A Lesson Learned...

So I always considered myself more of a street smart kinda person. School was never a struggle for me. But I definitely had my moments of complete and utter stupidity. Case in point.. Figuring out Alaska was not in fact an island. Oh yeah, and I was like 20 years old when this epiphany hit me. I'd like to give a shout out to my 909 elementary education! Ha ha :) And these moments happen all the time.. but I learned a valuable lesson this morning, and knew it was perfect for the blog. 

So this last weekend I was on a major cleaning spree.. and I mean, major. Ever since I quit my bar tending job I now have weekends open, so I spent all day Saturday cleaning. My dogs, my car, my house... it was amazing how much clutter had piled up. And then it happened. I went to throw something in the trash, and I saw it. At first I kinda just looked around.. confused. Are those seeds? Did a strawberry explode in my trash can? And then it hit me... eggs. Something had gone horribly wrong in my trash can, and they had set up camp. And by they, I mean, the maggots. I believe my early detection is what saved me from completely going nuts, throwing my dogs in the car and just calling it a loss and setting my place on fire. Isn't that the only way to kill them? But the fact they were in the incubation stage and not pop-and-locking through my garbage gave me time to assess a plan. And my first thought.. Kaboom. I dunno if anyone has been graced with the presence of Kaboom.. but I believe it cleans, kills, or does everything. Probably not a product "Method" would support, but I wasn't thinking about the environment at this moment.. this was strictly survival. So I took my trash outside and Kaboom'd the crap out of it. I can only imagine what my neighbors were thinking if they overheard my screams. "Die! Die! Die!" "Get the freak out!" I mean, honestly, a whole other person I never even knew existed came out. And I'm a gemini.. I thought I knew all of my multiple personalities. I remember looking at my dogs just laying there watching me.. concerned looks on there face.. probably saying to each other.. "Uh oh, Mommy's lost it again..."

So the conclusion I reached after my battle.. the culprit was basil gone bad. So bad. For those with the weak stomachs, I won't share the details... but once again, a moment that will haunt me forever. So I decided from this point on, no more food in the trash. I'm sending everything down the garbage disposal... Which now brings me to my lesson. 

Apparently... Garbage disposals are for scraps. Not egg shells, baby carrots, and an occasional piece of plastic. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I always thought of a garbage disposal as like the supreme destroyer. I'm sure everyone shares in the fear of sticking your hand down the drain to rescue a stray spoon... goose bumps just thinking about it. So I felt pretty safe in assuming that if a garbage disposal can "dispose" a human hand, it could probably handle something as frail as an egg shell. Or.. a bag of baby carrots. It can't. 

My garbage disposal kicked the bucket last night while I was cleaning out my fridge. Found a half eaten bag of baby carrots, and didn't think twice. Probably a lesson that I missed during my Culinary education. Garbage Disposal 101 didn't seem like a necessity at the time. So after the shock washed off my brother's face after I told him what all I do, in fact, put down the drain, he told me these wise words...

"Garbage disposals are there to get rid of the scraps left on the plate. You scrape the leftovers into the trash, and whatever is left can go down the drain."

I am sending a letter to all garbage disposal companies, and requesting they change the name to a "scrap disposal" for all the Amelia Bedilias out there like me. I now refer to mine as "scrappy" just to remind myself that he is not capable of garbage. 

Hope my actions can prevent any future disposals being disposed of. 

Live on little scrappy, live on!