So Al含羞草研究社� I tried the gum.

A short while back, I pieced together a column on some of the world含羞草研究社檚 best smells.

Noted on the list was hockey card gum.

含羞草研究社淐ould be number one on the list,含羞草研究社� I said. 含羞草研究社淣ow, actually eating the shards of pink glass is another story.含羞草研究社�

Fast forward to last week, and an envelope arrived at the office. For me.

含羞草研究社淲onder what it is?含羞草研究社� I asked aloud, giving it a little shake and hearing a rattle. 含羞草研究社淔rom Chilliwack.含羞草研究社�

Inside was a nice letter from Al (last name withheld so folks don含羞草研究社檛 ask him for free stuff), which I admittedly didn含羞草研究社檛 read until after exclaiming 含羞草研究社渋t含羞草研究社檚 hockey cards!含羞草研究社� and inspecting my glorious and unexpected windfall.

There were two packs of unopened hockey cards from 1991-92.

含羞草研究社淣ot sure if there is any fragrance or not but they have been stored in a sealed container, thanks again for your column,含羞草研究社� wrote Al.

含羞草研究社淧.S. Don含羞草研究社檛 advise you chew the gum, LOL. However, a buddy of mine did and he survived.含羞草研究社�

It was indeed the gum that was the first thing I noticed.

Neither pack had the familiar intact stick of gum. The years had taken their toll, with one stick broken into a few shards and the one in the other pack shattered into 20-plus fragments.

含羞草研究社淪hould I try to chew it?含羞草研究社� I briefly wondered to myself, before turning back to the cards.

It was immediately like being a kid again, shuffling through hockey cards, looking for a hidden gem as I read their names out louds.

含羞草研究社淕ary Nylund; Patrik Sundstrom; ooh, a Gretzky award winner; Jacques Cloutier; Ron Hextall; Greg Adams (the card just said Greg Adams, but I saw the picture and said 含羞草研究社楪reg C. Adams含羞草研究社� out loud); ooh, a Kamensky rookie含羞草研究社�含羞草研究社� and on and on.

Of particular interest were a pair of 含羞草研究社楽oviets vs. NHL含羞草研究社� cards, of Andrei Kvartlanov and Igor Stelnov, a pair of names my mind thought it remembered but wasn含羞草研究社檛 sure.

Each had a piece of the gum essentially welded onto the front, and there was no getting it off.

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Pondering the chemicals involved in that process but noting it was still pink, I made the only rational decision.

I was going to chew some of it.

Not wishing to keel over alone, I summoned intrepid reporter Kevin Forsyth.

含羞草研究社淗ey Kevin, want to try some 30-year-old hockey card gum with me?含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社沦耻谤别.含羞草研究社�

We each selected our own little shard, and the experiment was on.

At first, there was no taste at all. There was certainly no hope of it doing gum-like things and allowing us to continue chewing.

含羞草研究社楰inda gets stuck up in the old molars,含羞草研究社� observed Kevin. 含羞草研究社淣ot bad. Just tastes like powder. Can含羞草研究社檛 chew it, so I might just have to eat it.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淣ah, don含羞草研究社檛 do that,含羞草研究社� I said, spitting the remains of the fragments into the garbage.

Kevin smartly had something on hand to drink, whereas I had to endure the aftertaste, which was somewhere between fresh hockey card gum and licking a rubber dish mat.

All in all, a delightful exercise.

It含羞草研究社檚 been years since I had the pleasure of shuffling through some packs of hockey cards. Talk about instantly transporting yourself back in time.

And it含羞草研究社檚 been even longer since I tried to chew hockey card gum. I含羞草研究社檒l probably ignore that bit of nostalgia moving forward.

If anyone else has some throwback items they含羞草研究社檇 like to send in, don含羞草研究社檛 hold back. Always happy to take a fun look back.

But I think my days of trying any food or drink items from more than three decades ago are done.

Thanks for the laughs, Al. Very much appreciated.

PQB News/VI Free Daily editor Philip Wolf welcomes your questions, comments and story ideas. He can be reached at 250-905-0029, or via email at philip.wolf@blackpress.ca.