No – the modern day paperboy doesn’t have anything to do with the bad smell. They are two separate incidents worth mentioning:
As I was just leaving my drive this morning at 6.45am on the way to the beach for my morning swim I paused on the curb to allow another car to pass by. As it did I saw objects flying out of it. I looked closer and realised the driver was hurling newspapers out of the driver’s side window, over the top of the car to land neatly on the lawns of people’s houses on the left. He then hurled a couple more out to the right and again they landed neatly on the recipients’ front lawns. I have to mention that newspapers here (the purchased ones as opposed to the free ones) come neatly rolled and packaged in cellophane so this sort of behaviour is perfectly acceptable. I have just never witnessed it done from a car before and certainly not from one driving so fast; he had obviously had a lot of practice.
It made me chuckle and observe how times have moved on from the old days of young lads on bikes wearing back to front baseball caps. Ok, so now I’m just thinking about the old computer game Paperboy and stereotyping, but still…
The second incident involving the bad smell was when I arrived at the beach. I took my usual stroll across the sand to the end of the beach where the rock pool is situated, revelling in the glorious golden rays of the just risen sun. On arrival at the rock pool I was surprised to see it empty – an absolute first ever, especially lately; mornings have been getting pretty busy with pre-work swimmers and early rising retirees.
I deduced the possible cause of desolation when the stink hit my olfactory receptors: a stagnant sort of fishy, seaweedy smell. It had been there yesterday and a few people had commented on it, saying they hoped a high tide might come in and wash out some of the seaweed that had collected before the next clean was due. Evidently it hadn’t and the offending seaweed had had another twenty four hours to fester.
“Well, what the heck” I thought. I decided not to let a little smelly seaweed interfere with my strict routine, considering I hadn’t missed a single working day since 5th January. I looked upon it as a bonus that I wouldn’t have to be quite so observant about others around me to avoid any head-ons or flailing arms and legs.
A few people arrived and walked up and down the pool with a disdainful look on their face before leaving but it wasn’t long before some people decided to brave the water and join me. After a few lengths I forgot about the smell and enjoyed my swim as normal. I even did two extra lengths. A nice refreshingly cold shower later I was on my way to work smelling of roses… well, olive oil soap actually.
Recent Comments