I've been drifting around lately, letting odd thoughts take me where they will. Sort of a mental "Don't take the journey, let the journey take you."
Thoughts of summers long ago often find a way to bring a smile and make me ache a bit for that lost youth all of us have way back there somewhere. There are all those bottles of soda guzzled at all the corner stores that were scattered across my neighborhood. Not long ago, and in my head, I made a list. I counted the number of places within a ten minute walk of my family home where you could buy a loaf of bread and quart of milk. I stopped counting at 11. Now, all gone, not one remains.
Soda, penny candy, pretzel rods...and cold treats on hot days.
I think of Popsicles.
More specifically, the twin pop, that two-sided affair complete with dual sticks. I suppose the twin notion was driven by a hope for generosity; you'll give half of that quiescently frozen treat away. Nice idea. Kids are greedy, selfish little buggers. Me, too. I have no recollection of ever sharing a Popsicle with anyone, nor do I recall anyone ever sharing one with me.
Popsicle is a registered trademark. I just took a peek at their site. No trace there of the twin pop of my kid years. Maybe it fell victim to the greed is good times we went through 20 or so years ago, maybe the manufacturer realized kids eat Popsicles, and that kids seldom share. Let's go back to that word "quiescently" for a second. It was on every wrapper of every Popsicle I ever sucked, and I always wondered just what it meant. It sounded rather exotic, like this just wasn't some chunk of flavored ice, this was something special. Follow the link below, you'll learn all about "quiescently."
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/question499.htm
I spent time in an ice house once. I was amazed at how much is involved in making good ice. Good ice being ice that is sparkling crystal clear, which most consumers demand since they are paying for frozen water. Making good ice is work, you don't just stare at the water until it freezes.
Flavor-wise, I was a cherry or lime Popsicle man myself. Orange and grape were passable on occasion. Every so often, blueberry Popsicles would show up at one of several corner stores in my old neighborhood. They weren't always available, they seemed to be a limited-run deal. It did make them special. And they weren't really blue, at least not blue like blueberries. They were a pale blue, maybe a baby blue. There had to have been a marketing strategy there. Oh, we all know it, none of those Popsicles tasted like their namesake fruit, not even close. But they sure tasted good.
Those were my go-to Popsicle flavors.
But for the love of God, vanilla and root beer Popsicles made me gag. The thought of them still kick starts a gag reflex. A buddy of mine loved root beer Popsicles. Whenever he was gnawing on one, I'd step back, the smell alone made nauseous. I likewise despise those little candy kegs that are root beer flavored. Gakkkk. Yet, the damnedest thing is, I really like root beer itself. I especially like Birchola, for those who know what it is.
How about the Creamsicle? Now there was one heck of frozen confection, although not quiescently frozen. Creamsicles contained ice cream. Making ice cream requires agitation. You really should go back and hit that link on "quiescently frozen." The Creamsicle was a core of vanilla ice cream with a mysterious and not easily identifiable smooth orange coating. Or was it orange? You never knew, but they were mighty fine on a hot summer day.
When I ate my last Popsicle, I know not. Same with the Creamsicle. It never occurs to me to buy either. I'm not even sure where I would buy one. Oddly, I don't crave a Popsicle, a Creamsicle, right now. Maybe you do outgrow some things. Remember The Beach Boys, When I Grow Up To Be A Man. The lyrics asked if the same things that turned you on as a kid would turn you on as a man. With not a single notable exception, I can't think of one right now.
