This evening, as Peanut was dining on her favorite dish of the week — ralioli — (that’s ravioli to you and me) I heard a sound I had never heard in six years living in this older Champaign neighborhood.
It was a sound that was magical. It was quite literally, the sound of summer I had read about in plenty of novels and seen on television. It was a sound that I want to remember hearing in my own childhood, but I can’t seem to decipher if that’s fact or fabrication.
I peaked out the front door window slats, suspicious yet optimistic. And sure enough, next door, there was an ice cream “truck” doling out some treats for the neighbors’ grandsons. It was an old beat-up van with stickers all over it and a very loud sound system that broadcast its presence to anyone who wanted it to be there.
Peanut had stripped down to her skivvies for dinner, and was in no shape to go outside. We quickly located her dirty clothes and ran out there, only to watch as the ice cream van drove away in search of new customers. There was no reason to scream, as the ice cream man wouldn’t have been able to hear me as he snaked around the corner. Peanut and I followed intently, not panicking as he drove further away from us. And suddenly, he backed up and stopped! There was hope!
We reached the van and me, giddier than my 3-year-old, surveyed the menu options. They ranged in price from $1.50 to $4.00. It was a wide range of goodies, and it was difficult to narrow it down. I decided on a cup of cookies’ n’ cream for us to share, and gleefully turned over the money.
As it turned out, I wasn’t seeing things — this really was this van’s first visit to Champaign. The college-aged guy driving the vehicle said he had come all the way from Springfield, and his company planned to visit C-U “a lot more” this summer.
Maybe Peanut will remember this day, or one like it, sometime in the future. And it certainly wasn’t a fabrication. No, this perfect summer evening really happened.
17 responses so far ↓
melonpan // June 28, 2009 at 10:55 pm |
yeah, i heard this too tonight (he drove near kirby and prospect where we are). i have mixed feelings. if hes based in springfield, then it probably wont be so bad, but i think having one come every day can become annoying…
on the otherhand every now and then is fine.
and its probably a fun thing for the kids too.
this is my first year here in cu. so i had no idea that there were no trucks at all.
Kris // June 29, 2009 at 5:55 am |
There was a truck that seemed to stalk our street in Urbana for two summers. It actually began to make me feel a bit weirded out. Have only heard a truck once this summer; maybe I’ll feel happy to see it again if it reappears, as I too loved the ice cream truck as a kid.
Lisa // June 29, 2009 at 6:44 am |
He was in our neighborhood, too. Playing the Maple Leaf Rag or some other Scott Joplin tune. It wasn’t the treacly tune the ice-cream truck played when I was a kid (in L.A.), but it was pretty nice. I think you’re right about the memories; it’s amazing that I can remember the whole melody the truck played when I was little and of course I remember getting the ice cream as well. Dreamsicles, Fudgsicles, cups.
I was almost tempted to run out and get something, even sans children!
Conscious Citizen // June 29, 2009 at 7:29 am |
Did he have Dippin Dots?
Mel // June 29, 2009 at 8:15 am |
We heard him too, but we were in the middle of a video chat with the grandparents. In our previous town, the ice cream man would visit the two surrounding neighborhoods, but never ours. (Torture!) So it was nice to see him pull into our little neighborhood!
Carrie // June 29, 2009 at 8:39 am |
I’ve seen that van several times over the last couple of years. Although the sightings have been more frequent this summer than past summers. We’ve never stopped but glad to hear that it was good for you guys
lbotp // June 29, 2009 at 8:59 am |
Was wondering how long it would take for someone to make fun of my summer obsession with frozen treats, ha.
We go to a 4th of July picnic up north every year where the Good Humor truck appears. Nothing like a drumstick.
gamera // June 29, 2009 at 9:13 am |
There’s another Good Humor truck that’s been making the rounds in my neighborhood (near Church and Prospect) for a couple weeks. He’s not college-aged, though, and he’s from Thomasboro, I think. My brother-in-law recognized him and used to work with him somewhere.
Hearing that music sent me running out into the street as well. I stood in line with some other guys who said they heard the music from blocks away and came running…everyone loves an ice cream truck.
mrs. chicken // June 29, 2009 at 10:33 am |
You need to move to Urbana, where the ice cream truck makes regular appearances. Although, strangely, it comes at 5 p.m., which is when most people eat dinner.
Right? That’s when most people eat dinner?
David Kidd // June 29, 2009 at 4:03 pm |
Thank you for the link. We have rec’d many visitors from your page here. As we are just starting to work on our online image and marketing, your article was breath of fresh air.
There is something to be said for the comfort our brains take from fimiliar sounds associated with fond memories from our past. Going to the ice cream truck is one of those.
mrs. chicken – unfortunately people eat at all times, and the ice cream man has to be somewhere all the time. Alot of people just come out and visit with the ice cream man then put the treats in the freezer till after dinner.
david
mrs. chicken // June 29, 2009 at 6:57 pm |
David, I was kidding.
We let our kids get ice cream whenever the truck comes, no matter what time it is, and we let them eat it right then.
What else is summer for, if not for eating ice cream for dinner? Can I get an amen?
el_annoy // June 29, 2009 at 8:41 pm |
A friend grew up in Champaign and her (skillful) mother had her convinced that there were just some trucks that drove around town playing music because everyone likes music. It apparently took ages for my friend to realize the trucks sold ice cream.
Evil, but brilliant!
janna // June 29, 2009 at 8:48 pm |
One of my earlier memories — it may have been the summer I turned 4, but it might have been the previous summer — is buying something from the ice cream truck with my mom and sister, and then sitting on the porch steps eating whatever it was. We moved to a teeny little town the fall after I turned 4, with no ice cream truck.
lbotp // June 29, 2009 at 8:59 pm |
David — Thanks for sending your van here! Just don’t make it too regular a habit, ha. And you must be related to my husband, because just last week I was “complaining” that Dairy Queen blizzards are too big, and he said I could always put what I don’t want to eat IN THE FREEZER for later!
Kris Stone // June 29, 2009 at 9:52 pm |
I live on a busy street. When the ICM goes by, it sounds like his music is going as fast as he is. It makes me bummed, because I know my oldest would get a kick out getting to see and experience this like I did so often as a child. I may have to hang out at my friends out this year!! (Her boys got to have dibs on the ICM last year, I know they are in her neighborhood).
Maladjusted // June 30, 2009 at 9:43 am |
I remember an ice cream truck coming around my old neighborhood in Champaign when I was dieting seriously a few summers ago. I would be walking home for work (exercise! good!), starving from calorie counting all day (bad!) and I swear to you that the ice cream truck would FOLLOW ME. “He followed me home, can I keep him?” style.
We have already seen the ice cream truck in our brand new neighborhood here, but it comes at the oddest times. It came by twice on Sunday, once around 11am and once around 4pm. Both times we contemplated it and decided it was too close to a meal. We agreed that it should come around between 7-8pm every day. It probably won’t.
Golden // June 30, 2009 at 9:50 am |
OK – last night around 5 pm I heard what I was hoping would be … and it was!! I said, “It’s the Ice Cream Man!” as I opened the front door. My husband asked why I called it the Ice Cream Man and I realized that was what we called the “truck” as kids. What good memories
Alas, I was on my way out the door again so will have to wait for the week-end and see if he appears.