Pepe le Pew

Today I am reminded why air fresheners for cars are so important. 

I am hauling some of my son's college paraphernalia home in an attempt to have him out of the dorm by 2:00 on Friday.  My car is packed full with bags of clothes and supplies. 

And, of course, lacrosse equipment.

I don't mean just a set or two of lacrosse equipment.  My kid is the Dr. Jekyll/ Mr. Hyde of any sports team
he joins. He will play any position his coaches point to as long as they don't point too long in any one direction.  This means he has multiple styles of cleats for various purposes, socks for every occasion, enough jerseys to outfit several sports teams, and enough equipment to start his own used sporting goods store. 

This also means that he has a multitude of lacrosse sticks, cleats, and padding, all of which is currently stuffed into my vehicle.  The sticks and helmets and gloves and elbow pads and chest protector and cleats are balanced carefully atop several bags of clothing, an aromatic mixture of dirty and clean fabrics.

In short, the car flippin' reeks.

For the uninitiated, the scent of sweaty lacrosse equipment ranks somewhere between damp hockey goalie equipment and unwashed judo gis, which puts it about three sniffs above years-old soccer shin guards.  I am trapped going seventy miles per hour in a mobile metal cylinder of noxious fumes that rival mustard gas.

I've no idea what my car will smell like in the morning, but right now, at this very moment in time, I am certain of one thing: I am truly grateful for the car air fresheners I received last Christmas that I will dig out from their hiding place under the kitchen sink.  Whatever stench is wafting around in my car when I return to the college to collect my son and the rest of his personal belongings, it will be held at bay by the artificial perfume of eau de Spiced Cider.  It may not be the perfect cover-up, but, by gawd, it'll have to do.

Thank you, Santa Claus, wherever you may be.  The next glass of spiced cider is on my tab.