Friday, February 28, 2014

No sir, those are my feet...


Special delivery just for you, Mary!


You know, living in the (kinda-sorta) country has its good points, I'll give you that. Lots of space, no streetlight glaring through your windows during the night, stars galore, fresh air - the list of good things could go on and on. But...

...the water here smells really funny. As in *bad* funny.

Eggy in fact.

You turn on the tap to brush your teeth and are assaulted by egg water.

I don't get it.

I got over the nighttime howling wolf thingy - they weren't wolves at all, really. No, they were roaming packs of coyotes attacking their prey with a glee that would curl your toes.

The bears? Well, the bears don't eat meat. At least not yet.

And I can accept that the (kinda-sorta) country may have a few intrinsic odors of its own. I mean, let's face it, septic systems and horse farms come with their own special brand of "fresh country scent", don't they?

So it's all good.

But the water?

Noooooo...

 ...I cannot accept the water. I'm not even sure it IS water.

Rotten egg-scented well water?

Do you know what that means, folks?

That means you hard boil your clothes in the egg-scented water and then the dryer bakes the scent in. And if you throw in a few "fresh linen clean" scented dryer sheets? You get "fresh linen clean
egg-scented" shirts, pants, socks, sheets, towels, etc...

The problem with egg-scented socks is it results in egg-scented sneakers and egg-scented shoes. And you can't just toss your shoes each week. 'Cause that would be a sin my friend and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that fact on a Catholic blog now, wouldn't I? So you go about your days with a mild egg-scented air about you.

This is a problem. Why? Because not everyone understands that the odor is coming from your feet and when I am in crowded places and someone sniffs at the air I get paranoid. No sir, those are my feet...I swear it's my feet and not my breath. My Triple Blast Arctic Air Peppermint Fields Peel The Paint Off Your Walls Mouthwash carries a minty fresh scent guaranteed to kill 99.99% of all odor-causing bacteria in existence. 

When someone says, "You smell that? What is that?!" I cringe. Yes, I cringe. No sir, I didn't break that unspoken cardinal church rule which Catholics 9-months-old and up in pews around the world instinctively know (it's passed down in the genes methinks) that only coughing is allowed at Mass AND. NOTHING. ELSE. So I make a big production of checking out the bottom of my shoes so that the people behind me will know that I'm wondering where that foul odor is coming from too. 

It's the bane of my eggsistence.

 I know, I know, that was REALLY bad, Mary...the worst you've ever done.

Any advice out there from my fellow bloggers who live in the country who may or may not have a high manganese level in their well water? 'Cause I'm pretty sure manganese is the culprit because our feet always smelled just fine until we moved into the country and odor-eaters will only work for just so long. 

Plus, I'm not really sure if secretly rolling deodorant on your feet and in your shoes each day is a *good* thing. 

Chemicals, you know what I mean? Though, I have to let you in on a little secret: my socks are REALLY white. Just a little cleaning tip for my dingy-footed friends out there.

11 comments:

  1. Are you saying there is manganese in the water? Is all the water you use from the well? Or do you have water from faucets?

    I woul have this checked if I were you.

    God bless.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Victor,
      Everyone has wells around here - the wells have electric pumps that send the water through your pipes and then through your faucets when you turn them on. We had the water tested when we moved in - the only problem was high manganese levels but not so high that it's dangerous. It's still within the acceptable range. But it smells bad. The kitchen has a special filter but the rest of the water in the house smells bad. I don't know how much a whole house filtration system costs but I'm betting it's a lot.

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  2. Oh my heavens, I'm pretty sure I know that smell. My uncle and aunt had a riverside vacation cabin when I was growing up, and I always thought the water smelled just like eggs (more specifically, rotten eggs). My father called it "sulphur water," and said the smell had to do with how the water (which I think was well water that came in through faucets) was "purified".....?? Does that sound right... to anyone?

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  3. Mary, I went straight to google and immediately got things about "sulfur water" (I had wrong spelling). Rotten egg smell. Both of the first links said it isn't harmful. Going back to read more now - but thought I'd let you know in case any of what is found there "fits."

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    Replies
    1. Sulfur water? I mean, I know our water comes from deep down but I don't think it comes from THAT far down, my friend ...lol.

      Hmmm...I'm going to google that too I think. Thanks for the heads-up!

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  4. Replies
    1. Hi Nancy,
      Your sulfur water comment was very helpful. I researched it online and found out that the problem is NOT caused by manganese but by hydrogen sulfide gas and we likely need a whole house filter to solve the problem. Thanks for letting me know!

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  5. Sulfur, definitely. My dad dealt with that in Vermont. I still remember how bad the hot showers smelled. I think you can look for house-filters for that, though.

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  6. Hi Jane,
    How are you? I hope you and your family are well! Have I told you that you make great hats? I loved the one you made for your daughter. (I don't know HOW you did it but I thought it came out awesome.)

    I think you're right and I came to the same conclusion about a house filter. Unfortunately, they are expensive so I'll have to add it to a long list of things that need to be done here :( What bothers me most about the smell is the way it affects the laundry - clothes tend to really absorb the smell. I hate that I have to dump the strongest detergents and fresheners in the wash and use twice the amount of dryer sheets in the dryer and I can STILL smell the egg odor. Thanks for commenting on this.

    Are you enjoying this crazy winter? Lol. Another storm heading our way!

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  7. "It's the bane of my eggsistence."

    You have been hanging around Victor too long!

    God Bless you.

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  8. Oh I know! Isn't that awful? Lol. I can't believe I said that and left it up there too!

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