It was a nice, warm Summer-like day in Gainesville, Florida…  

The weather was perfect, the sky is bright blue as usual, and the walk to the bus stop in the morning is relaxing and cathartic. As I reach the bus and climb in, I notice a really awful and pungent smell.  I wonder if there is something in the trashcan by the bus stop, but don’t really give it much thought.

As the bus driver drives away, I notice that the smell did not dissipate. It is still in the bus, so I conclude it couldn’t be from the bus stop but from someone on the bus with me.  I spend the ride looking forward to getting off and putting distance between me and the smell.

I reach the physics building as per my regular schedule. My office is on the second floor. As I get off the bus, my foot slips a little but I don’t care! I am in a hurry to leave the bad smell behind.  I walk into the building, get to my office, and notice that the smell is still present.

I mention this to one of my readers and tell him that I have been smelling something bad all day. I conclude it must be something related to me and I start smelling myself, my hands, my arms, my armpits.

I hone in on my right shoe and realize it smells horrendous! I look towards m reader, horrified, hoping what is on my shoe is not what I think it is—I ask him, “Is there anything on my shoe?”

He responds, “Mona, I think you stepped in dog poop…”

I freak out and spent an hour disinfecting my shoe and anything that could have come in contact with it, including the floor of my office.