smell test

this morning while having coffee, i opened the carton of low fat milk processed by an organics company (i got from henry's) and smelled it. it seemed fine so i mixed into my coffee - and it was great. a new day started right. i had 2 cups.
the expiration date on the milk was 7/6. uhm, this year. at least. my young daughter had advised me to throw this carton out on july 7th...preceded by the word "ewwwwww". i have seen each of my children do this. look in the fridge, read the expiration date on something and throw out perfectly good food. what ever happened to the smell test?
so wasteful. i'm sure the food companies or some money grubbers are behind this brain wash of our children.
i think something went terribly wrong with my mothering that my children don't trust their own snout. you can't believe everything you read, afterall.
like, the other day i bought "fresh" salmon with an expiration date of the future. i brought it home and opened for that night's dinner. that time i didn't need to try the smell test - the smell ripped up my nostils. oh man, that was nasty.
i took the wrapper back to vons for my refund (which i got). i was told to leave the package at the desk of the manager ....oooookkkkay. so i did. it wasn't my concern what the vons check out person had against the manager.
hooo, that was awful. but it made me giggle as i left.
anyway, i was left with the salmon at home to dispose of - unfortunately for me, my family and the entire neighborhood, it happened to be the day after trash pick up. i double bagged it nice and tight.... but this is southern california- summer- a hothouse for stink. especially outside in the closed up trashcan. barf.
so, maybe the joke was on me. and everyone near me.
i was told one time that in the case of "off" meat or other smelly stuff, to put it into the freezer until trash day. good idea, except i don't know about you, but i don't check my freezer that often, and i am cerainly very likely to miss looking in it on trash day. there could be rotten meat in my freezer for a very long time. or worse, i might end up cooking it up! horrible thought.

anyway, i decided to dedicate this painting of the fish to the smell test story.
one day i will tell you my entire theory on why i use fish subjects in my paintings.