breathing through my nose again

Some days smell better than others.

Today I treated my nose to some Neutrogena Rainbath shower and bath gel, an old favourite I'd almost forgotten.

And, the Ombra lavender extract foambath was on sale, so I came home with a bottle of that, too.

I'm sure it has been years since the last time I brought home a lilac scented deodorizer. Today I bought a couple for under the kitchen sink and the back of the linen closet.

But this was the first time I've even thought of buying a can of apple-scented Lysol -- the most impulsive of all the buys and yet an unregretted one. I've been out of the house half a dozen times since that first spray and each time I've returned to hear someone saying, "Ohhhhh, it smells so goooood in here!", that someone being me.

I'm usually a fan of scent-free environments. I know that fragrance isn't healthy or pleasurable for everyone, especially those who cannot protect themselves from its ill effects.

Some scents trigger a migraine for me, but I carry Benadryl tablets as an antidote for unpredictable encounters. Most lilies can make me vomit. Perfumes or cologne -- no matter how prudently applied -- are risky for me, too. One whiff might arouse me, turn me completely off or leave me wincing as I reach for my little green pill.

Scents marketed for men are less likely to upset my sensitivity. Introduce me to a woman wearing Poison, though, and I can guarantee you we won't be spending much drug-free time together.

I'd rather avoid what's toxic to me than medicate myself and stay, but I make exceptions for important meetings, forgetful friends and unanticipated or unavoidable situations -- that skunk in the backyard, for example, whose scent still lingers.

I find it a bit ironic that I was so easily able to tolerate such a persistent and less than pleasant odor -- at least until today when I tapped into my repressed need for some better smells.