How Ice Cream (Almost) Ruined Family Fun

If we were keeping score of how many times the family has begun a trip with the goal of finding Cold Stone Creamery, and how many times we actually found it, our family would be significantly behind. On Saturday, Frustration again racked up another point, and for a moment, it looked like Frustration was going to ruin Family Fun Weekend.

We spent the day in the cities, and the Teenager made the declaration that he wanted to end the day with Cold Stone Creamery. He looked up CSC on his smart phone, and identified the closest location. Husband and I were initially a little skeptical because, as stated earlier, the family has been on several wild goose hunts throughout the cities trying to find CSC's that either moved, went out of business, or were apparently never in the place that the Garmin or Googlemaps thought it was. As a fail-safe, we instructed the Teenager to call and confirm the CSC still, in fact, existed.

Teenager called, and from our end it sounds like he's getting some detailed instructions of how to get there. However, when he gets off the phone, he tells us only that it exists in a shopping center called, "The Village." Husband and I give each other a look. Husband mentions that perhaps it would have been helpful to have road names, or an intersection. Teenager doesn't want to call again, and I'm trying to avoid a fight, so we get the GPS going on the smartphone and begin navigating to CSC.

Teenager is nervous because he didn't get good directions. I'm holding the smartphone, and in an attempt to turn the volume down, turned it down so far that Husband couldn't hear his instructions and we ended up in a turn lane a block too early. Husband is mumbling under his breath. Tensions are running high.

According to the phone, we are on the right path. But the area is looking strangely residential. Suddenly Teenager bursts from the back seat, "It's not here! We're in the wrong place! Let's just go home!" Husband yells back, "We are not going home, we are going to find this place, we did not just drive around for half an hour to not have ice cream!" Teenager retorts, "I don't want to go when everyone is mad." Husband snapped, "Then you can sit in the car." To which I sulk because now Family Fun Day is RUINED. RUINED I TELL YOU! THERE IS NO YELLING DURING FAMILY FUN DAY!!!

But never fear, dear reader. A quick prayer for peace, and a personal phone call to the CSC we were originally trying to find (the guy said, "Oh yeah, I know that google says we're there, but we're not..." Thanks SO MUCH for that insight.) revealed that a better option was a mere four miles to the north. I called and got specific directions, Husband calmed down, the Teenager decided he did not want to sit in the car afterall, and Daughter continued to quietly pray for peace. As we drove up to CSC, we all shared a good laugh about our standard family-freak-out, ate some ice cream, and lived happily ever after.


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