So... much... hate...

Man, I had a metric ton of stuff I wanted to write about today, but then I had actual, real work fall into my lap at work. (Plus I'm busy creating my brother's birthday care package.) I did want to post one final thing about the big smelly flower, which is inexplicably more popular than Audrey II.

Robin Scheiner of Centreville kept trying to edge closer to the titan arum, letting her nose lead her. She scored the sour smell of success at last.

"Oh, James, James, James! You can smell it," Scheiner said to her 17-year-old son, as she grabbed him by the arm to draw him closer to the bright green base of the huge plant. "Okay, okay," he grimaced. His brother, Josh, 20, stood back and declared his opinion of the odor. "It smells like dead fish. It's terrible."

"Well, hello," his mother reminded him. "That's why we came. It's great! I wanted you to get the whole experience."

That had me cracking up. I feel bad for her kids. (This is also not unlike my childhood, if you replace "smelly giant flower" with "Oregon trail ruts".) Read about more insane(ly boring) flower fanatics here.