Imports & Exhales

When is a stoner really funny?

...when he's Mitch Hedberg. I wish he hadn't passed away, because I think he would be the best person EVER to be sitting next to on a plane, or to be stuck in an elevator with. I would just keep asking him to make observations and then get ready for my sides to split.

Okay, so, back before I went to Ireland I was made aware of an Irish imports store in Seattle between my school and work. I visited it once, but back then I was not very gutsy (nor well-educated in Irish imports) so I stayed for a grand-total of about ten minutes, bought an Irish whistle to add to my collection, and drove away embarassed because I didn't chat more with the shopkeeper lady (who, for the record, is German...figure that one out).

Today, as I was passing by, I felt a twang of regret at having not been there since I got back from Ireland, and so...without much fanfare...I zipped into the correct lane and parked on the street alongside the shop. (This, in itself, is pretty gutsy, as I HATE parking on the street.)

But I entered the shop and the same really sweet German lady was there and she and I chatted for a few minutes about Ireland and how I missed it and all, and then I went exploring.

The shop itself is in the downstairs of an old house, and it's PACKED full of stuff. Really fun stuff. And it was MORE fun this time around because I actually recognized a lot of the products. The smell of Irish wool and the CDs playing on the stereo. I even found a room where they sell certain Irish candy bars and nonperishables, and I found FLAKE BARS! To be honest, Flake bars really aren't that exciting. But they're kind of a novelty here, because we...don't...have them? So I bought one. And I ate it. All that was missing was some vanilla ice cream to crumble it on top of...

I also (yeah, so sue me) bought a skein of Irish wool, because darnit I forgot to buy myself some while I was over there. It was a bit pricey, but the homey, sheepy smell and hardy feel is totally worth it. Now I gotta think of something to use it for...

Anyway, it was a fun experience. Felt nice to let my guard down and enjoy the memories of Ireland by looking through all of the stuff. Even now I keep burying my nose in the skein of yarn I just bought and inhaling deeply, because I LOVE that distinctly Irish smell. So good. :)

The store's website can be found here. If you're in the Seattle area, go take a peek. It's a very fun shop.

-The GLS