it to dry outside?”
“No, Sunlight detergent.”
“Really?”
“As far as I recall.”
“Hmmm. Okay.” She wrinkled her nose and stared down at her feet, as though disappointed in me. I flailed.
“I do own Tide. It might have been Tide.”
She perked up.
I sighed in relief.
Then I went to sit down in a seat that was vacated by a tiny woman with a giant scrunchie in her hair, another woman shoved past me and plunked herself down. She looked up at me and smiled almost apologetically, then commented, “I’m having a rough morning.”
Oh.
So, while still clinging to the overhead strap with one hand, I reached into my bag to take out one of the biscuits Jennifer sent home with me last night (mmm! As delicious as her children! Not that I ate the kids. But you know what I’m saying.) It was SO GOOD. I’m eating one even as I write this. MMMM. Carby.
And the woman having a rough morning looked up and said, “Oooh, can I have one?”
?!?
So I said, “Oooh, I have to save them for my lunch.” Then she gave me a dirty look, so I took out the chocolate cookies that Catherine made last night and ate one of those, too. Slowly.
That’s right. I’M FULL OF SUGARS AND STARCHES AND YOU’RE NOT.
Then I felt guilty. And slightly dizzy. And I had the sniffles, though that seems unrelated.
But I didn’t give her anything.
I did share the cookies at work, though. First thing.
I was also late for work. By two minutes. Which never happens.
Wait, what the hell was this entry supposed to be about?
LATE!
Oh, and Tide liquid is the best smelling detergent on earth.
the nerve of some people! first she steals your seat then she asks for some of your breakfast? a complete stranger! man, i’m so never moving to canada.
TWO MINUTES, CHRISTINA. TWO MINUTES.
who does that? who asks a complete stranger for food (if they aren’t a homeless person sitting outside a restaurant?)??? what a freak!
Why did all the crazies ride on your bus today?
You are WAY too funny!!