Caleb eats some ice cream

It's a hot day. It is the latest hot day in long summer of hot days. Caleb can't remember what it is like to not be hot. To combat the heat, the evening ritual includes a heaping bowl of ice cream. Caleb scoops out 3 bowls for the teenagers who surround the table waiting for there Bryers Cookies and Cream ice cream bought on sale that week at the Publix supermarket down the road. As he scoops, he remembers summers spent at the local Ice cream stand in his hometown.

Dairy Deluxe was the local ice cream stand where everyone hung out in high school. It was not he closest, that was the Dairy Hut. Somehow in the battle of soft serve ice cream and slushies Dairy Deluxe was the winner. When Summer came around it didn't matter what day it was, every evening was spent in the Dairy Deluxe parking lot with Billy watching cars go by, laughing with friends, chasing girls, and eating ice cream cones as fast as we could so they would not melt all over our hands.

Billy was Calebs ride or die friend in high school. There is not a story that can be told from Calebs high school experience that doesn't start with Billy and Caleb. Caleb would pick Billy up in his mom's full-size van. the van was big and ugly, but with 4 wheels and an engine it represented freedom, and beggars couldn't be choosers, so the van was the main source of transportation all throughout high school. Together they would roll up to the dairy deluxe parking lot, which was like a scene out of American Graffiti. Caleb always felt a wave of nervous excitement pulling into the parking lot. What girls would be there already, what fun shenanigans would Marco's gang be planning. Dairy Deluxe was the launch pad for all the evenings opportunities.

Once Caleb made the rounds and made sure to be seen by all the girls he was interested in, the biggest decision of the night was before him. Does he order an ice cream cone dipped or rolled in toppings, or does he go for a slushie, his favorite being the suicide slush (all the flavors mixed together). The decision was never easy because both were delicious. Once the decision was made and the treat was in hand Caleb and Billy would find a curb to perch on, or a friends tailgate to sit and watch as their teenage world swirled around them.

Back in the kitchen, the kids are laughing and finishing up their ice cream. Caleb's oldest son is 17 and happens to work in an ice cream shop for the summer. There is something comforting in the fact that his son's summer and memories are built on ice cream just like Calebs. every memory is better when it starts with ice cream.