Yesterday was a horrible day for allergies in good ole Texas. By 4 o'clock in the afternoon, I was so doped up on Benedryl that I could barely keep my eyes open. I had just decided to go lay down when I heard a horrible racket on the back porch. Lady, our Doberman Pinscher, had come careening into the porch foaming at the mouth. Both of her eyes were squeezed shut and she was whining like crazy. I knew in about 2.3 seconds what was wrong when the smell hit me.... my poor dog had been sprayed by a skunk. Straight in the face. I was freaking out, she was freaking out, and I had no idea what to do. Tomato sauce! That was what everyone always said to use. So I run into the pantry, grab two large cans of tomato sauce, drag my suffering dog to the water hose and begin to scrub her down.
Now, it may be a little known fact but, tomato sauce does not feel very good in cuts on your skin. Neither does skunk spray. Thanks to always being outside working, I have tons of cuts and scraps all the time. Owwwwww!! My hands were literally on fire.
In no time Lady and I were both sufficiently covered in tomato sauce, and the smell began to decrease. After a half hour of scrubbing, soaking, and sighing we were both as "smell-free" as we were going to get. I went inside, took a shower of my own, and fell into the bed. Unfortunately, I slept from 5:30 until just a little after midnight and then woke up with renewed energy. Having energy in the middle of the night is not so much fun.
So, I decided to bake. Yes, I preheated that oven, got my measuring cups and pans out and got to it. I made English Muffin Bread first, and then made chocolate chip cookies while the bread rose. The only thing was, the bread never did rise. I don't know what went wrong, but it turned out being chicken food this morning. The cookies are delicious though, so that's what really counts. ;)
I am currently in the process of baking another batch of bread. Hopefully - with an entirely new recipe - this one will turn out much better. I shall let you all know if it is good enough to pass on!
Today, remember that no matter the mishaps, there is always going to be another day. Another chance. Another "go-round". So, don't get discouraged when things don't go quite as planned because, who knows, it might turn out even better!
