Entertainment, Part Thirteen: The Fresh Outdoors

Summer is almost here! There are so many wonderful things to do in the great, fresh outdoors during good and not so good weather. The advantage to outdoor entertainment is obviously fresh air, breeze, and wind preferably blowing stink away from the chemically sensitive person, but also movement. One is able to move about freely, away from toxic smells. Granted, smelly people encounters will be the greatest risk at public events, but once you learn to sample the air with shallow breathing techniques and move fast, it's not as dangerous as indoor and confined activities. You'll become very adept at holding your breath at a moment's notice and breathing deeply when able. I was told once by a doctor reviewing my labs that I don't breathe efficiently. Well, YEAH! Welcome to my world. We do what we can to survive.

I'll briefly list some of my favorite outdoor entertainment ideas here, but I'm sure as the summer progresses I'll write about many of them in more detail.

Organic Gardening Grow your own food, flowers, herbs, bushes, trees and oxygen-enhancing greenery. If you don't have your own dirt to play in, grow a container garden or find a community garden with fragrance-free fellow gardeners. (See also blog post titled "Entertainment, Part 2: Organic Gardening" and all other gardening adventure posts.) Potential Dangers: Mold in dirt, natural pesticides made from essential oils

Up close and personal!

Organic Farm Visitations  Many organic farms invite people for visits and give tours. Some will demonstrate farm activities such as cheese making and goat and/or cow milking, offer cooking classes, or provide petting farms for children. Others will sell their organic flowers and produce on site or demonstrate specialties like candle making, flower arranging, food preservation techniques or weaving. Local organic farmers are good people to know and support, and are often very aware and passionate about society's issues with chemical poisoning. Potential Dangers: Stinky people encounters.

Berry Picking  Find organic farms that provide u-pick berries or other produce. In my area of the country, strawberries are ripe as early as June, and blueberries and raspberries in July. Depending on the type of blackberry, they are ripe in July and August and free if you are willing to hike up in the woods. Apple, cherry, pear, and peach tree orchards often provide u-pick opportunities as well and neighbors sometimes offer free windfalls or gleaning. Potential Dangers: Stinky people encounters.

Farmers' Markets Support your local, organic farmers! Farmers' Markets are like outdoor shopping malls and entertainment rolled into one with lots of air. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters and smelly booths like scented candles, potpourri, or essential oils. Hold your breath and walk past very fast!

County and State Fairs  I LOVE fairs! I enjoy looking at horses with braids, cows with ribbons,  pigs with manicures and well-behaved dogs. I know someone who gives her chickens baths in preparation for the fair. Fluffs them up real pretty. I also like looking at local crafts, baking contests, flower exhibitions and fruit and vegetable competitions. Although I don't partake of the carnival rides or the junk food, the sounds and smells they provide add a certain ambiance specific to a county fair. Bring your own snacks and water. Potential Dangers: Smelly people, stinky booths and displays, non-organic flowers and produce exhibits, junk food, bathrooms washed in chemicals.

Festivals Art festivals, music festivals, ethnic/cultural festivals or any combination are in abundance during the summer months. One year I went to a mule festival. Yep, a three-day mule extravaganza. The baby donkeys were delightful! Search online for "festivals in [state]" and up pops festivals for the summer, for this coming weekend, for tomorrow. I have found some of the more popular festivals can be extremely crowded. If they last Friday through Sunday, Friday right when they open is often the least populated time. During the weekend, get there again right when they open, but expect you might need to leave by early afternoon. There is one festival in my area by 1pm it's wall to wall people with little room to walk let alone breathe. Still, these events are usually outdoors and in fresh air. If it rains, consider it a blessing - everyone stays home! Potential Dangers: Smelly people, stinky booths and products, junk food, bathrooms washed in chemicals.

Medieval and Renaissance Faires Historical recreations or re-enactments are incredibly fun and provide a very entertaining escape in an outdoor setting with lots of authentic costumes and colorful people. There are often arts and crafts demonstrations, dancing lessons, food from the period and palm reading, as well as jousting, dramatic performances, and music. I once went to a war! Yep, I said war! It took place on a mountain side far away in the country. We got up early in the morning, set up our picnic on the field, and watched grown men and women in costumes pommel each other with swords and clubs. Good fun! Huzzah!! Potential Dangers: Smelly people, smelly booths of scented candles, soaps, dried flowers, pesticides, fire smoke. (I always think it's odd people participating in re-enactments will use chemical perfumes, make-up and pesticides. I think they are missing the point.)

Parks I think many of us take for granted these simple outdoor entertainment areas often right in your neighborhood, in the middle of urban areas. Because so many take them for granted, they are often deserted! Check out landscaping techniques, specialized gardens, hiking trails, and walking paths. They may be used for picnics, sports, bird watching, wildlife observations, art, or playing on the children's playground equipment. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, pesticide and herbicide use

Beaches/Ocean Adventures Fresh air at its finest and miles of walking opportunities. Location selection will be important as not all beaches are created equal. Population, water quality, ground surface quality, walkability and sea life viewing are some of the variables. Potential Dangers: Secluded beaches are relatively safe in terms of stink, not in terms of lunatics and perverts. Overpopulated beaches in the sun belt will be crowded with sun tanning addicts drenched in smelly suntan oils and other stink.

Walking Go for a walk in your neighborhood or anywhere there are sidewalks or paths. Check out the houses, yards, gardens, trees. Meander, lollygag, stroll, speed walk, race walk, or even jog. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, pesticides, herbicides, other neighborhood poisons.

Camping Find a nice, secluded campsite that is safe in the woods, at the ocean, in the mountains, in the country or in someone's backyard. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, pesticides, campfires (See also blog post Entertainment, Part Eleven: Travel.)

Hiking If you have hiking trails in your area or close by take advantage of the fresh air and beautiful scenery of mountains and countryside. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, pesticides, restroom chemicals.

Excursions, Exploration, Sightseeing Become a tourist and visit local outdoor tourist sites: historical properties, ferry rides, outdoor historic tours, architectural wonders, natural wonders, and other places of interest. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, bathrooms washed in chemicals, traffic and car exhaust

Concerts Outdoor music performances offer a different listening experience with the sky above  and fresh air in surround sound. It's fun to crash on a blanket on the lawn and blanket space offers much more personal space in comparison to a seated arrangement. If there are problems with smelly people, you aren't stuck in a confined, pre-reserved spot. You can move! I really love Jazz or Blues festivals that are outdoors. Take your own food and drink so you don't have to buy at the snack bar. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, bathrooms washed in chemicals, pesticides/herbicides used on lawns.

My favorite guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-9zG4KzLHs

(Not a great video with that tag across the screen, but I couldn't get the good video to download. Hopefully, this one works!)

Solitary Sports Swimming in an ocean, lake or river. Cycling on bike paths. Roller skating on park trails. Soccer ball kicking on fields. Jogging on trails or tracks. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, traffic and car exhaust, synthetic track surfaces offgassing chemicals, polluted water.

None of these activities are totally fragrance-free because so many of them involve people. Pick and choose what you're limitations allow and learn to breathe shallow and move fast!

The Pet Epidemic

Originally I had "pets" as a form of entertainment. Yesterday's encounter with yet another bad dog owner made me re-think my position. Some people spend their recreation time training, showing and caring for a specific type of animal. For others, pets are a source of comfort and therapy. For most, however, pets are an expression of mental illness and a sick need to dominate another species.

Carnivore ownership falls into this latter category. Dogs in particular are subjected to all kinds of mistreatment due to their pack-like mentality that makes them easy to control. This also makes dogs highly trainable, unlike cats which tend to be more independent, but rarely do dog owners train or care for their animals properly.

 

They allow their dogs to bark uncontrollably, roam neighborhoods freely, crap on public parks and beaches contaminating water and land with bacteria and parasites, and breed out of control. Rarely do these dog owners have any control over their animals and seem to take great pride in the fact they are not smart enough to train their dogs. They brag about their dogs' barking addiction ignoring the fact that most dogs bark because they are insecure and afraid. Research shows barking dogs suffer from heart disease and this isn't because they enjoy barking.

 

Dog aggression is highly valued by the stupid dog owner as some form of misguided security system and dog attacks resulting in human deaths are on the rise. And then there are the dog owners who train their dogs to attack and to fight other dogs. Dog owners are sociopaths. They have no concept of consideration for others nor coexisting within a community.

Although cats aren't as noisy as dogs other than the midnight howling, most cat owners do not properly care for them and they are equally as dangerous. Cats, like roaming dogs, never defecate in their own yards. They are often allowed to roam neighborhoods unsupervised defecating their worm-infested feces in gardens and playground sand. Pregnant  women are advised not to garden unless they want to give birth to brain dead babies because of the dangers of this parasite. Cats also spread diseases to wildlife.

Exotic animal owners are in a category all by themselves. What is the attraction of caging and controlling wildlife? It defies common sense and it's animal cruelty. Again, one needs to question the mental stability of a person's need to dominant another species.

Rarely are people able to care for one or two animals properly, but in most areas multiple animal ownership goes unchecked. The justification is right of ownership or stupid people claiming their right to do whatever they want regardless of anyone else. Animals are legally considered property, not living creatures, and this originated when animals were property used on farms and served a purpose. Today most animals are treated as lawn ornaments or exhibitions serving to make their owners feel better about themselves.  I don't know how many people have told me they prefer the company of their animals over people. I understand how annoying people can be, but it makes one question the mental stability of people who kiss animals on the lips and sleep in the same bed with them. Eewww. They profess their pets are like family members but how many people throw their babies outside to cry all day? Still, when times get tough, they'll take their animal relatives to the local shelter. Millions of dollars are spent every year euthanizing unwanted pets. There really needs to be better pet ownership laws protecting animals from the mentally ill.

 

A minority among the millions of crazy are animal owners who spend the time needed to train and care for their animals properly. Their dogs come when called and don't bark uncontrollably. Their cats are kept inside assuring their pet's safety. Understanding the needs of their carnivores they feed them the BARF (bones-and-raw-food) diet instead of Chinese produced toxic pet food and find natural alternatives to chemical pesticides and worm treatments such as brewer's yeast, garlic and pumpkin seeds. They also understand their responsibility as an animal owner within society and the need to coexist with others in the community.

Most chemically sensitive people I know are allergic to carnivores. With all the pesticides, flea dips, toxic deworming treatments and smelly shampoos used on animals these days, is it any wonder? On occasion I read about a chemically sensitive person who has a houseful of cats. Really? How does that make sense? The dirt and dander they contribute to an airspace is enough to suffocate anyone, not just the chemically sensitive.

Personally, I don't feel the need to dominate another species and I find keeping an animal in a cage is cruel and inhumane. Right now you are all wondering, Well, what about Peter?

Peter's Story

I am a boy. I am livestock.

Peter is a product of my crazy-ass brother's fetish for baby rabbits. He also owns a dog he encourages to attack cyclists and has been known to pack kittens in a duct tape-sealed box and dumped them on a neighbor's porch. The guy's an idiot in every sense of animal ownership. Every few months he goes to the auction and buys a box of baby bunnies. This fetish doesn't come out of the blue - we were raised with 900 rabbits. We lived with rabbits, we ate rabbits, and we displayed their trophies all over the house. My brother is tapping into his childhood. Just because we know why he's crazy, doesn't make him any less crazy.

Shortly after I moved to this house my brother called me and asked if I wanted a rabbit. NO. Now that I have a house how wonderful it would be to have a pet to keep me company. NO. (I'm not mentally ill nor companionship needy.) He went on to say this little girl bunny had four siblings. NO. He gave three to the neighbor girl who starved them to death and the fourth disappeared, probably ran over by a car or eaten by a dog. This was the last baby bunny, sure to die a horrible death. Damn. I can't stand animal abuse. OK, he knows how to manipulate me. I had just read about how rabbit manure was excellent for an organic garden so I caved. I can do one rabbit. I was interested in having a rescue farm someday so this would be my first animal orphan rejected by a stupid human who irresponsibly decided animal ownership was too much trouble.

I named her Bella. Like belladonna the herb, a plant I was growing in my garden, only she would be bella bunny, the beautiful bunny. Right away, she didn't act like a girl. Girl bunnies are usually preferred as pets because they are even-tempered and sweet. Boy bunnies are temperamental, moody and can be downright mean. Girl bunnies get along with other bunnies. Boy bunnies will kill other boy bunnies. Girls can be bred for more bunnies. Boys are solitary. Girls are preferred. This rabbit was temperamental, moody and downright mean. My brother would make a really great sleazy salesperson.

I never thought to check her gender until I went to the local auction in search of a companion for her.  As I was looking at all the bunnies, a man with obvious auction experience started chatting so I asked his advice. He said the number one warning is to check the sex. Everyone always labels their rabbits as girls in order to sell them. They lie. I didn't buy Bella a companion that day, thankfully. As the auction approached the stink of perfume and the smell of smoke made me leave, but on the way home it got me thinking. Did my brother lie to me? Wouldn't be the first time. As soon as I got home I flipped her over...MY LITTLE GIRL BUNNY HAS A PENIS! It all makes sense. I promptly renamed him Peter. Like portabella the mushroom, he was brown and he became Peterbella. Peter, the Fierce, Bad Rabbit, from Beatrix Potter's stories. I have poster of a Peter Rabbit illustration and Bella, I mean, Peter, looks just like it.

His formal name has since changed. One day I fed him some fresh beets from the garden. About an hour later I was walking by his hutch and I heard...someone farting. Not sweet bunny farts but big man farts. Loud and long. I look around thinking maybe my neighbor was out in his yard. At first I was scared, even when I realized the noise was coming from my rabbit.  Nothing can kill a rabbit faster than diarrhea. He was fine. He was just laying around his cage free farting for fun. I renamed him Peter, the Fierce, Bad, Farting Rabbit. When I realized there was nothing wrong with him I laughed so hard tears rolled down my cheeks and I had to sit on the gravel to keep from collapsing. I laughed the rest of the day every time I passed his hutch.

So Peter is livestock. He is my rescue farm. I did keep him in a hutch for a while until he got used to me. I wanted to make sure I could catch him if need be. He doesn't eat other animals and he doesn't go to the neighbor's yard and crap. He lives in my yard keeping the walkways trimmed, weeding out clover from the lawn and providing manure fertilizer. He is my personal gardener. He isn't a pet. I can't count how many people come into my yard and start tapping their leg calling, "Here Peter! Come here Peter." HE'S NOT A DOG!  He doesn't cuddle, won't allow anyone to pick him up nor does he provide me any therapy. We have a mutual understand and shared respect. At times, however, he does act like a lawn ornament and he can be entertaining.

Six months later, my brother called and asked me if I wanted two more baby bunnies he just bought at the auction.

NO!

Ocean Adventures, Part Five: Lost and Peed, or The Adventures of the Baby Seal Patrol

I thought about that baby seal all week! I headed to the beach and spent hours walking, picking up shells, wading in the uncommonly warm ocean water, scanning the shoreline for lumps and studying the waves for bobbing seal heads. I'm not going to keep you in suspense, NO baby seals as far as the eyes can see and then some.

No baby seal mutilated carcasses or even body parts either. The baby was reunited with its mother and we have ourselves a happy ending! The weather was much better than last weekend. I have a feeling seal mamas prefer to beach their babies on dark, rainy days.  The tide was coming in, too. Maybe seal mamas prefer when the tide is way out that way the babies can't swim after them? And more people on this sun-filled day. Seal mamas don't like people. My one baby seal encounter has changed me forever. From now on I will be The Baby Seal Patrol. I'll need to get myself a coat, or t-shirt, or hat so people will know who I am.

On the way back I got lost! I could not for the life of me find the entrance to the trail where I parked. Then I had to pee. Badly. So like any dog running the beach without a leash, I found a secluded place in the dunes and did the duty.

I stop and ask directions and as I'm headed back to my vehicle, this horrid woman is walking toward me with two very large unleashed dogs. One of them tears off toward me and the woman is screaming its name over and over again. Obviously, she is too stupid to actually train her dog so she has no voice control over it. The dog reaches me, runs around and jumps on me repeatedly. When the woman gets closer I say, "You need to have your dog on a leash!" She replies, whining pathetically, "That dog isn't mine" pointing to the other dog that wasn't jumping on me. Not sure of her rationale I say, "But THAT dog IS yours!" pointing to the one who won't leave me alone. She's still yelling its name and chasing it around ME so I say, "Last weekend there was a baby seal sleeping on the beach right over there. Your dog needs to be on a leash! You are responsible for it." She looked appropriately embarrassed and drug her dog away. I'm pretty sure after twenty feet or so she let it loose again. Idiot!

I did find out between April 15th and Labor Day that whole section of beach is closed to cars which is why I never saw any cars on the beach. I know it's to protect the clams for clam digging, but I'm glad it helps the seal babies, too. I went to the next beach up the road where I see signs about vehicle closure, but I see cars on the beach? People are so stupid.

At the next beach one must pay a "day use fee" to park and stay. Really? I left instead, and then my ABS light came on! What's an ABS light? I didn't know. I look it up in the manual and it's the anti-lock brake system. The manual says if it comes on don't drive or you'll have an accident!!! I'm out in the middle of no where! What am I supposed to do?  I stop in this little town's teeny, tiny grocery store and the kid at the counter offers to call the local mechanic. Even though it's a Sunday he comes. He looks at the brakes and says it's fine. No worries. Doesn't charge me anything! I got back in the car and the light didn't come back on. Jeez.

Check out the signs ocean people display in front of their houses:

This guy is very passionate about whales.

He's not too keen on the local grocery store...

...Or the local meth house.

I think it would be fun to use your house as a personal billboard for all your outlandish opinions and have everyone think you are crazy. That's my goal.

Can you sense this guy's frustration? He was out mowing the lawn so when I asked permission to take a photo he told me about his house which is now vacant soon to be up for sale. Thieves have been dismantling the house taking everything including copper piping and pawning it. Police can't or won't do anything. The owner lives a few hours away so he's hoping the sign will inspire some crime watch in the area. He also plans to put up some more signs. Maybe I should have told him about the other sign guy who could share some advice or loan him a sign or two?

Wonderful adventurous day at the ocean!

What should my home billboards say about stink-saturated people?

Entertainment, Part Twelve: Construction

Is construction entertainment or work?

For me, construction projects start out as entertainment. I get really excited about making something. Actually, I get really excited about making something so I don't have to spend money buying it or paying someone else to do it. I love the planning, making diagrams, gathering free materials off Freecycle and recycling used materials into something practical. Production is very exciting and challenging.

In addition, unless you end up painting whatever you make, it's fairly non-toxic. Old wood, hammer, saw, nails and other odds and ends.  I like I can select non-toxic materials to use instead of treated wood or cheap plastic.

After all the planning and preparation, I stand before my pile of gathered supplies with my construction diagram in hand and wonder, What the HELL was I thinking? It seemed like a great idea on paper but then I realize I don't know what I'm doing. I start second guessing my construction abilities. This probably stems from high school wood shop, a class I wasn't allowed to take because I was a girl! My insecurity makes me fret with worry and indecision: This isn't going to work!  I need that thingy-majig tool! You know, that THING with the part? How do I make that corner so it holds? Did I measure that piece right? How will it stand up? Will it fall apart? Wouldn't it be cheaper and take less time to hire someone to do this?

Sometimes it would take less time to hire someone to do it! For instance, my screen door. It took me about five hours to attach it to the door jam. Lots of false starts and a whole lot of extra screw holes before I got it right. Honestly, it's still not quite right. So what is five hours of work time worth? The dilemma is if I have extra time, it seems worth saving $25 it would cost to hire the handyman for an hour.

Is it worth the stress? There have been times I've been close to tears with frustration. There is a man who works at the local hardware store I hit up for advice and there have been times he's volunteered to let me use a fancy tool he owns. I think he'd do anything to get me to stop whining.

In between whining, throwing the hammer, stomping my feet and holding my head screaming, I persevere and the project does eventually get done.

Here are some of my projects:

This was my very first construction project! A new gate for the back yard. I didn't even have an electric drill at the time so I had to use nails. The wood piece keeping the gate shut has since been replaced by a metal gate latch. Lovely. I was quite proud of myself. I also added the post and the  rest of the fencing was removed from another part of the yard and placed here. When people-stink can kill you, nothing feels safer than good fencing and a gate!

Replacing the garage door was my second project. It was intimidating to do something this big, but I figured it would be just like the gate only bigger. Both designs are modeled after barn doors with the cross-plank support. I always call this "the barn." Garages shelter cars.
Barns shelter hay and livestock, and at the time, Peter was living in it with his bale of hay.  This was one of those projects  that taught me not to trust the advice of hardware employees. Just before I started sawing those planks, I realized the measurements were all wrong for the opening. Thank goodness I caught that. The whole thing cost me $100. You can't buy a pre-made garage door anywhere for $100 and definitely not one that is solid wood. It works.

This is Peter's hutch. When I moved to this house the previous owner had piles of old wood pieces up in the rafters of the garage. So I used them! Someone donated an old piece of plywood for the roof and I used some left over shingles from a previous roofing project. I have to say it's a construction masterpiece and I still have no idea how I pulled it off. There are two compartments with removable walls so if I got Peter a friend I could separate them.  A few years later I decided I couldn't tolerate Peter locked in jail and I let him out in the yard. Now it's Peter's feeding station. You can see him under the hutch behind his glass-enclosed patio eating at his dish.

This is one of my book tables made out of an old window frame from our family barn that no longer exists. I held on to the frames as keepsakes for years and vowed I would make something to give them a new life. It took me two years to find all the supplies including the table legs and chandelier crystals. It looks like it would be an easy project, but figuring out how to support the legs so they weren't wobbly and able to hold heavy glass was a challenge.  This one displays children's books.

Here is the second barn window frame book table. This one functions as a coffee table and displays art history books.

This was my latest project...Peter's house. I got a bunch of wood pieces off Freecycle and felt inspired. Peter needs lots of places in the yard to hide from predators or to get out of the weather. I also found free roofing tiles. I positioned it on top of pieces of concrete and gravel to keep it from getting wet and made the roof extra big to shield it from the rain. That little red door is just for looks and I'm considering putting a sign above it that reads, Peter's Playhouse. Maybe. I'm not sure if I want it too cutesy. I still have to find some triangular pieces to fill in the roof and some flashing, but for now it's fine the way it is. See my ceramic bunny that is painted like a dog sitting in the eaves? The little neighbor girl made that for me when she was seven years old. When it came time for her to paint it, she couldn't quite remember what a rabbit looked like. It has fluorescent pink ears and nose.

I made Peter a split-level condo!  With carpeting! Such a lucky bunny. It has two openings, one on each side (on the right side and under the ramp, not seen well in the photo) so he can escape if anything comes into the house and as you can see, the whole front  wall swings open so I can clean it out if necessary.  Unfortunately, I've never seen him go in or out of it so I don't think he likes it. Maybe someday.

Most often after I finish the project I feel proud and accomplished. And then I vow never to attempt construction again...until the next time. 

Vehicles and Transportation

Only once in my life did I exist without my own transportation. I was living in a city, walked everywhere, used public transportation for distances, and if I needed to travel long distance I'd rent a car. It was heavenly not to have to pay for gas, maintenance, parking and insurance, not to mention feeling like I was doing my part toward a cleaner environment.

Alternative transportation for the chemically sensitive is more of a challenge. Riding a bike or walking long distances is only an option if you have the energy and health, however, both are constantly compromised and not dependable on a daily basis. Public transportation is risky. Enclosed in a bus wondering if the next rider will stink and knowing you may have to get off in the middle of nowhere is painfully stressful.  When does the next bus come? Who knows. Although most rental car companies strive to provide clean, scent-free cars, renting a car on a full-time basis would be incredibly expensive. And there is never a guarantee when dealing with the unstable variable: previous renters...people!

Living outside a city without your own transportation is difficult; living in the country without transportation is nearly impossible if you want to get anywhere unless you own a horse. Even a simple errand like getting groceries is a major event if you live miles from the nearest store. In search of organic food? Those miles may turn into hours of driving. Depending on another person for transportation is frustrating, especially someone who does not live with you. MCSers need their own reliable transportation for safety and peace of mind.

Shopping and Buying  Eight years ago I was forced to shop for a new vehicle after a crazy man high on Coca Cola and sleeping pills plowed into me at a stop light going forty-five miles an hour. Never mind my injuries, the thought of having to shop for a car was more worrisome. Automobile salesmen are notorious for cologne and used cars are guaranteed to be perfumed with air fresheners. Ditto on private sellers. After a long search, I did find a fragrance-free salesperson who seemed to understand my restrictions. He found a van that wasn't air freshened by snatching it up before it was detailed and asked the detailers not to put stink in the car when they prepared it for purchase.

Detoxifying When I was finally granted custody, it smelled. They did avoid any smelly preparations on the inside, but who would have predicted a freshly cleaned engine would stink so badly inside and out?  I drove home with all the windows down and my head hanging out like a dog.

Once I got it home it took about a week of vacuuming, carpet cleaning with non-toxic carpet shampoos, vinegar bowls to suck up the stink, baking soda all over the carpet followed by more vacuuming, and finally freshly ground coffee beans in bowls sealed up inside over night. I don't know if all this did any good, or if the week of sitting with the windows down was enough time to offgas, but eventually it was clean enough to enter and drive.

Practicality I chose to buy a van even with its less than stellar fuel efficiency as I needed something as a backup should my living area become contaminated. It was definitely a change from my tiny, energy efficient Toyota. It felt like I was driving around with my living room attached behind the driver's seat, but so much potential and well worth the sacrifice. In addition to serving as a emergency shelter, it has moved all my furniture to my current location, carried all manner of construction materials, transported garage sale treasures and freebies, and last fall hauled sixteen loads of rabbit manure, two yards of beauty bark and one yard of river rock. I don't recommend hauling river rock - it nearly flattened the back tires and I drove home with the tail pipe about an inch above the roadway. As mentioned in the previous post, I've often used it for accommodations and camping, too. I love my van.

Maintenance For the chemically sensitive, keeping the vehicle in good running condition is extremely important. Proper maintenance prevents problems such as leaks, ventilation issues, etc. that would contaminate the interior air space.  I also have a fear of breaking down somewhere. Who would I call? If the tow truck driver wore cologne or had air fresheners in his truck, would I be forced to walk home? From miles away? Most mechanics who offer me a ride home from their shops have air fresheners in their car so no matter where I go for maintenance, it must be within walking or cycling distance. Be sure when you take your vehicle into the shop that you state very clearly no one wearing cologne should get in it and no one should be tempted to add an air freshener or anything that stinks.

Interior cleanliness is also very important. The driver is sealed in a tiny compartment with limited air space. Dirt, animal hair, dust, food particles, dead insects, and trash can make this environment intolerable. Opening a window for fresh air will make these contaminants airborne. I vacuum the carpets and upholstery all the time, wash surfaces with vinegar, and occasionally shampoo the carpets with non-toxic shampoo. I also don't leave items in the car as I value the limited amount of air space available.

Mold is a concern in my area of the country and the HVAC system can be easily contaminated affecting ventilation and air quality. Turn on the vehicle, turn up the air conditioning and pour vinegar down the air vents on the OUTSIDE of the vehicle, located above the hood near the window. This simple precaution kills any mold spores, mildew or bacteria. Avoid eating and drinking in your vehicle as dropped liquids or food particles promote mold and bacteria growth as well. (Yeah, easier said than done, I know.)

Driving City or freeway driving especially during high traffic times is enough to kill someone who is chemically sensitive. When I still lived in a suburban area, one short jaunt on the freeway during a traffic jam and I'd have to exit for home, curl up in my bed for a few hours and sleep off the nausea and headache. One way to alleviate the asphyxiating smell of car exhaust is to keep your windows rolled up and turn the air conditioning on full blast making sure the air is re-circulated from the inside rather than using air pumped in from the outside. This is a situation where it is imperative to have a clean interior or the dust, dirt and mold will become airborne creating more breathing problems.

Passengers In the small interior of my van, I become ultra chemically sensitive! Passengers must be truly fragrance-free with no residue on their bodies or clothing. Anytime transportation is necessary, I always volunteer to drive. It's a requirement. If my prospective passenger shows up with even a hint of smell on them, we drive separately. I warn them in advance of my rules.

Shopping and Buying: Ten Years Later Lately, I've been considering buying a more fuel efficient car. My technique is going to a dealership and waiting for the first eager salesperson to approach. As you watch them rush to your side with that I-can't-wait-to-screw-you-over smile, ten to twenty feet away I loudly ask, "Are you wearing any cologne or scented products?" If he says he is I respond loud enough so he can hear it clearly, "I am deathly sensitive to stink, don't come near me." I turn and leave. Sometimes they try to talk me into staying or offer to find another salesperson, but I keep walking hollering over my shoulder, "No thanks!" It sends a clear message.  My belief is if one salesperson is ignorant, there obviously isn't some kind of fragrance-free policy. Sales personnel really should more knowledgeable about health issues of potential customers. If not, they aren't that interested in selling anything. If he says he isn't wearing anything smelly, I exclaim also loudly, "You are my guy! Thank you so much for not poisoning me!" Out of twenty encounters last summer, only ONE wore stink. Another said he normally wears cologne, but the dealership manager was fragrance sensitive and he's not allowed. That is a HUGE improvement! Eight years ago it was one out of every twenty wasn't perfumed!

I've stuck my nose into some of the new economy cars: Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevy, Dodge and the interiors are made with such cheap plastics the chemical offgassing is deadly. I can't even get in them. In fact, I have to select and limit the number of cars I smell with each shopping trip. One bad smell can make me stagger home and crawl into bed.


I have found only two cars I can enter because they don't have cheap, smelly interiors: the Smart Car and Mini-Cooper. They use leather which could be problematic for many but for some reason, I had no issues with it which leads me to believe they must be using a safer treatment. I'm not looking at the more expensive Mercedes or BMWs although I'm sure their interiors are made from quality materials as well. Unfortunately luxury cars are not anywhere near my budget so I have to settle for their economical counterparts. I've considered buying a convertible. I can't imagine being in traffic surrounded by car exhaust with not only the windows down but the roof down, too! These are the factors one must consider when chemically sensitive.

Currently my plan is to save my money and wait for an electric car of quality. Can you imagine driving around without the stink of car exhaust? Mini-Cooper is on the top of my list, but they are in the testing stage. Buying an electric car may involve moving closer to a city in order to use electrical facilities. We'll see. I'm not in a hurry. Until then, I love my van and plan to keep it as a second car anyway. I won't be hauling rabbit manure in a new Mini-Cooper!

Entertainment, Part Eleven: Travel

I do miss traveling, but getting on an airplane would be suicidal. All it would take is one person wearing any kind of scent or fragrance with the air being constantly re-circulated and they'd have to land the plane in some desert to get me off fast enough so I wouldn't die. Besides the EMFs bouncing around in the enclosed sardine can space radiating everyone including those of us who don't even own cell phones.

My last plane trip took place while I was still in denial. I didn't have a problem. I think it helped that I was in first class, but another passenger DID have an asthma attack and we landed at some obscure airport in Minnesota! I was very glad I wasn't the one everyone was glaring at as she was escorted off the plane hooked up to an oxygen tank. As much as I'd love to fly somewhere exotic, planes are not in my future.

Road Trips Travel is now limited to road trips. After being diagnosed with MCS I bought a van. At the time I was living in an apartment with a really ignorant landlord who would idle his car in the garage attached to my apartment. Exhaust fumes would fill my living space. Every now and then he'd do something equally as poisonous like seal his porch with toxic chemicals, ignoring that my windows were all open to let in the fresh summer air.

Vans are gas-guzzlers, but I wanted something I could use for a safe haven as a backup should my living quarters be contaminated. I rationalized the van could be used for overnight stays in any number of situations since for the most part hotels are out of the question.  I have taken it across the state while house shopping, I've gone to festivals and conferences, used it for city visits hours away and driven up and down the coast.  

Accommodations Many hotels now are advertising "fragrance-free" accommodations and they may be found by searching "fragrance-free hotels" online. What this usually means is they provide a hypoallergenic floor of rooms for guests with allergies and asthma. They use only Green Seal approved fragrance-free and chemically-free cleaning products and the rooms are never occupied by pets and are smoke-free. I guess it would be assumed most people with allergies or asthma won't be using fragrances themselves, but there really isn't a sign stating Fragrance-Free Only. No Stink Allowed. Still a step in the right direction.

The last hotel I stayed at was in downtown Manhattan, very ritzy, and smelled of smoke so badly from the neighboring guest I ended up leaving first thing in the morning after a night of choking. I was really disappointed.  I have attended conferences and opted to spend a very cold night sleeping in my van in an acquaintance's driveway. It worked, although not as comfortable as one would hope, but it's a great backup and I know van-camping is an option.  Anytime I drive long distance, I pack the van as if I'm staying the night. Just in case.

Camping A few summers ago I spent many a weekend going on camping trips with my van just to see what it might be like to live on the road. The van is great for camping. Maybe not as great as an RV, but I have found most RVs stink of cheap, chemically-processed materials. Vans have slightly better gas mileage and are much more reasonably priced, too. Still, sleeping in a van is acceptable, but doesn't have the comforts of home even when stocked with a small mattress.

I got to one rather large campground in the afternoon. I rationalized a larger campground would give one more personal air space. It was beautiful at 2pm and I scoped out what I thought was the safest spot with few people around and lots of trees. I left for some sightseeing and came back around 7pm. Every camp site was taken and each one had a campfire blazing. It was like living in the middle of a forest fire. I can tolerate small amounts of fire or fireplace smoke, but the air was so thick with it I couldn't breathe.

I also tried a campground at a beach and I selected a site according to the wind direction and placement of campfires in the area. It was nice until I watched a dog owner without any thought at all let his dog crap right in my site. It was then began to notice all the dog shit all over the campground and beach. The amounts of bug spray campers were using to sanctify their site was deadly, too. After that I pretty much lost my enthusiasm for public campgrounds.

There are secluded campsites in national parks or off-road areas, very quiet, no stinky people, but as a single woman, I've never felt totally relaxed or safe using them. It used to make me a little angry that my camping choices were restricted because of my gender until I met man who said he'd never camp in a secluded site by himself either.

Retreats and Spas  Every now and then I come across facilities out in the wilderness that profess to provide healthy accommodations. One I recently discovered is called Breitenbush Hot Springs www.breitenbush.com They have a fragrance-free policy and provide vegetarian food along with their many educational programs. The accommodations are in cute, little cabins. They do discuss firewood usage so there must be fireplaces or campfires, but I don't know the details. I'm intrigued and plan to check it out. There must be others like it in different areas of the country.

Day Trips  So often we take for granted what our local area has to offer for recreation and interest. If you don't have your own accommodation-on-wheels or don't trust available overnight options, plan a one-day excursion. Explore a tourist attraction nearby. There are many travel/tourist books featuring interesting places to go highlighting specific states. Globe Pequot Press has several series with titles such as Maine Curiosities, It Happened in Michigan, Myths and Mysteries of California. Find the books for your state and go exploring.

The Grotto altar

Recently I headed to the Portland, Oregon area where I did some Catholic tourism. First attraction was The Grotto www.thegrotto.org . The Grotto is a huge 62-acre wooded area right in the city of Portland that was donated to the Catholic Church in the early 1900s. The highlight was the altar carved into the rock cliff with a copy of Michelangelo's Pieta. It's the closest I'll ever get to anything resembling Lourdes, France. I went early in the morning before anyone was there and strolled peacefully among the beautiful northwest landscaping looking at sculpture and listening to monks chanting through the speakers hanging from trees. Very cool.

View from top

The second tourist attraction was the Don Brown Rosary Collection located in the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum. I read about this in one of those tourist books mentioned above.

There were nearly 4,000 different rosaries made out of every imaginable material, from different time periods and countries. I also wandered the museum displays of local Native American artifacts and early settlement history. Nice clean air. The drive along the Columbia Gorge was spectacular as well.

If 15-17% of the population are chemically sensitive, there is a need for fragrance and chemically-free travel options. As always, I'm looking forward to the day when fragrance will be restricted in public areas, much like smoking is now. Until then, I'll keep searching for travel opportunities that are clean and chemical free.

What chemically-sensitive travel options have you discovered?