Cracker Jacks. Ah yes, that's another story. But, with cracker Jacks you didn't have to eat a whole box of cereal, slip a dime in an envelope with the box top, mail it off to Battle Creek, Michigan and then wait what seemed like forever for them to send you your prize. I'm talkin' about delayed gratification, folks... something that has become extinct in these times.

Of course, it wasn't just cereal box tops that you sent in... The most unhygenic of all were mailing in a big wad of Popsicle wrappers. We were never organized to actually save the wrappers. Besides, they got disgusting almost immediately, with caramelly, sticky drippings all over them. When we saw something that we really wanted, we'd just scour the area within a hundred feet of the corner store and pick up at least four or five wrappers on the ground. By then, they ants had found them and were feasting on the sticky gops of melted popsicle. But, hey! We didn't care... just stuffed an envelope full, ants and all. :-)

Jerry