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We Three Men 9.15.98
Where'yat dudes, dudettes, citizens, felons, all you ne'er do wells, and you do-gooders.
"Everybody got a drink?" I say pulling up to the curb today. Van and Monk are taking charge of the shade at 2646.
"We all right," they say. Monk has gin and juice, Van has a Busch.
I go across the street, get myself a 16 ounce Bud and some peanuts, and a Busch for Van. I pay Freddy for the beer and then I look down at the cooler in front of me and say, "Oh the Bluebell came in, I must have some of that." Evelyn walks in and looks at my pints of White Chocolate Almond, and Butter Pecan sitting on the counter next to my two beers and, perhaps feeling a little guilty for my ability to afford luxuries, I blurt out, "I'm buying two pints of Bluebell ice cream, Evelyn," and she responds, "I can see that." I say, "I gave up cigarettes and I'm going to have ice cream whenever I want it," and I pound the counter for emphasis. Evelyn just stares at me, and covers the ten I left on the counter. "I don't wanna hafta kill you Evelyn," I say in the direction of her hand on my money. Jack sees me with the ice cream and says, "They didn't have Tin Roof, Tin Roof." Jack, like Freddy, has a Palestinian accent and he's not sure he's saying "Tin Roof" properly but I assure him everything is just fine because I am standing over a cooler looking at 50--75 pints of ice cream, and everything really seems fine to me right this minute.
I see some new flavors. "I'll just try all these new flavors in here, Jack, and we'll see how it goes." Tin Roof, Butter Pecan, Caramel Fudge, White Chocolate Almond, Mint Chocolate Chip, Strawberry, and Rocky Road are the
flavors I have tried recently. "This is Van's change from earlier," Jack says. I accept the change.
"You doing good Van, I buy you a beer and Jack gives me this money for you."
We three men sit and luxuriate in our grown up maleness, drinking beer and gin and talkin' sin, while children approach but do not tresspass on our company.