Too bad I'm only posting portraits, cuz a picture would really do the LA Zoo's snow cones justice.
The first time I saw the snow cone guy, he used to work over by what is now the new gorilla exhibit. He was always talking. If he wasn't talking to a costumer, he was talking to a janitor or anyone who would listen. Every single time we'd go to the zoo, this guy was just blabbing away. I always wanted my chance to talk to him, or buy a snow cone, and finally about a year ago I did.
Two guys ahead of me both got big snow cones. I mean, real big. The second guy got a bigger cone, then the snow cone man asked him if he thought his friend would be jealous if his snow cone was not as big as his snow cone. It was weird. So then I was next. Even though the size jokes didn't apply to me, I wanted a big ass snow cone too. How big you ask? Well, the one I got was about 10 inches high, on top of a 5 inch paper cup. Plus it was really fat. This snow cone guy doesn't just talk, he is a man of action. On top of this mound of shaved ice, he loads on the artificial flavoring, and tells you to keep coming back for more syrup. He has told me now 3 times about a woman who drove all the way from Santa Monica one day just for his artificial banana flavoring. I wonder why he always tells me that. Maybe he fell in love with her.
So, today we went, and I didn't have my cell phone to show him my previous large lumped mountains of ice to prove to him that he hooked it up before, so when it was my turn to order, I said to him - " I know you have the mental and physical ability to really pack on the ice - so please do" - then he said - "heavy on the ice?" - I said "Yes please".
Today's snow cone was big, but not embarrassingly large, and we all ate it together and slurped the excess fake pineapple and cherry flavors. It was good. And today was hot. So, if you ever get to the zoo, walk past the new gorilla exhibit, up the hill, and right before you get to the hippos you will find this chatterbox of a man in his little cart, with a big smile, and a hell of a lot of ice and a rainbow of flavors waiting for your $3.50.
