Friday, early evening: I was becoming vaguely aware of something in the distance.
Di di di deeee di di di dock.
As I tapped away at the computer, I became more conscious of it: the sound.
Frankly, it was a little irritating.
Di di di deeee di di di dock
Di di di deeee di di di dock
What was it? I started to look around the house. It sounded electronic. TV? No. Mr Hoppo Bumpo playing a console game? No. A toy with its batteries going flat? No.
Di di di deeee di di di dock
Di di di deeee di di di dock
Now the short, repetitive computer game riff was beginning to send me spare. I walked into the garden to see if the sound was coming from outside.
Someone rode past on a bike. A couple in tracksuits walked past on their evening stroll. Nothing. Then my heart gave a little jump, as a small, white ice-cream van cruised past.
Oh, how I love ice-cream vans. In my mind they are the very essence of summer. They appear mysteriously on balmy evenings, signalling their presence with their tinkly music box tunes. Their sides are decorated with promises of choc tops, soft-serve and gelati.
Di di di deeee di di di dock
Di di di deeee di di di dock
Huh? That noise ... was actually the ice-cream van tune.
The vehicle sailed on by, blaring its quasi-computer-game music across the neighborhood. Is this what tempts children away from their computers and fancy game consoles? What happened to Greensleeves?
I sighed as yet another childhood memory slowly disappeared into the sunset. Hmmmph - I suppose that the chap behind the wheel is probably now also known now as Mr Wii-ppy.
What? No Greensleeves? Man, I'm feeling old now...and a touch sad for old things lost.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am looking at a landscape covered yet again in a dense blanket of heavy, wet snow, your post transported me - for a lovely moment - to a summer evening. I can actually hear the unnamed tune of "our" Ice Cream Man's truck of decades ago.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the smile :)
Now into my boots and outside to feed the chickens. I think my "chook chook chook" must be the enchanting sound of their "ice cream truck"!
Wii-ppy. Good one.
ReplyDeleteRound here ice-cream vans don't sell much ice-cream. They sell crisps, sweets and... cigarettes. So when you hear the chimes (or after 9pm at night, the football whistle) you know you can pop out in your slippers for a packet of fags. Lovely.
This means it is all year round and we get *very* fed-up with it. Actual ice-cream vans? Found at the nicer parks in actual sunny weather - so not often in Scotland!!
The one I remember when I was wee, played 'napsack on my back', but it was wound a bit tight and played it double quick time. Or yankee doodle. Greensleeves would have been nice!
Cheers,
AJ
the ice cream van around here plays take me out to the ballgame, last year they still played greensleeves. can get ice cream in the vans still here, don't think they sell fags yet were we are (hope they never do actually)
ReplyDeleteTerrible, one of the joys of summer is the Greensleeves coming from Mr Wippy.
ReplyDeleteps HEHE you are so funny.x
I have not noticed the ice cream trucks here playing Greensleeves and they don't sell Mr. Wippy either. More often it is a kid riding an ice cream bike that has bells on it and you buy something because you feel sorry for the teen riding such a heavy bike in the heat on the hills of the neighborhood. Thanks for the 'warm' thoughts!
ReplyDeleteYou mean you did not chase after it and get an icecream???? Like what!
ReplyDeleteDigital riff or not, I think I still would have been running down the street to get me some ice cream. Excellent self restraint there HB.
ReplyDeleteBefore I had read on to find out what di di di dee di di di dock was I thought that maybe the Time Lords were after you. (Too much Dr Who???)
ReplyDeleteMy hubby and I's conversations went like this:
ReplyDeleteday one:
me -'what an earth is that weird music?'
him- 'no idea but it sounds a bit creepy'
me- 'i think it's an ice cream truck?'
him- 'I don't know?'
day two:
me- 'there's that weird music again?'
him- 'i think it's the baby next door's toy'
day three (at work)
a collegue- 'what is that weird music?'
me - 'no idea but we hear it at home'
everyone looking out the window - 'It's an ice cream truck?? What happened to 'Greensleeves?'
Weird and creepy! But I still wanted to chase it down the street for a rainbow gelati!
What the heck? No Greensleeves? Isn't that, like, illegal? Heck, they were playing Greensleeves on the ice cream truck every summer, on the other side of the world, in CHICAGO...it's a UNIVERSAL thing!
ReplyDeleteI love how your mind thinks... and how you articulate it. Although I do have my suspitions that you self-edit...!!!!
ReplyDeleteWii-ppy..... FANTASTIC!