I have an old fashion ice cream scoop that has been in my possession for years. I don’t remember where or how I got the thing, but it has become a prized item in my kitchen utensil drawer.
It is a solid piece of grayish metal with a firm handle and a strong scoop. It moves through frozen ice cream like it’s butter.
I always wash it when I’m done making a bowl of ice cream. I dry it off immediately and put it back in the drawer next to the pizza cutter. Which is another important weapon in my kitchen arsenal.
George worked hard this week and battled through the onset of grief left from PopPop’s departure to heaven. So I bought a container of the Breyers French Vanilla that he likes.
Shortly after he finished his dinner,
“Dad? Can I make a bowl of ice cream please?”
….I replied from the living room,
“Sure son, just don’t leave a mess…”
Ten minutes later I got up to put my dinner plate and silverware in the dishwasher. Sitting in the left sink, the dirty side of the sink was my prized ice cream scooper.
“Geeeeeooooooorrrrrggggggeeeee!!!!”
Out from his Weird Science bedroom lurked my seventeen year old mannish boy.
“You’ve got to be shitting me son? Why is my ice cream scoop not cleaned up and put away?”
With a sheepish reply, “Oh, I forgot.”
Making sure George was a witness. I rinsed my Holy dessert ladle, dried it off and put it in the proper drawer.
“This is how we take care of the family ice cream scooper George.”
That was the moment my creamery spoon became an important part of the family history.
“Someday George! Someday…. You’ll be making bowls of ice cream for your kids. Maybe your nieces and nephews, If Hazel and Fritz allow you around their children…”
George just wanted to go back and play his damn computer game. Clumsily trying to inch back towards his bedroom.
“I’m not done here George… you will need to tell the next generation of Shepley about their Grampa Jumbo and the family ice cream scoop.”
George anxiously agreed and gave me the old, “yeah, yeah…. Okay, okay, okay dad!” line.
“and how Grampa Jumbo would come unglued if Uncle George put it in the dirty side of the sink without cleaning it!”
George went back in his room and continued zapping zombies running for president.
I stood alone in the kitchen leaning against the counter. I was trying to fathom a middle aged Uncle George telling Grampa Jumbo stories.
Those ShepKid juniors with their beautiful blue eyes and big butts will hear the old stories…
How Grampa got pissed if a driver didnt use his turn signal.
How Grampa made the best pancakes and pizza.
How Grampa memorized the Chicago Grid and thought everyone north of Armitage (2000N) (Cubs) was probably a jagoff and everyone south of Roosevelt (1200S) (Sox) spoke Chicagonese.
How Grampa loved Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July.
How Grampa worshipped Butkus, Stargell, Payton and Mayor Daley.
How Grampa held high the Royal Family and all the pomp of the British military bands.
….and how Grampa kept the family ice cream scoop clean.
Today is the 20,959th day since I met my parents in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago. I turn 30,000 days old on Wednesday, August 19. 2048. I’ll be eighty two years old and hopefully I’ll be able to personally tell Hazel’s son John how to use the directional and how to make a bowl of ice cream.
Today will be the first Saturday morning where we know PopPop won’t be pulling up to grab George for their Saturday errands, chores and lunch. PopPop would have been 30,000 days on November 14th. He was just three days shy, passing on the 11th.
I sure hope George will have fond memories and stories about Great Grampa PopPop to tell Generation Gamma. I sure hope GenG has some balls and responsibility. I sure hope GenG follows in the steps laid down by their Great Grandfather Ed.
Happy Saturday Chalkheads! Thanksgiving week is upon us. The stores will be packed and the roads will be jammed.
Be kind and use your F’ing turn signal!
You are now exactly
57 years, 4 months and 17 days old
Your next birthday is
in 226 days
and the day of the week is
Monday
The day of the week on which you were born was
Friday
Your age can also be expressed in different units of time as follows
20959 days old
57.38 years
688.57 months
2,994.14 weeks
503,016.00 hours
30180960 minutes
1810857600 seconds
The date on which you were or will be
1,000 days old is Thursday, March 27. 1969.
2,000 days old is Wednesday, December 22. 1971.
3,000 days old is Tuesday, September 17. 1974.
4,000 days old is Monday, June 13. 1977.
5,000 days old is Sunday, March 09. 1980.
6,000 days old is Saturday, December 04. 1982.
7,000 days old is Friday, August 30. 1985.
8,000 days old is Thursday, May 26. 1988.
9,000 days old is Wednesday, February 20. 1991.
10,000 days old is Tuesday, November 16. 1993.
11,000 days old is Monday, August 12. 1996 and the day you used your precious ice cream scoop.
12,000 days old is Sunday, May 09. 1999.
13,000 days old is Saturday, February 02. 2002.
14,000 days old is Friday, October 29. 2004.
15,000 days old is Thursday, July 26. 2007.
16,000 days old is Wednesday, April 21. 2010.
17,000 days old is Tuesday, January 15. 2013.
18,000 days old is Monday, October 12. 2015.
19,000 days old is Sunday, July 08. 2018.
20,000 days old is Saturday, April 03. 2021.
21,000 days old is Friday, December 29. 2023.
22,000 days old is Thursday, September 24. 2026.
23,000 days old is Wednesday, June 20. 2029.
24,000 days old is Tuesday, March 16. 2032.
25,000 days old is Monday, December 11. 2034.
26,000 days old is Sunday, September 06. 2037.
27,000 days old is Saturday, June 02. 2040.
28,000 days old is Friday, February 27. 2043.
29,000 days old is Thursday, November 23. 2045.
30,000 days old is Wednesday, August 19. 2048.
