I Smell Softener

[Henry]

For you newly wedded husbands, please read this carefully and maybe you too will reach a half a century of "Wedded Bliss."

Approximately a month or two ago, Maryann started complaining about the smell of softener.  She suggested I switch from Downy to some other softener as the smell was making her nauseous.  The next time I went shopping I picked up some Snuggle, but once again she said the smell was just going all through the house.

Now mean time, I’m a sniffing here and I’m a sniffing there and I can’t smell any softener smell.

She asked me if they sold any softener that didn’t have a smell, so off shopping I went again and I finally did find one in Hannafords that did not have a scent, so I started using that on her clothes and sheets, however she said she could still smell softener.

Well, I decided to cut down on how much I use in my clothes & wash again.

By this time there was so little softener being used that the towels were like using rough sandpaper to dry yourself.

I decided that maybe during the last rinse of the wash cycle when the water is flushed down the drain that maybe that is where the smell was coming from as the washing machine and showers all go down a separate drain.  As a solution I put a folded towel over the drains in both showers and hoped to God that the softener smell she could smell would disappear.  Keep in mind that all this time, I don’t smell any softener smell.

The night before last she came out of the bathroom and shut the door and said, “Maybe this will keep the softener smell out of here.”

I thought, I will try something else and grabbed the mop pail and filled it with cold water and dumped it down the shower, thinking that if there was any softener left in the trap, it would flush it out.

Now, I am still doing all this and have no idea what the softener smell she is smelling is as I don’t smell it.  Of course, after almost 50 years of marriage, I am a little brighter than to say, “I think you are imagining this Maryann.”

Finally, the night before last after she had gone to bed, she came out and said, “I know where there softener smell is coming from.”

I thought “Oh God, what now?”

She said, “It’s coming from my Medic Alert Button.”

Maryann wears a Medic Alert Button around her neck on a cord and she wears it in the shower as well as the rest of the time.  Apparently soaps and shampoos over time have permeated the Button so that there is a smell to it that comes up to her nose, thus the reason she is the only one who could smell the so called “Softener Smell.”

The mystery of the “Softener Smell” is finally solved, although I do have to say it did take a little patience and perseverance.

Maryann has called the "Medic Alert" company and they are sending her a new "Medic Alert" button.  She will use the old one in the shower and the old one outside, so she no longer will be saying, "I Smell Softener."

[Dick Brown]

Everything is great about your story, Henry and I'm properly impressed....in fact, I'm so impressed that I've nominated you for the Patient Husband of the Year Award . By the way, this has never been given before to anyone with a Fairfield upbringing .
Unfortunately, both you and I know that relating this story publically ( without changing the names of those involved )  puts you in deep doo-doo with the local "wives are never wrong organization " and they may have a special award for your actions.
The proper responses for you during the next week are "yes, dear...you're right ,  dear " and such ....maybe that will get you out of the doghouse with them !!!!

[VtGrammy]

Fat chance Dick!!  It'll take more than a week.  Remember it took the woman to figure out the answer to the mystery!!  ROFL  Can't believe it'll be 50 years this September for the two of us.  How lucky we both are to have shared our life and our laughs for so long. 

[mkr]

And it is stories like these that make their Daughters laugh histerically!  You should have heard them both tell me the story the other night, Mr. Brown, PRICELESS! 

[Judi]

This story deserves to be in Reader's Digest!

[trussell]

Henry, thanks for sharing this story!  I am allowed to be correct once a year as well.  Just ask my wife

[bnelli6]

Henry, you are a stand up guy. My other half always says that he hates when I'm right.

[Mike Raburn]

BACK to DOWNEY!!!

My road to 50 years of marital bliss will be going deaf.
I NEVER wear hearing protection on the job site.
That way I just smile and nod in agreement......

BUT,,,I still can smell DOWNEY FRESH! yeeeeya!

PS....Nice story AND it is a Reader's Digest submission.

[Razzle Dazzle]

PS....Nice story AND it is a Reader's Digest submission.

Yes, it is!
Great story Henry, loved it.

[Dick Brown]

When one looks back on past postings, the one put up by Maryann on the Softner story tells it all, Henry. I would repeat her thought, how lucky you two were , and hope that your days get better .

[Henry]

Thanks for bringing that post to my attention.  Maryann read my forum once a week, usually on a Sunday night as we sat in the computer room together, before the compuers started backing themselves up.  Many times she did not comment, however, always had to double check later in the evening to see if she wrote anything.

It has been really hard for the girls - Lynn & her family left yesterday, Sharon left today and Mary Kay is in and out quite often - We have so many things we have shared and are able to laugh about.  I just finished washing a bunch of towels and put all the softener I needed in them and did not smell a thing.  Thank God you found the source Maryann as I probably would have still been skimping on the softener.