Monday, April 12, 2010

Pavlov and Turkey in the Straw

The ice cream truck just went by, singing Turkey in the Straw at the top of its electronic lungs. Kids from miles around hear the song and, instantly, their mouths start to water. Nothing could taste better on a barely warm spring day than a Sponge Bob Push-up, drastically overpriced at $2 a pop.

"It's the ice cream man," they shout, scrambling for their own money or begging their mothers for some. They flock to the street, waiting to satisfy the craving they didn't even know they had.

I keep a constant supply of fudge bars and twin pops in the freezer for just such an occasion. For the same price as indulging a momentary craving for a minute, I can fill the same craving in all my kids for a week or more.

I don't respond to Pavlov's call. Not when it sings "Turkey in the Straw" (which I find immensely annoying). I must admit, though, that the theme song for the NPR news quiz makes me want to take a walk. And I suspect they put the milk at Safeway right by the donut case for a reason.

How 'bout you? Do you have any pre-conditioned responses?

5 comments:

David said...

Starbucks. I pass FIVE of them on the way to work.

Papa John said...

I've knee-jerked my way this far without having to list my "salivators". Do I have to start now?

Linda said...

I have so many of them. To name a few . . .

Movies at the theater = Popcorn (probably why I can only afford one movie about every two years!)

The smell of Crayons in the store = BUY them! Intoxicatingly enticing to me.

Albuquerque Isotopes baseball games = Dippin' Dots.

M Lewis Skiles said...

Every time I go to Grand Central Fred Meyer I am drawn, like the proverbial moth to the flame, to the cheese display and the little cheese sample display that looks like George Jetson's car. When it is empty I just sort of wander around looking at cheese for a while and then go see if they have samples in the meat/fish department.
I am told that a Cosco membership is worth it just for the samples...hmmm, do they have cheese?

angel said...

ivars when in mukilteo...drawing me in like a moth to a flame.