The Pony wore SHORTS to work on Thursday! It was 73 degrees when I drove home from town. That's sweatin' weather for The Pony. He didn't order any USPS shorts with his uniform allowance. Just pants and shirts. So he wore dark gray cargo shorts left over from high school. They needed a belt, since The Pony has grown more svelte now that he's working for a living.
"Oh, Mom. Listen to this. It's what I heard while I was driving on my route."
"That's the ICE CREAM MAN!"
"I know! I kept hearing it, and I looked in the mirror, and he was behind me."
"Are you allowed to buy ice cream while you're working?"
[There are rules about what employees can do in uniform. Like don't buy alcohol, or lottery tickets, or anything that might give people a reason to complain. Even if they've clocked out, and are on the way home, it is advised to take off or cover up identifying USPS uniform symbols. Such as The Pony turning his sweater inside-out, so the emblem is not seen.]
"If I'd had change in my pocket, and not so much mail, I would have stopped. I saw two old gray-haired people come out with a kid. I guess their grandkid. They bought him ice cream. They all might have got some. So the ice cream man was making money."
"Now that he's been out playing his tune, I bet more people are prepared for him. This time he probably took them by surprise."
"Yeah. I'll try to have money with me next time."
5 comments:
From what our postal carrier does (or doesn't do), I would say The Pony is safe taking line-dancing lessons while on duty... or taking a nap in his vehicle (during his scheduled shift)... or doing just about anything he'd like. (Needless to say, our past postal workers got gifts at Christmas. This one did NOT.)
It has been a long time since I have seen an ice cream truck! Wonder if they have them here? We saw a food truck in Hayesville on one of our outings. I wanted to get food, but HeWho was hesitant. He wondered if it was healthy and started laughing and then needed a bathroom in a hurry. Eating options here are much better than in those near our campground. Us southerners do appreciate our chow!
Sioux,
Sometimes The Pony walks through Pony House to take a look at the progress, if he's working close to the office. He also eats while working. Hopefully not while driving! But maybe taking bites as he stops to get out on a walking loop. I'm pretty sure those vehicles (or the scanner thingy all the carriers carry) keep track of movement. So line-dancing might go unnoticed, but the nap would surely trigger a stern talking-to in this office.
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Kathy,
We have two food trucks around here now. The Lunch Lady, and one I can't remember the name of. Something like Grandma's Sweet Shop. They are parked at the same place every time I go to town. One in front of a coffee shop, and the other on a parking lot near Walmart. I'm pretty sure the Health Department inspects them. How often, I don't know...
I haven't heard an ice cream truck in years, probably a couple of decades. Even before Covid shut everything down, they were pretty rare. The last option I remember is something called "Home Icecream" with a menu sheet and prices, where you could order bulk icecreams on sticks or in tubs delivered to your home. "No-one" ordered from them for a few summers.
River,
Nothing brings back a childhood summertime memory like the sound of an ice cream truck! Too bad Genius and The Pony lived out here, and didn't have that experience.
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