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enjoy this writing from Janet Kuypers in the cc&d free 2015 PDF file chapbook: Poetic Shades of Chocolate (w/ never-before performed poems) live 6/20/15 in the “10 Shades of Chocolate” event Click the title or the cover to download the free PDF file chapbook. |
 
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Order this writing in the book Salvation (issues / chapbooks edition) - the cc&d Jan. - June 2015 collection book |
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get the 410 page Jan. - June 2015 cc&d magazine issue collection 6" x 9" ISBN# paperback book: 
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Order this writing in the Janet Kuypers poetry book: a year long Journey Order this 6" x 9" ISBN# book today of writing from performance art shows from June 2014 through June 2014
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This writing was accepted for publication in the 108 page perfect-bound ISSN# / ISBN# issue/book “Rhetoric and the Written Word” cc&d (v267) (the January 2017 issue)  You can also order this 6"x9" issue as a paperback book: |
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Order this writing in the book Things Found in Books the cc&d July-Dec. 2016 collection book |
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get the 418 page Jan.-April 2017 cc&d magazine issue collection 6" x 9" ISBN# paperback book:
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Order this Janet Kuypers writing from her poetry book Every Event of the Year (Volume One: January-June) Order this 200+ page 7½" x 9¼" ISBN# book today of select poetry for holidays and events spanning the first half of the calendar year
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| Empty Chocolate Counter
Janet Kuypers 5/21/15, edited for 6/20/15 show 5/31/15 I used to save what change I could when I was little and I’d ride my bike to the Plush Horse ice cream parlour to get a scoop of their chocolate chocolate chip ice cream (that’s chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips)... But once I got a job there, only boys were allowed to scoop ice cream there. But it was under new management — the brother of the owner of Dove chocolates took it over, and I was hired to work for their brand-new candy counter. So now, for the first time, this ice cream parlour was open year round, and I was there to sell chocolates. So, in the winter it’s safe to say it wasn’t very busy. I was there in the winter to sell chocolates to no one along side the designated male ice cream scooper... Now, I couldn’t get away with eating the individual chocolates for sale there, they’d keep track of their inventory, but their ice cream, made in the back room, was harder to keep track of. So, every time I worked in the winter I’d make myself a twenty-for ounce chocolate chocolate chip shake out of chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips (and added fudge, of course). But one Tuesday night in February, I was sitting in a chair behind my counter, with my precious chocolate ice cream and chocolate chip shake, with fudge — my shake was in my hand as the side door opened, right in front of my counter. And that’s when the owner, came through the door. So I stashed my shake under the counter and stood at attention. “Hello, how are you sir?” I asked, and he just grumbled, mumbled he was fine and he walked to the back office. Whew... But another day at work with the boss, when deliveries were dropped off, I picked up a larger box and the owner then stopped me. “Wait, that’s heavy — you shouldn’t carry that.” And I laughed, explaining that I carry fifty pound salt blocks for our water softener, that I’m fine. I think maybe him seeing that women can stand up for themselves made it okay, in the heat of summer when the lines are out the door for ice cream, for me to leave the empty chocolate counter and be the first girl there to ever scoop ice cream with the big boys. # Looking back, you may say I’m a feminist pioneer by being the first female to scoop ice cream there, but when I look back I don’t see it that way. I just remember home-made chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips, molasses bits and added fudge, and that, my friends, was whipped into the perfect shake — no matter which gender did the work. long version: Empty Chocolate Counter Janet Kuypers 5/21/15 So when I was in high school, my first job was at the Plush Horse ice cream parlour — now, it’s been around for years in the same historic building with the same classic ice cream recipes... And the added bonus was that it was five blocks away from my house. I used to save what change I could when I was little and I’d ride my bike to the Plush Horse ice cream parlour to get a scoop of their chocolate chocolate chip ice cream... Once I got a job there, I discovered they were still old-fashioned there — only males were hired to scoop ice cream. (You see, that’s because us girls aren’t strong enough to wield an ice cream scooper for all those customers.) But the ice cream parlour was under new management — the brother of the owner of Dove chocolates took it over, and I was hired to work for their brand-new candy counter. So now, unlike years past, this ice cream parlour was no longer seasonal, and I got to sell chocolates all winter long. So, for the first time, the historic Plush Horse was selling chocolates at their ice cream parlour that was never open in the dead of winter. So, it’s fair to say that in the winter it wasn’t very busy. So, I always had shifts on dark winter nights, selling chocolates to no one along side the designated male ice cream scooper. And without customers we’d screw around or do our homework, or listen to music or read a book. Now, I couldn’t get away with eating the individual chocolates for sale there, they would keep track of their inventory, but when it came to the ice cream, they made it in the back room, and that was harder to keep track of. So, there’d be too many nights where I’d get to make myself a twenty-for ounce chocolate chocolate chip shake (with added fudge, of course). But one night, it was probably on a Tuesday night in February, I was sitting in a low chair behind my counter, I had a paperback book in my left hand, and my precious chocolate chocolate chip shake (with added fudge, of course) in my right hand. I was leaning back with my shake in my hand and before I got a chance to open my book the side door opened, right in front of my counter. I was expecting a customer coming in for ice cream at the other side of the store — but I saw the owner, the brother of mister Dove chocolates, the brother of mister Dove Bar himself, I saw the owner pushing open the door. My brain went into instant panic mode. So in one sweeping gesture I stashed my book and my shake under the counter and stood at attention, hiding the chair behind my wide skirt. The store was empty, but like a good soldier I asked, “Hello sir, how are you?” (wondering if he would scream that I wasn’t standing at attention in the dead of winter when there were no customers in the store), and he just grumbled (probably because he’s such a busy businessman), he said that he was fine while he walked to the back office. Whew. Just move the chair and the chocolate chocolate chip shake (with added fudge, of course) out of sight... Another day at work with the boss, when deliveries were dropped off, I picked up a larger box to bring to the back and the owner protested. “Wait, those packages are heavy — you couldn’t carry that.” And I laughed, explaining that we carried fifty pound salt blocks for our water softener, that I’m fine. I think maybe him seeing that women can stand up for themselves made it okay, in the heat of summer when the lines are out the door for ice cream, for me to leave the empty chocolate counter and be the first girl there to ever scoop ice cream with the big boys. # I always liked that chocolate chocolate chip shake (with added fudge, of course), and now I go back every few years to try a scoop of chocolate chocolate chip ice cream. The thing that made it so great was that it also included small molasses chunks, so there were extremely tiny candy treats in almost every lick. The last time or two I’ve been to the Plush Horse ice cream parlour, there were next to no molasses pieces in it. I know there’s a new owner again, and I am afraid that cutting corners means the classic recipes are forever lost. So I’m afraid that now I have one less place to satiate my sweet tooth and get my chocolate fix again. |
