The End of a Dreadful Week….

I sat in front of my keyboard for a bit this morning, thinking about the events of this past week. The turmoil in my beloved Republic seems to know no bounds, with guns, gun violence, political upheaval, messy affairs and the continued assault against the noble profession of policing forging ahead unabated. This morning, I was saddened to learn that yet another sociopath has killed three mental health professionals and himself in a veteran’s facility in California. I feel the pain, deeply, for my friends, neighbors and fellow law enforcement officers in Clinton, Missouri, as they prepare to bury another of their centurions. I have had enough, and it is time to sit back and recharge our batteries for the next week, sure to bring more gloom and doom to our existence. I have never been accused of being a Pollyanna, however, when the pressure is on, I retreat to my favorite coping mechanism, food! With that in mind, I ask my reader’s indulgence as I deviate from the news of the day to bring a positive perspective into our world of negativity. Let’s dig in.

The Wall Street Journal, with it’s usual candor and after deep research has concluded that it is, indeed, okay to eat a whole pint of ice cream in one setting! Can this be? They quote a number of health enthusiasts, you know, the folks who generally eat wheat germ, bamboo shoots and wild hickory nuts as saying that on a weekly basis, if you choose correctly, there are a number of great tasting ice creams available for the over indulgence that usually accompanies a nasty break up, bad week on the market or the news that one of your checks is happily bouncing it’s way back to you, courtesy of a displeased merchant. Men don’t curl up on the couch, wrapped in an Afghan, watching some sappy chick flick while savoring every bite of a pint of tasty ice cream from a soon to be emptied pint container, or do they? Well, maybe not, but an action movie rerun, the dog, a pair of sweats and a pint of ice cream will certainly assuage our bad news moment……..

Sure, I love to travel about. It might be on a motorcycle or in my pickup truck, or maybe on a bicycle, however; every jaunt is usually to and from a place to eat. God willing, if I finally earn my pilot’s license, I am confident that I will spend precious flying time headed somewhere that offers food as a reward for making the flight. This past week, I pulled our RV to the dealer in St. Louis to have a bike rack installed, carefully timing the trip to include a Pryor’s Pizza, in Rolla, Missouri. It is hard to think about the distractions in this world when you are confronting a beautiful, hot, succulent, pie from the Pryor’s oven……

Back to the ice cream thing. You may not be aware that our ice cream manufacturers are paying attention to America’s current “eat healthy” mandate. Ben & Jerry’s is offering a new line of deliciousness, “Moophoria”, that is said to be delicious without the guilt of over indulgence. There is a relatively newcomer to the market, “Halo-Top”, which is playing to mixed reviews, but is designed to be consumed in pint sized servings! We must not forget Breyers, a company that knows something about ice cream, with their new offering “Artic Zero”. These delicacies can be enjoyed with the smile that accompanies indulgence without the calories, as they all weigh in around the 250-500 calorie range per pint! Now we’re talking. These little treats can be enjoyed without the inconvenience of driving through Andy’s Frozen Custard, strategically located throughout Springfield, which serves a number of decadent concoctions such as the Jitterbug or Straw Anna, or some custom built, pint sized container of gastronomic sin. Then there is Cold Stone…….shaved chocolate folded into vanilla bean……

I take my cues from the svelte, no body fat examples of meticulous gym rats that I associate with on a daily basis. When these conditioning aficionados give a thumbs up to a pint of ice cream every now and then, who am I to argue? I can practically guarantee that a pint of ice cream, enjoyed with someone that you care to be around, will knock the rough edge off today’s turmoil. How can you miss with an endorsement from the Journal? Ice cream, the one anti-depressant that does not require a prescription or come with a warning about side effects.

Enjoy a pint today……….