TIFU by essentially pepper spraying my entire household.

TIFU by essentially pepper spraying my entire household.

We’re having a seafood boil later today for the 4th. Previously the potatoes have taken ages to cook, meaning more time spent outside in the Florida heat over a boiling pot. In an attempt to limit the time my husband will be outside in triple digit temps today I decided to pre-boil the potatoes on the stove after breakfast.

I threw some Zatarain’s seasoning in the pot & added water. While it was coming to a boil I cut the potatoes in half. As soon as the water started boiling I started coughing & knew shit had gone wrong. I immediately turned on the exhaust fan, but it was already too late.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of inhaling creole/cajun seasoning, let me paint you a word picture: imagine the pain and sharp discomfort of getting caught in a plume of smoke - your eyes are burning, your nose tingles with a pending sneeze and your throat feels raw & irritated. This was all those things, but invisible and also angrier somehow.

Everyone that came through the kitchen, dining room, & living room was squinting, coughing, sneezing, and looking very confused. This included the cats, which almost made it worth it.

TL;DR: This morning I aerosolized spicy seasonings on the stovetop and made inhabitants of my house pretty miserable for about 15 minutes.