Cable TV, Unicorns and Ice Cream Trucks...

Cable TV, Unicorns and Ice Cream Trucks. What do these three things have in common? They didn't exist in my childhood. In fact, I can remember the day in 2002, I was visiting a college friend who resides in Kansas City. As we were sitting on her front porch I heard some familiar music growing louder. Suddenly, before my eyes, like straight out of Hollywood, was an Ice Cream Truck! I couldn't believe my eyes, for I thought this took place only in the movies, and here I was in the Midwest ready to order an ice cream cone from the sweet little truck with a bunch of 6 year olds.

I called my mom is excitement. "Ice Cream Trucks really exist, Mom!!" My Mom calmly replied "Yes, they exist here in Ankeny too. When we lived in town we could not afford ice cream from those trucks so we brought you girls inside." What?!? (Editor's Note: My parents broke down and purchased cable tv when I was about 10. The Van Wyks were the last residents in Polk County, however, to switch to high speed internet from dial-up).

The other day we were visiting Clear Lake when the familiar sound of the ice cream truck sounded. I sprinted to my car, grabbed a few bucks, and danced with Emi all the way down the street to buy some ice cream.

Emi loved it! (Despite my Mom's request "Who wants to buy ice cream from a freezer in a truck that has been driving around town all day? Lets go get some real ice cream." But real ice cream places don't play fun music. And they don't pull up to your driveway. And real ice cream places existed in my childhood.

Now on to my search for Unicorns....