Ice Cream Meltdown

53 Replies

This week at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the word meltdown. You can use it to describe an event or emotional reaction. You can create a new meaning or explore the word origin. You can Go where the prompt leads!

When I thought of children in relation to Charli’s meltdown prompt, my first thought was of ice cream melting. Why not go literal? Children can find joy in an ice cream, especially on a hot day. They can also have a meltdown if it misbehaves and melts too soon or falls from the cone to the ground, irretrievable.

This past eighteen months of social restrictions and lockdowns have provided many opportunities to develop patience and resilience. At the same time, they have caused a multitude of frustrations and meltdowns, especially if toilet roll supplies edged dangerously low. However, it is surprising how the majority pull through the inconveniences and, perhaps less surprising, how quickly a few have gone into meltdown.

Ice Cream Meltdown

“Stop blubbering while I answer this. Hello.”

“Good morning. Sounds like someone’s not happy.”

“The ice cream’s melted.”

“An ice cream meltdown. Kids will be kids.”

“Yeah. Our fifth lockdown this year. We’re homeschooling. Again. My FIFO hub’s trapped in woop-woop. I can’t visit mum in hospital cause she’s interstate even if hub did get home. And no power now for three days. Our freezer food’s spoiled, and he’s whinging about ice cream. When will the lines be fixed?”

“Sorry. You’ve got the wrong number.” I hung up. The boss can fire me. No way she’d buy raffle tickets.

Thank you blog post

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

53 thoughts on “Ice Cream Meltdown”

  3. Pingback: July Story Chat Summary “Sometimes a Miracle” by Gary A. Wilson – Marsha Ingrao – Always Write

  4. Jules

    I remember reading of some off the grid homes that have more than one back up generator! Like camping… I’m not sure how independent I’d be if I didn’t have some modern conveniences.

    We can only hope that folks can find the patience to survive. I liked the ending too.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Norah Post author

      I don’t have a backup generator and am entirely dependent on the grid. When we were cut-off by floods 10 years ago, we had no power for six days. Luckily we had a battery radio (we don’t anymore) and a landline phone that didn’t rely on power (we don’t anymore). I don’t remember what we did for food, but I recall having bbqs. I don’t think we’d survive quite so well now with no battery radio and no landline phones.
      Patience is definitely a skill to have.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Jules

        Being involved with the volunteer fire fighters and hazard materials groups… if we ever had an extended outage, Hubby says we would just go to those buildings that did have power.

        We’ve only had power go out for about 4-6 hours at a stretch. So just don’t open the frig or freezers. Mostly due to a car accident taking down a utility pole. Even though our particular neighborhood has buried power cables… somewhere there is a pole with a line bringing it.

        Good though to have an emergency plan… Box with non perishable supplies… that battery (or hand crank) radio… Etc. Probably should have an escape ladder too… all thinks I ought to have as well.

        Though in taking to hubby just now we actually without that escape ladder have a few different egresses from our upper floor… and short of a real issue we would just drive over to the Hazmat station. It’s a plan.

        Liked by 1 person

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  7. reunameit

    I hate Word Press!,!! I just wrote you a comment, had trouble logging in and when I did it said it was a duplicate comment I had said already but I haven’t. Sorry…too frustrated to try again!

    Very clever.

    Off to bed 😴😴😴

    Sent from my iPad

    >

    Liked by 1 person

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  9. Marsha

    This is laugh out loud funny, Norah! I am still laughing as I write. I’m linking this post to Story Chat this month. 🙂 I hope everyone will read it and get their laugh of the day! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

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          1. Marsha

            You mean you haven’t? You came up with that line. I have another friend who handles those kinds of calls like the other person on the line – talking them to death. “Hold on, I’ve got to get my check book. I’ll just be a second.,,,” That kind of thing.

            Liked by 1 person

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            1. Norah Post author

              It must be difficult to need to work and to have no alternative than to work in a job like that. I’m sure the pay and conditions are not good, and they may rely on commissions too. It must be soul destroying. If I answer, I usually just tell them straight up that I’m not interested and let them get on with another call and maybe find someone who is. 🙂

              Liked by 1 person

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              1. Marsha

                I have done that kind of work when I needed to work. I have sold magazines door to door. It is not a job that most people keep very long, that’s for sure. There are easier ways to make minimum wages. I know that’s why they use robo calls now. My sister in law got taken in by a scam through the phone and paid $1800 to have her $300 computer fixed. By the time she realized she was being scammed, they guy was yelling at her over the phone to do what he asked and had photographed her driver’s license. I guess I don’t have as much sympathy as you do. The guys that Jack talked to were scammers as well trying to get him to pay them money. These folks are nothing more than crooks.

                Liked by 1 person

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                1. Norah Post author

                  You’re right. Most of them are crooks. Many of them are robo calls. Perhaps I am too kind, but being kind is something I aspire to. It is no fun being scammed.

                  Liked by 1 person

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                    2. Marsha

                      We all fall short of the glory of God, my friend. We are not perfect. You are a dear, dear person, very loveable and a role model though. I admire you very much.

                      Liked by 1 person

  11. Pingback: Meltdown « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

  16. Charli Mills

    Great connection, Norah, to go to an ice cream meltdown and link it to a pandemic lockdown. However, what really stood out to me was the reluctance of the caller to inconvenience her day at the expense of his job. Seems to me, we have also had time to consider our priorities and values during the pandemic, as well.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Norah Post author

      I like your interpretation of the caller. You’re more forgiving than I was. It’s that perspective, I guess. I could think of lots of reasons for the hang up. They usually begin by asking how we are but don’t really care and don’t want to go until we commit to something.

      Like

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  17. srbottch

    I enjoyed it and sensed the frustration of this year plus long strange environment. I always say that an incident makes for good story telling later but this Covid episode is turning into a bad act. Hope all is well.

    Liked by 1 person

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