Wow. Have you ever read a post from someone and were just certain that they was joking only to realize that they were actually SERIOUS?!!
I just did and I'm still shaking my head. Anyway, on to the story...
Below is actually an old post of mine from LPMP but something yesterday reminded me of it. I was wearing Excalibur when at the grocery store. the two girls working the register and bagging both started lifting their heads in the air and sniffing (not in an overt way but enough to be noticeable) as I approached the register. They exchanged a glance and and one whispered to the other about how something smelled really good. Like woods mixed with honey. I overheard this and thanked her for the compliment. The girls (I'm telling myself they were both about 18 so I don't feel too creepy) both blushed a bit and the bagger asked if I was what smelled like a great smelling forest. I told them what I was wearing and the cashier (even though someone came up in line behind me) made the girl checking out in the lane down the way, come over and smell me. That girl immediately grabbed her phone to text her boyfriend to go online and check out what I was wearing. I honestly thought at first they were just making a joke and that they didn't like what I was wearing but no, they seemed very genuine. On to my story below about smellng great and using that to meet people.
My beautiful Bride, Captain Awesome and myself all just snuck away for a few days of much needed away time from the Rat Race. The best my Beauty could do to get away from work was Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday since they are painfully shorthanded and the mail must flow. We decided on a destination about 2 1/2 hours away that was also a place she knew from childhood. An incredibly unique attraction called House on the Rock. I highly recommend it. Apparently it started out as one man's vision of a place to live, up on a big outcropping of rock in West central, Wisconsin. Being that he was also a collector, he did what a collector does. He started adding on to his house in an effort to maintain his collection. Then he hit on the idea of having people come to pay and see his collections. Do you understand where I am going with all this?
What started as one man's picnic spot has since turned into an attraction that sees over 1,000 guests PER DAY. The website does not do the place justice, nor do the photos I took. Most of the venue is quite a bit dark, I believe to either hide the dust or add to the mystique of an already mysterious location. Possibly both, I'm not really sure. As a tourist attraction it definitely holds its own, unfortunately you can do the entire attraction in one day and then what else is there to do in Central Wisconsin besides legally drink Spotted Cow? Oh, the Wisconsin Dells, also known as the Waterpark Capitol of the World is only about an hour drive away. Now THERE is where you can spend a week, either soaked to the bone in one of the numerous water park resorts or you can take a Duck ride while zip lining over Lake Delton. Also highly recommended. But I digress, I was intending to write about stinky stuff.
For our mini vacation I'd packed both Mark's Tonka Tobacum as well as LP: Homme. Somewhat similar scents in that they are both a bit more gourmand. Also, Captain Awesome (aka my kid) HAD to bring his custom LPMP scent and my bride brought a bottle of LP: Black along, just to be thorough. If you have not smelled Black, you are missing out on brown sugary happiness. We were one big, stinky family. Now, my Bride is MUCH more conservative than I when it comes to rolling on a scent. I practically bathe in it knowing that within 15 minutes, I won't be gassing the people down the block with my scent, however I WILL delight the olfactory senses of whomever I pass by. One of the main virtues of an oil based scent, besides longevity is the knowledge that your scent trail can be very selective. Only those close to you are privileged enough to be allowed into your domain of stinkiness.
Now, one of the reasons that I wear Love Potion colognes is because I do like the attention they give. It is a great icebreaker when out someplace new. If someone has disapproved of my scent, they have never mentioned it. On the other hand, more times than I can count have I been regaled with the story of how 'someone' smells really good in the room! Which brings me to the experiences of our trip. As I passed both guest and tour employee alike while wearing Mark's Tonka Tobacum on Wednesday, I heard the musical sounds of,
*sniff sniff*
*hushed whisper*
"What smells so good? Do you think they pipe in the scent of sugar cookies or do they have a bakery?" Followed by the realization that it is the big guy with the tiny family that smells so good. On occasion it is the realization that the small child in their midst smells of chocolate covered cherry marshmallow peeps.
My bride is uncomfortable with the way I will approach anyone and strike up a conversation. Usually my victim is an employee of someplace such as this. One reason I've always done so is because I'm painfully shy. Anyone who is on the path I am finds the energy of most people to be quite abrasive and challenging, even if they are not intentionally so. The amazing fruits of Mara and John's genius go a long way towards making people less challenging. Striking up a conversation with the docent in the infinity room led to an adventure down a clandestine staircase to witness two beautiful fawns that he was also the caregiver of. Also, because our tour guide at a local cave attraction rather enjoyed the scent of chocolate covered cherry marshmallow peeps as she said that Captain Awesome smelled of, we were given an extra special tour of a portion of the cave that was not open to the general public.
The moral of the story? Smell nice, don't be afraid to strike up a conversation and you may find that life will hand you more adventures than you thought you might have.
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