Smurf Ice Cream at Larry's

I took a little stroll down memory lane tonight.  I was sixteen again, behind the counter of Larry's, our local ice cream shop.  I was serving up Smurf ice cream to two super cute little toe-headed monkeys. Blue raspberry with fluffy little white marshmallows on sugar cones.  All drippy goodness and blue goop on mouths, hands and shirts.  Actually, those were my monkeys eating that ice cream tonight and well, let's just say that I am a little bit older than sixteen.

Larry's Ice Cream was my first "real" job.  I had been a babysitter for years before I worked at Larry's. It was not an easy job, but I really enjoyed seeing the looks on little kids (and big ones, too)  faces when I handed them their cones full of yumminess. We had THE BEST ice cream in town.  My sisters loved Smurf ice cream and I would bring it home to them whenever I could.

I learned how to have very good work ethic at Larry's.  I mopped a lot of floors, did a ton of dishes, paraded around in an ice cream cone costume for hours, and scooped out a ton of ice cream.   We also made our own waffle cones which burnt my fingers like crazy. It was work, but I loved the customers.

One time a lady came in and asked if we had any vanilla egg cremes.  I was completely confused,  She told me that an egg cream has milk, vanilla and carbonated water, but no eggs. Also, sometimes customers would ask for Jimmies, which is northern talk for sprinkles.  We made our own homemade sodas and often times people would want to buy the Coke syrup to treat their kid's coughs.

There are only two Larry's Ice Creams open now.  We were at the one in St. Pete tonight.  It was wonderful!  It made me feel young again.  There was a sign out front that read, "Help Wanted".  Our youngest monkey girl thinks that I should work there again so that she can have unlimited Smurf ice cream. Dream on, kid!

Hugs,

Melissa

P.S. Funny, but true story.  When I worked at Larry's, my friend Robert came to visit me one day for a few minutes.  He had an IBC root beer with him.  After Robert left, my boss scolded me because my friend brought an alcoholic beverage into his shop. I had to show him the empty bottle to get him to believe me that it was root beer, not beer.  UGH!!!