We’ve spent a number of years as a devotee of Frosty’s unique and delectable donuts, often visiting multiple times a week, sipping coffee and eating donuts while catching up on our reading.
Sadly, in recent years the shop has been so unpredictable and unreliable, that whether we wanted to or not, we were forced to wean ourselves from their offerings. Hannaford’s donuts aren’t the best, but they are there whenever you want them, and there’s something to be said for that.
Upon returning from our recent trip, we noticed a sign in Frosty’s window saying ‘new hours – 4 to 1.’ This led us to believe that they had added new staff, since one of their biggest problems is that they have no bench. If one of the family is under the weather (a very frequent occurrence in recent years), or a hired hand at the front counter says goodbye, the place is shuttered for days, if not weeks. The best they had been able to do in recent months is be open to 11am, which eliminated any possibility that I would do my mid-day drop-in.
So, after dropping by Leo’s Barber Shop last week for my usual style cut, hair coloring, and facial, I thought I’d hike on over to ‘the Fro’ to check out their new M.O. I got there a little after 12:30, which I figured gave me enough time to inhale a couple of fried treats and wash them down with a cup of Jamaican Me Crazy from Wicked Joe’s.
The sweet young lady behind the counter asked what I’d like; they had quite a selection for this late in the day. She started to put my picks in a bag, and I said “no, I’ll have them here.” She said “you know, we’re closing in 20 minutes.” I still thought no problemo.
Then I noticed that the front counter looked like it had been rearranged to make more room for providing service. It seemed strange, but I said “you do have coffee, don’t you?” To which the young lass replied “no, I’ve already dumped then all and cleaned them out.” It was then I realized the two rows of coffee air pots had simply vanished from the counter.
Which put me in a really crummy funk. Apparently the new help believes that ‘closing at 1’ means she walks out the front door at the sound of one bell, and she does everything she can to make sure nothing delays her in that departure.
I wondered if Bob and June were aware of this rather unwelcoming approach to closing, especially compared to past years. I suspected it had something to do with the rather large selection of items still available just prior to lock-up, which is the exact opposite of what I came to expect over the years.
Having no real option but to sit down, sans coffee, and eat my donuts, it then dawned on me that the musical background in the shop had changed. Rather than the well-worn Jimmy Swaggart gospel music CDs, I was hearing some semi-modern genre of rock that I cannot identify, but which I’m sure is more appropriate to the tastes of the new counter help, rather than those of the owners.
Say what you want about Frosty’s atmosphere and unchanging tastes in music. But when you can’t get coffee 20 minutes before closing, and then have to deal with music that might as well be from Mars, there’s no denying that the full Frosty’s experience is no longer available.
Which is a sad commentary on the little things in life. The older we get, the more we realize that nothing lasts forever – not our parents, not our friends, not your favorite restaurants, not all those things that become part of the fabric of your life, whether you realize it or not.
But is it too much to ask that a couple of the best donuts ever and a cup of coffee just keep on keeping on?
Apparently it is, although we will make an attempt to get there earlier one of these days, when an owner is on premise to see what the place is like then. Right after we down that nearby rubber tree plant.
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