I have this mug that a friend at work got me for Christmas. It’s a nice mug, but over the weekend I had a couple of problems with it.

First, it’s one of those mugs that can’t go in the dishwasher because of the way it’s insulated - water can get between the outer layer of plastic and the inner layer of metal and mess up the design that displays on the mug.

I took the mug home and put water in the mug and set it in the sink. No, the sink was not filled with water - it was just sitting there. Dry sink, mug full of water. By the end of the weekend, I was going to wash it but somehow water has gotten between the plastic and metal on the mug and has soaked down half of the design inside. So much for that.

Second, there’s something weird and stinky inside this mug. I’ve washed it over and over, using different types of soap, really hot water, cold water, you name it. It smells like sour-washcloth-meets-coffee. I can’t figure out what’s up with it. I have to drink with the lid on it because otherwise it’s… well, it’s just bad. I have no idea what it is.