Soda Pop Pinwheels

Seven-thirty a.m. and my feet are sticking to the floor. I put a hand out to steady myself and find it sticking uncomfortably to the chair. The morning's mental fog quickly clears as I remember why my entire kitchen seems to be coated in a sugary goo. It seems to be, because it is.



It began, as these circumstances so often do, with a mother and her son preparing for target practice. I'm sure you can relate? The weather had warmed to a roasty -12 degrees and my thirteen year old was impatient to get out into the field to shoot some pop can victims. His arms were full of guns and ammunition, so I generously offered to carry the pop (we shoot the cans when they're full ~ the effect is explosive and looks really cool on fresh snow).



Speaking of explosive, covered from head to toe in winter garb we started for the door. And then I dropped one of the cans. It just slipped. Right out of my gloved hand and head-first onto the floor. It punctured immediately and began to spew it's pressurized contents upward and outward into the kitchen.



A most dramatic thing happened then: it began a pinwheel spin, powered by it's own gasses, and sprayed and sprayed and sprayed it's sugary mix in a perfect circle. 'Round and 'round it spun. Soda coated the walls, windows, dogs, dog dishes, dog beds, tables, chairs, and plants. It soaked the door, the door mat, the pictures on the wall, and the venetian blinds. It sprayed the lap top computer, and tiny droplets of no-name cola showered the cupboard doors and kitchen taps.



Sudden. Dramatic. Thorough. So very, very thorough. Winter clothes were stripped away, weapons were set aside, and cleaning commenced. For thirty minutes my husband, my son, and I washed and re-washed surface after surface. My husband thought it was all very funny and chuckled to himself the whole time. I'll admit, my own dialogue sounded more like expletives than "chuckles".



Seven-thirty on a Monday morning, and I've got some work to do as yesterday's scrub really only served to smear 300 ml of sticky brown soda over every conceivable kitchen surface. The redeeming factor in all of this is that I win! Our family has a long-running contest regarding accidental spills, and mine are always the most destructive and far-reaching. This one will put me at the top of the list for sure!