McMemories

This is a little rando, but when we were in Helsingborg a couple of weeks ago and popped in at the toy museum there was one display that I found particularly interesting. They had every McDonald's Happy Meal toy since the early eighties. The memories, people. Some of these pieces of plastic took my dang breath away.

When the Zoo-Faces came out I was seven years old. I have not given them a single thought since 1990 and yet I swear to you I can still smell the rubber.

I'm pretty sure there were two dozen of those Flounder spray toys between the neighbor kids and my siblings and me. I see them sitting on the edge of my childhood bathtub as clearly as if it were yesterday.

The Monster McNuggets memory is somewhat less vivid, which is strange since I was thirteen. Even more strange: I was apparently eating Happy Meals at thirteen years old.

On a related note, Jamie and I watched Inside Out this weekend. Well, okay, I watched it because after a little while Jamie didn't think it was such a fun movie to watch with Mom if she's bawling the whole time. Which, since I'm an adult human being, I was. I'm not sure if I'm recommending it or not because, like Derek, I cried the whole time and it made me feel sad just as often as it uplifted, but, also like Derek, Inside Out is one of the very best things I've watched in a long time. So I guess watch it. And Derek. And bring the kleenex.