Look at it – three, perfectly-proportioned layers, each nestled into the other, topped off with a swirled peak. It’s a thing of a beauty. This cone is a masterpiece to anyone who’s worked in a soft-serve ice cream shop. Getting a cone to look this good takes practice. Lots and lots of practice!
Mastering the art of ice cream swirling (don’t even get me started on my cone-dipping skills!) was just one of the many things I learned working summers at Ziggy’s Ice Cream Shop back in the ’80’s. The ice cream/fried-food joint was right on the waterfront in Plymouth, so we catered to tourists from all over the world. Perhaps they sought solace in ice cream once they saw the anti-climatic Plymouth Rock. (I heard a disappointed “That’s it?!?!?” in multiple languages.)
A Ziggy girl for two summers, I learned patience as I waited for customers to study the limited menu as if it were their last meal on earth. I learned not to mix business with pleasure after the boss Ziggy would growl from the back (really, he’d go “Grrrrrrrr ….”) whenever my boyfriend would come to visit. I also learned appreciation for anyone who works on their feet all day; I was exhausted after only a 6-hour shift despite being fortified by all my ice cream ‘mistakes.’
Yeah, I learned a lot from that summer job. What about you? What was your best (or worst) summer job? Any learnings? (And, anyone ever impressed by Plymouth Rock?)
6-17-2008 09:38:12
I, too, can make a soft serve cone to rival the best of them. Three years of working at McDonald’s, both during school and a few summers earned me my cone-making stripes. In fact, I was so good (yes, I’m a bit egotistical about these abilities) that once I went away to college all my friends had me make their cones in the dorm cafeteria. Things of beauty, I must say. But, my worst summer job was probably the summer I worked at World’s of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Mo. Well, as jobs went, it wasn’t that horrid, but I only made $1.75 an hour AND I had to wear lederhosen while doing it. That outfit should have earned me at least an extra dollar an hour!
6-17-2008 15:12:36
I worked at the Ponderosa Steak House through high school and during the summers. No soft serve cone memories, but I was responsible for preparing the pudding cups as well as other desserts. The pudding cups stand out as I would experiment with them each week by adding different touches. sprinkles one week, gummy bears another, mixing flavors, etc… But,the whipped cream swirl was truly a work of art. I’d come in early before school and prepare the desserts and then cashier in the afternoon and evenings. I credit this job with my ability to count out change and actually respect money. Prior to this job my dollar bills would be crumpled up in my pocket and you couldn’t tell from a one dollar bill or a five dollar bill. As a cashier, nothing bothered me more than when I was handed these crumpled up disorganized bills. My register always had the bills all pointing in the same direction and all bills were perfectly smoothed out before entering the till. Unfortunately, this has turned into a life-long obsession…..
6-17-2008 20:13:14
Well, I can tell you that Plymouth Rock was a landmark in my family — all the Virginia friends and relatives were taken there as a part of the Commonwealth to Commonwealth exchange program. Oh, the photo ops — but there is no good way to include the rock in a group shot. Maybe the lovely docents in their pilgrim-wear, but not the rock. My sister even included a charm of it’s replica added to the bracelet I received for my 40th.
I digress. So a summer job? I never had a great one — when I was 16, I worked at neighborhood restaurant bussing tables. Learned a lot….Angostura Bitters with Soda Water is the trade hangover cure. That no matter how well-off you might be, being so drunk that you vomit in your plate, is a great equalizer. Life lessons…
6-17-2008 21:20:49
I had a great summer job for a couple of years – that of a lifeguard. It was rather a cushy job – some time on the lifeguard’s chair soaking in the sun, the rest of the time shooting the breeze with the other lifeguards. It was a rather lazy but very fun way to spend the summer. The only two “saves” made in the two years I did this was by the head lifeguard (and also my boyfriend – which most probably made the job more fun as well), who was never on the stand – just walking by at the right moment – and then basked in the glory of the save.
And I have yet to see Plymouth Rock. After reading Mayflower a couple of years ago, I put it on my list of places to visit…we’ll see if we can find it.
6-19-2008 12:17:52
Great summer job memories! Thanks for sharing them.
Kathleen, I am oh-so curious why you had to wear lederhosen to work at World of Fun. Did each ride/activity have a country-specific theme? Couldn’t you get transfered to, say, the Fiji Pavilion where at least you could wear a light-and-airy grass skirt?
Shari, having worked as a cashier and a bank teller, I share your obsession with money (although my wallet is probably not as neat as yours). My take-away from those jobs is the ability to make change in my head. In my day (begin eye-rolling now), we didn’t have machines that automatically calculated the change due amount. I’ve had to inform lots of cashiers how much they need to hand me back because the machine failed them for some reason.
Laurie, OMG! Someone who actually LIKES Plymouth Rock and even has a charm on her bracelet commemorating the landmark. I should tell you that I also worked at the Plimoth Plantation gift shop and had to wear that Pilgrim outfit. At least I was indoors …
Anne, has your perspective on lifeguards changed now that you’re a parent? I now get mad when I see a lifeguard chatting up his/her friends … yet, I remember visiting with my lifeguard friends all the time when I was a teen. Argh! Evidence #294 that I have become my mother …