what IS that smell?

Last night, I needed to go into the garage to go to my van to get some library books I had waiting to be returned (the extra-long winded version is that my husband planned to go return them and get one I had on held for me, but it ultimately got too late). Anyhow, opening the garage door gave me some serious wiff of a foul odor. Opening the van door, whose window was partway down, thank goodness, gave me the same foul odor. Really, "raunchy" is a kind term. I am telling you it stunk BAD.

I could not detect the source, nor did I have the stomach to try to find it. I asked my husband to look into it. He glanced around the garage and suggested the bags of cement he bought over the weekend as perhaps having an odor, but apparently it didn't bother him nearly as bad as it did me.

This morning, the stink was stronger. I left one garage door open (we have 2 separate doors) and hoped it would help. I was beginning to believe something had crawled in there and died. The van smelled worse, too. Ugh. The laundry room was beginning to catch the scent and let me tell you I was NOT having my house smell like this rot.

I had the luxury of going back to bed this morning for a while since Miss C was still soundly asleep. This was especially nice since I'd been up for nearly 2 hours in the night for absolutely no reason. When we got up, I was contemplating the fact that I would need to have some vague idea of what to do for dinner because that meal always sneaks up on me and I simply loathe it right now (can we say return of 1st trimester food aversions?). I recalled having purchased a fryer chicken on Sunday and went to look for it, hoping that perhaps I could roast it which my family enjoys.

No chicken in the fridge. I looked again, but I had just emptied the "extras" out since trash ran this morning and I knew it was not there. I pondered this. For all of one minute. Did I change my mind and not buy it? No. . .

I charged to the garage, opened the back of the van and lo and behold the smell I encountered nearly took my breath away. Nasty. I had to hold my breath! The headless little chicken was tucked next to the stroller and almost covered by a blanket I keep back there. Somehow, I did not see it the other day when I put my groceries away.

I can tell you our cooler weather kept it from becoming a problem sooner, but oh my goodness. I am so glad I was not in a rush to get out the door when I found it. I left the back of the van open for a few hours and febreezed the inside before I left later. And the chicken? Three or four plastic bags later it is in my freezer...the trash had already run a few hours before.

GRROOOOSSSS!!!