Reading room

Whe I was a kid my mom occasionally had to work the Christian science reading room. which was located right next to the church, which was a cool structure with a cool courtyard and a fountain that never worked (that wasn't the only thing).

A christian science reading room has a very particular odor and they all smell the same. All old ladies wear the same perfume and old ladies are the only ones who spend an appreciable amount of time there. So it smells of that (mixed with that indescribeable old lady smell).

It smells of floor cleader due to the christian science tennent, "And we solemnly promise to watch and pray that there will never be a visible stain in the mint green carpet."

It smells of pattent leather. From the binding of the books.

I'm mentioning this because the major component of that insufferable smell is back in my life. We hired a new minion who works in our front office. She's probably 40ish, italian, quirky, the sister of the accountant, and wears an insane amount of old lady perfume.

Boy am I glad I "work" in the lab where it smells of phenols, reactor sludge, and whatever-the-hell-comes-out-of-the-autoclave. This is why I look forward to riding home even when it's raining and I'm wearing corduroys.

-M