I don’t consider my relationship with ice cream to technically be an addiction; after all, I just went ten weeks without it. But it is most certainly the biggest challenge my willpower faces, with other favorites like chocolate, Egg McMuffins and wine far easier for me to resist. Now that I’m easing up on the strict diet I embraced earlier this year, my occasional over-the-top love for ice cream might present the only real glitch in the otherwise smooth transition to a more moderate approach to healthy eating.
Since my newly revamped lifestyle is intended to allow me to enjoy living on my own terms, I’ll go on record right now that two key elements of the life I cherish are eating ice cream when it pleases me and fitting into my skinny jeans. I realize the first is working in direct conflict with the second, so I hope I’m not asking too much of the other components of my healthy lifestyle to keep the peace. Sorry for jumping ahead, I should explain why ice cream is at the center of today’s rambling.
My daughter, Stephanie, and I were driving through a neighboring small town late yesterday afternoon when we noticed the lights on in the local ice cream parlor, Tic Toc. Making a quick U-turn to get a closer look, we realized they were open for the season. Tic Toc closes every fall, and along with daffodils and March Madness their opening always signals the beginning of spring. It’s somewhat of a ritual for Steph and me to plan our first visit each year on their opening day and for a moment we were devastated that we had somehow missed our chance to be among the first ice cream enthusiasts to celebrate the beginning of a new season. But before the gloom had a chance to set in, I whipped the car into a parking space on the street and the excitement for a little frozen afternoon delight took over.
As we rushed toward the door we couldn’t believe our good fortune; this was shaping up to be a fantastic week, that is if you view the world from an ice cream perspective. Just two days ago, Tim surprised us with a trip to the Apple Barn Creamery in Pigeon Forge for a couple of scoops of the best apple cinnamon ice cream in the world, and now this…
We stepped inside, big smiles on both of our faces as we hurried to the counter to meet this season’s new ice cream scoopers. No need to look at the menu, we knew what we wanted: hot fudge sundae with George Washington cherry ice cream for me, and for Steph. . . well, that’s when the fun always starts.
Me to the ice cream scooper: “And my daughter will take a hot fudge sundae with cookie dough ice cream, but no whipped cream or nuts, add sprinkles instead.”
Ice cream scooper: “Sundaes doesn’t come with sprinkles, maybe you want the ice cream with two toppings – hot fudge sauce and sprinkles. It will be a little cheaper anyway.”
Me: “Yes, that sounds good, and she wants a cherry too.”
Ice cream scooper: “Oh, cherries only come on sundaes and banana splits.”
Me: “Of course. A sundae then, just hold the whipped cream and nuts and put a few sprinkles on it and all is good. You can still charge me for a sundae, that’s fine.”
She stood frozen as if I had a gun in her face demanding all the money in the register instead of requesting a few sprinkles on a sundae. She stammered, “But, I’m not sure if…, I don’t want to overcharge you…, but the sprinkles are an extra topping…” Her voice trailed off as she turned to the girl working beside her. I waited patiently giving them a moment to think it through; you see this is a familiar part of the new season ritual. I had heard the door open a few times so when I looked around and saw the line growing behind us, I decided to help them out.
“I’m fine with whatever you want to charge me. But you could think of it this way: it’s allowed to substitute the sauce on a sundae, right? If she wanted strawberry sauce instead of hot fudge that would be okay, wouldn’t it?
They both nodded.
“So, what she really wants is to substitute multi-colored sprinkles for the nut sprinkles that come with the sundae. And then just hold the whipped cream. See, it’s still a sundae, just without the whipped cream. You can do that, right?”
Smiles brightened their freckled faces and I knew we’d negotiated a peaceful compromise to the age old “sundaes don’t come with sprinkles” and “cherries only go on sundaes and banana splits” dilemma. Not only would Steph get the sundae she wanted, it was pretty much assured they would remember us every time we walked through the door for the rest of the season. They eagerly prepared our sundaes, and I left a ridiculously big tip ensuring generous scoops all summer long! Now, if the solution to staying in these skinny jeans was only that easy . . .
Skinny jeans are over rated and finding joy is sometimes over looked. I’m glad you stopped for ice cream and I am planning on eating some today.
I had to shake my head at the scooper’s topping challenge.
You may need to find a shop that allows “menu substitutions”. I am sure that shops like that exist, even in the ice cream parlor industry. They often have longer lines (and happier customers).
I always stop for ice cream! But the way I feel in those jeans is pretty awesome too! As for our ice cream scoopers, they’re so cute with their sweet little southern accents. I’m sure by the second week on the job they are free-wheeling and all the conventions are out the window. We live in a pretty rural area so this little old-school ice cream parlor is a gem! If you ever find yourself in East Tennessee again, I’ll have to take you!
OMG! I can just see you trying to explain about the sprinkles!! Too funny!! Glad it all worked out and you bit got what you wanted!! 😉
Those kids are so sweet, just trying to do the right thing! We’d be back there this weekend if we were going to be in town!