A sudsy crime of mistaken identity

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

Leaving the office Tuesday I had great intentions. I had gone grocery shopping earlier that day, and although I forgot my list, purchased everything I would need to make fudge. I tracked down a candy thermometer (because the lady at the market said I would need one) and was ready to attempt the daunting task that is fudge making.
But as soon as I got in my car, the plan crumbled. Instead of turning right to drive to my grandmother’s house and pick up the thermometer, I turned left and continued on auto-pilot to drive home. It wasn’t until I was on the phone with my mom, telling her my intentions that I realized what I had done.
Being too close to home, and too drained to turn around, I continued driving thinking that I would still try the fudge without the thermometer. I made caramel without one and that turned out delicious.
That was until I walked into my apartment.
With lights off and a dreary fog blocking sunlight from the windows I could barely see where I was going. I took one more step and a soft crackle came from beneath my now soaked feet. My cat was screaming from somewhere in the dark.
I scurried to find a light switch and once the kitchen was illuminated I saw the suds. A river of soap sudsy water filled the kitchen and flowed into the hallway. My cat sat at the end of the sudsy pool.
It didn’t take long to figure out that the dish washer was the culprit and I had been the victim of mistaken identity.
I replayed events of the early afternoon in my head. Before leaving for a meeting I loaded the dishwasher. I quickly grabbed the giant bottle of what I assumed was dishwasher detergent, without looking at the label, and poured a heavy portion into the washer. I closed it up and let ‘er rip.
During the replay, I remembered thinking that I’ve never seen a detergent bottle with that kind of cap before. That should’ve been my clue that it was not detergent, but actually dish soap. My roommate had recently made a trip to Costco and purchased a larger than life bottle of dish soap. I didn’t think of it because we refilled a smaller bottle to keep at the sink.
I made a rookie mistake that a guy or someone who is using the dishwasher for the first time is supposed to make. But I guess it’s a rite of passage, and being rushed, it was bound to happen one day. After cleanup, which used all the towels I owned, I had no energy for fudge.