Mister Softee

Ranking among the most recognizable signs of summer is the infuriatingly cheerful jingle of a Mister Softee truck roaming the streets of suburbia. I remember as a child longing to hear that sweet music, hoping against vain hope that today would be my lucky day, but if memory serves correctly, Mister Softee came around a lot less frequently than he does now. Since our return I have been regaled with the maddening tune twice daily. The truck makes its rounds along our street somewhere around 4pm and then again at 8pm. I feel badly because I very much want to surprise Addison one afternoon and say, "Let's get some ice cream from Mister Softee," but c'mon! Is eating ice cream at 4 o'clock really a great idea when dinner is just around the corner? What are they thinking? And then why do they come around again 4 hours later? Trying to tempt the after dinner crowd? At this point in October it's pitch black at 8 and Mister Softee is liable to run over a few stray children running towards the van. Come to think of it, seems as though the season has gotten a lot longer too. Summer is well over now but they're evidently still counting on those persistent wee ones conning their parents into a cold treat amidst falling the leaves.

For those of you unfamiliar with this franchise, Mister Frostee is a Philadelphia original headquartered just a couple of miles from our house in Runnemede, NJ, and if you are one of the lucky ones who has never heard the delightful sound of this roving treasure trove of treats, here is a clip from YouTube. I dare you to not get it stuck in your head!