Creatures of Habit

Ok, i know I've been babbling alot between reviews recently, but I've been trying to remember that when I started this blog, I meant to do more than just review ice cream. I had hoped not to just celebrate ice cream and find new flavors, but to celebrate the impact a new treat can have on one's mood. I don't know, maybe I still do that a bit, but I don't know if I do it enough.

Case in point, I received a Friendly's gift card after I had helped someone out in a pinch. It's a very appropriate gift for someone like me, but I've actually been hesitant to use it. You see, up until today, I've never been to Friendly's by myself. I've never worried while heading to DQ or a small place like Uhlman's, and I know I'm probably just over thinking it, but when you've spent a few decades ALWAYS going to a place with other people, it's really weird going by yourself.

Well, I went today, and it just wasn't the same. After waiting a few minutes for someone to finally be able to help me, I tried cheating by ordering a Friend-z (faux blizzard) with the plan of eating it in the car just like I do at DQ. That plan was quickly thwarted by a soft serve machine that had just been refilled and needed time to chill. I had to get back to work, so I decided to order a peanut butter sundae, one of my favorite things on the Friendly's menu. I forked over my $5.66 (off the gift card) and headed out.

Eating a sundae out of a styrofoam cup in my car just wasn't the same as sitting inside and slowly enjoying the treat before me. Not to be sappy, but I missed my wife and daughter. My wife would probably be having a big Chocolate Fribble while my daughter would have a giant smile on her face as she dug into the new Camp Friendly's Sundae (those are Oreo Brownie "logs" you see in the picture). Maybe my sundae just wasn't made that well, it did seem kind of weak, but the ambiance and company were definitely missing.

What's my point? I'm too tired to remember. I guess it's that tradition is a hard thing to break, especially after 20+ years. That, and sometimes there is more to ice cream than just the ice cream. Share the love!

(maybe Ebert can explain it better)