I consider myself to be “detail-oriented”, which means I notice a lot of things most people could give a shit less about. Given that, I’m surprised by the things I don’t catch. Like the fact that Ken’s Market sells Idaho Spuds. Granted, I don’t spend much time pouring over the candy selection at stores, but I’ve been shopping there on an almost-daily basis for about a year, and Idaho Spuds hold a very dear place in my heart. I should have had my Spidey-Sense tingling. The fact that I only spotted them yesterday is shocking to me.

My parents are European and grew up with the notion of having a “Winter Sport” which is a little mini vacation you take in the winter to go skiing, usually in Switzerland or France. My dad also happens to be a professor, so he has some flexibility during the winter holidays. When we were kids, they would take off for 3 weeks or so and go skiing at Grand Targhee.

Every year, without fail, they returned with three plastic bags full of Idaho Spuds - one for each of the children. It was awesome. I was going to describe them, but their website does a much better job than I ever could have:

The popular Idaho Spud Bar is a wonderful combination of a light cocoa flavored marshmallow center drenched with a dark chocolate coating and then sprinkled with coconut (Sorry, no potato!). The potato shape and unique blend of ingredients appeals to both young and old, making the “Idaho Spud” one of the top hundred selling candy bars in the Northwest, and is Idaho Candy Company’s best selling bar. The Idaho Spud Bar has been a favorite since it was first manufactured in 1918.

My sister I would tear through ours in about two days. My brother is much more patient and would spread his consumption out over the course of the year. I can’t imagine that “aging” an Idaho Spud did much for it’s appeal, but he sure made us jealous when he was still munching on a ‘Spud in October.

It’s funny how things can come back together. Getting those candy bars was such a treat when I was a kid - something I only had access to for a few days each year. Twenty years later, I find myself living three blocks from a store that sells them.

You probably haven’t noticed this, but it’s odd how things sometimes work.