We’ve all heard the old adage that opposites attract. Kenn and I are just beginning to realize just how opposite we are in one area. What area is that? My sense of smell leaves a lot to be desired while Kenn’s is excellent. This disparity leads to a lot of “Do you smell something?” conversations that leave me feeling like I’m being forced to take a pop quiz that I know I’m going to fail.
A few months ago, I walked into the kitchen to be greeted with the dreaded question. “Do you smell something?” In response, my brain went into overdrive: Obviously there’s something I’m supposed to smell, but I don’t, so I’m going to fail the quiz. Ugh. Why do we have to do this? Hedging my bets I replied, “Maybe? But not really. Give me a hint. What am I supposed to be smelling?” “Oh, one of the eyes on the stove was on and it melted the plastic container that was on the stove top.” 🙄 Okay then. This incident lead to several responses: 1) Removing the melted plastic, which was a whole process on its own. 2) I ordered these stove knob locks so that we don’t have any more instances of eyes getting turned on accidentally, and 3) We had a discussion about if Kenn can please just tell me what an issue is without first quizzing me on my sense of smell.
Another incident (example?) occurred last month on our drive to South Carolina. We were cruising down a back road when Kenn wrinkled his nose and made a noise. Of course I asked what that was all about. Kenn looked at me and said, “Skunk. Don’t you smell it?” My response is apparently going down in family history. I said, “What do you think? Do I ever smell whatever it is you’re asking me if I smell? No. So, no. I don’t smell the skunk.” Kenn laughed so hard and for so long, I thought he was going to have to pull over; the man had tears running down his face. Every time he would get himself under control, he’d mutter “What do you think?” and go back off into gales of laughter. He finally managed to gasp, “There was just so much contempt in that one phrase.” Even now, a month later, Kenn still laughs about it. And, any time the topic of a scent/smell comes up, I now have a standard answer: “What do you think?”
In what ways are you and your partner opposites?
Linda Lou's Life 
We’re reversed, except for that month when COVID destroyed my sense of smell. Andy smells no burning, sees no dirt, and can’t hear a child or animal in distress. It’s maddening.
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Kenn could never hear the kids either. It drove me nuts! I don’t know how many times I yelled “Answer your son!”🤦♀️
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Just like you two, actually. I have a great sense of smell, but Tara? Not so much.
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This post was so funny! The skunk smelling incident speaks volumes as to what a great relationship you two have! 🦨
Ours is hearing… I’m constantly asking my husband if he heard that noise and he constantly has no idea what I’m talking about. It drives me nuts! It’s probably a safe guess to say it drives him nuts too! 😂
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LOL. Kenn has lost his high frequency hearing. Most of the time it’s not much of a problem, but I sure could use it now. Something in our kitchen keeps beeping and I don’t know what it is. It is only one beep at random times and since Kenn can’t hear it, he can’t help me find it!
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This was a funny post. I don’t have a partner, so I can’t respond that way, but when my boss and I went out on our own to start a new law office in 2003, he was cheap about some things. For years, he had stored all his closed files in his father’s old pole barn about 90 minutes from home. Evidently it was a musty pole barn. I had remarked I was going to place an office supply order in a few days and asked if he wanted anything. He said “don’t order Redweld folders and file folders as I’ll go up to Dad’s barn and burn some of my old files and bring some folders back.” He did just that and I walked into the lobby of our office on Monday morning – not even into the file room where we kept supplies and I thought I’d gag. Then I turned on my office light and he had also placed a pile in my office. Not only were they musty smelling but full of spider cocoons. I moved them into the file room pronto and closed that door. When he got to the office he said “did you see what I brought for you?” “Yes, I did – they stink to high Heaven!” He said “I don’t smell anything – men don’t have a good sense of smell like women do.” 🙂 I said I’m not touching anything that smells and looks like those files do. You want clients to come in here with it smelling this way? He got rid of them, after giving me a few choice words.
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Oh no! Good for you for standing your ground. I wouldn’t have touched them either.
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My boss would spend hundreds of collars on one bottle of wine, then be very cheap about other things. The office smelled for days after he threw them out.
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There are some smells that are hard to get rid of.🤧
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Yes, mustiness is nearly impossible to get rid of. We once had a great bookstore in the neighborhood. The owner was very knowledgeable about old books, all subjects, but the store had that awful musty smell of old books, even though the store itself was clean.
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OMG I had to read this to my husband, it was so funny Linda! You two sound like us except I smell everything and my husband nothing! I drive him crazy when I here a noise that isn’t normal. Something on the end table was clicking today. I had to move everything on the table until it stopped, it was my stainless steel water bottle on a stone coaster. 🤣
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Kenn has rechargeable hearing aids. If he doesn’t get them seated properly in the charger, they make a high-pitched, intermittent noise kinds of like crickets. Of course, he can’t hear the noise so I’m left searching until I remember to check his hearing aids.🤣🤦♀️
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That is so funny!
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