Ah yes, summer. Beach days, boat rides, and most importantly, ice cream season. If you work in an ice cream shop, you know this list all too well.
1. You're constantly tempted to eat everything that surrounds you, and you pretty much never get sick of it.
You're surrounded by dozens of tasty flavors on the daily and it's honestly a surprise you don't weigh three-hundred pounds. Customers are always asking you how you manage to control yourself around all of this ice cream and the truth is, you don't.
2. You've come up with crazy flavor-topping combinations that are surprisingly really good.
You know the menu like the back of your hand and you've obviously experimented a few times. You're bound to have found at least a couple of weird, out-of-the-ordinary flavor combinations and you're not afraid to go crazy with the toppings.
3. Customers always ask you what your favorite flavor is, and then get something entirely different.
This just doesn't make sense. I mean, I guess they're trying to be polite and friendly, but why ask if my opinion is irrelevant to you? Also, what are the odds that we have the same taste in ice cream anyway?
4. Customers give you extremely vague orders and you have to ask them about fifty questions before you can figure out what they're picturing in their head.
You know the drill. Someone comes up to the counter and stands there with a blank look on their face and mumbles the word "Vanilla." Well, OK. Would you like it in a cup or a cone? What kind of cone? How many scoops would you like? Do you want any toppings on that? The best is when they answer your questions in a tone that makes you feel like you should have already known. (Disclaimer: I'm not a mind reader).
5. Your hands are always sticky, and you have to wash them every other minute.
Working with ice cream, everything is sticky. And honestly, it's pretty annoying to deal with, especially since everything you touch also becomes sticky.
6. Whichever hand you scoop with is without a doubt stronger than the other.
Scooping ice cream for six hours straight is basically a workout...for only one of your arms. Unless, you're an ambidextrous scooper, you can definitely feel your dominant arm getting jacked as the season goes on.
7. You have to deal with customers who just don't understand the laws of physics.
"Oh, and can you just add a bunch of hot fudge on top of that?" Excuse me, sir, but in case you can't see, I have filled this ice cream to the brim of the cup. Therefore, if I were to try and pour hot fudge over this ice cream, it would end up everywhere except for on the ice cream. So to answer your question, no, I can't "just add a bunch of hot fudge." However, I will scoop it into a larger bowl and then follow your request (eye roll).
8. At the end of the night, your arms are covered in chocolate stains.
I'm not even exaggerating. The stains literally travel all the way up your arms. No one's sure how it happens, but it happens. And the worst is when you forget to wash them off and show up in public with dried brown streaks all over you.
9. You always smell like waffle cones (and sometimes spoiled milk).
People are always asking you why you smell so good when you get off work because the smell of freshly made waffle cones stays with you for awhile. However, you nearly die when you smell your shirt at the end of a shift, because the overpowering odor of old cream is rather disgusting.
10. But it's all worth it because at the end of the weekend you're rolling in tips.
Let's be honest, there is absolutely nothing better than counting your tips after a busy Saturday night shift. And who cares if you constantly have bundles of ones? Money is money and you've got it!
From one scooper to another, put on your fakes smile and hang in there. Happy summer!
