One phrase that my fahther has spoken countless times to me is: "How do you like them apples?" Refering to the adage "One bad apple spoils the whole bunch," he continually cautioned me to be wary of who I was hanging out with or what I was associating myself with.
Today, we can expand that to potatoes. Last night DD commented that the pantry smelled like the bag of uncooked oatmeal that she was then holding. Well, I was doing the dishes and hurrying and scurrying and I just let the comment go, even though I knew that oatmeal really doesn't have much of a smell.
This morning, I was rummaging through the pantry to find a last packet of instant oatmeal to make for Ken's breakfast when I caught a whiff of what McKenna was talking about ...PURTRESCENCE! Gasp! Choke!! Some dry heaves....ugh. It was the POTATOES which had been bought quite recently and there was no reason for the rotting smell.
Trying not to breathe through my nose but still gagging, I pulled out the onions and potatoes and had to look for that one "bad apple." It was deceptively okay looking on first glance. The the small was over whelming and I knew that if I flipped it over, there were be the rot and ooze. So, I sent DD to tell Dad "there is a dead mouse in the kitchen" in the hopes that he'd come running to my aid and pick it up. (I can pick it up...but why should I if Ken's around...hehe.) The door wall was opened, the vent was started to try to relieve the stench that was oozing about the house. I started washing the other potatoes in the sink, allowed them to dry as I cleaned out the pantry shelves. It was a chore that needed to be done and it was quickly over. Ken came to my aid and picked up the rotten potatoe and took the kids to the bus stop. After I had cleaned up the shelves, I went back to my nearly dried potatoes. Other potatoes which looked 100% fine still smelled of that aweful stench. I washed them a 2nd time and decided that the potatoes that still smelled funny had to be thrown away just in case there was some rot on them that would spread to the others.
Trying not to breathe through my nose but still gagging, I pulled out the onions and potatoes and had to look for that one "bad apple." It was deceptively okay looking on first glance. The the small was over whelming and I knew that if I flipped it over, there were be the rot and ooze. So, I sent DD to tell Dad "there is a dead mouse in the kitchen" in the hopes that he'd come running to my aid and pick it up. (I can pick it up...but why should I if Ken's around...hehe.) The door wall was opened, the vent was started to try to relieve the stench that was oozing about the house. I started washing the other potatoes in the sink, allowed them to dry as I cleaned out the pantry shelves. It was a chore that needed to be done and it was quickly over. Ken came to my aid and picked up the rotten potatoe and took the kids to the bus stop. After I had cleaned up the shelves, I went back to my nearly dried potatoes. Other potatoes which looked 100% fine still smelled of that aweful stench. I washed them a 2nd time and decided that the potatoes that still smelled funny had to be thrown away just in case there was some rot on them that would spread to the others.
Well, my potatoes are drying still and I thought that it would be a good time to blog about them and the thoughts I had and the memories of my dad saying, "How do you like them apples?" You can never be too careful of who you associate with. Even long after you are away from harmful people or things, their effects can linger.
Now that I have a clean pantry again, I will have to start asking my own kids, "How do you like them apples?"
