[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story. Today, like every fifth episode, it’s Steph and I sharing our own stories with you and some of our closest friends. And this conversation is with our friend Anna Bennett and Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnitzer. Oh, you guys, I just love my sister. And in this episode, she shares the hilarious story of how she and her dog were recently sprayed by a skunk. Not funny, but funny. Oh, you guys, from getting sprayed on her walk with her dog to showing up at work and not knowing that she actually stunk. And the story of my wife here getting nominated for her high school alumni hall of fame. Oh, you guys, I’m honored. But not only did we record this fifth episode, but we recorded the next episode as well. So here’s part one of our conversation with Adam Bennett and my sister, Katie Keller Schnitzer. I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery. Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However, today we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible. And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day. Welcome to Tell Us a Good Story.

[1:16] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple Podcasts or give us a review. Five stars, please. In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us. And thank you for sharing our post across your social media. That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests. Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.

[1:49] Steph, welcome to another fifth episode. episode and today we have two of our favorite co-hosts mr adam bennett and your sister katie keller schnetzer thank you thank you yes thank you for doing this and katie’s already nervous so nervous so and here’s what i’ve said in the past right i just live life with stuff and then write things down that’s what i’ve been doing here over the past three years i’ve been writing things down and stuff I just checked before they got here okay I now have 59 pages of notes, of stories of living life together.

[2:32] When did you start that list? Three years ago. Okay. May of 2021. 59 pages. The font size is 10. Single spaced? It is single spaced, actually. That is a lot of notes. What I’m hearing is it is a gift, and you want to share that with our listeners. It is a gift. Yes. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. It really is. You’re welcome. Okay, so here’s what’s funny. Steph, your mom and aunts were over here maybe two weeks ago. Yes, it was fabulous. And it was really funny because your mom told her sisters, like when they got in the house, hey, just so you know, when you’re around these guys, any stupid thing you say or do, can come up on a future episode of Tell Us Good Story, just so you know. For sure. Like, that’s very true. If you’re hanging out with us, yes, something funny happens. There’s a chance that we’re going to share that story with the world. It’s fair game. Yeah. And can I tell you, I feel like sometimes things happen and I’m like, mother fricker.

[3:37] I think the Masons did this to me. I think they set me up. Yes, because I have documented a few things around you. That’s for sure. Okay. But the first thing that I want to bring up, all right, Katie and Steph, can you please disclose what high school did you ladies graduate from? Parkway High School. Parkway High School. So we received an email last week and this is, we haven’t told anybody this. Oh, please tell me it was about Stefan, not me. Firstly. One of you is technically not a grad.

[4:11] Those hands went up a little fast. That would be me. We are finding out right now on this show. Physical science, sophomore year. You remember that test you skipped? Did not have enough credits. Came back to bite you 20 years later. Oh, they found me. We received an email. On kevinandsteph.com from Parkway’s superintendent, informing us that Steph has been nominated to the school’s Alumni Hall of Fame.

[4:39] She is a graduate, all right. No! Steph! Stop it! Stop it! Freaking stop it, sis. They really want Kevin to be nominated when we start talking about why I’m nominated. Yeah. Yeah, there’s no. Freaking stop it. Sis, just wait. The first question though, Katie, did you happen to nominate your sister for Parkway’s Alumni Hall of Fame? Anonymously. No, I did not. You did not. I swear. Okay. Because it was anonymous. I don’t know if it was anonymous, but we don’t know who it is. Oh, we don’t know. Someone did nominate you? Yes. Yeah, obviously. Because you were perfect in every way. It must be a listener. So whoever did that and you’re listening right now, thank you. That’s very kind. I agree. That’s so kind of you. Steph should be in the high school Hall of Fame. Amen. Okay. I didn’t even know that was a thing. You guys. Did we just make that up? Well, I didn’t know it was a thing either. However, you guys, I am like mildly freaking out about this. Because I was like, oh my gosh, that was so nice. I’m so humbled by it. But then I go back and look at people that have won. Who are in the Hall of Fame. Or who have been, thank you, in the Hall of Fame. Oh my gosh, tell me. Oh. Oh boy. You guys, it’s like these amazing physicians. Like, like…

[6:02] That just won all these awards and is at the, oh, I forget what hospital he’s at, but this huge hospital on the East Coast. And I’m like, and there’s Stephanie. Hi. Dude. Yeah. No, I am just so. Yes. I am. No. Yes. No. You know I’m your biggest fan. I know you are. And I love you for that. Let me explain what happened. I reached back out and said, hey, Steph said she was honored. Doesn’t feel like she’s worthy of this. 100%. But she gave us a link that said, hey, we need you to fill out this application so you can give her the bio and all that. And Steph and me, it was like, Kevin, I need you to write this bio. She’s big time in you already.

[6:48] As we all know at this table, I am not a writer. That is not my gift. No. I am terrible. In fact, full disclosure, I don’t even want to know how many papers my sister helped me write, A.K.A. did write for me in college. You thought that’s what they were reaching out about, right? 100%. I don’t have a gift for anything that I don’t enjoy. So I’ve responded and said, by the way, how did you find out about us? Because you reached out through kevinandsteph.com. Yes. You didn’t reach out through a personal email, a personal phone number, none of that. How did you find us? And so the parkway superintendent is a female. She said that a listener apparently reached out and did not give contact information of Steph and I, but mentioned the book that Stephanie has written. Yes, she crushed it. And the podcast that she created. And she then she then googled she.

[7:55] And our website comes up and she’s like okay and so she reached out through contact the contact form on kevinsteph.com all right so for those of you kevin you know that’s hilarious who are not aware with this podcast, Steph jokes that you were the fifth choice for this podcast. My fifth choice is what you joke about. I have a t-shirt that says fifth choice. And of the book, what percentage of that do you think, You wrote. A healthy 10 to 15. 5%.

[8:28] I’m making myself 10 to 15%. Yes, you did live. You lived 50%. Yes. I actually lived 100% of it, if I’m being honest. That is true. You lived through it. And I wrote my portion. You just edited it. I just changed it to put it in sentences. Exactly. And have punctuation in it. But I did write it. You did. I’m just telling you. She wrote 10% to 15% of the draft, and then you edited it to be 5%. That is very true. Exactly. That is very true. So I bust out laughing because I’m like, the stuff that I’ve done is putting this woman in the Hall of Fame. Yes. At her high school, okay? Again, I told you, you should be the one that’s in our Hall of Fame. No, they’re not going to make that exception. Again, I think you should be because of the person you’ve become. Yes, amen. Okay? But here’s the thing. i you know i’m laughing about this and then i’m reading the link okay so you have to give the bio to the high school the school board then reads the bio and votes on yes we’re accepting this this person should be in our alumni hall of fame okay yeah then the individual or individuals who are accepted they are invited back to the school to give a speech at the spring sports awards banquet okay oh interesting your sister then informs me that i’m supposed to write her Hey, people at her level have ghostwriters.

[9:53] Everybody knows that. You don’t want that. If I’m writing your speech, it’s going to be like, listen. It’s going to be painfully honest. My husband has carried me for the better part of two decades.

[10:05] It all started as a young boy with a dream.

[10:13] Were it not for him i would be on your in memoriam section of your yearbook not your hall of fame, so what’s the next steps are you going to submit the application are you gonna do it kevin i don’t know you have to i’m just i’m so humbled by it but i don’t it is very hard for me to get that kind of like attention yeah and recognition like i’m so honored oh don’t say that why would Would you say that? Because you do. You have to do it for dad. Now I’m mad at you. Dang it, Katie. And I’ve got to write this acceptance speech for your dad. Yep. Yeah, because dad would do it for me.

[11:07] Dad would need some help. I got to fill in the gap here. But in all seriousness, Whoever nominated me That was so kind of you And I’m very humbled that you did it And if anyone is listening On the Bloom Carroll High School School Kevin is a taxpayer A citizen Speech writer, He puts his cart back at Kroger He’s a top notch citizen If you ever need consideration Just think of this guy Bloom-Carroll.oh.us K-12. Assuming he graduated.

[11:50] Today we had the opportunity to celebrate our oldest daughter’s 13th birthday we officially have a teenager in the house and i don’t know about you but i’m nervous why it’s a teenager okay it’s a female teenager i’m nervous to be fair to be fair can i just cut in you know how perfect Steffi is.

[12:14] Teenage years were rough. Not gonna lie. Like mom, mom said if she could put Steffi on an island and survivor style, this was before survivor even existed and mom, she dreamt this. Like she spoke it into existence. If I could put you on a deserted island right now, I would. Yes, and like if you, survival of the fittest like Darwin, if you make it out alive, you’re welcome to come back home. Oh boy. It was rough. I would disqualify her from the Hall of Fame. in the Hall of Fame. If it ever got out. Do we need to include that in the application or not, Steph? Yeah. No, but I’m telling you how amazing she was and even Stephie had tough teenage years. It was very rough. I remember all of them. And I would like to add that I have apologized multiple times to my mother. So many times. Yeah. Yes, we both have. Oh, so many times. Yeah. I randomly called Mom and Dad all the time. I’d be like, do you remember that time? I’m so sorry. But I was in eighth grade. Wait, no. You never caught me for that. Never mind. Most of the time, they’re like, I have no idea what you’re talking about. So the system works. Yes. Did you guys cover for each other, or did you rat each other out? What was that relationship like? We covered. That’s good. Even though sometimes we would be driving to school, I would show for her, because I’d be a senior, she’d be a sophomore, and we would get in fist fights as I was driving. Yeah, it was not good. Yeah, you’ve got to drive a standard transmission, so that doesn’t happen.

[13:37] But yeah, it was bad. Dad, we would show up like, because dad would welcome everybody. He was like right there at the entry when kids would walk in and I would have like claw marks on my arms. Oh gosh.

[13:50] Cody’s got those exact same scars to this day. She can show you from her sister. Yeah. I mean, just dig in. Best of friends, but it’s that sibling at that age, man, it happens. It is rough. Adam, you have a 16 year old. Yes, he just turned 16. You have to have a story of him getting his license or his driver’s permit. Do you have any parenting tips for dealing with a teen as well? Him getting his license was relatively uneventful. New rule, you have to have your temps for six months now. Did you realize that? Okay. When we were kids… As soon as you passed everything, you’re good. Yeah, you could have your temps for two weeks before. Yeah. You have to have them full six months now. So how was that with him starting to drive? Not bad. Yeah, he started out pretty cautious and then kind of the pendulum swung too far the other way. Oh, really? Yeah, a little too aggressive. Yeah, a little too confident. And then we’ve sort of met in the middle now. Um, he’s pretty good at that. I mean, he’s been driving mowers and tractors for a while. So, so far so good. We, we sort of have a green zone. We allow him to drive in. I mean, he’s only had his license for half a week. Okay.

[15:00] Yeah. Yeah. So he’s drunk on his own freedom. Yeah. It’s like, Hey, after school, I went and did this. I’m like, right. Wish I had that kind of freedom. But, um, I mean, as far as like advice for, see, I know nothing about teenage girls. My girls are 10. Right. And from what I can tell so far, it’s going to be completely different. Like anything I say with regard to my male teen son will not apply at all to a girl. So you haven’t yelled at your son that if he was on a desert island or anything like… See, with boys, I just, I find that being direct works where I don’t know if I could say the stuff to my girls that I say to my son. I mean, a lot of it’s just like kind of getting reality in their head and kind of getting away some of the stuff that, you know, the school tells them. Like, oh, just be yourself.

[15:48] Like son that will not cut it that’s not gonna work that’s not gonna be good enough i mean there’s all those little things they tell him like you know just do your best maybe do someone else’s best not yours it’s gonna have to be i mean all these little things where we just pump it in and with a son i think they sort of accept a little more you know the direct approach yes i’m like i agree you know like growing up i always tell him like i told him the other day i said you know people like to talk about your inner child you know the thing that wants you comfort and fun and yummy food and sleeping in and i go growing up is honestly just for a guy at least the process of slowly you know you sort of put that off and just put away comfort you know and and kind of move past it yeah i do hard stuff so now i’m assuming you’re the one teaching him to drive not your wife we split it you did okay were you nervous at first yeah when he first got his temps I was the one there. Okay.

[16:46] And so we had his temps and we were, you know, it’s a small town, so it’s not too bad. We weren’t. And he gets them and gets on the driver’s seat. He’s nervous at this point. Yes, I bet. Wait, is he at a driver’s course? No, he’s just in the parking lot. When he first got his temps, he’s just outside the BMV where you take the written test. But so there’s no like. It’s just me, him in the road. For the first time. Yeah.

[17:12] Explaining everything. Yeah. Yeah, you know, he’s pretty good. He’s a pretty low-maintenance kid. I’ll be honest. He’s not that difficult of a kid. What I’ve noticed is he’s got enough self-awareness, that tiny amount that kind of makes everything easier. Okay. Like, you know, when you say that turn was horrible and almost killed us all, He doesn’t take it personally. He’s like, oh, okay. Well, I could see how. That would have scared mom and dad. I could see how that was near death. He doesn’t. So, you know what? I guess, you know what? That probably brings me to my best advice for a teenage boy. Teach them not to take things personally. Nothing’s personal. And I think that’s why he’s fairly easy to raise. He doesn’t take things personally. Okay. You know, that turn was awful. That decision sucked. That’s not good enough. You know, there’s all that stuff. It’s just like, oh, okay. All right. Thanks for the information.

[18:04] That actually… It’s good feedback. It is good feedback. It is. There’s so much coddling now. Yes, there is. Because you don’t want to hurt feelings, but you need to be real. You’ve got to be direct. If he understands it’s not personal, it doesn’t affect him. Yeah. That reminds me. I wasn’t even thinking about this until just now. That reminds me of when I got my temps. It was memorable for me, and I did take things personally after that experience with my dad. So, dad, I love you, but I’m going to tell on you here. My dad took me and got my temps, okay? And that was, I think, at 16. Yeah, we didn’t do it before 16. No. It was 16. 15 and a half, you get your temps. Now. But we didn’t. I think I was 16, right? So that was up in my birthday. Yes. Yeah. So 16, went and got my temps. At that point, the only vehicles I had driven was my grandfather’s lawnmower and on vacation, wherever we were at, I think we did go-karts. Maybe it’s Gatlinburg or something. That’s the only motor vehicles that I’d ever, I mean, at that point, driven. Yeah, yeah. Well, back then, there were times like my dad would run the parking lot. He would let me get on his lap, right, when I’m a little kid and steer, right? But I’m not touching the pedals or anything like that.

[19:15] So, get my temps and he’s like, hey, you want to drive? I’m like absolutely i do okay so this is in lancaster we go these back roads and he was driving and he pulls into an old rundown factory that was no longer it was closed okay so nothing was going on at the factory so get out the car i get in get in the drivers and it’s just like such a foreign experience right like touching the pedals and it was automatic so it wasn’t even a stick shift well and i remember when because i was the same way like never had driven driven driven a lawnmower but nothing you know never a car but i remember when i was driving and i had both feet on both pedals i’d want the right on the gas and the left on the brake and my i forget if it was mom or dad they’re like no no it’s right one at a time like what like i had no clue no clue that you did that right so he puts in park i get in on the driver’s side and i’m nervous because it’s the first time, but there’s nobody at this factory. So big parking lot. And then a lot of area behind this factory, but a lot of it’s gravel as well because it’s run down. So he’s like, okay, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to slowly push on the gas pedal and we’re going to take off. Well, again, I don’t understand the give and take of a gas pedal that time so i peel out good and it was in let him know you’re there.

[20:43] Right so that, So then I go to brake and I don’t know how to brake, right? So I immediately slam on the brake and look about to go to the windshield.

[20:56] Buckle up. So it’s like all gas and then brakes. All gas and then brakes, okay? Because I don’t know the feel of the vehicle. It takes a second. It does. I just don’t know because, again, the only thing I’ve done is go-karts and a tractor, right? So he’s like, all right, I want you to go around the back, okay? And I mean, slowly tap the gas pedal. Okay. So I go to do that and we go around the back of this factory. Well, we drive around the back and apparently there’s some broken glass in this area. And he’s like, hey, stay away from this side over here because there’s broken glass. Well, I didn’t see broken glass. Right. To me, it’s invisible. Yeah. Right. It’s glass. All right. It’s transparent.

[21:41] Well, apparently I drove right through the middle of the glass. And so he starts yelling at me. Shards. Because I just, I just drove through the grass. All right. So what do I do? I slam on the brakes. Okay. Apparently I slam on the brakes right in the middle of the glass. And so he’s like, okay, great job, Kev. We’re now sitting right in the middle of that glass that I told you not to drive through. I’m like, dad, I didn’t see it. Well, we’re now sitting in the middle of it, Kev. All right. Great job. Here’s what I want you to do. i want you to slowly press on the gas and i want to slowly get out of this glass got it dad i then peel out slow relative to what i did 30 seconds ago.

[22:30] Throw it on glass Toyota Corolla God rest its soul, so then he starts yelling at me stop the car stop the car I slam on the brakes again he takes his left hand it smacks me in the back of the head I’m like boom lesson over get out of the car I get out of the car, I’m so upset and yes Adam I did take it personal yeah.

[23:01] I’m just i am furious right and my dad is furious why you just hit me in the back of the head like how dare oh this is the worst driving lesson either oh it’s the kindest thing he could have done yes exactly and then we get home i go in i’m upset and then my dad comes in and then dad’s like, you’re taking him driving next time i’m not doing that anymore with that kid right and so then mom My mom was a little calmer, and she’s the one who then took me driving for the rest of the time when I had my tubs.

[23:33] But that was my first time. What you’ll learn is, like when we were kids, when our parents were driving, our primary activity was staring out the window. You’re looking out the window, I guess. Yeah. So we knew where we were going. Kids today, they usually get their first cell phone, what, around seventh grade? They have no clue. They have no, you will drive them somewhere a hundred times. Yes. And they’re never looking out the window. then when it’s like okay now it’s time to go to this where is it and you’re just stunned you’re you’re dumbfounded where is it yes we will say relative right who is 15 years old in high school he lives three miles away from the school and we were taking him home and we’re like okay hey what’s the best way to get to your house from here it’s like it’s literally within three miles it’s like oh i don’t know i’m like dude you have gone to this school your entire life you are a freshman in high school, you don’t know how to eat. He did not know how to get home from the school, and that’s exactly why I didn’t even think about that. It’s because his heads down the whole time. I mean, if you can, if you can get ahead of it when they turn fourteen and a half, go, hey, guess what? We’re going to some sit and stare time during because they will not. How do we get going? You know you’re going to just put the stuff down. Just look where we’re going. Yes, that’s a good point. It’s very. It’s unusual. Yeah, that’s a good point. I remember at that age.

[24:54] Eyes closed like you just knew i don’t know but i know i know like vicinity landmarks yes there’s a big red barn on your left uh-huh old jack’s farm yes absolutely 100 make another hard right at the cow barn when it starts smelling yeah take that left then you know you got to go left yeah.

[25:18] Steph what is one of the most asked questions we get about tell us a good story uh do i really get that excited? Besides that one. Oh, how do we get all these incredible guests? Correct. And some of our best conversations have been with guests who our listeners have reached out to us and said, you should talk to this person. To name just a few, Nick Vujicic, Coach Tom Ryan, Carol Muntica, were all recommendations from our listeners. So if there’s someone you would like us to interview and think they might be a great fit for Tell Us a Good Story, please let us know at kevinandsteph.com. You don’t even have to personally know them. True. But do me a favor, before you submit their names, please make sure they are still alive that has actually happened and it is super hard for me to find their contact information but regardless thank you for listening to tell us a good story.

[26:05] I’ve been dying to ask you to share a story yes apparently you recently were sprayed by a skunk yes and steph has not let me in on any of these details she’s like no nope this is gonna be a future story and i’m like oh okay so now is the time i want to hear katie what happened i need all the details i still have ptsd so this happened a month ago okay and i still like check myself anytime i’m outside oh really so i walk the dog in the morning it’s the only time i can do it is before everybody else wakes up well when school starts that’s pre-dawn okay pitch black outside, So, I’m walking, love, and I use a rucksack. It’s a 30-pound backpack when I walk. Oh, like resistance training. Yes. Very nice. Yes, because I’m like, well, I’m already walking. Let’s use a weighted backpack. Up our game. Yeah, let’s up our game, right? Sure. Do a little twofer action.

[27:08] So, that’s important to the story. And what time is this? When it happened, it was about 5.40. In the morning, okay. Yes, because we were almost done. Yes. We were all like, literally, I could see my house from where it happened. So I don’t carry a flashlight. I don’t carry anything because there’s streetlights, right? There’s enough that I can see what’s going on. So we’re walking down the sidewalk. This mutant skunk, rabid skunk, horrible little creature runs out of the woods at us, charges us. We’re minding our own business on the sidewalk. On the sidewalk. The weighted jacket. Yes. Minding my own business. And this thing comes busting, like bum rushes us. Okay. Right? Comes out of the woods. I scream and I say, no, no, no, no, no. I take off running. Love. Your dog. Is our dog’s name. Yeah.

[28:06] Love looks at it and goes, mm-mm. Don’t hesitate, love. So she doesn’t move. When I’m running. Yes. The weight of me running flips me forward, okay? So she’s stopped. I’m going. I fall. On the ground. With the sack on. On the sidewalk. I roll multiple times. Why? She had the sack. Because I had the weighted backpack on. Oh, okay. So I take off running. Love doesn’t move because she’s curious. She’s like, what’s that?

[28:37] Because everyone’s her friend.

[28:39] Everyone’s her friend. so the skunk sprays her i’m talking six inches oh no from her face that’s concentrated oh that’s not cut with anything you guys oh no it was awful so she starts sneezing and i was like no and so i go back i was like love my love dive in front of it i’ll take it for you She can’t see She’s sneezing So I scoop her up And I take off running with her Down the sidewalk You guys Can I just note This mutant skunk had no white It was all black Looked like a cat? Yeah All freaking black This vile creature This vile creature.

[29:37] It was all freaking black. So even when I saw it run out, like I didn’t, it didn’t trigger until it did. Right. So I’m running with love down the sidewalk. I’m like, is it chasing us? I don’t know. It’s out of its mind. Clearly it might be coming after us for round two. So I have to make a split second decision because our skunk shampoo is on the second floor of our house. Okay. So you actually have it. We have it. You do, but it’s upstairs. Okay. You got a big foul of the whole house. It’s 5.40 in the morning.

[30:08] Mike’s not awake. Do you have your phone on you? No. You don’t have that, okay. No, I’ve got nothing. So I’m like, oh my gosh, what do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? So I decide I’m just gonna take off my shoes, take off my backpack in the driveway. Now, I’ve never been sprayed by a scum. Yes. Okay. The only experience we have, there was one time, this was maybe 15 years ago, Steph and I are driving to church and the car in front of us must have hit the skunk okay so we drove over top of it yes with my car but it was a fresh kill fresh kill yeah my car stunk for a month at least two months i would say every time i open the door i’m like i can still smell it it was still in my sinuses it was off like i’m like step how am i gonna sell this car i’m gonna sell this car like i can’t get to burn Burn it. Set it on fire.

[31:03] Insurance money? Yeah, I was just saying, insurance over the legs. Yeah, bye. It was awful. This car’s ruined. Yeah. It was that bad. And I even hit it. It’s awful. It was awful. So for you, are you gagging? I am not. Because it was so close, it smelled just like chemical. It was different. There was no air to cut it. Yeah it was so flipping concentrated that it just it singed my sinuses i still smell it like every once in a while it’s just it because it hit love yeah okay it hit her and i was a couple feet away you got the overspray i got right true yeah so like got her but then i was close enough so anywho.

[31:54] I make the executive decision. I was like, okay, I’m just going to take off my shoes, take off the backpack, run upstairs with her. I’m just going to have to run because what else am I going to do? Because you can’t spray them with water. If you spray them with water without putting this shampoo on them, it’s even worse. Oh, it does, okay. Because it’s oil-based or something. And so it just, it’s awful. So I take off running inside. Mike shoots out of bed. As I’m entering our bedroom door, he shoots out of bed and says, Oh my God, what is that?

[32:29] Just me. Just me. The smell woke him up? The smell woke him up. Not me. Not the noise. No. The smell. The smell literally woke him up. So I slam the bathroom door behind me, put her in the tub, run to the boys’ bathroom, get the skunk shampoo. I bathed her. For two straight hours. Two hours. You didn’t touch it? No. Nothing. Nothing. So then I’m like, oh my gosh. Now it’s 7.40. I’m the one that wakes up Mike. I’m the one that wakes up our children. I’m the one that makes them breakfast. I’m the one that packs their lunches. It’s a rude awakening. So nothing. Nothing is happening, right? Nothing is getting done. So Mike takes the lead. He wakes the kids up at 7.50, whatever. He comes in and he’s like coming in to get changed. And I was like, oh my gosh, why are you still here? And he was like, why should I not be here? And I was like, you have to get the boys to school. He was like, what time do they go to school? What school do they go to? What school do they go to? Put the address into my Google Maps there. What time is school? And I was like, oh my gosh. What grade are they in?

[33:52] The big one’s older right so he was like oh okay so he gets them out the door he gets them to school, I text my boss, and I say, I am so sorry. My dog got sprayed by a skunk. Heard that one before. Exactly. So I take a picture of the dog with the skunk shampoo. Like, proof. Right? Because it was a gorgeous Friday. You’re not staging that. Hold this newspaper, pooch, so he doesn’t stage.

[34:28] Right. I was like, okay, nobody’s going to believe me. So I’m taking this picture. I’m sending it to my boss. I’m sending it to my co-worker. She’s going to go, okay, I’ve got some time. my first meeting isn’t until 10 i’ve got some time to like figure this out so i bathe her for another hour oh okay 8 40 and you’re gagging the whole time i’m sure it was awful and then at one point i was like oh my gosh it’s on me oh no i need to shower right so i jump in the shower i’m showering her and showering me same shampoo same shampoo both got the skunk shampoo.

[35:04] It doesn’t bottle doesn’t say you can’t use it on people you guys so as i’m in the shower i have a view to the reflection in our mirror is of our bedroom closet our bedroom closet is inside our bathroom our bedroom closet door has been open this entire time i had a house like that yeah yeah yep our clothes are now contaminated are now completely filled with the smell of skunk everything we own whether it’s anything it’s tennis shoes it’s suits it’s dresses it’s work clothes it’s play clothes it’s everything that we own katie and then i right i don’t handle it well at this point because i’m like why is this happening i was like mother fricker this is gonna going to be on Tell Us a Good Story. Sure is.

[36:00] That’s one of your first concerns, if it’s going to be on Tell Us a Good Story versus me getting to work before 10 o’clock. You’re more concerned with sharing that story here someday. I want to get back out there and get a picture of that skunk. I promise it was a skunk. It was all black. It was a mutant skunk. I looked it up. Yeah, that happened. Okay, listen to me. Okay. Listen to me. There are albino skunks. And there are all black skunks. In Gahanna, Ohio. On my street. Yes, on my road. There are mutant skunks. So, anywho. I composed myself. It’s fine. Did I call you or call mom on my way to work? I found out about it. I don’t know if I called you and then you called mom, but one of us, we both knew about it. But somebody talked to me. Somebody called me while I’m on my work. I’m crying. Oh, I bet. I’m just, I am a mess because I’m just like, I just ruined all of our clothes. Our house smells so bad. Burn it to cinder. Right? Like we’ve got to start over. We’ve just got to level it. So I’m on my way into work and I was like, I think I don’t smell anymore. I think I’m okay. I left love Where did I leave her? Oh I left her in the bathroom I left her in the shower stall I was like baby I gotta go I am so sorry You’re gonna have to wait here for a while Know that I love you But goodbye.

[37:26] So I’m headed into work I’m crying on the phone I get into work And two of the guys that I work with They just look at me Cause they were like oh They were like are you okay and I was like, I just need you guys to smell me. I just need to make sure that I don’t smell. Sort of an HR issue. I know. It sounds so bad. That’s never happened to me. I’ve never done that in corporate America. I just need you to smell me right now. Because no one else on the floor knew why I would say such a thing except for these two men. But I was like, I just need you to smell me as I’m crying. And so I get right up to my coworker, Steve, and I was like, Steve, okay, yes or no? Be honest. I was like, be honest. And he was like, it smells like a perm. And I was like, I’ll take it. I smell like a perm. Fine. Smell like the 80s, whatever. I’ll smell like the 80s all day long. Did a whole decade of that. So my boss comes out of his office, turns the corner, and was like, oh, dear God, what is that? Gig is up. You guys, he was 20 feet from me. You should have yelled, it’s a perm.

[38:32] And see if he was just like, oh, oh, yeah, that tracks. No problem. Just keep on going. No, he was like, oh my gosh, what? That i start sobbing 20 feet away 20 feet away as soon as he gets out of his office and then he was like wait what’s wrong with her why is she crying he was like steve why is she crying what’s wrong with her fix her make her stop steve’s like did you not read your text messages and gary’s like no i have no idea what’s happening i don’t know why she’s emotional i don’t know why this floor Lauren stinks. What is happening? I smell like skunk up here. So I immediately pack up my computer. I was like, and exit stage left. Bye.

[39:14] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a co-worker, or share one of our posts on social media. However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody. Just disregard this message. Don’t worry about it. Forget about us. Yep. Go on with your merry day. And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Oh, so I stopped on the way home. I googled what takes out skunk smell. Napalm. Napalm. So hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and… Prayer. Prayer.

[39:58] So much prayer. That’s the last ingredient. Yes, that probably was thing three. Wraps it all together. But you have to soak everything in these ingredients, right? So I fill up an entire cart. I had five pounds of baking soda. Would you go to Costco or something? No, I went to Giant Eagle. Okay. Five pounds of baking soda. Just clearing out every aisle that you walk through. And as I’m walking by people, I’m like, do they think I’m a pothead? Or that I smell like skunk. Which one do they think I am? Because I’m one or the other. So, anywho, I get home from the time I got home until the entire day, off and on. I was scrubbing our home. I had buckets of baking soda because that was supposed to absorb the smell. Lemon was supposed to absorb the smell. Coffee grounds. Okay. Anything.

[40:56] Love was still in the shower. Oh, shoot, love. I’m so sorry. I had to get her out of the shower. I bathed her again. Okay. She had 20 baths. Oh, my gosh. 20. Didn’t touch it. It didn’t? Did not touch it. It took three weeks. And I still smell it on her.

[41:14] I think it was they took putting her down to finally get rid of that stench. No, it took three weeks. We had to air out our house. We had to put all the windows open and it was a good 14 days. It was so bad that Sam told me he had a dream about a skunk. That’s how foul that smell was that I brought into our home. Wait, wait, that morning? That morning before he got up for school before. Yes. Sam had no idea. But when I walked into the house, ran up the stairs with her, Sam said he had a dream about a skunk. Oh, man. That strong. Yeah. That’s the worst. It was the worst. Awful. And so.

[41:59] You guys, I am so mentally exhausted now after every walk. Every time that you take the dog to walk. Because before, I was just so happy. I would pray. I would sing. I would talk to God. I would do all sorts of things. Now, I am emotionally and mentally exhausted. You’re just traumatized. Like you said, PTSD. Looking over your shoulder every moment. I am literally like flashlight everywhere. It’s like you’re playing flashlight tag when you’re out there. Oh, my gosh. A biker gang is going by. She has a flinch. She’s like, whatever. Don’t care. But a squirrel goes by like, oh. Yeah. Oh, I get all sorts of jittery. So yeah, anything. So I have had a lot of theories. Like, what the flip was that? So evidently, it is mating season for skunks. That explains nothing to me because unless someone got rejected, there was no reason that he needed to come out and do that to us. Looking for love in all the wrong places.

[42:54] Part A. Part B, what I think could have happened, Is that something scared the skunk and he ran away from whatever that was. And then he ran into us and was like, ah, he got scared again, scared again. And then he just sprayed everybody. Uh-huh. Not that aggressive. Right. It’s the only thing I can think of. Was it tough to show your face at work on Monday when you went back? No. Cause you know, I have no, you’re not self-conscious. Very self-conscious. No, but like, I have no airs about me. Like I’m like, Oh, Well, everybody knows I’m a hot mess mom who’s just doing my best every day, but I’m a train wreck. You are not. I’m such a train wreck. So no, I had no issues going back to work. What was the reaction when you got to work then on Monday after bringing it into work? Oh, yeah. Everyone was like, you good? You good? You good at all? Are we good?

[43:47] Like I walked by my boss’s office and he’s like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You’re like, where’s my chair? and like, oh, it’s in the parking lot and it shall stay there. Every meeting for Monday, Katie got canceled by, took off the meeting invite. We don’t want her in that conference room. It’s a tight fit of air. Katie’s going to have to WebEx into that. Did she touch these Post-its? These ones right here? Are these hers? Did she share them? Oh, Katie. It was so bad, you guys. It was so bad. I’m so sorry. We lived. yeah i do not wish that upon anyone do you even know anyone else who’s been sprayed before no i do do you do you yeah person yeah okay this kid i went to high school with friend of mine he stayed home for a few days didn’t tell anybody okay this is before social media right uh and then he showed up, And we figured this out after the fact. He showed up after being gone for three days. And he sits down on the lunch table because he was a friend. He always sat with us. You know, a few seconds go by. This other kid goes, you stink. And he’s like, ah, I thought I was gone. Apparently not.

[44:55] The only other person that I’m aware of that I know personally who’s been sprayed by a skunk was my former high school baseball coach. Oh. Was telling us a story one time on our way to a baseball game. and he said his senior year he and his buddy they were driving to prom with their dates and they hit a skunk on the way to prom on one of the back roads ran over it and they’re like oh my gosh that smells awful didn’t realize his car is ruined now right and so he said they walk into the dance and they are reeking but they didn’t know it and he said every like the room just clears out and they’re like what happened so him and their dates they had to leave oh that’s the dance floor cleared he assumed he was prom king oh did i win all right.

[45:53] He’s like literally everyone that they’re walking past just like clears out get away they walk into the dance scene from pepe le pew where all the flowers die as he walks by. Yes. So you said they were there like five minutes, turned around and had to leave. That’s awful. Can you imagine? That is so bad. That’s awful. Yeah, as rough as our situation was, but I was, again, what the flip do you do? Yeah. I can’t smell you at all right now. It’s really good. It’s been a month. Thank God. It’s just about enough time. Yep. Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcasts app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free.

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