On Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:30:13 -0800, jps wrote:



Thanks for the entertainment. They still sell ice picks up here. You
can get block ice for coolers and, as you undoubtedly remember, it's
fun to chip off various sized pieces to cool your favorite libation.

When I was a lad, living summers on a farm in the Ozarks, the
highlight of the week was to ride into Doniphan in the bed of my
grand dads' Ford pickup to get block ice from the ice house.
This was in the mid-50's
Wrapped the block in burlap feed bags and got it home with no
noticeable melt. It was for the icebox, as there was no refrigerator.
Don't remember handing the icepick myself, and there was never ice in
what we drank. Only remember drinking water, pulled with a bucket
from the well, and everybody used the dipper that stayed in the
bucket. Cool when the bucket was fresh, mineral laden, and delicious.
Summers were hot there.
Outhouse with the Sears catalog paper dispenser, Saturday bath in the
washtub, run around in your underpants, check your ears and balls for
ticks every night, and wake up most days with a couple spider bites.
The ice man was still making the rounds in Chicago about the same
time, but we had fridge there.
Think I used an icepick once in my life, sometimes later.
Seen maybe 5 different ones in my entire sheltered life.
Seen a lot more packing pullers and mech scribes than icepicks.
Might have bought 20 bags of crushed ice in my entire life for
coolers. You got me thinking I've lived a wasted life.
Does Walmart carry icepicks?
Might pick up a couple while there's still time.
Find a block of ice and a bottle of liquor.
Hey! You trying to make me an alcoholic?

--Vic