Yesterday, I had one of those ideal days that summer seems made for. I headed out to McCarren Park Pool to saw the bands Illinois and Man Man, had some (see also: too much) beer and met some really cool new friends; among these was Matt Allen, a person known affectionately to many as “the Ice Cream Man.” Not to be confused with your local neighborhood purveyor or Master P circa 1996, this ice cream man has what could confidently be stated as one of the best jobs of all time. Allen travels all over the nation to concerts and music festivals such as Bonaroo and Lollapalooza to dole out free ice cream and is financially supported through advertisers, sponsors, promotions, branding and merchandising. According to his Myspace Page, he’s has handed out around 80,000 frozen treats, carrying a vast variety of favorites including neapolitan bars, chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches and nostalgia-inducing TMNT pops. His goal is to serve up half a million goodies and I am happy to say I helped him on the way with a much appreciated Reese’s Pieces Ice Cream Bar. Check out his website for music and concert reviews, stories from the road and schedule updates. For those of you dying to bust out of your cubicle and go “slingin’ the cream, livin’ the dream,” you can also volunteer to be a part of his team.

–Mara Siegler