A TREAT TO WATCH

I’ve been away from the Buffalo area for a bunch of years, and now that our 50-year celebration is getting closer, I’ve really enjoyed reading, viewing old photos, and watching videos that stir up memories from my wonderful childhood. In fact, I’ve made a retrospective booklet for our class, which will be available closer to our reunion.

I’m realizing that a lot of the things that I consider ‘nostalgia’ still exist in our area, therefore maybe not as nostalgic to local classmates. I’m happy to note that while Your Host, Pizza by DiRose, and Pat’s Hot Dogs (and too many other beloved eateries — did I mention Alice’s Kitchen?) are long gone, when I visit my hometown I still have places to reminisce about in person. Bocce’s! Duff’s! Anderson’s, MIGHTY TACO!

Way up there on the list of survivors is Mister Softee! How they survived all this time, and even through COVID, is a mystery… but hats off to them! In my neighborhood, my siblings and I were known to cry when we heard the dulcet tones of their jingling theme song, knowing that there was a slim chance our parents would let us have a softee treat. I’m not sure if they were being stingy or were looking out for our physical well-being (you’ll spoil your appetite? Rot your teeth? We have real ice cream in the freezer?). At any rate, please enjoy this video, especially if you’re ex-pats.