Last weekend was my birthday.  Woohoo, 32, it’s so…32.  For my birthday I went over the mountains to visit family and Archie McPhee.

Archie McPhee is a store in Seattle where in their four walls is everything you will never need but will want regardless. Visit their website to see what I mean.  Bacon air fresheners, boxing nun puppets, and rubber chickens are among the most popular items sold at the store and online.  I was able to blow more money than I want to admit on two bags of goodies.  The first bag was full of items I carefully chose during my browsing session through the store.  The second bag was a “Mystery Bag”.  $24.95 was all I spent on the items enclosed in that bag, and the actual amount of the wares was substantially higher.  The items in the mystery bag were, for the most part, well selling items.  I am not sure as to why they give you so much for so little, but I am not going to complain.

I’ll start with the best, because I cannot contain my exctiment any longer:

I was peering at the items hanging on the wall and carefully deciding what to place into my shopping basket when I saw them.  Three Green Bamboo Mystery Peanuts.  I whisked all three off their hanger and into my basket and peered around to see if anyone was going to come up to me and steal my find, but nobody seemed to care.  Fools.  Upon checking out, I was asked if I found everything OK.  I paused, and then asked casually, “You got any more of these peanuts?”  When it was made known to me there was indeed more, I hesitated.  Do I ask for ALL the Green Bamboo Mystery Peanuts?  What if there’s a hundred in the back, do I really need a hundred?  “I’ll take three more.” I told the clerk.  I suppose it is best to leave some for others.

Then of course, I picked up a giant pencil.  This will be for Max for Christmas, along with the nose shaped pencil sharpener.  Though the two cannot work with each other.  I realize I should have set something alongside the pencil to show the true size of it, so I will just tell you it’s about a foot long.

Mustache clings for your mirror!   I cannot grow one, but now I can see what I would look like if I could!

So much fun…

In this terribly taken photo you will find Egg Nog Gum, Thanksgiving Gum, and a Bacon Gummy Candy.  As of yet, I have only ventured into the Thanksgiving Gum.  The cranberry was fine, it had a fruity taste.  The pumpkin was surprisingly unoffensive and almost fruity as well.  The turkey was the stupidest thing I have ever put in my mouth.  So bad.

I could fill a dozen blogs with the treasures I brought home from Archie McPhee last weekend.  But, I don’t have much blogging time lately, so this is the end.  If you are ever in Seattle, visit the store, it’s a good time.  If not, check out the web site.