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Monday, July 24, 2006

Freon does TOO smell!

"Freons are colorless, odorless, nonflammable, noncorrosive gases or liquids."
At least that's what this web site states.

And perhaps it's true. FOR NORMAL PEOPLE. I've recently learned first-hand that pregnant people are not normal people. I was first introduced to the SMELL of freon early in my first trimester, which corresponded with the beginning of the hot hot NC summer. I'd walk into my apartment, smell the ickiness of many things (including squirrels, etc.) and, of course, have the box A/C BLASTING to bring in some fresh air from the outside. Eventually the squirrel and attic smell subsided, but thanks to the blasting A/C, a weird, very light, but unpleasant smell remained. To be objective, the smell really isn't THAT unpleasant, except that (perhaps because of when I was introduced to the smell) I associate it with this sort of car-sick, nauseated feeling. (hm, first semester blues, anyone?)

I couldn't figure out what the new smell in my apartment was, all I knew was that I hated it. Then, while driving a bit later, I blasted the A/C in my car. "Ick!" I thought, "It's that SMELL again!" -- then I realized what it was. FREON! I kept finding the smell in all sorts of places. I open the freezer, there it is. My co-workers bring out their frozen dinners for lunch, it clings to the cardboard coverings.

So, I now can say something that I'm sure dogs everywhere have known for some time: Freon DOES have a smell.

Furthermore, pregnant noses DO get uber sensitive. And this isn't a good thing.

Finally, I'm EVER so glad to be in the NEW apartment now (quick update for out of town friends: we moved on Saturday in to a two bedroom apartment that does not also house squirrels. It's very nice, and thanks to the help of friends, all our earthly goods were transported into the new place in just over 2 hours flat.) The new apartment has CENTRAL air, so the smell sort of disperses throughout the apartment, and doesn't attack your nostrils head-on.

One last story, quick, from the move. I walked into the old kitchen where my faithful friends were taking a food break before heading up to the new place. Matt was eating a strangely large, whitish vegetable, almost the size of a child's football. "Wow, where'd you get that huge cucumber?!?" I exclaimed the moment I walked in. "How'd you know what it was?" someone remarked, surprised. That's right, folks, the uber nose strikes again. I knew Matt was eating a cucumber before I SAW the cucumber, because I could SMELL it from half way down the hall.

[For those dying to know the answer, Matt got the cucumber from David who got it from his garden. Thanks David.]


Comments:
If you can smell the freon, your AC/Freezer unit is leaking and likely won't work soon. And the stuff isn't that great to breathe. It's actually more likely to be some stuff (mold/fungus) growing on the evaporator coil (the cold one). It gets covered with moisture, and unless it has a special coating it probably has stuff growing on it within a couple days of getting cleaned. That's why newer cars run the blowers when the car is off but the AC has been running - to attempt to dry it off so stuff doesn't grow. You may want to try getting in there with lysol or something if the smell is bugging you. And freezers shouldn't get warm enough between cycles to let stuff grow - sounds like that needs a cleaning.
 
continue posting this sort of stuff. I need to know what I'll be up against if/when I get pregnant. As my older genetically-similar sister, it is your job to be my lab rat so I know what to expect. Its only fair. I'm not sure why it is fair. But I'm sure there is some reason why it is fair.
 
Jeremy,
you're probably right, it's probably NOT freon, but I don't think it's mold, either. It doesn't match that smell. Probably some other biproduct of the whole cooling system. No worries, the freezer is cold enough, I think...

Lil' Sis,
I hate to break it to you, but all other signs point to the fact that you got the opposite set of genes when it comes to all things female. I'm still happy to share, but I'm not sure the rest of the world shares your enthusiasm for my body changes, etc. If you want to know what it'll be like to be pregnant, here's a better gague. Take your PMS. Now make it worse. (more crabby and irrational, boobs hurt more, and cramping that doesn't last for just ten minutes, but on and off at a low level for days and days.) Now have those symptoms last for at least three months straight, and combine them with that car sick feeling you get when you're tired and have been reading in the back of the van for too long. Stir for good measure. That, my dear sis, is what we fondly refer to as the first trimester. I'll let you know more when I've got the rest figured out. :)
 
Poor Laura! *cyber-shoulder-patting*

I spent the majority of my first trimester in a boarding school dorm, eating cafeteria food. Those are smells I'll never get over for the rest of my life!
 
Actually, Sarah S. (not B.) it's getting much much better.

Again, for those who care: Dr. App't today, so far everything is usual except they couldn't hear a heartbeat, which (doc assures me) is also fairly usual for this stage of the pregnancy. The babe is likely just hiding. Between this and the scare a month ago, I'm seriously considering naming the baby something whose meaning is along the lines of "hidden one."

For Sarah B. -- They'll check you for diabetes given your family history. That happened today as well. It involves drinking something that's a lot like sprite.
 
Wow, you make pregnancy sound so glamourous!!
 
Just wait until the second trimester, that's when everything gets fun. No icky morning sickness, but you get to FEEL the baby!

Oh wait, I'm basically there. (only a week away) Why isn't it fun yet?

Hm... Perhaps it's because jr. is still too small.

When does Jr. become big enough to feel? Anyone know?
 
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