Chocolate Cake Ice Cream

The most popular ice cream flavors vary from time to time

With vanilla and chocolate leading the way
But research does not reveal chocolate cake
On any list of favorite flavors that I could locate

This story relates back to the two summers
I worked as a Good Humor truck driver
Between my first two summer semesters at law school
No other job available to me could produce earnings that were higher

My route centered around the city of Thompsonville, Connecticut
Where shade tobacco was grown, on a farm several miles away
Which means the tobacco plants were grown under netting
Which product was used as the outer layer of cigars, very important to its taste

The shade grown tobacco farm was not on my prescribed route
But I often took the liberty of adjusting my route to produce greater revenue
For example I modified my route, to spend more time in the poorer areas of Thompsonville
Where there were more children, and many porches where people often gathered late

I became aware of the shade grown farm where
The men worked in the field, the women in sheds, processing what was grown
For some reason several asked for the sweetest flavor, which I decided was chocolate cake
And these tobacco workers decided this was the best flavor they had ever known

During my two summers as a Good Humor man, I visited this farm
The pay for the workers was very low
And the vast majority were broke, shortly after pay day
So pay day, and the next day, were usually the only times I would go

The day came which was the last day I would work for Good Humor
It was a tough job with long hours, and this was a pleasant thought indeed
My mind was focused on returning to law school
And I didn’t properly focus on what ice cream I needed 

To make a long story short, I forgot to order a case of chocolate cake
And when I showed up at the tobacco farm without chocolate cake
To say the least, the workers were very upset
And began shouting numerous obscenities, and I feared what turn this would take

I started to drive away, and was chased by many of the workers
Harm to the truck or me, was what I could foresee
And prayed the truck would not stall out
As periodically it would do, though infrequently

I’m willing to bet that this was the only time
The absence of a particular ice cream flavor
Almost caused a riot by frustrated customers
Who were outraged by the absence of what they most savored

Dog with an Ice Cream Trust Account

During two summers while attending Yale Law School

I worked as a Good Humor truck vendor

Around the City Of Thompsonville

About 15 miles from Hartford, Connecticut 

The job was strenuous, in and out of the truck all day long

But the earnings were good

25% of the amount from the ice cream sold

So I worked as many hours as I physically could 

As my first season progressed

And I gained experience

I learned that dogs could hear me ringing the bells on my truck

At a great distance 

So what I then routinely did was ring the bells frequently toward the end of one street

Which had the effect in essence

Of causing my dog customers

To alert their masters to my forthcoming presence 

So what frequently happened

Was when I appeared on the next street what I would see

Would be my dog and human customers lined up at the curb together

Making serving them much easier than it would otherwise be 

There is one story about a dog on my route

That I think is really neat

The owner paid me in advance

The cost of me providing his dog his daily ice cream treat 

The way it worked was as follows

When the dog approached my truck, which he routinely did

The next thing to occur

Would be for me to grab a vanilla Dixie cup, and give it to the dog, after removing the lid 

I don’t really know what various financial arrangements have occurred

Concerning dog owners and the pets they love

But the first establishment of an ice-cream trust account

May have been as described above

Selling Good Humors Where Such Sales Were Banned

I have written before about my summer jobs, as a Good Humor driver

In Thompsonville, Connecticut which turned out to be

A location that proved

Very fortunate for me

My route in Thompsonville was located but a few short miles

Of the Massachusetts boundary line, which eventually produced an interesting tale

As this geographic proximity ended up

As a significant source of my ice cream sales 

One day a substantial purchase was made in Thompsonville

By a resident of Springfield, which sale marked a favorable turn of fate

After he explained to me, that another ice cream company

Held an exclusive license to sell ice cream in his home state 

So thereafter I developed a system of regularly showing up near the Massachusetts border

Ring my bell vigorously to announce that I had arrived

And sold a ton of ice cream

To those who had been Good Humor deprived

The bulk of my business was still to Connecticut residents

But for an investment of a minimal amount of time

I added perhaps 20% to my total sales

And felt very proud of developing a new approach that worked just fine 

So the lesson here, is whatever you’re doing

Spend some time to analyze each day

The possibilities

That there might be a better way