What’s that I smell?

If you are Family you know that allergies have pretty much done away with my sense of smell. I tell people that I couldn’t smell gasoline if you stuck a bucket of it under my nose, and most days that’s true. I’m rather used to that condition and it doesn’t bother me all that much. I read today (in Fast Food Nation – outstanding book) that smell accounts for 90% of what makes food appetizing. I’m not sure that’s right; I think I would weigh significantly less if it were so. I seem to be doing pretty good on just 10%.

What I’m not used to is smelling things. Like walking into Chuy’s and being overwhelmed by the good cooking odors. Or opening the coffee container and smelling the promise of a good cup of coffee. Or cooking some eggs and hash browns for breakfast and realizing that I’ve stunk up the house. And that’s what’s going on these days. I go through smelling (smelling, not smelly!) periods from time to time if I have been given a good dose of steroids for some medical condition or another. When the treatment stops the odors do too.

But I’m not on steroids at the moment. I did take a round of antibiotics for a sore throat last week, but antibiotics in the past have not affected my sense of smell. Perhaps the combination of my resuming the allergy shots and the antibiotics and being constant with my nasal spray regimen has brought this about. Maybe it will continue. Maybe not. In the meantime, I’m exploring all the wonderful (and not so wonderful) scents that fill our days.

My that fresh bread is making me hungry!